Cost of 9mm

I was just starting to figure this 9mm stuff backwards. USPSA National Revolver is in Sept. I shoot two outdoor matches in each of June, July and August. Indoor matches also one a month. So I need about 1,500 rounds of my revolver match ammo. And another 1,000 rounds of practice ammo. I'm a little short. Keep checking every day.

I quit reloading 9mm years ago. It just wasn't worth it to me because it could be had at a reasonable price. I just ordered 1K 125gr remanufacturered from GTG ammo for like $200+, which is ridiculous, but I just wanted that cushion. I've also gone into my stock of reloading supplies and to see what I had and I still have several thousand primers, so I've ordered projectiles and have started looking for powder. Looks like I'll be reloading 9mm again.

TonyAngel said:

I quit reloading 9mm years ago. It just wasn't worth it to me because it could be had at a reasonable price. I just ordered 1K 125gr remanufacturered from GTG ammo for like $200+, which is ridiculous, but I just wanted that cushion. I've also gone into my stock of reloading supplies and to see what I had and I still have several thousand primers, so I've ordered projectiles and have started looking for powder. Looks like I'll be reloading 9mm again.

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Same here. I started reloading for it when I was in matches and wanted the most accurate match ammo I could make. I realized my painstakingly produced match loads were only marginally more accurate and barely any cheaper than cheap Remington UMC at Walmart. So I just bought at Walmart. Now that it's no longer and option, and 9mm has disappeared, I'm grabbing 9mm components whenever I find them at good prices.

TonyAngel said:

I quit reloading 9mm years ago. It just wasn't worth it to me because it could be had at a reasonable price. I just ordered 1K 125gr remanufacturered from GTG ammo for like $200+, which is ridiculous, but I just wanted that cushion. I've also gone into my stock of reloading supplies and to see what I had and I still have several thousand primers, so I've ordered projectiles and have started looking for powder. Looks like I'll be reloading 9mm again.

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Yea im about to start too... Cost me $132 to shoot 300 rounds at my range last week. They charged me $22+tax per 50 range ammo... That's not including targets and the range fee... Ammo companies, distributors, and gun shops are taking advantage of the pandemic...

Styx said:

Yea im about to start too... Cost me $132 to shoot 300 rounds at my range last week. They charged me $22+tax per 50 range ammo... That's not including targets and the range fee... Ammo companies, distributors, and gun shops are taking advantage of the pandemic...

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I agree. I'm not buying the whole "the prices of components have gone up" arguments. If that is the case, how is it that Academy has held their prices? I'm still getting (when they have it) Browning 124gr 9mm in 150 rounds boxes for $29 a box and Frontier M193 for .34 a round and Federal 5.56 for .37 a round. Can't tell me they aren't taking advantage. Don't get me wrong, from a business perspective, I suppose you can't blame the; but from the perspective of being a part of the "gun" community, I think it's a pretty crappy thing to do. If their goal is to make sure that everyone gets some, they could simply put a limit on how much you can order.

Now, there are the few who can spend nearly $500 for 1K rounds of 5.56 hording the stuff and joe blow can't get any.

I'm so glad I cast my own bullets and reload!

Getting into reloading right now is going to cost you. Primers are in somewhat of a short supply, powder is headed that way. Dillon is 2-6 weeks on shipping new machines.

Be prepared...or be prepared to pay a premium.

Styx said:

Yea im about to start too... Cost me $132 to shoot 300 rounds at my range last week. They charged me $22+tax per 50 range ammo... That's not including targets and the range fee... Ammo companies, distributors, and gun shops are taking advantage of the pandemic...

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There is NO "taking advantage"; companies need to make a profit margin based on what their next order (or mfg run) will cost them. Things are in short supply because everyone is in panic mode like they were with toilet paper; we are our own worst enemy when it comes to this stuff. Some are buying a lifetime supply of ammo or components; there have been millions of guns sold in the last few months and it shows no sign of stopping.

Sadly, now is a bad time to get into gun ownership. My local toy store only has 9mm shotshells on the shelf, no other 9mm at all. About as bad for 40, 45, 223, 308, and 12ga. There is a fair amount of 38, 357, and 22 still around, but not a lot. They had 2 Glocks, 5 1911’s, about 8 sigs, and half a case of random revolvers for sale, very few rifles, and a few shotguns. It was quite different from the last time I was in there a few months ago. The local academy is about the same.

Found a nearly new Smith m&p shield from a neighbor for my son and had to give him some ammo for it as he could t find any locally. Fortunately for me, I have been reloading since 89/90 and have lived through enough shortages to keep a good supply of powder, primers, and lead on hand to get through a whole election cycle + a bit without having to slow down my shooting. I also keep a bunch of factory ammo I got in trade to give out to the less fortunate.

