9MM Ball Ammo Pricing

[Johnch]

I took my lady out to lunch today
Afterward we stopped into a Surplus Army Navy store as I needed targets
I sometimes use the pretty targets when I take to the indoor range

I couldn't find targets I liked so we just looked around
By the guns was a table stacked with 9 MM ammo
So I looked what they had and the prices as I had not bought factory handgun ammo in 10+ years
No price I could see on the 1 box of Hornady Hollow point ammo
But there was a good amount of Sterling 9 mm ball ammo in 50 round boxes
I was shocked at the price of $39.99 a box if you bought 4 boxes or $44.99 per box

So when I got home I looked up Sterling 9 mm ball ammo
Right now I can order 50 round packages ( a round container not the normal 50 round boxes the store had ) for $17.99
I guess the store needs some extra income
As I feel that price is WAY JACKED UP :mad:

Sure I would have to take the time to place a order
Then wait till it got shipped to me
Or I guess I could just walk up to my Dillon Square Deal press and crank out a few hundred rounds of 9 mm ammo
I guess it was smart a few years back to stock up on primers and powder

Not 100% sure , But I figure that level of a profit margin is a bit over the top

John

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yes, you were smart--all the way around!

[Jniedbalski]

That’s why I stocked up on supplies after the last run on ammo. Well the best I could with little that I have left over after pay day. I at least I have plenty if I don’t shoot much

[brewer12345]

Um, are you sure you can order that ammo for 17.99? Surprised it isn't sold out online.

[downzero]

That's the great thing about the price system. If you don't like the price, you can walk away.

[Johnch]

Um, are you sure you can order that ammo for 17.99? Surprised it isn't sold out online.

I started a order
It showed I could order the ammo at that time
I have a lot of cast bullets and jacketed bullets on hand ( Both HP and Ball jacketed bullets )
So I did not get out my credit card to finish the order

But there is a chance that shipping might have taken months , as they were really just putting me onto a back order list I don't know

John

[10-x]

Yea, many, if not Most shops( gun and pawn) have doubled or tripled prices on most pistol/ revolver ammo Except .38 Super. By chance one is fortunate to own .38 Super Now is the time to buy.

[35isit]

In Louisville Ky. two weeks ago .380 was $80.00 a box. >38, .357, 9mm, 40s and such ammo was between $50.00 and $80.00 a box. It just depended on whether ball or hollow point. This was in two gun shops that seemed to be doing a brisk business selling. Only .22 I saw was $10.00 a box for Aguila Super Extra.

[trebor44]

I recall years ago being informed by an LGS owner that India's population had loads of guns but no ammo for them. Is this the 'plan' and who started it? Why is it happening now under this administration? Does a business need to recoup their 'losses' from overstocking because of a fear of the hildabeast being elected? Arrowheads were made from glass containers, can bullets be made from other than lead, copper?

[yovinny]

In case nobody has noticed, Vista Outdoors announced 1B in orders outstanding.
That represents All of 2021's ammo production from;
Federal
Cci
Blazer
Speer
Remington
As accounted for as Sold already....

[Adam20]

Cheaper than dirt sent a email for $59.99 for 50 rounds of 9mm ball, 223 was $2 a round for 55gr fmj ammo.

[marek313]

Welcome to Merica and capitalism at its best. This is all supply and demand at play right here. Sometimes its good and sometimes not so much. Huge demand with poor supplies and prices will continue to sky rocket. I'm also hearing of 9mm ball ammo going for $3/round which sounds crazy unless you are that guy just bought his first gun. That guy will now pay $10/round because he has no choice so prices go up. Hopefully it will all end soon.

[gnappi]

On a few other sites I visit, people who plan in advance are being called hoarders who do not shoot. I'm happy I have what I planned for, and have slowed down shooting a bit as well as I'm balancing shooting between calibers I load to keep supplies somewhat level.

As far as $10 a round goes, like Marek313 said, if I were buying my first gun I'd have no problem buying ammo at $10 a round. At $180 for a mag full if your life depended on that ammo it's cheap insurance.

[Dapaki]

I took my wife to have her cataracts taken care of yesterday, I headed over to Fleet Farm to waste some time and see what the shelves looked like. The shelves were as bare as one would expect with .41 mag, 45 Colt and .32 being the only boxes represented in any quantity.

An employee rolled a cart into the aisle just then with some ammo boxes and started to stock the shelves. He put out 5 boxes of Federal American Eagle FMJ, 124 gr 9mm Luger, turned to me and said, "The boss wants me to wait to tomorrow to put out the other 5 boxes. I'll be stocking them at the same time if interested." There was a limit of 2 boxes, another gentleman was eagerly awaiting his turn at the find so I handed him my two and took another 2 off the shelf to replace them.

$13.99 for 50 rounds.

More than I care to pay but that's OK, the wife has some girlfriends she shoots with, its an early Christmas present for them.

