When I buy individual boxes of ammo, it's usually at Academy. The last few weeks they've had no .38 Special on the shelf, just empty spaces. Maybe it's seasonally produced and distributed? They seemed to have less 9mm than usual, too.

It depends on the kind of ammunition you're lookng for. Premium self defense ammo is sometimes manufactured in cycles. I believe Speer's SB-GDHP is produced in runs every 3-4 months.

If it's just range ammo, then my guess would be that it's not a big seller for them and they're just being slow to restock to keep costs down. I don't think it would hurt to ask them about it.

At this time of year, many retailers stocks are down due to it being inventory time. Also between seasons. New orders will start to show up shortly.

No ammo is out of season when you grow your own. I still look around and have not noticed any shortages of .38 Special factory ammo.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Buy it online by the 500 rd. case. Then sell the brass here. They'll deliver it to your door with a signature. Cost is about the same as the BB stores.

https://www.surplusammo.com/products...00-rounds.html

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

It must be because it has fallen out of favor with Law Enforcement. I have it on good authority that the .40 S&W cartridge is dying and will soon be out of production for that very same reason.

But seriously, I've been having trouble finding .38 Special too.

__________________
Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

We still don't know what type of ammo the OP is asking about.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

The .38 Spl. market has vastly shrunk while the 9mm market has vastly grown. To add salt to the wound, many who are serious about and own many .38 spl. Revolvers of course roll their own, so the bottom line here is that stores no longer sell all that much .38 special ammo any longer as compared to 9mm.

All comes down to supply & demand.

Despite its bad reputation as a defensive load in these modern times, I still prefer to shoot 158 Gr. RNL in my vintage S&W .38's. But such rounds don't always grow on trees around here and I used to pounce on them whenever I'd find a a box or two at a semi-reasonable price. I was very fortunate to score some dirt cheap during the great Walmart "evil ammo" sell-off, so I'm okay for right now. But my preferred local shop for ammo is usually either out of them or the price tag is way too high to justify. Not a really great situation for us old timer 158 Gr. RNL guys.

For the times when your ammo is "not in season" " not in stock" or the price has skyrocketed again ...
The Classic Lee Loader will make you the master of your own ammo supply!
$28.99 @ Midway right now...don't delay !

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

You nailed it! Also I cast my own bullets and make my own #8 shot. No shortages ever here either.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

I think your "source" on the forty is full of bovine fecal material..........In fact I know he is.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

My local gun store clearanced all their 40 ammo 6 months ago. I got a bunch of it because they told me they were not reordering it. Yea, I can still get it but it's less convenient than it was. May not totally disappear but I suspect it will eventually be harder to get and cost a lot more.

I have another gun that shoots a nice round S&W came out with and I can't even get brass for that anymore.....

__________________
Go West young man..

I think someone missed the smilie face.

I think it's safe to say that .40S&W is not as popular as it once was, and may be harder to find at times, but I doubt it's going to go the way of .45GAP. It's still a good round for those who like it.

I can find all sorts of 38 special factory ammo -- except the one load I want.

I never see any 38 Special target wad cutters any more.

I can get buffalo bore hard cast full wad cutters, but they are expensive.

Can't order online in Cali any more. I suppose I'll have to get a LGS to special order a couple cases of target hollow base stuff.

Just peeked in the ammo closet, third shelf from the bottom, about 1400 rounds of .38 Special. Right in between 900 rounds of 9X19 on the left and 1100 rounds of .357 magnum on the right. Another shelf holds all the .40S&W (900), .44 Special (600), .45ACP (1600), .44-40 (250), and a small stash of .44 Magnum. Another shelf for the rifle calibers, antique and vintage stuff. Down in the bottom are several thousand rounds of brass, mostly sized and primed, ready to load up.

About 15,000 primers on hand, about 15 lbs. of various powders. Buying a few more every month while supplies are steady and prices are halfway reasonable. Four 5-gallon buckets of 40 year old wheel weights (probably 300 lbs. or so) and a hundred pounds of linotype for the lead furnace and bullet molds.

I should be good for a few months, regardless of the season.

Locally, I can find all the junk 38 ball ammo, or super expensive defensive ammo that I like, as long as I want those and are willing to drop $19/50 of ball and $20+ for 20 rounds of the good stuff.

Like you, I NEVER see actual target wadcutters. I can count on one hand the times I've seen WC's on a shelf somewhere.

I'll say that 38 spcl wadcutters are the prime reason why I got into reloading. Even choosing more expensive Hi-Tek coated DEWCs, I'm at $6.50/box on the high end. Reloading those was one of the best things I have done...

Well said!

