Cost of 9mm

I keep an eye on:
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/9mm-luger

If you see it and it's in stock and the price isn't horrible - jump on it fast.
I sent a link for 1000rds of S&B 124gr 9mm to a buddy that was looking for a case of 9mm. He delayed buying for about 3 hours and it was gone.

Personally I'd skip steel cased handgun ammo. I find it's just too dirty for handguns.
Works fine in my AR15's and AK47's.

I have totally given up on 9mm ammo all together. Just done. I am investing in as much reloading components as I can afford as that will run out soon. I am also spending a lot of money now in purchasing as much 22.cal as I can afford with shipment arriving about every 5 day. And guess what 22.cal is slowly going the way of the 9mm. Better wake up and smell the coffee.

I don't know why so many think that all companies make today's price of retail product based on commodity raw materials replacment cost next month or whatever.

The simplest common example is lumber prices at depot. They change weekly based primarily on current lumber prices on the stock exchanges... not on the futures contract pricing.

If the cost of lumber next month is going up and lowes raises there prices now and home depot doesnt, home depot has the lower price now and will sell product while lowes will have excess product on the self at the end of the month.

That may let lowes sell their old lumber at a cheaper price than depot next month but puts them behind the 8 ball because they slowed down their cash flow thus making it harder to buy the next batch of lumber because sales lagged last month.

It's not like they have to sell at the higher in order to afford to buy the next batch for cash as everything is done on credit, commonly net X# of days with a discount offered if paid early in effort to increase cash flow for the seller.

I'd like to set up a reloading bench, too, but I've got some reservations on it... just on my end. I'm not always the most organized, and I have a number of rifles that are similar, but not the same. I could see myself messing something up, putting the wrong 30 cal bullet in the wrong case, or something like that. I've read somewhere that bullets are not the same diameter for those, across the board. I just prefer them to be double-checked by someone who knows what they are looking at.

Ernie Bass said:

I have totally given up on 9mm ammo all together. Just done. I am investing in as much reloading components as I can afford as that will run out soon. I am also spending a lot of money now in purchasing as much 22.cal as I can afford with shipment arriving about every 5 day. And guess what 22.cal is slowly going the way of the 9mm. Better wake up and smell the coffee.

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I don't think so; it's simple economics.

There was a big rush with the beginning of Covid, that emptied the shelves. A lot of people stocked up and some new owners got worried and bought in, so that happened. And due to covid, I'll speculate that production and shipping took a hit. Probably a big one regarding imports.
Then, there was another big rush with the civil unrest. People became more concerned about safety rather than range time, and this time a big run of new gun owners too (just too much stress in the world right now). That cleaned out the new supply, and most of the guns too.

Give things time to settle down, and what you have is an even larger American gun market to sell to, combined with businesses wanting to pump money back into their systems. 22lr not going to be in demand as much, but we're likely going to see a lot of 9mm ("WE HAVE AMMO FOR YOUR GUN!") in the fall. Wait until Europe etc gets it sorted out, S&B, RUAG and Fiocchi will be churning things out. And ranges will be popular.

Give things time to settle down? Heck you have only seen the Tip of the Iceberg.

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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Due to casting my own bullets I'm in the $45/1000 range on 9mm.

huntsman said:

How long to pump out 1K?

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With my 650 equipped with a case feeder I can comfortably do around 500-600 an hour. That includes the time spent filling the primer tubes...about a minute each. I normally load 700 at a time since that's what my ammo containers hold. I can do that in about an hour and a half with no problems at all.

Texas10mm said:

Due to casting my own bullets I'm in the $45/1000 range on 9mm.



With my 650 equipped with a case feeder I can comfortably do around 500-600 an hour. That includes the time spent filling the primer tubes...about a minute each. I normally load 700 at a time since that's what my ammo containers hold. I can do that in about an hour and a half with no problems at all.

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How much you spend on equipment and supplies?

Styx said:

How much you spend on equipment and supplies?

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Too much

Ernie Bass said:

Give things time to settle down? Heck you have only seen the Tip of the Iceberg.

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Well, there's hope ...

But, yeah, I'm operating on the assumption it will get worse. I don't have reloading gear, and that can be a hassle right now- btw, the "free brass" at the range you speak of, everyone (including the ranges) is wanting that right now. So don't count them in unless you have them, just saying.

And although I had an ample supply already, I've approached this as a big deal. I've set my radar to "under 20 cents a rd" for 9mm brass, and when I find it, I get it.

lsudave said:

Well, there's hope ...

But, yeah, I'm operating on the assumption it will get worse. I don't have reloading gear, and that can be a hassle right now- btw, the "free brass" at the range you speak of, everyone (including the ranges) is wanting that right now. So don't count them in unless you have them, just saying.

