Funny you should ask!!
Here is your answer as to what is going on ---
Georgia Arms is the 5th largest retailer of .223 Ammo in America. (they sell 9 mm, .45, etc ammo)
They normally buy spent brass from the US Dept of Defense - 'one time used' shell casings by our Military - from training on Military bases, etc. They buy the brass and then re-load for resale to Law Enforcement, Gun Shops, Gun Clubs, Wal-Mart, and etc.
They normally buy 30,000 lbs of spent brass at a time.
This week (Earlier in 2009)the DoD wrote a letter to the owner of Georgia Arms and said that from now on the DoD will be destroying the brass - shredding it. It is no longer available to the Ammo makers - unless they just buy it in a scrap shredded condition (which they have No use for). The shredded brass is NOW going to be sold by the DoD to China as scrap metal....after the DoD pays for it to be shredded. The DoD is selling the brass to China for less money than Ammo manufacturers have been paying...plus the DoD has to pay to have the brass shredded and do all the accounting paperwork. That sure helps the US economy now, doesn't it? Sell cheaper to China - and do not sell shells at all to a proven US business. Any agenda working here???? Obama going after our ammunition!!!!!
The Georgia Arms owner even related a story that one of his competitors had already purchased a load of brass last week - and the DoD contacted him this week and said they were sending someone over to make sure it was destroyed. Shell Casings he had already bought! THE BRASS HAS NO VALUE TO THE AMMO MAKER IF IT IS DESTROYED/SHREDDED/MELTED. THE AMMO MANUFACTURER ONLY USES THE EMPTY BRASS SHELLS TO RELOAD DIFFERENT CALIBERS - MAINLY .223 BULLETS.
Georgia Arms owner says that he will have to lay off at least Half of his 60 workers, within 2 - 3 months if the DoD no longer sells their spent brass to him. He has 2 - 3 months inventory of shells to use. By summer - he's out. If he has to buy new manufactured brass shells, then the cost of ammunitioin to the buyer will double and triple...plus Obama wants to add a 500% tax on each shell.
You can read the info and see the DoD letter to Georgia Arms here:
The Shootist Site
http://www.theshootist.net/
Georgia Arms Site:
http://georgia-arms.com/
Loss of US jobs, control of ammunition by the new Obama administration....liberalism at its best and on the way to socialism. When times get bad...and they will very soon....only the bad will have guns and ammo. This new "Obomanation" is going to make good citizens into crinimals by trying to take our guns and ammo.
Here is a the follow-up Memo
UPDATE: On April 6th (Later in 2009), I received this response from Johnny Isakson (US Senator in Georgia):
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Department of Defense's (DoD) policy on recycling spent ammunition cases. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
Recently, the Obama administration changed DoD policy in order to require that spent military ammunition be destroyed rather than sold to manufacturers to be reloaded for sale to civilians. Prohibiting the sale of used military cartridge cases would reduce the supply of ammunition and prevent American citizens from fully exercising their Second Amendment right.
I am pleased to report that on March 17, 2009, the DoD reversed this short-lived policy and resumed the sale of spent cartridge cases to the private sector. I am satisfied with this development and will continue to monitor any future policy decisions that may affect our Second Amendment rights.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at
http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator
Good luck finding primers in todays market. Doubt anyone who reloads would be willing to share. Others MAY sell, but at what price?
264