That is what I started on nearly 50 yrs ago. In addition, get 1lbs Bullseye, Fed primers and box of 500 Speer 148 gr HBWC wadcutters along with latest Speer or Hornady reloading manual, and start what will become a lifelong hobby.

If I liked to shoot, I would be stocking up now while the stocking up is good. Right now it is pretty easy to purchase ammo or reloading components in most places. This could quickly change in one election cycle.

Depending on your financial situation, I would focus on the calibers most useful to you. For example, I have and like .357 rifles and revolvers so I have made sure I will always have ammo in this caliber.

A number of people in this thread have recommended reloading/casting. I think that is a great idea.

50+ years ago I asked my Dad if I could "borrow" $10.00 to buy a Lee Loader ($9.99 then) ... He gave me a Twenty , for the "extra stuff " and then told me all serious like " Don't tell your Mother. "
And that started a wonderful hobby I still enjoy to this day !
My old man was something else , we did many things that ended with ..."don't tell your mother" ... all to my Mom's chagrin.
Gary

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

You can still buy lots of cartridges from over 100 years ago......38 S&W, .455 Webly Fosberry, 32 acp, 25 acp, 32-20, 38-40, 44-40, 30-30 and scores of others that I can't thing of right now...........In years to come it will be "rediscovered" and again become the coolest thing since Ice cream. Like it was 30 years ago when it rode a 25 year crest as THE GO TO cartridge.
Most weaklings now want a high capacity small bullet squirter(so they can spray & pray) rather than a real get the job done hard hitting large caliber.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

With this thread in mind, I visited my local Palmetto State Armory, Academy, and Cabela's this afternoon. There was almost no 38sp on the shelves.
I asked about the situation at Cabela's, which usually has the best selection, and was told that shelves were empty after Christmas sales numbers were up 12 percent from last year, that inventory is in progress, and stock is only now starting to trickle in.
Firearms inventory seemed about normal though, with only a couple of long guns temporarily filling up the space on the handgun shelves.
Personnel at PSA were more attentive and knowledgeable than I've ever seen them before.

Any shoppers in Greenville:
PSA has an expanded variety of CZs on the shelf, from RAMI to 97s, even a 2000 dollar Accu-Shadow.
Cabela's had an expanded variety of Uberti SAAs on the shelf.
No great sale prices today.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

__________________
Slava Ukraini!

I've gone through 2 cases of these this season. Ordered another case just now. I used to get .38 reloads from Jerry's range in Cedar Grove NJ for $3/50 in 1978. They were cracked, worn out and underpowered. Inflation calculator says that's a little shy of $12 today. This stuff is factory new, a little smoky is the only downside. Joe
Prvi Partizan 38 Special Ammo 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point

__________________
Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I ran into this a few months ago. While I do reload, I do like to keep some factory ammo on hand. For years my favorite .38 self defense load has been the standard FBI 158gr SWHP +P. I noticed I was getting low and went looking for some. Almost none to be found! I did find two listings for Winchester at $50 per box.
But after much searching discovered that Lucky Gunner had the Federal at $20 per box of 50. I bought 500.

As for ammo being made in cycles, some years ago I was shooting a whole lot of .45acp. I reloaded my own and was particularly fond of the Winchester 230gr FMJ bullet. However, I came to find out that Winchester only made 1 large run of these bullets per year and the supply sold out rather quickly. Sometimes the wait was 8 or 9 months before the next batch came out.

Just recently I saw an ad on Armslist for 1000 rds of Federal .38 Special 130gr FMJ. All factory ammo in 50 rd boxes. I talked to the guy and bought the whole batch for $175. That's $.095 per round cheaper than Ammoseek could find it anywhere else. Their lowest price was $.27 per round. Yeah, its just range ammo, but if you factor in my time, I can't reload 'em that cheap.
BTW: don't dismiss Armslist for ammo. There's quite a bit of it for sale around here.

Interesting post.
I started shooting bullseye and have had a few dud loads from Remington cheap loads.
Don't want to buy loading stuff again but it may come to that.

__________________
Some assembly required..

I've bought a lot of ammo from here.

Right now they have mass 38 Special in range type, and self defense.

38 Special Ammunition for Sale | Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore

Reloaders Rule #1 : Don't ever get rid of your loading tools or bullet moulds...you just never know what's going to happen in the future and reloading stuff never gets cheaper when you need to replace it .
My Dad would say ..." Why get rid of it , it's not eating any hay!"
Gary

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

It was ball range ammo I was looking for, but they didn't have premium hollow points either. Very little .357 too.

I've gotten good deals on bulk .38 online, if I run low I'll just order some more that way.

