Thank God (and this forum),I started reloading 9mm

B

BondoBob

New member
Initially I thought I'd only ever reload 357/38 for both pistol and lever action riffle. I mean why bother with 9mm? It was only $00.11 per round at the time for factory ammo. 380 was maybe $00.14 per round.

I saw no point in doing it. Except that as a new reloader it was fun to me. This community gave me a lot of help and support with the challenges I had seating 9mm properly. For that I say "Thank you all". I had to get some better dies than the Lee set I started with but now I can crank out fine 9mm rounds.

Today I notice 9mm is up to $1.20 per round on the high end and lowest is $.70. Looks like I learned the craft, tooled up and stocked up just in time.

At a buck a round I simply would not be able to train on a regular basis, just couldn't afford it. I'm sharing this to inspire anyone who is on the fence about getting into reloading. Even with this shortage, I'm still able to get components at a fairly reasonable price and keep shooting, retaining my stockpile for when/if it gets even worse. And I would say if you reload anything now, start reloading for all the calibers you own.

Thanks again.
Bondo Bob.
 
I didn't reload it for many years although I did clean up range brass and trained my children to do the same.

Short story is with the shortage this year I ended up with 200 pounds of 9mmLuger brass. I tumbled it in a wet process mainly to separate the dirt from the brass, then later used the SS Pin wet processing to totally clean the brass casings resulting in "NEW once fired brass" some of which may have been fired more than once.

As I reload using my Dillon presses I sort for : SSPins in flash holes, balloon case heads, bent casings, 380 brass, and any other imperfections. Result is very high quality re-manufactured ammo (5000 rounds and counting).

YMMV.

Tip of the Day: when picking up range brass use a vacuum cleaner with a generator and long cord. Results in easier on back, and dependent on range type - enough rocks to add to your driveway.
 
Yeah I hear a lot of guys saying how there time is worth more then reloading 9mm and 223 . Im sure the ones that never learned or did not at least stock up on components before hand have a bit different view right about now .

I say if you reload but choose not to reload some cartridges for what ever reason. One should at minimum tool up and have at least one load tested along with the components for said load just in case times like these come up .

I do that for 30-30 , shotgun and 270 . I never shoot those cartridges I have firearms for . I do however have the tools , components and loads already worked up if need be . In fact 12ga shotgun reloading is new to me as of last year for that very reason .
 
Last edited:
I started reloading about 1994. Back then you could order 1000 Winchester JHP bullets with free shipping from Midway USA for $50 or so. Lead RN could be picked up for $19/500. Factory ammo could be found for $10 or less a box of 50. I could reload as cheap as $2.50 with recycled cases. Now with the price of 9mm bullets like XTPs around $20/100, $10 a box reloads would be great for someone just starting out! My last bullet purchases cost about $120/1000 for Armscore FMJ.

Given reasonably priced primers are around $5/100 "if" one could find $12/100 \bullets, with maybe $4 of powder they can put out reloads for a tad over $10 per box.

If all you can find is $30/100 Sierra bullets that price goes to around $20 per box of 50.

Most people getting into shooting right now will not be able to afford to feed the hobby to develop proficiency at over $1 a round for training ammo.
 
Prior to the current shortages, I reloaded 9mm but each time I'd questioned why after spending hours on my single stage press. The only reason was the improved accuracy of my reloads vs factory, even if it was only slightly cheaper vs. the cheapest non-Russian ammo. It was still worth it.
 
seanc said:
Prior to the current shortages, I reloaded 9mm but each time I'd questioned why after spending hours on my single stage press. The only reason was the improved accuracy of my reloads vs factory, even if it was only slightly cheaper vs. the cheapest non-Russian ammo. It was still worth it.
Click to expand...
This, plus the experience/capability of being able to fulfill the need for vermin ammunition. At today's/future prices the experience and capability were well worth it.
 
Like many I did not reload 9mm. The cost to labor ratio didn't seem worth it to me. I would pick up a box or two of ammo each month and built a small stockpile. Early last year I read the tea leaves on the ammo rush and managed to obtain some dies and a mold. I have plenty of lead, powder and primers so I won't be hurting unless this drags out for 3 years or so.
 
Yep. A friend of mine, actually the guy that taught me how to reload 20+ years ago, thought I was crazy when I told him I bought a set of 9x19 dies a couple years ago. Why reload, it's no money savings over factory. Well, it sure is a savings now!
 