George P said:

There is NO "taking advantage"; companies need to make a profit margin based on what their next order (or mfg run) will cost them. Things are in short supply because everyone is in panic mode like they were with toilet paper; we are our own worst enemy when it comes to this stuff. Some are buying a lifetime supply of ammo or components; there have been millions of guns sold in the last few months and it shows no sign of stopping

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I'm still not buying it... I make toilet paper for example. I cost me $1 a roll to produce. The fact that there's a rush for on T.P. and all the stock I previously sold is gone doesn't change the fact that it cost me a $1 to produce TP. It doesn't suddenly make my cost to up to 50% my product is selling... As far as firearms and ammo are concerned, someone along the supply, manufacturing, and distribution line has artificially raised prices to take advantage.

And maybe next time you go to make it , it doesn't cost you $1/roll; maybe costs go up; just like gas where commodity prices go up and down; you set your pricing not on what it currently costs, but on what your future costs will be.

I went to the local Indoor range and LGS. Man, it was sad. Gun racks bare, and there were only about three of us shooting, all the rest of the lanes were empty. I had a whole bay to myself. I will not be shooting anything but 22.cal for a while.

George P said:

And maybe next time you go to make it , it doesn't cost you $1/roll; maybe costs go up; just like gas where commodity prices go up and down; you set your pricing not on what it currently costs, but on what your future costs will be.

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True. But can we confirm that the price of lead, copper, and brass has increased for manufacturers?

I tried to track the spot prices of yellow brass, copper, and lead and it seems they have gone up in June. Prices currently are up about 20% of what they were in January and in 2019. So there is an increase in the cost of materials. Just not nearly as big as the price jumps that we've seen at the retail end.

Styx said:

I'm still not buying it... I make toilet paper for example. I cost me $1 a roll to produce. The fact that there's a rush for on T.P. and all the stock I previously sold is gone doesn't change the fact that it cost me a $1 to produce TP. It doesn't suddenly make my cost to up to 50% my product is selling... As far as firearms and ammo are concerned, someone along the supply, manufacturing, and distribution line has artificially raised prices to take advantage.

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The problem with toilet paper, and maybe ammo, is the TP makers made TP for a bazillion places like motels and restaurants and bars and amusement parks and public rest rooms at beaches.......and that use stopped..went to near zero. So, re-tooling to make household TP DID cost them $. Same for hamburger, chicken, salsa, ketchup, etc...

For ammo...the flow through was disrupted. Demand went off the page and supply dried up. Manufacturers went to FSA, and distribution places added a bunch more trucks, drivers, etc..which DID cost them $. Plus ammo makers, like any biz, is in it to make a profit. They are not there to make sure everybody 'gets their fair share'.
The very definition of supply vs demand..same thing happened to oil/gasoline..demand went to near nuthin, gas was less than $1 a gallon some places..

Styx said:

Have reloading components gone up in price to in comparison to 9mm ammo?

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I've only been reloading since the first of the year but I can see a big difference even in that time frame. Primers and powder prices haven't gone up much but availability is spotty. My LGS has so far been able to supply what I need at reasonable prices on those components. Bullets however are a different story. My local store doesn't sell them in bulk, only in lots of 100 and you always pay way too much buying that way. I have several vendors I was buying from online but their prices have gone up, and worse yet they are usually out of stock. Finding 9mm bullets is bad enough, it's even worse when you want .45 or .223. When you do find those you will pay a lot more than a few months ago.

Well, I don't know now. I was surfing the other night and I may have mentioned that I ordered 1000 rounds of 124gr 9mm from GoodToGo Ammo. It was a back order with a wait time of about a month, but I figured I'd better order it, just in case. It'll get here sooner or later. When I ordered it, my price was $219 shipped.

I went back last night to try to order another 1000, just in case, and the price was $300ish. Hmmm. I didn't order another 1000. I'll just start reloading for sure.

Tengu1537 said:

I'm a new 9mm owner and I am trying to determine what is a good price for 1000 rounds of 9mm practice ammo. Everything online is either sold out, or the price is super inflated.

What is a good price to start with for say, 1000 rounds of 115 or 124gr. American Eagle.

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Back before the insanity broke out I paid $179.(+Tax) Delivered for 1k blazer brass 115gr

It simply is amazing how the same folks who won't pony up the sparse amount of dough it takes, for GOA or NRA representation are blithely stripping the shelves of every last box of over-priced ammo they can find.

This ammo shortage will come to a halt, as soon as all the new gun buyers all buy their one gun, one box of practice ammo, one box of usage ammo, then pay for one trip to the range. Then it will all be stuck in a closet, somewhere, to gather dust, as they all proceed on their merry way, down the latest media acquisition concern tunnel.

Who knows, in two weeks the media will have very possibly manipulated a shortage of funnels, and secondary storage lids...

Dibbs said:

It simply is amazing how the same folks who won't pony up the sparse amount of dough it takes, for GOA or NRA representation are blithely stripping the shelves of every last box of over-priced ammo they can find.