And although I had an ample supply already, I've approached this as a big deal. I've set my radar to "under 20 cents a rd" for 9mm brass, and when I find it, I get it.

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I've started asking people shooting in lanes next to me if I can have their brass on top of picking up my own.. I've been doing that for a year now trying to be proactive about reloading in the future. I don't reload as of yet... I noticed that after going to the range for several years, no other shooters pick up their brass or care if they give it away.. Just about all of them are using new range ammo they purchased from the shop.. Anyway, I always leave the range with more brass than I came their with. I have no clue how much I've accumulated, but at least I have a good head start.

Styx said:

I've started asking people shooting in lanes next to me if I can have their brass on top of picking up my own

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When I have asked people shooting in next lane that question, it's always been, "Sure". And when I start picking up brass, many actually bend down and help me pick up the brass!

Gun owners rock!

(Of course, I usually let them shoot my guns and teach them to shoot, even point shooting ... I guess what goes around, comes around )

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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Some places will take advantage of a "shortage" of course. That's capitalism at it's finest.When the TP or ammo is in panic and price is not inflated it's all gone. So some will scalp. The solution? Do not run out, wait till a panic is going on, then try to buy. Even in times like this some will keep selling at the same markup. Even they will go up some as they can no longer buy as much at a time as they did. So for those new to this? Keep looking, some places will allow back orders and notifications. I have lost track of how many panics I have seen. When one is over the first thing I say, set aside now. Keep setting aside till you have enough for a year or so. Few learn. <shrug>
Remember the great .22 panic a few years ago that went years? I used to keep around 10K on hand before that. After it was over I moved to 20K on hand. Wife and I shoot weekly so it's nice to have. So when this one is over I hope a few will remember it, not go back to sleep until the next one.

Styx said:

I've started asking people shooting in lanes next to me if I can have their brass on top of picking up my own.. I've been doing that for a year now trying to be proactive about reloading in the future. I don't reload as of yet... I noticed that after going to the range for several years, no other shooters pick up their brass or care if they give it away.. Just about all of them are using new range ammo they purchased from the shop.. Anyway, I always leave the range with more brass than I came their with. I have no clue how much I've accumulated, but at least I have a good head start.

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I have often given my 9mm brass away like that. I have plenty so only pick mine up to give away to those in need. If another shooter asks I say sure, take it. Like to see it being used again.

huntsman said:

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

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And I paid the same for Speer Lawman 124; should have doubled my order while things were calm; but i do have about 5K in .22, so I guess that will do for now

The laws of supply and demand will always dictate price. There will always be ups and lows and through time I learned to slowly build up my inventory by not stock piling which cause the demand to rise and prices to rise as well. Through the years I've learned to always buy a box of ammo or two of whatever calibers I own every pay period. You will be surprised how much your inventory will grow. If you buy only when you shoot than you will run into this problem. Also you will have similar issue with reloading supplies, if you wait till the last minute. Try the link below they have some 9mm available, it is expensive but don't know how long it will be available, also free shipping with certain amount of purchase.

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/9mm-luger-ammo-c-51.aspx

Yeah, I've bought during this, but for the most part it's been kinda like a game. I'm in healthcare, and I never lost an hour, heck they want me to work more. I've always enjoyed shooting, and I've had a decent amount of experience buying online, so when the prices jumped, I started playing "where's the cheap ammo". For brass 9, I always considered $200 a case to be standard, $180 to be a good deal, and if $160 or below, get some. Watching things jump, I still figured $200 would be a fair line in the sand. And while I'm trying to put a positive face on things, we're all wary right now, and I decided that IF I could get something at average pricing, I would. So far, I've got Federal aluminum, Tula steel, a couple different orders of Herters, and have a pending order from Fenix for reloads. The only one I think I "over" paid on was the Federal, and that's because I have since got the Herter's at the same price. The Tula was under 170 to the door.

George P said:

And I paid the same for Speer Lawman 124; should have doubled my order while things were calm; but i do have about 5K in .22, so I guess that will do for now

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I was going to pick up 1k of .40S&W for $230. But passed, now it’s regret city

Good time to start reloading
Reloading has always worked for me.
I'm a 1911 - 45 ACP guy & I can shoot for the same cost (if not less) as anyone that buys cheap 9mm ammo

Dibbs said:

Ammoman has S&B 115 Grain FMJ for 360$ a 1000, which is up considerably, from pre-Kung-Flu panic.
Used to be closer to 210.$. I'd advise to just get a box every couple weeks, till the panic stampede dies down, a little.

