There is a 2.5" Python in the classifieds that I really want to pull the trigger on but haven't. I notice that it is still listed which appears ot lead credence to my theory. Bullets for anything other than a 9mm are prohibitively expensive for one who does not reload. I like to shoot 158 gr JSP in a .357 and the best price I could find for a thousand was around $550. This as opposed to 9mm at a price of $220 delivered. I've already got two 357's that I don't shoot due to price of ammo and I can't see adding a third even if it is a Python Snubby or that 3.5" 27 that Pangris has listed.
Sad reality.

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Forum consigliere

I'm quite sure you're onto something. I'm a reloader so...but a week or so ago while wasting time a couple local retail stores. (the wife made me go) I priced some 45 LC ammo.

My Jaw hit the floor!!! Cheapest I saw was like $45.99 all the way through $60. There's no way I'm paying $1+ a round for 45 LC

Nope

The price of membership has gone up ,but it’s still the best club in town

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the rules? there are no rules

I agree, I shoot my revolvers only on special occasions due to the cost of ammo relative to that of 9mm.

True. The new reality is 9mm rules the roost.
Not for me, but there is overwhelming demand for all things 9mm.

We gotta get you reloading Caj!

Not to argue with you, but it seems like a Python doesn't need to be shot that much to enjoy. I'd be happy owning one and shooting about a box a year.
Then you shoot up the 9mm to satisfy the practical side of yourself.

Or do both in one shot and by a Korth with a 9mm cylinder!

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Because of the metric system?

Caj, this is my solution, Match the frame with 22cal. It is perfect in the K frames although I am also going to have to spring for a M17 in four-inch and a J frame in 3-inch

This solution probably has a corollary to your theory, why those 22 K and J frames are so expensive

Attached Images

	Mod 17_3 (2).jpg (122.0 KB, 84 views)
	Mod 19_3 (1).jpg (141.1 KB, 86 views)

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Kind regards, Heinz

It has always been more expensive to go first class. Larry

Nothing new but the numbers are different. Back in the late 90's I liked to shoot the S&W Model 29 but ammo was expensive. The Gun Rack in Kernersville sold 50 round boxes of 9mm at the register for $5.99. A 20 round box of Remington 44 Magnum was $8.99. Around the year 2001 I happened across a 6906 at the local cop store and bought it for over $200. It was a turn in from the Florida Department of Corrections. I used it to shoot those cheap 9mm FMJ's. Still got it, still love it. Great gun. Such fun!

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

If you can afford a Python, why worry about the cost of ammo? Do people who buy Bentleys concern themselves with the price of gas?

They shouldn't.

Unfortunately, some folks are bad at budgeting money and don't always take into account other expenses. They will buy a vehicle or something that is really out of their price range to show off. This is why our folks in our country are in so much debt.

Rosewood

That's about $400 in pre-Brandon dollars!!!!

I can only add that I am so glad that I started reloading back in the early 70's. I started loading .38 SPL with a Lee Loader, which is still available. For about the price of 2 boxes of factory .38 SPL ammo, you too can reload for and shoot that Python with the ammo you make.

Racing fuel is about $12/gallon. Have I slowed down because of it? Nope.

If I have ammo on the shelf I shoot it. When I need more I may complain..but I buy it..IF I want ammo on my shelf.

Sacrifices have to be made for things you truly enjoy.

If didn't already have a 2.5" and a 3" Python I'd be tempted by those two that are listed for sale..and the 3" is at a bargain price!

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Remain Viable

I've got a small stash of Federal American Eagle 158 grain JSP marked $29.99; I thought THAT was outrageous at the time (2015? 2016?).

Sorry, almost spit my coffee out on this one. I would rather spend $600 on 1k rounds of 357/38 and then learn to reload than spend $4-$7k on a Korth. I think you kinda missed the OPs point. Besides, there are other less expensive revolvers that shoot 9mm. Not knocking Korth, just in a whole nother ballpark.

Lately I’ve been shooting mostly 9mm and 22s.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

The new Colt Pythons were selling hundreds above MSRP for years and venders could not keep them in stock until recently. They're still popular and selling well as are S&W, Ruger, and Taurus revolvers. You have to be careful about taking anecdotals and correlations and then making broad assumptions and seeing causations that aren't really valid in the grand scheme.... Ammo is expensive, but people can still afford it. People are still shooting and can afford to buy 223/556, 7.62x39, 308win, 45acp, 10mm, etc ammo and the guns chambered in these calibers. Guns chambered in those calibers are still selling well. What makes you think that people can't afford to shoot 38/357 anymore?

That Python could still be listed for a plothera of reasons, but you seemed to paint a narrative behind one possibility which is ammo prices. It could be the price of the Python which and most do not want to spend that much money. It could be that the Python is used and the OP is claiming it's new. It could be that most don't want a Python with a 2.5" barrel, and it would have sold a long time ago if it had a 4" barrel. It could be that it's just posted on the wrong forum, and it would have sold quickly on the Colt forum or GunBroker....

