jetinteriorguy
New member
Wow, that is a primo setup there. I’m inspired, new winter project for me.
So Much For, "Buy a 9mm Cause You Can Always Find Ammo For It"
- Thread starter COSteve
- Start date
Double Naught Spy
New member
Reloading only seems to save people money when their time has no $$ value. Now, I understand that the comeback argument is "Well, I enjoy it, so it is time well spent." That is great, but that doesn't change the equation that you are not assigning a $ value to the time spent doing the job. A buddy of mine does the same thing working on his car. He can spend the entire weekend changing out something on his car and save $100 doing it, basically working at well below minimum wage, LOL.
I have lost several shooter friends to reloading and the hours they spend "working up" loads, doing ladder testing, grubbing around on the ground to find spent cases to examine for "signs," or to snarf up other people's abandoned brass.
My point here is that time we spent shooting together is gone. They still only have a limited amount of time, and a big part of it ends up being to do stuff other than shooting. As near as I can tell, they reason they are saving so much money is because they are actually shooting a whole lot less.
I must admit, reloading has given them a whole new encyclopedia of excuses for poor accuracy of shots, malfunctions, and the like.
However, getting back to the topic of the 9mm and shortages, I don't see where reloading is any more of a buffer to shortages than loaded ammunition. How many threads have we had about people who could not find primers or powder due to shortages? The bottom line is that either you have the materials on-hand before the shortage occurs, or you suffer, regardless of whether it is loaded ammo or components.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
IMHO, the "time is money" argument is valid only if someone is using time for reloading that they would otherwise be using to earn money. If a person puts in a full day's work for five (or six) days a week and reloads in their free time, that time isn't costing them any more than it would if they spent their free time playing golf, building birdhouses, watching the television, or just daydreaming.DNS said:
This is a discussion that is going nowhere. People do what they enjoy doing, no matter what it is. If you have a hobby that connects to another enjoyable pastime ( shooting) more power to you. I doubt if anybody reloads just to save money. It is the "zen", as pointed out by -1911 Hardball- that some of us enjoy and the ability to produce a workable object to our specifications that has the appeal. If you don't like it, don't do it. Pretty easy.
wild cat mccane
New member
Na.
There was a good comment just back a bit ago. Primers disappear just like 22lr did or normal manufactured rounds. Reloading without stocked components isn't the answer. At one point last year rounds were $7 for a box of Federal/S&B/Blazer.
To add to the convo, I know for a fact Federal/Speer is loading 9mm exclusively right now.
At some point, other manufactured bullets will dry up for reloaders too.
There was a good comment just back a bit ago. Primers disappear just like 22lr did or normal manufactured rounds. Reloading without stocked components isn't the answer. At one point last year rounds were $7 for a box of Federal/S&B/Blazer.
To add to the convo, I know for a fact Federal/Speer is loading 9mm exclusively right now.
At some point, other manufactured bullets will dry up for reloaders too.
That is pretty much my point, people don't reload or cache away ammo to save money. They do it because they enjoy shooting. You can shoot more if you lay in large supplies of components or stock pile factory ammo when on sale, but you don't save money.
The only justification ( other than enjoyment) for having firearms is self defense or hunting. Both can be done well with a maximum of one centerfire handgun, a rimfire and centerfire rifle, and a shotgun. Anything more is superfluous. A box of ammunition per month would be sufficient to maintain proficiency. People that reload do so because they enjoy it and how it relates to their shooting, and it has the added bonus of allowing more shooting for less money in most calibers. It certainly is not done to save money any more than stockpiling large amounts of factory ammo.
The only justification ( other than enjoyment) for having firearms is self defense or hunting. Both can be done well with a maximum of one centerfire handgun, a rimfire and centerfire rifle, and a shotgun. Anything more is superfluous. A box of ammunition per month would be sufficient to maintain proficiency. People that reload do so because they enjoy it and how it relates to their shooting, and it has the added bonus of allowing more shooting for less money in most calibers. It certainly is not done to save money any more than stockpiling large amounts of factory ammo.
wild cat mccane
New member
Oh. It's a hobby for sure. And I agree on golf.