This ammo shortage will come to a halt, as soon as all the new gun buyers all buy their one gun, one box of practice ammo, one box of usage ammo, then pay for one trip to the range. Then it will all be stuck in a closet, somewhere, to gather dust, as they all proceed on their merry way, down the latest media acquisition concern tunnel.

Who knows, in two weeks the media will have very possibly manipulated a shortage of funnels, and secondary storage lids...

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Based on your and others negative and bias outlook on Democrat and first time gun owners and not on anything fact based. The ranges around my way have been just as busy as the retail sections. I also work with a few liberal gun owners who have recently purchased ARs and other handguns who enjoy shooting, but aren't into the culture, follow all the laws, ect...

huntsman said:

Back before the insanity broke out I paid $179.(+Tax) Delivered for 1k blazer brass 115gr

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And I am continuing to reload at my leisure 1000 rounds of 9mm for slightly over $100.

Tengu1537 said:

I'm a new 9mm owner and I am trying to determine what is a good price for 1000 rounds of 9mm practice ammo. Everything online is either sold out, or the price is super inflated.

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A little planning and budgeting and you can be independent of cyclical/sporadic retail ammunition cost/supply fluctuations.

LiveLife said:

And I am continuing to reload at my leisure 1000 rounds of 9mm for slightly over $100.

A little planning and budgeting and you can be independent of cyclical/sporadic retail ammunition cost/supply fluctuations.

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Shhh! I suspect that the current ammo situation is going to drive thousands and thousands of gun owners to turn to reloading, which is going to cause a huge run on components, which is going to cause those items to disappear rapidly. I'm already seeing it locally. I can still find just abut everything I want online. But soon, reloaders are going to be in the same boat as commercial ammo buyers and then what?

LiveLife said:

And I am continuing to reload at my leisure 1000 rounds of 9mm for slightly over $100.

A little planning and budgeting and you can be independent of cyclical/sporadic retail ammunition cost/supply fluctuations.

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How long to pump out 1K?

huntsman said:

How long to pump out 1K?

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Depends on whether I am loading general purpose range blasting ammo with case feeder on Dillon 650/Auto Breech Lock Pro which will take a few hours or match grade ammo with inspection of primer pocket/hand priming with pre-resized brass which takes more time.

Tengu1537 said:

I'm a new 9mm owner and I am trying to determine what is a good price for 1000 rounds of 9mm practice ammo. Everything online is either sold out, or the price is super inflated.

What is a good price to start with for say, 1000 rounds of 115 or 124gr. American Eagle.

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Right now, I would say, don't focus on the brand. Fwiw, when I can buy anything at the same price, I would go Sellier and Bellot 124gr first...
But they all shoot.

For right now, the best price on brass you will likely find:

If you can have ammo shipped to you (this is a sticking point);

1. go make an account on Bass Pro. Set up your shipping address, so it's ready to go at a moment's notice.
2. go to gundeals (dot com), look at the Ammo category, and find Herter's 9mm listing.
3. They are listing it for around 18 cents a rd, which after tax (for me), came out to be $197 for 1k. They are also offering a free Fedex shipping for orders over $50. Yours will be, so you will be good.
4. when you click on the deal, it will go to Herters, you choose the caliber (9mm), and it will ask you to pick a store . Odds are, your local store will be out, so select "choose a store" and enter a zip code. It will list some within, oh, 100 or so miles. If there's anything that says "limited stock", then choose that store. Remember, you're going to get it shipped, not pick up at store. So it doesn't matter which one. I ended up choosing one in another state.
5. Order the desired amount (if it's 500 rds, get 2, if it's 100 rds, get 10, etc).
6. Make certain when you check out, it states "ship to home" and NOT pick up in store, unless you want a road trip!
7. Check out.

If you look at the comments on gundeals, people complain about backorders and delays. But, I ordered on 6/22, got a shipping notice late on 6/23, and fedex tracking tells me it will deliver tomorrow 6/26.

Regarding Herters, it's a store rebranding, they contract out with a manufacturer for bulk prices and pass it along. For awhile, it was Sellier and Bellot, now I understand it is Winchester. It's brass-cased 115gr fmj.

edit to add- if anyone can find other brass 9mm for under $200, be nice and post it. We all need to feed our guns! And I think that the more people who order this, it sends a message to other sellers, and they might drop something down to compete.

Edit #2: my order did NOT ship from the store I chose. I don't know if it's a glitch, or an intentional choke point (to keep everyone from ordering); but the trick is to find a store with a listing in stock. If you can find one, you're good to go.

Edit #3: you might want to check the Mississippi stores.

Man I wish I had room to set up a reloading bench. NOT trying to save a bunch of $ or anything but it just looks to be satisfying, 'rollin yer own'...I would only need two sets, 38 special and 9mm..maybe a 380 thrown in..it just looks like fun, relaxing...