GOEX Plant Shutting Down?

[Karl Kunkel]

[p.d.]

Just saw that on FB.  That’s bad news.

[AZshot]

Jeeze, I usually don't care to follow or think about social media "reports" that are unsubstantiated.  Usually gloom and doom.  But the memo seems legit.  As much as we seem pretty self sufficient in muzzleloading, the powder is the single point of need. I suppose there are other companies....

[Brokennock]

Well. That sucks.

[bones92]

Horrible news.  No doubt made worse by the anti-gun factions that find every possible means of making the shooting sports unsustainable.

[martin9]

I noticed he said the Louisiana factory...How many plants does goex have?

[p.d.]

I believe that is the only one.

[Bob Gerard]

Is it because of the June fire and several plant fires and tragedies before?
Or from Lawyers and Insurance Companies pressure?
Or the Woke Syndrome and Cancel Culture, perhaps?

My gut tells me the last one, but the company will deny it...

[Panzerschwein]

This could cripple our already waning hobby. This is not good news.

[Bob Roller]

That will leave a captive market for Swiss and maybe other imports. When I bought my first can of DuPont in 1951
it was in our Capital City,Charleston WV. There was NONE for sale here in Huntington and still isn't. What % of black powder
is used for hunting,target shooting and other "live fire"activities and what % is for reenactors creating noise and smoke.
The low and now lower membership numbers of NMLRA offers little hope for a prosperous powder company.
I remember when King's Powder Mills closed and in 1954 E.M.Farris and I stopped there on the way to Friendship and made a mobile disaster area of his old Pontiac with 25 and 6 and 1/4 pound steel barrels of that powder.The use of black powder has grown but even with reenacting and BPCR it may not survive.I hope I am WRONG but with the low end agendas of today's elected "leaders" I don't think I am. Low sales levels and opportunistic gougers have reduced sales to  a low ebb and sales dictate if a business stays open.In 1951 a pound of DuPont was $1.50 in Silver backed currency,How much is it now in ersatz $'s
Bob Roller

[Tommy Bruce]

This could cripple our already waning hobby. This is not good news.

Bob, I'd say D........all of the above.  I really hope someone will buy the factory.  While bp shooting in general has waned over the years, with everyone out of stock, I can't help but think there is still enough demand to make a bit of a profit. 

[Osprey]

Having worked at a sporting goods store for many years, one of the other problems is on the sales point end.  Many don't realize that there is a separate explosives license for BP from the modern smokeless powders.  It must also be kept in a separate locked, fire proof safe.  If you pay attention you'll see that smokeless and the modern substitutes are displayed on open retail shelves, but you always have to ask for real BP from the safe in a back room.  For most smaller stores the extra license, hassle and expense just isn't worth it, which is why you so rarely find real BP in any Mom and Pop stores, or at events like longrifle shows. 

[ScottNE]

Doesn’t Goex supply the military, black powder is still used in some big bore artillery applications I thought?

[JBJ]

Just found this:

https://namlhunt.com/goex-to-close.html

J.B.

[WadePatton]

The military will get theirs.

Other suppliers will fill in. That's how that works. I lost my love for Goex when I realized Hodgdon had bought them. I lost my love for Hodgdon powders (all types) when I realized they were knowingly lying to us about pyrojunk.

[Bob Roller]

This could cripple our already waning hobby. This is not good news.

Bob, I'd say D........all of the above.  I really hope someone will buy the factory.  While bp shooting in general has waned over the years, with everyone out of stock, I can't help but think there is still enough demand to make a bit of a profit.

A BIT of a profit isn't in the game now and with the value of our once "Almighty Dollar" collapsing daily it never will be.
Also the hassle of government regulations is another one.One local sporting goods store sells it  but it's at$30 a pound
and they have to send a clerk to the magazine to get it.At one time there were 3 major powder makers,DuPont,King's and Hazard and probably others but now the level of sales and corrosive ersatz "powders"have hit REAL black powder hard and
recapturing a lost market can be impossible.Just ask any surviving worker from the once legendary Packard Motor Car Company..
Bob Roller

[Robin Henderson]

Having worked at a sporting goods store for many years, one of the other problems is on the sales point end.  Many don't realize that there is a separate explosives license for BP from the modern smokeless powders.  It must also be kept in a separate locked, fire proof safe.  If you pay attention you'll see that smokeless and the modern substitutes are displayed on open retail shelves, but you always have to ask for real BP from the safe in a back room.  For most smaller stores the extra license, hassle and expense just isn't worth it, which is why you so rarely find real BP in any Mom and Pop stores, or at events like longrifle shows.

This is on the top of my list as to why traditional muzzle loading is deeply waning. A young person with limited finances and does not want to order 5 pounds for much money is simply left out in the dark.

[bob in the woods]

Cabela's lists GOEX at $ 60.00 a pound here !    They only had a few cans of FFg in stock the last time I checked.  I think this has a bearing on why the smaller bores are becoming more popular for everyday shooting.

[AZshot]

wow, does BP really cost over $50 a can now?  I don't buy it much, but a local shop usually has it for like $20.  Actually, during the shipping conflagration the past year, all ammo and powder, and primers are very expensive when you can find them.  I went to a gun show last weekend, and the usual ammo sellers were putting $50 on a box of .38 Specials, $12 for a box of .22s.  Vs $18 and $7 of 3 years ago.  I don't think this inflation is the new normal.  I think it's just gougers because supplies are low.  Someone will make black powder, there are other uses in the industry, including fireworks. 

[moleeyes36]

I suspect the reason for Hodgdon to get out of black powder production is a basic business reason.  I don't know the figures, but I think that the black powder replacements have become the biggest seller because I imagine the inlines have become the biggest seller in muzzleloading firearms.  The shooters of those guns use things like Pyrodex, Tripple Seven, and Buckhorn (all made by Hodgdon) mostly in pellet form but some use loose powder.  Although the minority, a good number of percussion sidelock shooters use these "replacement powders" as well. 

The cost of producing black powder is I'm sure not cheap.  With diminishing demand for real BP and the increasing number of retailers that no longer carry it, the price for a can is steadily increasing in order to make production viable.  I suspect Hodgdon figures since they have the replacement powder market cornered, they would cut BP production and focus on the bigger seller, and probably higher profit, replacement powder products.  As the saying goes, "Just follow the money".

Don Richards

[Bob Roller]

Cabela's lists GOEX at $ 60.00 a pound here !    They only had a few cans of FFg in stock the last time I checked.  I think this has a bearing on why the smaller bores are becoming more popular for everyday shooting.

Deteriorating currency.Can anyone tell the rest of us about the WEIMAR REPUBLIC? LOOK IT UP.
How many of us ever thought we'd see  the price of a new car or truck pass that of real estate?
To quote a line from Bob Dylan, "Strike another match and start anew because it's all over now Baby Blue".
Bob Roller

[Darrin McDonal]

Hodgdon Goex announced yesterday it is closing it's plant immediately.

[MuskratMike]

...and the hording begins today!

[Beaverman]

...and the hording begins today!

SO DOES THE PRICE GOUGING! thankfully I have enough to last my lifetime and maybe my sons!

[Herb]

A friend and I flew up to Evanston, WY on Sep 26 and bought 20 cans of Goex 2F and Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F From Craig Kirkland, owner of Bear River Powder, Goex master distributor , just our normal usage.  We had a very pleasant visit with him for over an hour, and he did not mention this.  I think he did not know this was coming.