I just didn't want it to slide that reloading is THE solution for supply issues.
Additionally it's always got this joy of hobby description. blah. Not for all, including myself as I called it boring. Totally agree.
I just didn't want it to slide that reloading is THE solution for supply issues.
Additionally it's always got this joy of hobby description. blah. Not for all, including myself as I called it boring. Totally agree.
wild cat mccane
New member
I wonder too on that in-home set up. What would a lead detecting wipe find AFTER your HVAC filter...
Buy 1000=2000 for reserve, savings acct.
If you have money in savings/CD it aint gaining but the ammo is.
After securing the reserve, just shoot what you can buy. If you cant buy-shoot reserve or dont shoot. Dont shoot all the savings up and then complain "where is all the ammo-I thought you could always buy xxxx mm."
If you have money in savings/CD it aint gaining but the ammo is.
After securing the reserve, just shoot what you can buy. If you cant buy-shoot reserve or dont shoot. Dont shoot all the savings up and then complain "where is all the ammo-I thought you could always buy xxxx mm."
PolarFBear
New member
At current prices I have about $5,000 in reloaded ammo of various calibers. Estimate about $2,000 in reloading equipment. Still have 3,0000 .22LR's from the '08 shortage. No estimate on what amount I have shot in the past, but, it's been a lot. Have components on hand to double my reloads. ANTIFA, or whomever, come on; I'm set.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
The topic of this thread is the availability of ammunition. Please leave politics out of the discussion. Same goes for TEOTWAWKI.
All of the local gun stores are getting 200-300 boxes of 9mm delivered every week and a similar amount of 22. No other cartridges are available at this time.
The guy running the only local indoor range gets his delivery on Fridays and is usually sold out by the end of the day on Saturday. He only sells to folks using the range in an attempt to keep the range open a few days each week. Pay for an hour of range time and you can buy 2 boxes of 9mm and 2 boxes of 22. Nothing says you have to shoot it. You can pay for the range time, the ammo and leave without shooting at all if you want.
You are still better off standardizing on 9mm in the long run. While it is selling fast, 9mm is still being made. Many others may not be produced for a year or more.
The guy running the only local indoor range gets his delivery on Fridays and is usually sold out by the end of the day on Saturday. He only sells to folks using the range in an attempt to keep the range open a few days each week. Pay for an hour of range time and you can buy 2 boxes of 9mm and 2 boxes of 22. Nothing says you have to shoot it. You can pay for the range time, the ammo and leave without shooting at all if you want.
You are still better off standardizing on 9mm in the long run. While it is selling fast, 9mm is still being made. Many others may not be produced for a year or more.
While other calibers might be more available right now, I'm willing to bet no one is manufacturing them and when they are gone they're gone. All the major manufacturers are probably making 9mm/40/45 as fast as they can without thinking about anything else.
As long as the election goes favorably in November the common calibers will be plentiful once again but the rest might be hard to come by for some time.
As long as the election goes favorably in November the common calibers will be plentiful once again but the rest might be hard to come by for some time.
Yup, that's one thing that is not commonly understood. When the demand goes through the roof, the ammo companies switch over to making common calibers exclusively.
The longer the shortage lasts, the more rare the less common calibers will become--and once they run out, they won't be seen again until the shortage calms down enough for the ammo companies to switch from the common calibers to make some runs of the others.
So in the beginning, the less common calibers may be easier to find, but once they run out, they won't be back until the shortage is completely over.
The longer the shortage lasts, the more rare the less common calibers will become--and once they run out, they won't be seen again until the shortage calms down enough for the ammo companies to switch from the common calibers to make some runs of the others.
So in the beginning, the less common calibers may be easier to find, but once they run out, they won't be back until the shortage is completely over.
wild cat mccane
New member
I think the spin up and onto retailer shelves is rather fast. At some point people are going to realize they have enough FMJ. 380, 38, 357? I bet it comes back fast. But it was NEVER a high volume market anyways.
