Do you consider ammo cost/availability?

[pairof44sp]

This might be more of a handgun question than a rifle question but it can apply to both.
When gun shopping do you take the cost of shooting enough to be proficient into account?
Seeing a Facebook post from a friend who has never owned a gun about taking a concealed carry class got me to thinking about what is involved buying a handgun for self defense right now. If you buy something in 9mm, ammo is hard to find and priced like it has solid gold cases. Other common handgun calibers like .38 Special and 45ACP weren’t quite as bad but still pricey. 10mm, at least with a quick check, seemed almost cheap compared to the others.
So.
If you were to recommend a gun for self protection to a first time buyer - who is going to need to burn at least enough ammo to become used to the gun and halfway proficient with it - would you recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo at least as much as the cost/quality of the gun?
Similar concerns are to be had with rifles chambered for .223. Do you buy it if it might be a long time before ammo is readily available at less than a market inflated price.

I’m semi-new to gun ownership (had a couple guns over the years but just to help out someone who needed the cash).

When I found out that ammo is fifty cents a round, I bought Lee Loaders simultaneously with every gun purchase. How can anyone live with spending $100 on ammo every time they they shoot?

After loading about a thousand rounds with a mallet, I got a press.

 

[reddog81]

For me? no, but thats a conscious decision. I reload, and gauge if im going to load for that particular gun, that particular range trip, based on whats available and how much i want to shoot. Ill usually load 100 or so .44 specials before every range trip, but ill buy 4-500 rounds of 9mm since even with current pricing its STILL cheaper for me to pay someone else to make ammo.

FWIW ammoseek.com shows that 44 Special is priced cheaper than 9mm right now.

 

[LoonWulf]

FWIW ammoseek.com shows that 44 Special is priced cheaper than 9mm right now.

Unfortunately, or not, being in hawaii 44 special is significantly more expensive than 9s. Price on the shelf is still like 10-12 bucks a box for 9s and a dollar a shot for specials.

 

[IlikeSA]

I reload to save money, but do consider how much the reloading costs go. That's what took me so long to start reloading for rifle, as it is more expensive than reloading for pistol, then you have find a range or go to a rural area to shoot.

One thing I also take into consideration is magazine availability and cost. Some magazines cost 40-50 dollars or more each, and that puts a damper on things quick. I would hate to buy a 500 dollar pistol and find out that 5 mags were 250 dollars.

 

[pairof44sp]

I reload to save money, but do consider how much the reloading costs go. That's what took me so long to start reloading for rifle, as it is more expensive than reloading for pistol, then you have find a range or go to a rural area to shoot.

One thing I also take into consideration is magazine availability and cost. Some magazines cost 40-50 dollars or more each, and that puts a damper on things quick. I would hate to buy a 500 dollar pistol and find out that 5 mags were 250 dollars.

You may have seen the surplus Beretta 81s and Tokarevs that were for sale all over this year. I bought a pair of each, and they arrived, beautiful and almost unfired.

$200 each for such awesome pistols — what’s the catch? The catch was paying $500 for 12 magazines.

 

[illinoisburt]

You may have seen the surplus Beretta 81s and Tokarevs that were for sale all over this year. I bought a pair of each, and they arrived, beautiful and almost unfired.

$200 each for such awesome pistols — what’s the catch? The catch was paying $500 for 12 magazines.

Not sure I would really call that a catch. Most new guns only come with 1, sometimes 2 mags, so it's not like the surplus ones are somehow being sneaky or mispackaged.

 

[Legionnaire]

When gun shopping do you take the cost of shooting enough to be proficient into account?

Yes, but maybe not in the way you are thinking. For my revolvers and most of my rifles, I factor in the cost of reloading components that will keep me busy for a while. So the cost of a rifle in a new-to-me cartridge includes dies, brass, and (if needed) bullets. Only needed dies and brass when I added a .280 Ackley Improved because I already had bullets for my 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem Mag. I keep a pretty good stock of powder and primers on hand. When I bought my first .44 Special revolver (a Bulldog) I bought enough brass to keep it fed for a long time. Didn't need anything more when I subsequently bought a GP100 in .44 Spl.

