I am glad I don’t have to buy factory ammo for mine anymore, those loads were expensive.
That's why they are not available, they are always expensive and really shouldn't be.
Look at the components, the bullet shouldn't cost anymore than 9mm they are mostly a cheap lead bullet, primer is the same, case will be a little more but not that much more. If 38 Special was competitively priced it would be flying off the shelves due to the amount of 38 special and .357 mag. revolvers out there.
But is isn't competitively priced and never has been. It has always been priced a little less than .357mag and has a lot higher profit margin than 9mm.
Here is an example, two 1970s boxes of 38Spl and /357 Mag. Specials are $6.70, and Magnums are $7.30 marked down to $7.05. If you had a .357 magnum, which would you buy?
I think this is what has hurt the sales of 38 Special more lately, than anything and it's too much like most 9mm ammo in that most of the 38 Special practice stuff is nothing but blasting ammo anyways but costs almost twice as much.
People aren't stupid but if you have a 38Special and want to shoot it you have to pay their high prices for it. And look how many 38 Special revolvers are in the world.
If I didn't reload I probably wouldn't realize that 9 and 38 Spl cost about the same to reload. So does the case cost that much more?
Starline doesn't think so. new cases: 38 Special brass $95.50 for 500, 9mm brass $92.50 for 500.
So they cost relatively the same to make.
The ammo companies got away with charging almost 357 Mag prices for 38 Special practice loads until after the 9mm got it's foothold in the industry and was selling ammo that will do the same thing for half as much. Now it's almost a lost cause to them.
I think 38 Special would still be a lot more popular than it is if it wasn't priced like .357 magnums.
The ammo companies kind of cut the 38 Spls throat by doing this. And yes the 357 mag doesn't cost that much more to make then 9mm either.
Look at the profits they're making on them.
No wonder 9mm is so popular.
Totally different approach, but if you would consider reloading, most revolver shooters of like 38 SPCL or 357 leave their brass at the range. You could pick up and reload.
Those are two calibers that I never find laying on the floor at an indoor range, they never hit the floor.
I talk to people at the indoor ranges around here and they tell me that run of the mill 38 Special costs to much for all the more your getting and that they won't pay it.
So it gets re-loaded or they find something else to shoot. It has always been expensive and I don't understand why anyone would buy it when they can buy some other practice ammo too shoot that's half the price.
There are no gun games around here so maybe that contributes to our (local) problem also.
) I sold all of that ammo, still in the original cases, to LGS's for $20-30/box and they gobbled it up in a day. Then thanked me for it because it let them sell guns and ammo to first-time buyers eager for concealed carry guns and practice ammo. Win-Win-Win. Can't resell reloads but I can "return" ammo that's been stored properly and is still in it's original packaging.