Another curious thing was that they had the bulk pack of 1000 .5.56 from Federal, XM193, for $445.00 a case.

Bottom line: It's out there, just be kind to employees, think of the golden rule.

[farmbif]

I been boycotting cheaper than dirt ever since last shortage when they jacked up prices to never before seen highs. I'll give my hard earned dollars to places that consistent and reasonable, never give business to the scalpers but I'm sure they got plenty of buyers from new first time gun owners and people that got so much money it just don't matter to them.

[bedbugbilly]

John - I have a friend that lives in TX - near Dallas. He and his wife both have 380 ACP handguns and that's it. He wanted me to help him learn to reload .380 and I asked him why he just didn't buy some for the amount of shooting they do. He said that he has not only had issues in finding any on the shelf, but when he does find it, it is priced at almost $1 a round - and he refuses to pay that for it. Reloading is all new to him. I bought him a good manual to read and have been trying to accumulate things to get him started. I have told him he is just going to have to wait it out as everything is short - components, presses, etc. He can't find SP primers and I only have a very few left. He is finally beginning to realize how bad the shortage is.

It's too bad. October showed the highest sale of guns from what I have heard. People realize they "need" a means of defense with how things are and it's not going to get better - so they go out and buy a firearm that not only they might not be able to find ammo for, but not have ammo to learn how to shoot or get the training on it.With the Covid crisis and production shutdowns - it's going to be a supply and demand situation that sets the prices I guess.

[No_1]

The weld shop foreman at a place I hang around just showed me a $209 receipt for 2 boxes of 45 acp & 2 boxes 9MM.

[M-Tecs]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/883915866#.X7PTB_gXeYd.gmail

10,000 CCI Small Rifle Military Primers #41 sold for $1,825.00

[Bookworm]

I was at an auction this past weekend. Steel case Wolf blasting 223 went for $25/box of 20.

$1.25 per round. For Wolf steel case.

[remy3424]

What a great time to hold an auction! Firearms, ammo, reloading components and reloading equipment will never have seen prices like they would likely bring now. People just lose control at auctions, they pay more than in-store new prices and now you can't get things in the stores it seems. Guessing no bargins at gun auctions these days....sure miss that!

[MUSTANG]

A couple weeks ago I took 200 Rounds of .223 and gave to my Barber. During my haircut he had indicated he could not find .223. My swaged 60 grain bullets made from 22LR for jackets - reloaded on range pick up brass. He was very thankful. Given prices people seem to be paying this week; he might have traded me a years worth of haircuts this year had I waited until now!

[gbrown]

Reading all of this saddens me. Not for myself, but for all of the others. I have enough for myself and family. The first time gun owners may not have enough ammo to famiarize themselves and become proficient with their firearms and have enough left over. Don't know. Wish them all well, just reinforces my thoughts about the knowledge and experience of reloading and casting.

[tankgunner59]

I still have some factory ammo for all my calibers and plenty of components for reloading for how much we shoot. It should last a couple years at least.

[smkummer]

I have been helping 3 others teaching them to load. And 2 of them buying new/used loading equipment. One of them can cast and is looking for molds of which most lee 6 cavities are out of stock. I am good on primers for myself for 1-2 years. I picked up primers from a gun show that appeared to be from the 60’s. They all fired.
Yes, this is the free market with price swings. Those of us who have seen this before most likely have a usable amount to ride this out and not get caught up in the panic buying. I wonder how many go out and buy just because others are doing it? 9mm for a buck a round, dang. No doubt most here cast a bullet for most of their guns.

[Petrol & Powder]

The person selling gets to ask whatever price they want.
The person buying gets to decide WHAT THEY WILL PAY.

[JoeJames]

Free market supply ebbs and flows, but in a potential worst case, and remember Harris, Sanders, and Warren have suggested government control of corporations by the people. If we end up with government planning and control of the distribution of consumer goods what chance will there be to obtain primers? That may be what some are thinking when paying what appears to be astronomical amounts for them.

[Petrol & Powder]

If we end up with government planning and control of the distribution of consumer goods we'll have far bigger problems than obtaining primers.

[JoeJames]

If we end up with government planning and control of the distribution of consumer goods we'll have far bigger problems than obtaining primers.That is quite true. Did any of us think things would ever in our wildest nightmares get to this point?

[MUSTANG]

If we end up with government planning and control of the distribution of consumer goods we'll have far bigger problems than obtaining primers.

In days of old - This condition was called COMMUNISM. But what's a definition anyway?

[Dapaki]

In days of old - This condition was called COMMUNISM. But what's a definition anyway?

Nowadays, it's called "Progressivism"

[ioon44]

Same thing.

[savagetactical]

I was at the local fun shop on Saturday and they had 3 boxes of Winchester 9mm for $30 per box , its gonna take a while for this panic to burn itself out. It is also why I never stop buying ammo or components. People who think they have enough or wait find out they do not when the panic sets in .

As move closer to Christmas you will see this slow down , especially as people exhaust their funds .