.38 ammo prices!

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otis24

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I know that I am preaching to the choir and probably beating a dead horse, but I have toyed with the idea of picking up another.38 Special or .357 revolver. Then I look at ammo prices. About a year ago (maybe 18 months), I was in a store and a box of .38 Special was $54/Box of 50. Same brand in .45 ACP was around $39/Box of 50.

I thought prices were coming back down and perhaps they have. Saw .38 Special for $32.49/50 rounds. Lead Tiund Nose, no less! Same brand in .45 ACP was $32.99 for 50 rounds. If I'm going to pay big bore prices, I'm going to shoot big bore handguns.

Fortunately for me I was able to scratch the revolver itch and stick with a reasonably priced caliber. Picked up a S&W 940 from a forum member here at a very good price!
 
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People are buying more and more ammo every day.we are hedging because we have no clue if the local, city, state or federal governments will stop or limit civilian sales. That and the ban on Russian ammo and the increase of federal aid to other countries. Ammo companies have upped production but most of the runs are for popular rifle and pistol cartridges. 9mm, .40 S&aw is 10mm and .45 ACP. That leaves less time to produce revolver cartridges. Rifle shooters are facing the problem. 5.56 x 45 and 7.62 x 51, .300 Blackout etc. are being made but try and find .45-70. There are only so many ammo plants and we shoot a lot here. Plus we horde a lot as well because we are unsure if we can get more. Hand loaders are looking at massive increases and shortages in powder, new brass, projectiles and primers. Even black power shooters are feeling the pinch. The last U.S. company to make black powder went out of business a few years ago so again it's usually Swiss powder coming in and percussion caps are crazy expensive too.
 
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STCM(SW) said:
I reload for all the hand guns I have.
Not a problem for me....
Click to expand...

Same here. I've gotten to where I mostly shoot 38spl and 22LR. For 158gr loads I'm using Accurate Nitro 100nf which goes a long way like Bullseye, polymer coated cast lead semi wad cutters and flat nose and picked up several thousand Argentine SPP recently. Brass is what I've been reloading for years and was picked up on the range so no cost here. My bullets run about a dime, powder under a nickel and primers a nickel. In total I'm spending about 18-20 cents a round or $20/100 rounds.

I don't count my brass because I picked it up off the grange and have loaded it for several years. My investment in my Dillon Square Deal B, I bought it about 35 years ago and have loaded tens of thousands of rounds with it so my investment is only a fraction of a penny per round.

I load my 45acp, 45 Colt, 380, 44spl and magnum, 357mag, 9mm, 38 super and 38 S&W as well. Once you've made the investment for equipment and shop priced and shoot cast lead you can keep cost way down. You also can tailor your loads to what works best for you.
 
I personally like revolvers in semiauto rimless calibers. I don't like moon clips being a requirement for a carry gun. If I want to shoot 9mm or a rimless round, I'll buy a handgun designed for it.

IMHO, I think the logic is silly not to buy a revolver you want in the caliber you want because of the prices of a specific semi-automatic caliber. So if 45acp rises to 50cpr and 38spc remains the same at .32cpr, you'd happily would buy the 38spc/357mag revolver you want, but because 45acp is a similar price as 38spc, you're not going to buy a revolver in the caliber you want. I guess if prices drop and 38spc and 45acp are both 10cpr, you still couldn't bring yourself to buy a 38spc or 9mm handgun because they're priced the same or more than 45acp? Using the same logic, those who purchased or plan on purchasing the new S&W 432 or 632 UC in 32 H&R should not purchase what they want because the larger calibers are less expensive... It just makes little sense to me. Plus, 40s&w, 45acp, 38spc, and 357mag were in the realm of similar price points as far as I've seen over the last decade.

To each their own though. Hopefully prices for 45acp will go up at least for a short period of time so you can finally buy the 38/357 revolver you want.
 