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I bought a case of 1000 S&B in early March from SGammo or $170 which was the common price before the world went crazy. But if you look for oddball calibers you will see price increased on those also

Ernie Bass said:

I have totally given up on 9mm ammo all together. Just done. I am investing in as much reloading components as I can afford as that will run out soon. I am also spending a lot of money now in purchasing as much 22.cal as I can afford with shipment arriving about every 5 day. And guess what 22.cal is slowly going the way of the 9mm. Better wake up and smell the coffee.

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Just received 1000 rounds of 9mm..just ordered 1000 of high velocity 22LR...Son just bought 500 rounds of 556 at Cabelas...in a keen little plastic ammo 'can'...

FFGCOLORADO said:

Just received 1000 rounds of 9mm..just ordered 1000 of high velocity 22LR...Son just bought 500 rounds of 556 at Cabelas...in a keen little plastic ammo 'can'...

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How much was the cost of the 9mm? Did you buy online on while in the store? The reason I ask (and not saying this is your case), but many large retailers like Bass Pro and Cabelas will have LEAD sales. Small quantities with limited supply to attract customers into the store.

Styx said:

How much you spend on equipment and supplies?

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The equipment is long ago paid for. I save enough money reloading I could buy a new Dillon 750 every year. Supplies....let's say I've got plenty. That doesn't stop me from buying more though.

For 9mm you've got primers. $0.0325 each. Powder is $0.01. I'm using lead that I've gotten for free or very cheap. Most of the cost in a round is the primer right now.

I'm currently on the hunt for a couple of cases of small pistol primers. If I go the mail order route I'm sure to add powder to the order to spread the hazmat charge around.

The saving really add up when you start loading stuff like 45 ACP. I'm saving around $0.25-0.30 per round right now. At a quarter per round I only have to load 5k of 45 ACP to pay off a Dillon 750.

I can normally pay off a new mold ~$100 in 4-6 hours of casting.

Texas10mm said:

I'm using lead that I've gotten for free or very cheap.

The saving really add up when you start loading stuff like 45 ACP.

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And .300 BLK powder coated.

I got about 1000 pounds of wheel weights saved up and will be casting 45ACP, .300 BLK and fishing weights/lures deep into my retirement.

Thinking about using poly 55 gallon can filled with recycled tire rubber mulch at my parents' property (For load testing) to capture bullets (tire much captures bullets intact) and I will save even more on cost of bullet ... Life is good.

Regarding reloading, I've always been interested, and have even priced a used kit online from a member of another forum once (came within minutes of buying his setup). I'm hesitant, because I have always tended to get disorganized with things, and I have tended to say "ok let's try this", and sometimes I've been known to try to plow through busy periods getting things done without watching every little detail; and that makes me pause about a reload.

I'm not worried that I might make a 9mm wrong, so much. But I have rifles in 7.62x39, 30-30, 7.62x51, 7.65x53, 7.62x54R, 8mm Mauser. Sure, LABEL YOUR STUFF... but that's a lot of 30 cal bullets, that to the best of my understanding those should each require a different bullet (diameter and weight); different powder (not just loads, but different stuff too); and therein lies the danger (to me- like they say, know yourself!).
I mean, I can foresee a time when I'm low or out of something, and also just a bit on the distracted side, and I put the wrong bullet in the wrong case. I don't want to, but I've also been done working on a car and found a spacer or extra nut, and wonder where I messed up or skipped something.
I'm fine when I have clearly marked boxes, I won't ever stick the wrong cartridge into a rifle. But if I'm chugging out a batch of 100 rds, I could see a mistake, especially if I decide to do more than one caliber in a day (and my time available has been limited, so if I got the time and inclination, I most likely would want to bring everything up a notch). I might put something together wrong, or I might drop a reload in the wrong container (and mix rounds ). Or I might use the wrong die. Etc.

I don't know- that's the pause. And those are the rounds that cost the most, so those are the ones most cost-effective to reload.

I guess it's similar to somebody looking and saying "wow, that's a nice motorcycle, and I've always wanted a bike", but in the back of their mind they think man, I'm really not the guy who needs to be riding a bike on the interstate...

The funny/sad thing is, if I knew someone who'd be good at doing this (meticulous, thorough, anal-retentive and likes to shoot), I'd gladly help pay for him getting a setup, in return for a discount on future ammo.

Ernie Bass said:

How much was the cost of the 9mm? Did you buy online on while in the store? The reason I ask (and not saying this is your case), but many large retailers like Bass Pro and Cabelas will have LEAD sales. Small quantities with limited supply to attract customers into the store.

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$249 out the door. Online, https://www.natchezss.com/