What year did 9mm become cheaper than .38 Spl?

[MatthewVanitas]

Real quick guesstimate question for those born prior to Reagan's presidency:

Around what year did 9mm become cheaper than .38Spl?

Everyone on this board talks about how you should "buy a good .357, and use .38 Spl for cheap practice loads".

Where I am, .38 Spl costs 21c per round of WWB (same as .45ACP), and 9mm costs 12c (sometime 10c) per round of WWB.

I'm sure that at for many years .38Spl was more common and cheaper. When did the situation reverse?

(On a minor sidenote, I have the same issue with folks going on about how incredibly affordable the 30-30 is as a do-everything rifle and fun range plinker. 15c for 7.62Comm or 5.56, vs 50c for cheapest 30-30?)

-MV

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Matt...

I think the people who talk about the 38 being "cheap" are talking about common revolver rounds and contrasting it with the 357 magnum ammo.
I know that's what I'm thinking when I make mention of it. Yes, some revolvers will shoot 9mms but the 9 is, in general I think, viewed as a semi-auto round because umpteen "autos" are chambered for it and, at it's bursting upon the popularity scene, it was wedded to the semi-autos - that whole gig being the movement of police depts. nationwide from revolvers to semi-autos (for a number of reasons - a few of which were even (arguably) valid and non-political!).

As for the 30/30 being a cheap plinker - factory 30/30 fodder at Walmart et al is still cheaper than factory 270 or 30/06. And there are a whole bunch of people who don't know 7.62 or 5.56 from apple sauce - and never will. Personally, the .22 LR still gets the nod at my house for cheap, low noise, no recoil practice .

Local opinions may vary!

 

[Outlaws]

Who said the 30-30 is a cheap do everything. I have never seen that statement made on this board.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

Agree that .38 is pretty darn expensive, so much for the "cheap .38" theory.
Cheaper than .357, yeah, but at least $2/box more than 9mm around here.

 

[miko]

Everyone on this board talks about how you should "buy a good .357, and use .38 Spl for cheap practice loads".

Where I am, .38 Spl costs 21c per round of WWB (same as .45ACP), and 9mm costs 12c (sometime 10c) per round of WWB.

Hmm... Military pilots occasionally practice with "dumb" bombs that are cheaper than real ones but still quite expensive.
9mm ammo is much cheaper but plinking 9mm would hardly help them accomplish their goal - get profficient at operating the weapons system they are expected to master.

38 special is a cost-effective way to get profficient at shooting a revolver in superb 357 chambering.
That activity is distinct from just shooting a cheapest ammo from a pistol with a different purpose.

miko

 

[axeman_g]

I noticed this about a year or so ago.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=174058

I actually prefer to shoot .357 in my .357s because the savings dont mean that much to me. I would rather practice with my full house loads then save a few cents per. If I want trigger work or breathing work, I shoot a .22. For just plinking paper or cans fast, 9mm.

But the whole "shoot .38 to save some money" idea is a worthless idea to me personally.

 

[CornCod]

Matt is right! Back in the eighties you could buy a box of .38 Special reloads for 6 bucks, five if you brought your empties to the store. 9mm had now become the All-American mainstream cartridge. If I had to guess a date, I guess I would say 1995.