What would be a fair price?

[PuppetZ]

Long story short. I've piqued some curiosity with my cast boolits up here(I'm the only one that I know of that does it). I've been asked if I could sell some for a few members of my gun club by the prez, which is also a good friend.

I'm still pondering about doing it or not.

My cost are close to zip regarding alloy. My only real cost are GC for the 30 cals and time.

What would be a fair price for hand mades boolits? I dont wanna charge too much, but at the same time I dont want to become the "el cheapo" component guy that everyone wants a piece of and get swamped.

Want some opinions...

Thanks

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

In my opinion, charge about 2/3 what the cost of commercial cast boolits are. I know that for .358 158 gr the average cost is around $0.10 or around $25 for 250, If I were you, for that particular or similar boolit, I would ask $15 for 250 and $50 for 1000, you can adjust prices up and down accordingly for different weights.

[williamwaco]

You must compute your price using the cost of commercial "store bought" alloy.

You will eventually run out of the cheap stuff and have to buy new. Your customers will not be understanding when you need to double your price.



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[deltaenterprizes]

I think about 10 years and a $10,000 fine for manufacturing ammunition without a license.

[fcvan]

I've never sold boolits but I used to barter a lot. 500 boolits for 1000 primers, 500 boolits for a pound of powder. Of course at the time primers and powder were still about $10 apiece. If I were to charge for boolits, I would factor in cost of premium alloy like mentioned in one of the previous posts. Selling to strangers would be close to the cost of commercially available boolits.

For members of my own club it would be quite a different story. I'd have them buy/provide 100 lbs of alloy and give them 50 lbs of boolits. In my eyes that's a win win, they get hand crafted gems and you get to make your own gems without having to buy alloy. Friends get funny about money sometimes but folks always seem more comfortable with barter or trade. You can't be charged with running a business without a license if there is no direct exchange of $$ for goods. Frank

[Mumblypeg]

I think about 10 years and a $10,000 fine for manufacturing ammunition without a license.

Well... he is in Canada... I don't know what their laws are ...

[PuppetZ]

Oh, I'm pretty sure "manufacturing ammunition without a license" is illegal. Although I have to point out that I would not reload and sell rounds to them. I supply the projectile and they do the rest. I could check with the RCMP, but I'd be selling a non ferrous cast object after all...... A cast bullet is not ammunition by any definition of the term.

I didn't thought of the barter deal. That's a very good idea. I think it might just be the way to go here.

[quilbilly]

Not to mention fines for not paying federal excise tax. The IRS has no sense of humor. As long as you just keep it among a few friends, you might get away with it temporarily. Same is true with fishing lures.

[fcvan]

I believe he said selling boolits, not cartridges. Frank

[wrench]

I've had a few folks ask me about buying boolits from me as well. I've said 'no' to all of them.
There is no way I'm going to forage for lead, smelt, alloy, cast, sort, size, lube, and gascheck, for the price people want to pay.
$50/1000 for .358"s? Crazy talk.
I love doing it for myself, I think of it as therapy.

[Wayne Smith]

In the US ammunition is defined in the law as any of it's components. Thus you need a FFL06 to sell any component as business. I have no idea what the Canadian definitions are, you need to look them up.

[runfiverun]

i'd go the trade alloy for boolits route.
what two or three of your friends do with the boolits after you trade them is not your problem.

[daniel lawecki]

My cast bullets cost me 37.50 per 500. Doesn,t matter cal or wieght.

[Cherokee]

Down here I barter. 1/3 rd the alloy weight back to them as boolits ready to load, for the few I do cast for.

[cbrick]

I have no idea what the law in Canada is on selling boolits but here I'm fairly sure it takes an FFL to do so.

I get asked fairly often to sell someone bullets and what I tell them is that there is no way I could do that and be fair to both of us. If I sold you bullets at a price that would be fair to you, just based soley on my time I would be cheating myself. If I sold them to you at a price fair to me I would be cheating you.

And that doesn't even take into account alloy that I may or may not be able to replace, equipment, electricity or time taken away from getting my own bullets cast & ready.

Nope, no sales for me. I do on occasion give a few away if for example someone wants to try out a bullet before investing in a mold of their own.

Rick

[Geraldo]

Even if it were legal I wouldn't do it. I'll teach anybody how to cast or reload, but I'm not turning my hobby into work. Better to have friends than customers.

[Jim]

Been asked a few times myself. When money is brought into it, it goes from a hobby to a job.

[PuppetZ]

I don't know if it's going to interest anyone (probably not...), but anyway, I've been searvhing for the definition of "ammunition" under the Canadian laws.

Small arms ammunition is controlled under the "explosive act". Quote : "Ammunition” means an explosive of any class when enclosed in a case or contrivance or otherwise adapted or prepared so as to form a cartridge or charge for small arms, cannon, any other weapon, or for blasting, or so as to form any safety or other fuse for blasting or shells, or so as to form any tube for firing explosives, or so as to form a percussion cap, detonator, shell, torpedo, war rocket or other contrivance other than a firework.

So, for all intent and purposes, a small arm cartridge, in Canada, become ammunition when it is filled with the propellent charge. The component, individually, by themselves are not ammunition. Some like the primers and powders are still explosives and are regulated as such. the case and the bullets are what they are. Inert metal objects.

And FYI, I decided that I'd not be selling any of my stash. When I add up the cost of propane for smelting, the equipement, time, ingredients for lube and all the energy costs, each of these boolits are worth way more than what they are willing to pay for them anyways. Heck, I'm not a chinese factory. I'm just a DA trying to save a few bucks per box by buying hundreds of dollars of equipement......se the logic in that?? Lol!

I told them that I'd give them a few handful, free, gratis for them to try out in their guns, and if they like it, I'd be more than happy to show them a trick or two.

Thanks to everyone that responded. Your thoughts were very helpful.

[Beau Cassidy]

Good plan. I would not use my stash for anybody. They are more than welcome to buy their own lead and I will help them cast some after they get it into ingots.

[L Erie Caster]

I think you came to the right decision.

p.s. I like the F4U

[quasi]

it is legal to sell cast boolits in Canada. I barter mine sometimes for primers and powder. I have yet to find anyone with WW or any form of lead to trade.

[PuppetZ]

Based on my research, I dont believe it to be illegal. A bullet by itself is not considered ammunition under the explosives act. It'd be considered same as any other cast object such as a key chain or belt buckle.

[Blammer]

I'd trade them some boolits for some raw lead. :) They could be your WW scroungers. :)

I'd pick about 1/2 the price of similar projectiles for sale they want, you can always go up in price. If they don't buy, will they don't.