9mm Ammo going to get cheaper or not?

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In my area, 9mm is still, by far, the most rare. I've bought 50 round FMJ boxes from $18.99 to $21.99 recently. I can't find any 100 round boxes unfortunately.

.40 and .45 can be round with relative ease at almost any store in my area (Walmart, Sporting Stores, etc.).

With that being said, for 9mm, all the stores in my area (that have reasonable prices) have box limits between 1-2 boxes, depending on the day. Stock is increasing, prices are decreasing. It's just going to be a matter of time before things get back to what they were previously. The supply/demand ratio will just have to adjust to market desired ratios, which they will.
 
1994 vs 2014, ammunition sources....

In the early 1990s, when the first AWB(weapons ban) took effect, I do not recall the big upswing in firearm ammunition sales or reduced supply lines like today(2013).
Guns were still in stores & ammuntion could still purchased in boxes that went from 20/50 rounds up to 1000 round cases.
The prices(even adjusted for 1990s era #s) were not out-of-touch or high unlike today(2012/2013). :rolleyes:
The wars(combat ops) in SW Asia could be a valid argument compared to the 1990s but they ended in 2011. :confused:

There's more to this supply & logistics problem but its a question of why.
 
Because between then and now we added about 5,000,000 new gun owners and a huge amount of new reloaders when those new gun owners couldn't find ammo
 
In the early 1990s, when the first AWB(weapons ban) took effect, I do not recall the big upswing in firearm ammunition sales or reduced supply lines like today(2013).
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The ammunition supply was MUCH greater back then. We had TONS of cheap ammunition coming in from China (before Clinton banned it) and the surplus ammunition market was much more robust. You could still get 9mm surplus in several varieties and in quantity at very low prices.

China is no longer an option, and the surplus market is virtually non-existent compared to what it was in the early 1990s. Today we buy mostly new manufacture ammunition, especially in handgun calibers. That means it's much less difficult than it would have been in the 1990s for demand spikes to overwhelm supply and empty the supply chain.

And, of course, there's more demand now with more shooters/gun owners. That's probably mostly a wash though since the manufacturers are geared up to deal with the normal demand, including the normal demand growth.
There's more to this supply & logistics problem but its a question of why.
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It's simply supply and demand. It's just that one must consider a number of factors to get a clear picture of the situation.
 
Let's at least get the math right guys!

If a retailer purchases an item for 6 bucks and sells it for 10 bucks, that is a 40% gross profit margin, not a 60% margin.

Many wholesale prices are 40 or 50 off suggested list.
 
IMO, 9mm will never be as cheap as they used to be.

Inflation is always a factor; When I first started shooting a few years ago, Federal 50rd Brass was $9 at Walmart. About the same for others like WWB and Blazer etc.

Before the panic I clearly remember Federal 50rd to be about $11/box of $50, Tula steel was about $7/box.

Now the average price for cheap brass is at least $15 per 50rds. I just bought some brass ammo at walmart last week for $15/50.

Even if supply/demand relax down the road, we will never see $11/50rds of 9mm again. I think the best we can expect is $14/box.
 
Even if supply/demand relax down the road, we will never see $11/50rds of 9mm again. I think the best we can expect is $14/box.
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I can buy 9mm from a local gun store for $13.99 a box right now.

Also, the Wal-Marts in this area are still selling WWB 100 packs for around $23-$24. That would be equivalent to $11.50 to $12.00 a box of 50. I just won't stand in line for 3-4 hours for a chance to buy some.

What I'm saying is that even with the demand still high and some areas still badly affected by the shortage, some areas are already seeing prices down to and below what you're saying is the bottom limit.

I don't expect to see prices like we had back in the early 2000s when you could buy WWB 100 packs at Wal-Mart for $11 or $12, but I think we're definitely going to get back down to last summer's prices. Back then you could buy 9mm practice ammo for about 22 to 23 cents a round if you did your shopping. In fact, with metal prices falling and the possibility of increased production capacity since demand has been high for quite awhile, I think it's reasonable to predict that we could see prices drop below 20 cents a round for 9mm practice ammo by this time next year.
 
Post 44; ammunition prices...

Post #44 put a lot into it. ;)
I still say there are some major firms using the FUD business practice. :mad:
(fear uncertainty doubt)

Brass, lead, copper, etc can go up in price but the extremes in 2012/2013 are really beyond the pale.

I guess the only alternative may be to tote a compound bow & a few sharp arrows. :rolleyes:

CF
 
f a retailer purchases an item for 6 bucks and sells it for 10 bucks, that is a 40% gross profit margin, not a 60% margin.

Many wholesale prices are 40 or 50 off suggested list.
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True, but too many here think that all of that margin goes in the shop owner's pocket where in reality MAYBE 10% of the remainder might
 
There is no such thing as price gouging on ammo. It's simple supply and demand. Gun owners bought up all of the supply, and told retailers we were willing to pay for more. They simply listened. When supply catches up to demand, the price will return to normal.
 
My guess is that it eventually it will come down. Maybe not all the way to pre-panic levels but significantly lower than now.

Of course, this prediction depends on there not being another panic anytime soon. This is the biggest question mark. It seems this market panics at the slightest hint of something happening, comparable to the way the financial markets respond to Bernanke statements. Only difference is the financial markets seem to recover faster.
 
Jeez, and I have been holding out for pre-2008 prices.
Guess I'll just keep shooting 22s and buying lotto tickets with my savings. When I hit it big I'll buy a box of 9mm for all of you.
Until then, if I see you at the range your welcome to one mag or cylinder out of whatever 22 I have with me.
 
Let's get this straight - it's only gouging if you don't have any cheaper alternatives. So, for example, if your local Wal-Mart has cheaper ammo than your LGS, this is not price gouging.
 
In Austin, Dallas and Phoenix areas, I'm seeing more, albeit still with limits, 9mm available at a few more stores, and the prices have retreated some.
Several manufacturers have indicated that they have increased production.

Like the ridiculous 1634 Holland Tulip Bulb Craze and Crash, prices for 9mm and other rounds will likely drop back down to something closer to "normal" with time.
 
9x19mm prices....

Prices in my area are still high for 9mm. I've seen a few online sources with lower prices for 25 round boxes but you'll still pay $1.00 to $2.00 per round.
The sale prices may lower over time but I doubt you'll find any 9mm rounds for less than .50 per round(training and milspec loads).
Defense and law enforcement rounds will stay high for the time being.
Some good brands are still hard to obtain but the retail outlets are slowly offering more choices.
 
I bought a box of 9mm NATO for 16.95 the other day (limit 1 per customer), today I saw a bunch of it in another LGS for $25 a box, I didn't buy any. They had 9mm ammo, but the prices were too high so I let them keep it.

I don't generally buy commercial 9mm ammo, but it has been at least a decade since I shot 124 grain bullet out of a 9mm, I figured I'd compare it to my 147 grain loads again.
 
I was just in the LGS, They had 50 count 9mm for for 14.99, and they had lots of it. I expect the price will continue to drop. Imagine that, as the buying craze slows, the price comes down. I guess the buyer still sets the price.
 
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