 

[Stophel]

Absolutely. Ammo is expensive. Frankly, it's always been expensive. At least to poor folks like me. And now it's insanely expensive... it's ridiculous. So much so that I'll just have to do without.

My girlfriend wants a pistol. Ok. I started looking at the S&W Shield EZ .380. Pretty cool thing, I actually like it, myself. However.... I don't think I'm gonna spend $65 - $80 for a box of 50 plain FMJ shells. (The hollowpoints at the gunshop were cheaper... But practicing with a dollar + a shot ammo is not really doable.)

No thank you. The perfect example of "price gouging".

 

[huntsman]

But what if it isn’t gouging? What if this is the new normal?

I spent $26.00 for WWB in .380acp back in 09 and the price of 380 has never gotten down to what I Paid in 03.

At .50 per round for FMJ I wouldn’t shoot as much but still need to shoot and CC.

 

[Elkins45]

I reload to save money, but do consider how much the reloading costs go. That's what took me so long to start reloading for rifle, as it is more expensive than reloading for pistol, then you have find a range or go to a rural area to shoot.

One thing I also take into consideration is magazine availability and cost. Some magazines cost 40-50 dollars or more each, and that puts a damper on things quick. I would hate to buy a 500 dollar pistol and find out that 5 mags were 250 dollars.

If I were ever hired to design a new pistol the first thing I would do is specify that it accept Glock magazines. I love my CZ P-07 but I hate what CZ charges for magazines.

 

[.455_Hunter]

But what if it isn’t gouging? What if this is the new normal?

I think Midway's price this morning was the new "normal"- 9mm 115/124 gr FMJ brass case at roughly $17 to $19 per 50.

 

[Old Dog]

Nope.

 

[huntsman]

I think Midway's price this morning was the new "normal"- 9mm 115/124 gr FMJ brass case at roughly $17 to $19 per 50.

Could be, that’s about double from February prices. I just think manufacturers are hesitant to invest in expansion under current political climate.

We’ve got more competition for the same size pie means someone is going hungry.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

The ammo situation is temporary, though it may last awhile with riots going on.

I do consider it when picking a gun, but not much. Once I started reloading I was a lot more concerned about finding components. That's hard right now too, but still easier than ammo.

 

[illinoisburt]

I think Midway's price this morning was the new "normal"- 9mm 115/124 gr FMJ brass case at roughly $17 to $19 per 50.

Temporary new normal. Eventually w
Either demand will slack or production will grow. Its the regular cycle of these things. I don't know if we will be back to 11-1/2 cent 9mm like it was in January 2020 real soon, but then again we had a few years ago it was unobtanium at any price and 22LR was hitting 20 cents for bulk pack. If the presidency doesn't change, check back in April for post-panic pricing.

 

[Cannibul]

I have had a s/w 41 mag for 30 years, love it, actually have 4 now, but here recently I’ve been considering reloading , do you have any recommendations, do’s and don’ts on what to buy? Like I mentioned, have just considered it do to recent activity’s.

It's a bad time to get into reloading.

Components, especially primers are very hard to find. Equipment is getting scarce.

If you're only going to load 41 Mag then I'd look long and hard at a Dillon Square Deal B. You can actually call Dillon and they can help you get setup.

 

[Cannibul]

You may have seen the surplus Beretta 81s and Tokarevs that were for sale all over this year. I bought a pair of each, and they arrived, beautiful and almost unfired.

$200 each for such awesome pistols — what’s the catch? The catch was paying $500 for 12 magazines.

I really wanted one of those Beretta 81s, but the mag situation turned me off.

 

[EmGeeGeorge]

Related- was at a local shop helping a co-worker pick out a new carry pistol; all they had in 9X19 was defensive ammo. Apparently people have been buying up the stock again in prep for the elections possible fallout on gun prices/ammo/etc. Then see an ad from cheaper in my email. That Winchester white box 124 grain i was buying for 12/box last year?