Casting is certainly becoming more and more of an option. I understand lead has more than doubled in price.
 
While I reload for a variety of calibers I didn't shoot 9mm until a couple of years ago when I picked up a Browning Hi Power, so never reloaded for it. Lack of forethought on my part, but if anyone has dies and a shellholder they could part with, drop me a note.

Over the years, through package deals and such, some 9mm bullets have appeared on my shelves, but I'm too cheap to pay the scalper prices dies are going for. In the meantime I'll just have to shoot calibers that start with 4. :)
 
$1.20 a round??!!
Coworker paid $84 for 2 boxes of Blaser 115gr FMJ last week.
I thought he was nuts!
His claim, " they had some".
 
I’m still loading 9mm for around $.12/round. Who’s the idiot now. I have around 4000 loaded and enough components for another 6000. Now I just need my second vaccination and I can finally go to the range.
 
I reload everything I shoot, including 9mm. My friends laughed at me for reloading 9mm, said it was a waste of time, well................. not anymore, and when I'm at the range shooting, they are out trying to find a box of 50 under $40.00 Now I laugh at them.
 
What a funny thread. It wasn’t more than a year ago when a “why load 9mm” went around on multiple forums. I only started loading 3 years ago and the overwhelming majority of my ammo has been 9mm, as that’s what I started with. Learned my craft pretty well, so I soon added every handgun caliber I shoot, with the last being 357 Mag. Built a couple ARs and had to add .300 Blk and then .223 Rem to my list.
When I started I thought that I was doing it to save money...but I also remember the O years when I couldn’t shoot at all due to a complete lack of ammo. I tried to get into reloading then, but found myself in the same position that today’s starting loaders (and veterans) are in....no components, no dies, no presses. Of course I’m starting to see a bit of a loosening up...just a bit...but no worries. I have enough components to last me several years, and enough factory ammo bought to fill in any gap for a time.
I still do it all on single stage presses...a Hornady LNL Classic, a Frankford Arsenal M Press, and a Lyman 8 turret press. I’ve spent more in equipment than I ever would have spent in ammo...and consequently, I shoot a whole lot more than I ever did....must so I can reload some more. In this current political environment it’s how I maintain my sanity!
 
I had to have my house re-plumbed just after the first of the year (long story). One of the plumbers noticed my reloading bench and asked if I reload 9 mm. I answered in the affirmative and he cracked, "Bet you're the only guy in the county with 9 mm ammo on the shelf."
 
9mm has to be the most popular pistol round in the world!

It's funny how people take for granted what's right in front of them until it's too late to take advantage of those "deals". Not long ago cases of ammo were stacked high at the gun shops at $189/1000.
 
I got into reloading back in 1976, because I couldn't afford the cost of regularly shooting 9mm. In those days, a box of 50 FMJ was somewhere between 6 and $7. I've never stopped reloading 9mm.

Before the world tipped sideways this time around, the cheapest that I EVER saw 9mm 115 grain brass cased FMJ range ammo was $8.99 for a box of 50, and that was only for special sales. Most of the time, it was in the 11 to $13 range.

So, today, 100 rounds of 9mm FMJ would cost between $25 and $30 at pre-panic prices. We don't even want to talk about what the prices actually are these days.

In any case, today, using components that I bought a year ago, I can load 100 rounds of 9mm JHP for $14. That's $7 for a box of 50, just like back in the 1970's. So, yeah, even if those special sales when 9mm ammo is running $9 a box of 50 ever come back, it's still worth it to reload it.
 
I must have been looking in the wrong places . . .

I have never seen 9mm ammo for 11 cents a round. I don't doubt the OP, but man I must be looking in the wrong places. Or do you have to buy a thousand or so rounds at a time to get that price? The big box stores and LGS where I've bought 9mm it's always been much at least 20 cents a round. Hmmmmmm . . . .


Life is good
Prof Young
 
In the early 2000s people were finding Blazer 9mm for $4.99 a box. Some places would have super deals on 22 LR in the late 90s, 79 cents a box for Blazer. Then the economy went nuts and housing boomed and busted and now we are about to bust again and all the money printing has done is devalue the dollar by half and make housing unaffordable for anyone starting out in life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top