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Gotta say I only reload revolver pistol ammo. I used to do 45ACP but gave that up. Straight case revolver is the simplest easiest stuff to reload IMO and the only issue now is getting the components or the cost of same I guess. Mostly primers cost. Revolvers can be loaded with a wider variety of bullets and powders compared to the more critical auto and your brass stays in the gun, instead of going off into neverland. I started loading with a Lee Loader cheap tool, a box of spent cases, one can of powder and I forget what bullets, but now I use alot of cast lead. I thus give zero toots about the cost of factory 38 or 357 with the resources I have on hand. Except I don't have the latest amazing space bullets that turn into a spinning chopper on impact. Supposedly.
 
You can find expensive ammo in many gunstores. It was bought during the ammo shortage when prices were high, and the store is not about to sell it at a loss. Nor are they going to put out cheaper ammo until it is sold. Search the Web for online deals and you will easily find cheaper 38 SPL. If you insist on supporting your LGS, then pay up.
 
robertrwalsh said:
I worked for a dinosaur agency, the Calif. DOC. They only recently completed the move over to semi-autos. Not because semi-autos were better. Prison guards do not use hand guns as a primary weapon, but they have to qualify with them anyway. The reason for the move was ammunition cost.
Click to expand...

My ex and two sisters are retired CDC. They carried model 10s when doing transports, hospital coverage.

Yep, glad I reload. 38/357 prices have really risen.
 
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The 10-8 CA DOC I ordered off GB didn't have a high round count based on the forcing cone and top strap erosion, but was completely wore-out from what I assume was excessive loading/unloading and general manipulation. I have never seen another Model 10 that was so loosey goosey.
 
Well Armed said:
I personally like revolvers in semiauto rimless calibers. I don't like moon clips being a requirement for a carry gun. If I want to shoot 9mm or a rimless round, I'll buy a handgun designed for it.

IMHO, I think the logic is silly not to buy a revolver you want in the caliber you want because of the prices of a specific semi-automatic caliber. So if 45acp rises to 50cpr and 38spc remains the same at .32cpr, you'd happily would buy the 38spc/357mag revolver you want, but because 45acp is a similar price as 38spc, you're not going to buy a revolver in the caliber you want. I guess if prices drop and 38spc and 45acp are both 10cpr, you still couldn't bring yourself to buy a 38spc or 9mm handgun because they're priced the same or more than 45acp? Using the same logic, those who purchased or plan on purchasing the new S&W 432 or 632 UC in 32 H&R should not purchase what they want because the larger calibers are less expensive... It just makes little sense to me. Plus, 40s&w, 45acp, 38spc, and 357mag were in the realm of similar price points as far as I've seen over the last decade.

To each their own though. Hopefully prices for 45acp will go up at least for a short period of time so you can finally buy the 38/357 revolver you want.
Click to expand...


People choose firearms for a variety of reasons. One such reason is the price and availability of ammunition. Not everyone reloads. Even those who reload are having difficulty finding supplies. The comparison between .38 and .45 is to highlight how the price of .38 Special, once one of the cheapest and most readily available calibers, has become. By the same token, if one compares the price of.38 Special and 9mm, one can see why price makes 9mm more attractive. The fact that 9mm can be fired in a revolver is a bonus. Revolvers chambered in a semi-auto caliber may not be for everyone but they are a great option for people like me with hand issues who like a revolver but may find it difficult to rack a slide or otherwise manipulate semi-auto controls. Silly is purchasing a handgun that you can't find or afford ammunition for. Without ammo, a handgun becomes a wall hanger or a paperweight. While some people can afford ammo at any price and the firearms to shoot it from, not everyone is on the same socio-economic ladder.
 
I see .38s for between $25 and $29 for a box of 50.
 
What STCM(SW) says,

STCM(SW) said:
I reload for all the hand guns I have.
Not a problem for me....
Click to expand...

I can load for every caliber I use, plus some I don't that friends have. The most common ammo 9mm and .223 are iffy as to the economy of reloading, but I can make non-standard loads and often even the common loads are scarce. I still buy some off the shelf ammo, but I don't HAVE to.
 
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