Ammunition prices?

[ec437]

Welp, I'm looking at handguns, and ammunition cost is gonna be a big consideration here. Obviously .22LR is the cheapest for target shooting, but comparably speaking, how do all standard pistol sized munitions stack up in pricing against each other, particularly amongst .45's, .40, 9mm, 10mm, etc.?

[Thumper]

As a rule, larger caliber ammo costs more. There are some options, though. A .357 magnum revolver can fire .38 ammo as a rule. Check the owners manual to make sure it's safe to substitute ammunition.

 

There are many online dealers for cheap ammo. I've bought from J & G Sales in the past, and have no complaints.

 

A caution about buying surplus ammo---a lot of this stuff is corrosive, particularly ammo sourced from China and former Warsaw Pact nations. It may be cheap, but its not kind to your firearm.

[LanEvo]

As fair as center-fire pistol cartridges go, 9mm is going to be the cheapest by a pretty wide margin. 10mm will be incredibly expensive. 45ACP and 40S&W will be somewhere in between.

 

Check out sites like THIS or THIS to get an idea of how the prices vary among different cartridges.

 

As for 9mm, you can buy 1000 rounds of Wolf or Blazer FMJ for around $175. Military surplus ammo is about the same price. The "premium" brands will be closer to $275 for 1000 rounds. Still cheaper than the cheapest 45ACP ammo.

[ec437]

 

As fair as center-fire pistol cartridges go, 9mm is going to be the cheapest by a pretty wide margin. 10mm will be incredibly expensive. 45ACP and 40S&W will be somewhere in between. Check out sites like THIS or THIS to get an idea of how the prices vary among different cartridges. As for 9mm, you can buy 1000 rounds of Wolf or Blazer FMJ for around $175. Military surplus ammo is about the same price. The "premium" brands will be closer to $275 for 1000 rounds. Still cheaper than the cheapest 45ACP ammo.

 

 

Why is that? Just because it is manufactured in such high volume? It doesn't use that much less metal than a .40 or a .45.

[liko]

9mm is the cheapest of the "defense" calibers. .40, .45, 10mm, even .38Sp are more expensive per round. As far as why, it's mostly volume; most police departments use either 9mm or .40Smith, and mostly 9mm. With premium defense rounds, they are as effective against humans as a comparable .45 would be, and there are usually more of them per clip (compare the Glock 19, which holds 18 rounds of 9mm, to the similarly-sized Glock 21 which holds 10 .45ACP). In addition, 9mm is a NATO caliber and has been for about 15-20 years; if you are in the Army and are given a pistol, it will be a Beretta 9mm. The .45ACP was phased out, though I think the SEALs and some divisions of the Marines still use .45s. Lastly, a lot of guys keep a .45 handy, but far more 9mms are sold. It's simple economies of scale; between police and Army demands for range ammunition, we make a lot of 9mm, and as a result practically every round not bought by the police or Army is surplus. Call it government-subsidized ammunition

 

Though materials cost is not as much of a factor, it's still important. Your average .45ACP round has a bullet weighing 230 grains, virtually all of which is lead. The average 9mm bullet is 124 grains (for defense; 115 grains is a standard target round). That means a .45ACP cartridge needs 1.85 times more lead to make the bullet. Each .45ACP round therefore costs almost double what a 9mm costs to make. They spread the costs around a little by charging slightly higher margins for other rounds, but if you were to price a 250-round brick of Remington UMC you'd find that 9mm is about $50, while .45 approaches $80 for the same number of the same type of bullets.

[ec437]

9mm is the cheapest of the "defense" calibers. .40, .45, 10mm, even .38Sp are more expensive per round. As far as why, it's mostly volume; most police departments use either 9mm or .40Smith, and mostly 9mm. With premium defense rounds, they are as effective against humans as a comparable .45 would be, and there are usually more of them per clip (compare the Glock 19, which holds 18 rounds of 9mm, to the similarly-sized Glock 21 which holds 10 .45ACP). In addition, 9mm is a NATO caliber and has been for about 15-20 years; if you are in the Army and are given a pistol, it will be a Beretta 9mm. The .45ACP was phased out, though I think the SEALs and some divisions of the Marines still use .45s. Lastly, a lot of guys keep a .45 handy, but far more 9mms are sold. It's simple economies of scale; between police and Army demands for range ammunition, we make a lot of 9mm, and as a result practically every round not bought by the police or Army is surplus. Call it government-subsidized ammunition Though materials cost is not as much of a factor, it's still important. Your average .45ACP round has a bullet weighing 230 grains, virtually all of which is lead. The average 9mm bullet is 124 grains (for defense; 115 grains is a standard target round). That means a .45ACP cartridge needs 1.85 times more lead to make the bullet. Each .45ACP round therefore costs almost double what a 9mm costs to make. They spread the costs around a little by charging slightly higher margins for other rounds, but if you were to price a 250-round brick of Remington UMC you'd find that 9mm is about $50, while .45 approaches $80 for the same number of the same type of bullets.

