Has anyone found it incredibly difficult to do business with Quality Cartridge in Maryland? I ordered some stuff from them 5-6 weeks ago and have never heard back on a ship date or anything. Almost impossible to get them on the phone. They seem to have an extensive inventory, but no sales people. Anyone had a similar or different experience with these folks?

meptampa

Yes it is very difficult to make contact with Pete! I have been working with Pete for 3-4 years now and have the same issues. FYI Pete is pretty much a 1 man operation or was, and this is part of the problems too. Pete is head sales, manufacturing, the whole works so it makes it tough. I am not trying to make excuses for Quality Cartridge, and at some point it has to get better on the communications end. In the long run I have had great success getting some very special brass done for myself and just recently completed a fairly large order for some of my wildcat cartridges I developed. So it is worth it to me. Just keep sending an email and calling, eventually it will sort out.

Michael

From a business standpoint it almost seems like he has such an inventory and capability to produce niche items, that it would make sense to expand. Hell, I'm in sales, if business is that busy, I want to go sell for him.

meptampa

You won't get an argument from me! I think that would be the next step for Quality, get someone to answer phone, take orders, make contacts and sales, then get some help out back making brass! I know he is damn busy and just about overloaded with work. I think Pete is nearly to the point that he must add on some help, add some growth and level out at some point.

Michael

Email?? I don't even have an email address for them. Where might I be able to find that?

I would just assume he is not interested in doing business with me, but I think he is the only guy on earth selling loaded new 450 magnum express ammo. Maybe I should just take the hint.

If you can't get a hold of the guy to buy something, I think it would be about impossible to contact them when you have an issue with something.

meptampa

The email should be on the website. Call leave message and email too. Yes, not good and whelen is right too, but sometimes you compromise to get what you need. I tried to talk to some others like Starline--forget it! Maybe if you need 100'000 pieces they talk to you! So that leaves us with Pete. It takes some time.
Michael

To be fair to Pete, he did respond to my email finally. Word is he's busy and it takes a long time to make what I want from scratch. I will wait. It is still hard to believe that the free market (or what's left of it) has not rectified this shortage of similar producers. Perhaps there are no margins and he does it for fun..although I highly doubt that.

meptampa

I am glad you finally got up with Pete (or he finally got with you). I doubt very seriously Pete is getting rich from what he does. I would say margins are slim and the hours are long.

By the way, what are you having him make for you?
Michael

I'm asking him to make 250rds of .450 Magnum Express with correct headstamp ($90/per 50).

On an unrelated topic, I went to the Houston High Caliber gun show today. Most ammo was gone in the first two hours. No primers out there either. Silver was selling at $25/ounce (closed at $12.50 firday). Parking + admission = $18. I'm not sure why I still go to gun shows, I guess I just cant resist. I did find 20RD boxes of Federal Power Shock 7mm-08 at $9.95 per box-bought the last 4 he had.

meptampa

I will have to look 450 Mag Express up. I am sure I have heard of it, but can't place it at the moment. $1.80 each, well could be worse. I spent a pile of $$ with Pete recently for 500 each of 500 MDM--50 B&M--458 B&M-and 416 B&M. Little more than a $1 more than yours.

No man, things are crazy out there. I think it would be very hard to find primers anywhere in the country right now production is so far behind. Was talking to a friend the other day that knows someone at Corbon--they say they are 4.5 million rounds behind production right now, and they can't get primers??? Ammo, bullets, brass, primers, powder and everything is in short supply right now for sure!

Nah, don't do the gun shows anymore-if midway and gunbroker don't have it, then I might as well wait until it shows up!

Glad you got everything sorted out with Pete!

Michael

I just noticed that Pete's brass is now available through Midway at $55 per 20. That's $2.75 each just for brass. He's selling me loaded rounds for 1.80. Unreal, I wonder if I'll ever receive them, it's been over 3 months. I went ahead and ordered 200 from Midway just to see which one gets here first.

Yeah Quality has been available thru midway for some time now. I imagine that midway pulls a lot of weight with Pete, although I am not sure of that, just makes good sense however. Might get the midway brass first??? In the end, you get what you need both ways!

What kind of rifle you got this in?

Michael

Although Midway has it listed as "rifle brass" it is actually for a revolver.

Here is the gun.

http://www.singleactions.com/NAA450MagnumExpress.pdf

And another,
http://www.gunsinternational.c...ail.cfm?id=100028760

OK then, that's why I was not familiar with it, a handgun! Have not paid much attention to handguns in a long time.

Interesting.
Thanks for the update!

Michael