When was ammo cheapest?

[taliv]

I guess 2017-2019 is cheapest for most ammo

however from a reloaders perspective you have to consider the days when the gov allowed companies that de-milled their old ammo to resell the components as pull down.

buying real m193 bullets for $75/3000 in the early 2000s was a thing. 2.5cents each.

then buying primers for $14/1000 was 1.4 each

and powder could be had 8lbs for $50 or less. About 2.2 cents per round.

if you reloaded your brass, that’s under 7 cents a round, or $70/1000 compared to $280-300/1000 for new factory m193 at the time.

in the 90s you could go to knob creek and buy barrels of powder cheap.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

however from a reloaders perspective you have to consider the days when the gov allowed companies that de-milled their old ammo to resell the components as pull down.

Selling pull-down military brass ended in 2009, when the incoming Administration put a stop to it.
The order came down that all brass was to be shredded, and sold for scrap, instead of it selling for 3 or 4 times as much as cartridge cases.

Almost all of it was/is sold to Communist China.

 

[rkittine]

In looking back, I think that Pre-Pandemic pricing might be lower then the prices from the 60s adjusted for inflation. I certainly have more spendable income now that I did then too.

Bob

 

[Sistema1927]

The answer is always: "Yesterday".

Just a fact in an inflationary economy.

Historically, I remember when I could take a handful of pennies into the local store, and walk out with an equal number of .22 LR cartridges. I only had a few pennies then.

I remember banging out .38 Special wadcutters using a Lee Loader for about $2.50 a box. I only had a few dollars then.

I have remembered several ammo panics during my adult life. That is why I "bought it cheap, and stacked it deep" last year in anticipation of the political silly season. Fortunately, I had more than a few discretionary dollars then. I have the same, if not more, discretionary dollars now, but fortunately I don't need to pay scalper's prices, and will be holding on to my dollars.

 

[Project355]

When I was a wee lad, late 50’s to mid 60’s, .22 LR was between 40 & 55 cents a 50 count box

I'm old enough to remember 25¢ and 30¢ at Western Auto in Walton, NY or "Dirty Charlie's" in Downsville _and_ not having any issue buying 'em by myself as a kid. I think I was 14 or 15 when they started cracking down on selling ammo to minors... Pissed my Uncle off to have to go into the store with me.