 

Ahh, I see you work for an ammo manufacturer

 

What one if you don't mind my asking?

[RIC N BACKER]

Ammo prices have risen dramatically in the last few years.

[Kelemvor]

Not to hijack the thread, but a went on a date last night with a girl who is former military and keeps a handgun around for protection. She showed me her Ruger .22 handgun and said she'd sell it to me for $200. Not knowing exactly what model it is, does that sound like a reasonable price?

[liko]

Ahh, I see you work for an ammo manufacturer What one if you don't mind my asking?

 

Actually, I don't. I reread my post, and the "we" probably tripped you up; I was using "we" in reference to the U.S. as compared to other nations known for ammo production (a lot of Russian and Slavic-made ammo ends up here as discount brands like Wolf, Blazer and Monarch, but overall production is lower there than here). I'm just an intermediate economist and a guy whose second love is target shooting (and therefore has done his homework on something inexpensive to shoot).

[liko]

 

Not to hijack the thread, but a went on a date last night with a girl who is former military and keeps a handgun around for protection. She showed me her Ruger .22 handgun and said she'd sell it to me for $200. Not knowing exactly what model it is, does that sound like a reasonable price?

 

 

$200 for a Ruger 22 in good to excellent condition is not unreasonable. Ask her if it's a Mk I, II or III. The Mk II is probably going to be ideal if you're looking for a target shooter for the rest of your life. They improved the reliability and accuracy over the Mk I, while the Mk III is "California-approved" which means it has a mag disconnect and a loaded chamber indicator, both of which have been known to cause jams and misfeeds.

 

I personally prefer the Browning Buck Mark series as a plinker. It comes apart with a couple screws, and the receiver (pretty much the bolt & slide) lift completely off the gun exposing the frame, making it far easier to clean, oil and put back together. I also prefer the .45-style grip; many 22s, especially Ruger, have a "target" grip that is angled backward more. It helps control recoil, but I find it unnatural.

[lug]

Not to hijack the thread, but a went on a date last night with a girl who is former military and keeps a handgun around for protection. She showed me her Ruger .22 handgun and said she'd sell it to me for $200. Not knowing exactly what model it is, does that sound like a reasonable price?

 

look like this?

 

[guitargod0dmw]

 

Why is that? Just because it is manufactured in such high volume? It doesn't use that much less metal than a .40 or a .45.

 

 

Wolf ammo uses steel cases, not brass...that's why they are cheaper. Military surplus ammo is usually been sitting around for awhile, so that's why it's cheaper.

 

IMHO, Wolf ammo sucks. You can't reload steel cases. Military surplus stuff can be hit & miss, you may get some duds here and there.

[ec437]

 

Wolf ammo uses steel cases, not brass...that's why they are cheaper. Military surplus ammo is usually been sitting around for awhile, so that's why it's cheaper. IMHO, Wolf ammo sucks. You can't reload steel cases. Military surplus stuff can be hit & miss, you may get some duds here and there.

 

 

The local range here won't allow Wolf.

[guitargod0dmw]

 

The local range here won't allow Wolf.

 

 

Yup...because they have steel cases. A lot of places don't allow it.

[lug]

 

Yup...because they have steel cases. A lot of places don't allow it.

 

 

That's so they don't have to sort thru the casings they use for reloading.

[ec437]

 

Yup...because they have steel cases. A lot of places don't allow it.

 

 

No, its cause of the inconsistent quality. They don't care about steel cases.

[Kelemvor]

look like this?

 

 

Actually, it is probably the MKIII...

 

 

This looks very close, I'll ask her when I see her at work later this week.

[RIC N BACKER]

Actually, it is probably the MKIII... This looks very close, I'll ask her when I see her at work later this week.

 

 

 

 

the one on the bottom is a MKIII 22/45

 

The handle is shaped more like a 1911 type pistol than the Luger type on the MKII.

 

I have the MKII NRA .22 with the ivory color grips. I love that gun. it is awesome to shoot.

 

 

Suggested retail for the MKII is about $340. I think mine was $229 brand new about 2 years ago.

 

starting bid $250

 

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=116253449

 

NIB 22/45 $240

 

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=116376315

 

get her down to $170