There are a plothera of reasons why that one ad didn't sell. If your narrative is that the Python still hasn't sold because revolvers have fallen out of favor because of ammo prices, then logically other revolvers for sell in the Marketplace shouldn't be selling either right? That's not the case, and that alone disproves your theory.

My theory is it's because the 2.5" Python can be had REALY NIB from a FFL for under $1300, but the seller is selling his used Python for $1400. Next, I don't believe the 2.5" are as popular as other barrel lengths. If the OP lowered his price to $1150, I'd bet it would sell quickly.

I've always been a huge fan of the 4 " Model 19 Revolver . I had a nice one many years ago and I foolishly let it get away from me . I lucked up on another one two years ago . Almost brand new . 38 Special ammo is a little pricey , but I'll pay it . I REALLY like Model 19's ..

There’s no doubt that .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .32 S&W Long, factory ammunition cost more money, and the list goes on. For years now the market has been flooded with 9mm pistols whether they be metal or composite or combination. The panic for the American public to buy a gun in the last 4-5 years has been 9mm in some form. The .45 caliber and .380 caliber are on the popular list also. A lot of members on this forum weren’t raised shooting revolvers like a lot of us so the interest is not there. Don’t get me wrong, I like to shoot my semi-auto’s and my revolvers too. Fortunately I reload so a shortage of the revolver ammo I listed above is not a problem. Nevertheless I still buy factory ammunition too. I’ve done it too long to change now. Got to go now, my FFL just called and said the S&W Model 30 just came so I’ll need to go pick it up. Guess I better order some .32 S&W Long Wadcutters too.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

I have so much 357 ammo, I was giving it to trick or treaters last month.

I chose my username by what I mostly shoot.

Strictly home cast for me.

In Argentina, ammunition can cost twice what it costs in the United States. What I noticed is that the 9mm became the most popular ammunition, which is why its price is more competitive than any other caliber (except the .22 lr). , he . 25ACP, .32ACP, .380, .38 S&W and all of the following are expensive compared to 9mm.

Already bought a Taurus 9mm revolver and have a Ruger on order.

45acp, 10mm, and even rifle calibers are more expensive than 9mm, but these calibers are still popular and still sell. A lot of people seem to think that just because 9mm and striker-fired handguns are most popular that equates to everything else being unpopular. I can tell you that if these other calibers and platforms of pistols were as unflavored and unpopular as many like to assume, manufacturers wouldn't be producing millions of them a years.

Revolvers have been out of favor for years before the rise in ammo prices. Two reasons;
1.They are harder to shoot well.
2. Higher cost of manufacturing.

Now to the point of ammo costs.
I'm now shooting way more .22 LR in benchrest rifle than ever, reason ammo cost. While my favorite handgun is a 38/357 revolver and EDC is a Smith 442 I'm buying way more 9mm due to cost. My nines are getting much more range time. I like training with 148 gr. Wadcutters but they cost twice what I buy 9's for, when you can even find them.

I sometimes buy cheap bulk .22's for my 317 and a M&P 22 compact which so far has eaten everything that I've stuffed into the magazines. Surprisingly the 317 is more ammo sensitive when it comes to Browning bulk.

Anyway, CCI-Standard Velocity has saved my sanity. Cheap, reliable and accurate.

Maybe that's why K-22s and similar have become more popular. I know I've been more fixed on .22s in both revolver and semi-auto platforms. You can still get 45 ACP for near 30c/round and 38 Special a bit more but hey, gas is expensive, as well as flying, golf, skiing, and staying in a nice hotel or renting a car. Ammo isn't alone for rising prices and it's actually been coming down. Just got an ad for 9mm under 20c.

What's really incongruous with high prices is that homeowners with no mortgage are at an all-time high at just under 40%. Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

It's hard to imagine someone who shoots a lot that dosen't handload, but maybe many here don't shoot very often. If so, factory ammo is fine as long as you can find something that's reasonably accurate for practice.

Revolvers are no more difficult for most people to shoot well than semi-autos. At least that's been my experience. I shoot them both, but have never been much of a 9mm advocate. 98% of the 9mm shooters at my gun club shoot up very close, using both hands. That gets boring quickly and I guess that's why most of them don't stay long.

CCI-SV .22... works in everything, rifle or handgun, always goes bang, and is pretty accurate for the price.

Dang kids with their new fangled two-handed shooting!

Revolvers are about as obsolete as tomorrow. They're still relevant in a world where tupperware rules. As with any tool you have to be proficient.

When I was a LEO I carried a revolver for most of the years I served. With six in the cylinder and twelve rounds on my belt I never felt underarmed. I figured if I couldn't solve a problem with eighteen rounds...it came down to three things...