 

[daniel craig]

I didn’t until I got a Yugo m57. It was perfect for my hands and shot really well. I even carried it as an edc. But then it got too hard to feed so it sat in the safe. Sold it and don’t really miss it.

 

[Obturation]

I have had all my "normal" chambered guns for many years. I buy chamberings that average gun buyers haven't heard of, not on pourpose, it's just what interests me. But there are folks out there that think 10mm is exotic , i consider it fairly mainstream but when I mention 10mm is my favorite rimless handgun cartridge I get some looks like I'm from Mars. Same with 454 casull, I've got 2 and shoot them a lot, my buddies think it's some real odd chambering. Heck, I know people who have never heard of 45-70, a cartridge I consider pretty mainstream - it's old and at one time was a US military cartridge. I'll be getting a 500 jrh soon, that's starting to get less mainstream but can be made from common components .
Long story short, I assemble my own cartridges, obscurity is irrelevant to me.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have had a s/w 41 mag for 30 years, love it, actually have 4 now, but here recently I’ve been considering reloading , do you have any recommendations, do’s and don’ts on what to buy? Like I mentioned, have just considered it do to recent activity’s.

Dillon makes great stuff, but it’s really costly. Depending on how much you want to spend to get started, a Dillon Square Deal B will set you back around $400 bucks for just the press...add the cost of powder, bullets, primers, cases etc you’re hitting $550 and up before you’ve loaded one round. The frustrating part of the SDB is it can’t be swapped out for other handgun-only calibers without pricy kits and you can’t use regular reloading dies not will it handle rifle rounds (I have a SDB in .45 ACP, I can’t ever swap out and load .30-06 on the SDB as an example.)

If you want to start off slowly to see if you like it, a Lee Challenger set will get you rolling for about $250. I’ve loaded thousands and thousands of rounds on mine, and I added a second Challenger press for about 40 bucks. A set of carbide dies, box of 500 MBC coated 215 gr SWC bullets, a pound of Unique, a bunch of cases and 500 primers (the hardest part to find right now!) and you’re rolling your own ammo for under $400.



I’ve loaded a .30 cal ammo can of .41 Mag, on a Saturday and Sunday, plus I reload for all my rifle rounds from .243 to .300 Weatherby on these presses as well.



For the money they can’t be beat, these just keep going and going. It’s not quick to load hundreds of handgun rounds in a day on a single-stage press like you can on a progressive press like the SDB, but a) it’s .41 Mag you’re starting with so you will probably not be burning through hundreds and hundreds of shots a day like a 9mm shooter will and b) you will have the time to ease into the hobby and learn to do things systematically so your chances of an ooops are reduced.

Just an idea, YMMV.

Stay safe.

 

[Sniper66]

I have always considered ammo availability and cost into every gun purchase I've ever made. More so now. I read posts from guys who describe growing up shooting 100s of 22LR at tin cans, practice in various shooting positions, anything that caught the eye. Not me. My dad would kick my butt if I "wasted" ammo in this fashion. Growing up that way set the stage for frugality. I never buy anything without consideration of cost. Now availability has to be considered with equal diligence.

 

[huntsman]

^ I hear you, my birthday is in October so for a present I’d get a box of shotgun shells and 100 rounds of .22lr, that had to last till Christmas or until my trapping money came in.

 

[Reloadron]

Do you consider ammo cost/availability?

No, in a word no. At my age and what I have accumulated in guns and ammunition as well as loading components I am not about to stray. During the NE Ohio winters I shoot some handgun indoors but for the most part I just clean brass and load. To date the only cartridge I may add is 9mm and the only reason is I collect Colt Series 70 Government models and while I have a 38 Super in the mix I do not have a Colt Series 70 1911 gun in a 9mm chambering. I have maybe a few hundred 9mm rounds laying around but over all the years, including buying and selling God knows how many 9mm guns when we owned a small gun shop I have never personally owned a 9mm.

Anyway, nope I do not consider ammunition cost or availability when I add a gun to what I already have.

Ron

 

[Mark 40]

No, not for myself. For someone else perhaps, depending on their circumstances. I'd be more inclined to initially finding the right gun to suit the person.