Hate to admit it as I'm doing fine unloading my unused 357 boxes at $50 a box...
Hate to admit it as I'm doing fine unloading my unused 357 boxes at $50 a box...
It's not a matter of how fast it gets to the shelves from the makers.
The ammo companies can't load every possible caliber at once. They load just a few types at a time. They run the common calibers most of the time but then will periodically take the line down and retool to make smaller runs of the less in-demand calibers once in awhile.
As long as every single bit of ammo they make in the common calibers is being snapped up just as fast as they can make it, they're not going to shut the line down to make the less in-demand calibers. Once they sell out of the less common calibers, those calibers are probably going to stay sold out until the shortage ends and the makers can catch up with the common calibers. THEN they'll shut down, change the line over and make batches of the less common stuff.
In some ways this reminds me of the various "intellectual" games we played back in the 70s about ammo after the "end of the world" scenario.
Advice from "survivalists" even some noted authorities always recommended having guns in the common (primarily military) calibers, because ammo was the most common.
Which isn't bad advice, but my response to that was, ok, they're the most common, but that also means they're the ones people are going to grab, FIRST.
But we're not at the end of the world, ammo is still being made, so what we're dealing with here is "lag time".
If you are at the mercy of the "just in time" supply system, when something interrupts normal business, there's not much to be done, but wait.
Advice from "survivalists" even some noted authorities always recommended having guns in the common (primarily military) calibers, because ammo was the most common.
Which isn't bad advice, but my response to that was, ok, they're the most common, but that also means they're the ones people are going to grab, FIRST.
But we're not at the end of the world, ammo is still being made, so what we're dealing with here is "lag time".
If you are at the mercy of the "just in time" supply system, when something interrupts normal business, there's not much to be done, but wait.
Anymore if you don't keep at least 500 rounds on hand of each center fire caliber you shoot and 10000 of your preferred rimfire you are kinda a dope.
Relying on stores to keep the ammo you need in stock is just foolish idealistic thought.
As stated 9 is commonly used and therefore the cheapest centerfire to shoot. 38 special used to be that way when law enforcement used it more commonly.
If you are going to rely on odd ball calibers like 32 magnum, you are not going to rely on a normal supply chain.
9mm is going to be one of the most common calibers available but yes that means it's also one of the most in demand when people are hording.
Don't stock up when people are hording. You'll pay much more than normal for what you need.
[ ___ ]
Relying on stores to keep the ammo you need in stock is just foolish idealistic thought.
As stated 9 is commonly used and therefore the cheapest centerfire to shoot. 38 special used to be that way when law enforcement used it more commonly.
If you are going to rely on odd ball calibers like 32 magnum, you are not going to rely on a normal supply chain.
9mm is going to be one of the most common calibers available but yes that means it's also one of the most in demand when people are hording.
Don't stock up when people are hording. You'll pay much more than normal for what you need.
[ ___ ]
Last edited by a moderator:
jetinteriorguy
New member
500, that’s enough for two weeks. You need another zero there. If I’m below 5000 in any caliber I get nervous. Except for my 6.5 CM, I try to stay over 500. It’s easy now though, haven’t been to the range since April with the pandemic and plenty of time for loading so I’m well over the top. And I have enough components for another 5000+. Time to order some more bullets, I’m all out of 9mm and .41.
Yeah, I'm down below 2000 9mm and have had to start rationing my shooting quite a bit until I manage to scrounge some more small pistol primers. Gotta last until at least next summer to be safe. When this think started going bad I foolishly miscounted a few primer boxes as SPP when they were large rifle. Guess I need to start loading more .308.
Also picked a bad year to get into 6.5 Grendel, hard to find the right factory ammo for accuracy when there's so little out there. Gonna have to just start loading and buying bullets to try instead (I like to find a solid factory load first, then experiment with loading from there).