I have a M60 pro that I received in a trade and been trying to find some HP 38 special for the last several months. See some now and then but the price is impossible. I have 357 but don't want to shoot it in that gun because of arthritis in my hands. See plenty of 9mm and 223 at a price that while high I can live with. Have all of the manufactures gone to producing 9mm and 223 because it is popular and sells well. Must be thousands of 38s out there but revolvers are becoming a poor step child in the gun business.

Keep an eye on ammoseek:
38 Special Ammo | Bulk 38 Special Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com 2021

Looks like about .60/round plus shipping is the bottom at the moment.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

It is because they are so behind on military rounds which are a big source of income for them. They are going to prioritize the "NATO" rounds like 9mm and 5.56 because that is what butters their bread so to speak. Trust me I feel your pain as a .357 magnum guy, my luck is no better than yours with .38 special.

Eight years ago I could load 148 gr target ammo at around .21 cents each.

Today it might come out to around .44 cents each or a box of 50 at $23,
depending on material cost at these times, if you load.

I would hate to have to buy 38 ammo, right now.

I saw an article that said that they have a 2 year backlog on NATO orders. That's why we are seeing 9mm, 223 and 308 and other calibers are scarce. They have the tooling set up to produce for NATO and that's what is ending up on the shelves.

I guess this is on topic since the question is about ammo cost ... how do you get to .44/round loading your own with wadcutters?

150 grains of lead would be about .03 if you had to buy lead, the powder about 1 to 2 cents for a target load and maybe a dime for the primer. So maybe .15/round with cast bullets. Even buying cast bullets should keep it under .25/round.

Just curious, really. JHPs are running about .30 for the bullet, if a person were inclined to that sort of sacrilege.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

I am down to a cylinder full of Federal 130gr HST micro for each of my 2 J frame carry guns. It's just reloads for practice at the range.
I also have 12 rounds of Buffalo Bore 158gr plus P Outdoorsman in strips for reloads, so I am all set! :-)

73,
Rick

0.25 a round is what I’m at with jacketed bullets, lead is around 0.16, and I’ve had the components less than a year.

But, yuck having to buy factory stuff.

I know it sucks, but if you need it bad, Gunbroker, has tons of .38 special.
Bite the bullet (no pun intended ) and pay the price.

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OGCA Member.

I can find .38 fairly regularly. Not at a good price, but I can find it. Not so with .357 Mag. Can't find it anywhere in town. Haven't been able to since at least the first of the year, when I started looking. Around here at least, most stores keep some ammo behind the counter, so that if someone buy a gun, they have ammo for it. If you've already bought your gun, you're out of luck. I never owned a .357 until this year. Now I own 3. And I have a total of 50 .357 rounds. I've actually seen .38S&W and .32 Long on the shelf, but no .357. .357 Sig is available. So is my .224 Valkyrie rifle ammo. Apparently the trick is not to shoot the popular ammo.

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The best I can with what I got

So long as I have components, I don't concern myself about ammunition availability and prices. And I already have more .22 ammo than I will ever shoot.

Around here, .38 Special seems to be one of the last cartridges to come back. Almost none available in the retail stores or LGS's . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

What am I gonna' do with those 1,800 hardcast Hi-tec coated .358 bullets I bought last month...?

ANSWER: Look for about 1,800 primers!

Cheers!

On line, Freedom munitions and SGA ammo have some.Freedoms cheapest are reloads at about $28 or$29 for a box of 50 while SGA s cheapest are about 70 cents a round.

I have scored a few boxes at like $23 for .38 +P, and some regular .38 special for $31 a box just this week, course that hasn’t shipped yet. Not nearly as common as 9mm, .223, 5.56, .308, etc though…

I recently came in possession of a Smith and Wesson 38/44. I have some .38 Special ammo, but was looking specifically for some .38 +P+. Checked into the local sporting goods store and their reply was, "We haven't been able to get any .38 Special ammo for the last 18 months!" Go figure.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Been on the road to Va. to see son. Have stopped in couple Academy Sports, Palmetto State , Sportsman Warehouse and several gun shops. Only places that had 38 Spl were the gun shops at $100/50!! Did stop in 67 Hardware, bought the grandsons a nice Case. In Roanoke now and will hit some of my old haunts. Not holding my breath on any ammo.