I never see factory 38 wadcutters on the shelf. Not sure why, best plinking ammo available at one time. I guess folks don't want to pay the extra price for match/target ammo (greater differential now than it used to be) and bullseye shooting is about dead too. Supply and demand has caught up with the target wadcutter ammo.

Good excuse to get into reloading.

__________________
Go West young man..

Federal Gold Medal 38 Special Ammo 148 Grain Match Wadcutter

They ain't cheap. And no I don't work for these guys or have the "$95 Prime Membership." Once you have an account set up, just click on bulk and UPS (yes! not FedEx) brings it to your door. Joe

__________________
Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I have not noticed then again I have not bought ammo in years. Last I remember was some Walmart 308 Win so I could shoot a new rifle and have the brass to reload. All my ammo money goes to components pretty much.

I'm still bummed out about Walmart not selling handgun ammo anymore. We live kind of out in the sticks but there's a Walmart near us that I usually go to every week for groceries or something and would pick up a box of Remington 100 round 125 grain +P JHP 38 Special for 31 bucks.

Hoarder.

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

Walmart is going to sell more reloading equipment than anyone ever imagined.

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

.38 Special season is about to be WIDE open at my house as my conversion kit for my Dillon 500 will be here Friday. I've been shooting ALOT of .38 Special since last November as I acquired two Model 10's (-5 and -7) and a Model 15, in addition to the .38's and .357's I already owned.

I still scratch my head when I see someone upset because they can't find ammo, yet they don't handload. I easily load every from 148 gr. wadcutters at pedestrian velocities to 150 gr. cast SWCHP's at 1050 fps to 173 gr. SWC's, and all much cheaper than the factory loads that no one can find.

Cholla

I would have just said that the view is 'extreme' and .40 may not be as plentiful and more expensive in coming years. Kinda like .38 is now compared to when it was plentiful.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

When you make your own, you will never run out of any caliber. Casting on the left, sizing and loading on the right.

Attached Images

	100_1004.jpg (152.1 KB, 31 views)
	100_1237.jpg (140.8 KB, 35 views)

__________________
S&W Accumulator

I envy that setup. I'm still working so I'll be shooting factory ammo at least to Jan 1 2021. I have a 40 gal tub of once fired brass from the last 15 years, mostly revolver cartridges, and a Rock Chucker press somebody gave me. Looking forward to being a PITA in the "reloading" section as I learn how. I'll buy one of the "kits" that contain another Rock Chucker and a tumbler along with dies for .38/.357, .44mag and .45 Colt. I'll try rifle cartridges after I get some experience, only shoot .223 and .308. Won't be casting though, I have already knocked off enough IQ points crunching split-shot sinkers on my line as a kid to not want to mess with lead more than I absolutely need to. Joe

__________________
Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Why put off until tomorrow what you can start doing today ?
Come on in the waters fine !!!
My Doctor told me the real dangers of lead have been blown all out of proportion ... you stand a much better chance of being injured or killed by a car .
Shoot coated or plated if lead bothers you . There are easy ways to stay safe .
Gary

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Oh, I didn't get rid of mine when I gave up on reloading almost 40 years ago. It's still right there where I left it. Plus I've got dear old Dad's reloading stuff around here somewhere too. You are right: It does no harm sitting there and its resale value, to dump it, is trivial.

I guess it's always possible that things could get so bad that reloading starts to make sense again for this old man. I sure hope not, but you never know in this crazy world where it often seems we are one vote or one election away from anti-2A insanity.

I reload my 38 specials but here in CA Big 5 has Winchester 130 grain round noses in 100 round boxes, about 45 cents a round.

I shoot a lot of 410's. 6-8 boxes a week on my skeet field. Store prices are
$10-$15 a box. Since I make my own shot and reload my 410 cost per box is around $2.40 a box. So I'm saving about $100.00 a week just on 410's.

My cast 38 spl. reloads cost about $1.50 per box of 50.

I can't afford to shoot factory ammo with the quantities I shoot.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

I'm pretty confident that we've got another 4-5 years of relative sanity ammo-wise, even with Walmart now out of the handgun and MSR ammo business. But I'll also admit that things could change awfully fast depending on events that are hard or even impossible to predict. It pays, these days, to be prepared for just about anything.

And as others have said: It's not that .38 Special ammo in your particular brand and type is impossible to find. It's all just a matter of what you're willing to pay for it and how much trouble you're willing to put up with to get exactly what you want.

I went back to Academy today and the ammo shelves had been restocked. More 9mm of many flavors than I’ve ever seen before.

The store has a lot of empty floor space, hopefully just making room for spring, swimming pools, grills, camping gear.