Ok. To the guys that are saying Hodgdon is going to stop making 231/HP38....where did you hear this from? ....
What do "pseudo gunsmiths" (whatever the heck they are?) have to do with this?Too many pseudo gunsmiths making a grab for business also.
If you're really upset about this hoarding and gouging, you should direct most of your angst and vitriol toward the "gun-rights media" from the NRA on down who with their almost incessant daily drum beat of boogyman rumors and tinfoil hat stuff keep the pot stirring. That's done more to fuel this mess we're in than this silly little thing. Hell, out here in Indiana we've still got idiots talking about the supposed "FEMA internment camps" (yeah right) in Indianapolis for gawd's sake.So, you guys telling stories STOP! You will create a hoarding and drive up the price! Isn't powder expensive enough? I will refrain from saying what I REALLY feel
And some 22 LR to go along with it!I shouldda stayed in school and gotten a chemistry degree...we need another plant to manufacture powder!
This is of course very true. The suppliers of canister powders to the US market are all in one way or another dysfunctional from a business perspective. The sad reality is that Hodgdon is (at least in my opinion) the least dysfunctional of the bunch, which is of course not saying much. It is an industry that simply does not either know how to or doesn't care to communicate with their customers.Well, Hodgdon only have themselves to blame .......
Funny you should say this. I'm an adult that takes college classes sort of as a hobby. It's getting close to the time where I should be thinking about deciding on a major. This semester I'm taking Organic Chemistry 1, then in the spring I'm taking O-chem 2. To get an AS in Chemistry all I would need is Calculus 1 & 2, General Physics 1&2 and one more Chemistry class. Also I need to take college trig which is a pre-req for calc 1. I have all the general ed classes from way back. So by taking 1 class/semester, I will get that degree in 2019!!!I shouldda stayed in school and gotten a chemistry degree...we need another plant to manufacture powder!
Actually, we have plenty of production capability-the problem is the sky-is-falling scare tactics which stampede the herd and cause everybody to go nuts and start hoarding everything whether it's guns, ammo, or reloading components. The other problem is that you have 3 of the 4 major domestic suppliers dependent on one source of supply (GD/St. Marks) for the bulk of their popular powders. And up until lately, nobody was importing much from overseas. Now you're seeing Vectan (France), Lovex (Czech), ADI (Australia), and Maxam (Spain) powders started to be marketed more aggressively here. All of these companies have tremendous manufacturing capabilities and are already serious players in the world market but just haven't been promoted here. Maxam, who also make the Rio shotshell line, plan to formally introduce their powders under the Rio brand starting later this year.we need another plant to manufacture powder!
^^^ Why there's a powder "shortage".I've gotten lots of HP38 in recently. 40lbs I think.
As did I. The key word here is "they". "They" (Hodgdon) aren't discontinuing it according to their responses/clarifications but "they" don't manufacture it and can't dictate what General Dynamics does or doesn't do now or in the future in regards to what they want to produce or not produce. "They" (Hodgdon) didn't discontinue the Clays powders either this year, ADI in Australia did. The bottom line is that if you market ball/spherical powder and want to source it domestically you are at the mercy of General Dynamics/St. Marks for your supply. And people forget that General Dynamics themselves have a HUGE small arms ordnance business producing ammunition for military markets on their own (a few years ago they got a contract for a BILLION rds. of 5.56 ammo from Uncle Sam) so one guess who gets taken care of first when it comes to powder.I talked to Hodgdon personally. They confirmed that they are NOT discontinuing 231.