That's why I have a Sig P229 in .40 with a spare .357 SIG barrel, and a 1911a2 in 10mm. I scored 4 boxes of jacketed round nose .40 for $18 a box of 50 this summer at my LGS.

But now I have a Ruger GP-100 in .357. Nothing to be found locally. I did get most of a box of .38 SPL and another of JSP .357 Magnum from my step dad though.

Better think about reloading if you are serious about that +P+ concept: it is not that hard and you'll save enough to operate after about your 1st 250 rounds...

Brass, an appropriate powder and bullets are not the problem: small pistol primers are.

I'd look for small pistol magnum and small rifle primers as well.

Cheers!

As I've posted before, gotta check the garage sales. Always ask carefully: "Any sporting goods, hunting, fishing stuff?" Many careful folks will not openly display shooting items, ammo, etc. If people start with "jewelry store" prices, ask how much for ALL the ammo. That should get the prices down, and even if you don't have a certain caliber firearm, someone else does!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Good luck on those 38's...............

I watched a gun show on how Reminton is starting up again and has expanded its machines and output but.....

one of the plant managers stated that the 9mm FMJ is out selling all other bullets 20 to 1 and that they have one area set up just for that round.

The 38's might be on the back burner, for a while ?

Lee Classic Loader
38 Special
In Stock ... Amazon
$36.89
This is the first step in becoming the master of your ammo supply .
Need Ammo ... Reload .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Norma Shooting is having a flash sale this weekend on 38 special 50 rounds for 26.99 with free shipping.

23% OFF - WEEKEND FLASH SALE! - .38 Special - 158 Gr - FMJ - Norma Range & Training - QTY 50 | Norma Shooting

I can reload .38 SPL for about 18 cents a round. Big increase was the cost of primers, otherwise it would be 13 cents a round. If I cast my own bullets I would save another 5 cents but it is just not worth it to me. Prior to the pandemic scare, I could buy reloads for 22 cents and never bothered to reload, but I am glad I started as my reloads are way more accurate.

I've been kind of fortunate in my neck of the woods being able to locate various makes of the 130gr fmj .38spl at a couple of my favorite shops. Running around $30-$35/50, not bargain prices but I usually grab a box when I see it. I grab more than I shoot lol.

I'm well stocked on my preferred sd load of Gold Dot 135gr+P for my 3" 64 as I don't shoot it much.

Brownells doesn't even list .38 special any longer.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

My breakdown is 0.01 for powder, 0.10 for a purchased cast bullet and .04 for a primer. Brass was sourced a long time ago at the range. That's 0.15/rd. in my world. But then I'm not buying anything these days, I already have it.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Just bought 2 boxes of 38 Specials from Norma...
$62 for 100.
Thanks for he tip..

The marketplace is quirkey. 38 spl +P HP ammo may be hard to find, but there's some out there.
I'm getting out of 38 spl and found several hundred Speer 38 Spl +P Short Barrel 135gr GDHP's in secure storage. I always remove ammo from the original packaging and store the cartridges in ziplock baggies to save space, but its easily identifiable even without the boxes.
I've always had good experiences selling personal guns and firearms-related odds and ends on this site over the years and will post this ammo here in the future when I get ready to sell it.

And I always leave factory ammunition in their original boxes or in loaded magazines. Have yet to run out of room...

Cheers!

P.S. Only bought three (actually 4) boxes of factory ammo since 2019: 3 of Federal Punch 22lr (& 1 of 7mm Mauser because I wanted new brass).

$62.00 for 100 rounds of 38 Special ... WOW !!!

Now , when I tell my wife I save us a lot money by reloading ...
... I wont be Lying to her !
All those bullet moulds , free wheel weights , reloading presses and dies , primers and powder I've hoarded over the last 50 years years are paying off in spades !

I haven't bought a box of factory ammo since 1967 ... my how the prices have risen !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member