Lapua to stop brass production for 6.5 Grendel, and others - Copper Creek email

[grayfox]

Just received an update email from Copper Creek, concerning Lapua. Not so great news.
Here is most of the text.

We have received an update from Lapua.
Unfortunately, Lapua is the latest company to make a big announcement concerning future availabilities. At this time, Lapua is suspending production on BRASS for the following seven cartridges. These are all carried by Copper Creek so we will begin offering more alternative manufacturers as they become available.

22-250 Remington
6mm Creedmoor
6.5x47 Lapua
6.5 Grendel
6.5x284 Norma
260 Remington
7mm-08 Remington
There is some inventory in the United States so these will not disappear overnight. However, please plan ahead accordingly as there is NO ETA on when Lapua will produce these products again.
Hornady has announced that they will begin offering brass to manufacturers again in 2023. We do not know what cartridges, and we have not seen their new pricing.

[DeNinny]

I'm worried that Hornady might drop grendel too. It's competition with 6mm ARC. And it used to be that some of the most prevalent factory grendel ammo was Hornady Black and SST. Now I never see any Hornady on the shelves. It's all Nosler.

[LR1955]

Guys:

And I happen to have a couple thousand new in bag AA headstamped Lapua made Grendel brass.

Problem is the headstamp is Alexander Arms so guys will probably never believe they are Lapua.

LR-55

[CJW]

I sure do hate to hear this.

[MrDraco]

Really not too worried. They will start back up producing brass again once the Russia scare is over. Based on what I've found and read, Finland's government is worried Russia will set their eyes on them next and have contracted with Lapua to help them build up their ammunition stores. I've found a couple other lists on other sites of calibers that Lapua has ceased production on and basically if it isn't a common military round, Lapua has ceased making it.

[Kosh65]

I find this really odd that they stop production on a few of the most popular cartridges used today. Especially a chambering (6.6x47 Lapua) that they put on the map.

[Kilco]

Great.. I shoot 260 and 6.5G... I'm stocked deep on 260, but I better grab some G when I see it...

Wait... havent seen Lapua G in years anyways.

Gogo starline.

[mtnlvr]

Time to start collecting AK brass again.

[LRRPF52]

Really not too worried. They will start back up producing brass again once the Russia scare is over. Based on what I've found and read, Finland's government is worried Russia will set their eyes on them next and have contracted with Lapua to help them build up their ammunition stores. I've found a couple other lists on other sites of calibers that Lapua has ceased production on and basically if it isn't a common military round, Lapua has ceased making it.

[grayfox]

No No! Very informative.
As I recall the russkies didn't fare so well when they tried their little incursion in the unpleasantness of '39. They sort of underestimated the Finns then, kind of like they have the Uke-ies now. Not that they wouldn't try again mind you.

[CazadorBob]

Very informative. Things make more sense now knowing this....

[LR1955]

Guys:

Thinking that Lapua priced themselves out of the market. With Starline and Hornady brass among others, there is no real demand for 6.5 G brass costing as much as Lapua.

People chose other brands and it is no longer profitable for Lapua to make 6.5 Grendel so they stopped doing so.

LR-55

[LRRPF52]

Yup. Several years ago, the US exclusive importer of Lapua brass hired a new guy who hiked up all the prices, which made it very difficult for companies to load using Lapua brass.

Back when I joined the forum in 2009, 6.5 Grendel Lapua brass was $44/100 from Alexander Arms if I recall correctly.

[Klem]

Similar thing happened in the southern hemisphere.

Lapua's distributor were a husband and wife bench-rest shooting team, charging reasonable prices until the biggest distributor in Australia, NIOA Trading poached the contract. Prices of Lapua brass doubled overnight. Grendel is now equivalent $146USD per 100 cases + postage.

The original partnership were so pissed they sold all their Lapua stock at cost - For a very short period of time Grendel was $0.26USD per case. Gives an idea of how much wholesalers pay for brass in bulk.

Looks like the wholesaler (NIOA) went to Lapua with a plan to gouge the market in a monopoly situation.

[LR1955]

Similar thing happened in the southern hemisphere.

Lapua's distributor were a husband and wife bench-rest shooting team, charging reasonable prices until the biggest distributor in Australia, NIOA Trading poached the contract. Prices of Lapua brass doubled overnight. Grendel is now equivalent $146USD per 100 cases + postage.

The original partnership were so pissed they sold all their Lapua stock at cost - For a very short period of time Grendel was $0.26USD per case. Gives an idea of how much wholesalers pay for brass in bulk.

Looks like the wholesaler (NIOA) went to Lapua with a plan to gouge the market in a monopoly situation.

Klem:

I would not doubt it a bit. Lapua remains the best brass made but they think their reputation is enough to charge outlandish prices for brass.

Sorry about that but the difference between Starline , Hornady, Nosler, and Lapua are probably minimal and not worth the extra cost.

There comes a limit as to what even the best shooters will pay for brass. It was obvious that Lapua was gouging the consumer.

LR-55