Guns: The Limiting Reagent

A chemical reaction is a dance between molecules, and you need enough dance partners if you want to keep the dance going. As the below video illustrates, increasing the amount of men in the dance hall only works up to a certain point...



Reloading components need a similar balance, a balance easily disrupted by market forces. In the spring and summer, it was nearly impossible for me to find pistol primers for my reloading bench. In the fall, after a trip to Gander Mountain yielded 6 boxes of the precious little explosives, I find myself lacking the right bullets.

In a way, the bullet shortage is even worse. Primers, powder, and cases are mostly interchangeable, but each bullet has its own specific uses. In the case of the Gold Dots, the 135 grain bullets are specially engineered to expand at typical 2" .38 snub velocities. It's a bit frustrating to have the right primers, the right powder, the right cases, but the wrong bullets. I may have to start loading bulk lead wadcutters if this keeps up.