1) I couldn't hit what I was aiming at;
2) the target was behind hard cover and I shouldn't be wasting rounds;
or
3) I was in doo-doo so deep no handgun was going to get me out of it.

A bit of thread drift...sorry for that.

Real men shoot this way:

I shoot revolvers pretty much exclusively. I have several .357s, but I shoot .38 spl in them. Also have an M18 which as noted above is great for practicing economically.

Best deal on .38 spl I've found was 1000 for about $330 delivered. Remanufactured, but seems fine for the range.

What you say is correct, in reality my favorite caliber of semi-automatic pistol is the .45 ACP and the .357 magnum revolver, but when I go to my shooting club I notice that they shoot more like 9mm and it is for economic reasons. , 50 rounds of .357 cost twice as much as 50 rounds of 9mm of the same brand.
I still shoot my .45 and my .357 magnum, but not in the same quantities as before.
There are people who have a lot of money and are not affected by the value of ammunition.

Being a reloaded with plenty of components I rarely contemplate the cost.
I prefer a wheel gun because I don't have to chase brass.
Couple times a year I'll hit the local gun show for anything I'm running low on

Is cheap 9mm a new thing? I started shooting only 10 years ago and the same thing could have been said back then regarding the disparity in 9mm vs 357 ammo. As far as I can tell revolvers have seem quite a resurgence in that timeframe.

We trained this way when I went to the FBI National Academy in 1986.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Yup, Ruger came out with the LCR in different configurations and calibers, Taurus has released several new models in different calibers and configurations, Colt brought back a full line of revolvers, Rock Island Armory released a couple of revolvers, Kimber got into the game with the K6s and just released an Aluminum version this year, Taurus brought back Rossi revolvers, Smith released an updated version of the K-frame M66 and M69, etc.... Still, some keep asserting that revolvers are hanging on by a lifeline. I don't get it. I guess firearm manufacturers didn't get the memo and like wasting millions in development, tooling, materials, and labor cost manufacturing firearms that apparently aren't popular.

Over a million revolvers are manufactured in the United States and imported into the United States annually on top of what'salready in circulation. That number pales in comparison to semiautos, but it's still a billion dollar +/- a year in sales item. I can't find sales numbers for the 1960 through early 90s, but I highly doubt a million+ revolvers a year were being manufactured and sold in the US.

I find myself shoot more revolvers that semiautos these days. I don't shoot as many rounds per session and the brass is easier to recover. But watching the sold prices on the online auctions I have to agree that revolver prices are softer than a few years ago.

Doubles as squatting and shooting at the same time.

Are they practicing shooting or sitting on the commode?

Not revolver ammo, but.......... Was at the LGS yesterday, and a customer walked in wanting 9MM ammo. He was told the Range Ammo (115 HB) was $19.99 a box of 50. A box of 20 JHP defensive rounds was $50.00. Thought he was going to have a heart attack right on the spot. He wanted the rounds to shoot and for home defense. Had to explain that the range ammo would do both jobs. Just put them in the right spot on either the paper or the bad guy.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Having more disposable cash to buy nonessentials will allow more spending -> higher prices (possibly).

I resemble that statement. Have not had a house payment for 7 years, and darn glad of it! Asked my wife if I could go on the "Gun a Month Plan" since we did not have a house payment to take that cash. Her response was NO!!!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Well, 9mm is about the cheapest ammo you can find for pistols. Try pricing 45 ACP, not much less per thousand than 357; 32ACP is around 40 a box, try pricing 10mm, 357 SIG, and pretty much any other pistol ammunition and you will find it is usually at least double to triple the cost of 9mm. Pretty much anything centerfire rifle is over a dollar a round, some going up to several dollars per round. You might change the title of your post to "why I only shoot 9mm caliber firearms". Not being mean, it just seems you are correct, for those who chose/have to buy factory ammo it is a very bad time.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

I wouldn’t let the price of ammo keep me from buying a nice revolver. Yes, I would shoot it less, but would still enjoy it. Shoot it enough to establish reliability and familiarity then use cheaper ammo for frequent range trips. Life is too short to not enjoy my revolvers!

Have to agree with Caje. I cannot recall the last time I took my revolvers to the range.

At an auction earlier this year there were a bunch of Alfa 9mm revolvers with 4" barrels. They all fetched way more money than the Rock Island STK 100 "metal Glock" pistols.

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Release the Kraken

Jelly Bryce did pretty well with that crouch. His uncanny ability with a revolver influenced FBI firearms training for a long time.

I just bought one of those Lee Loaders. Alway intrigued me even in my pre teen years when I saw them at a local hobby shop/hunting and fishing store.

Figured it’s time to learn reloading and what better way to start on a small scale.

I'm in the same boat and completely debt free. I'm so thankful that our house was paid off years ago. With rampant inflation, I don't know how we would be able to live nowadays with our budget, otherwise.