I've been following the thread in the Lounge about the cost of ammo, and 9 mm being so much cheaper than typical revolver ammo as one reason for revolvers not being as popular as they might be.

Many posters in the thread point out that if you reload, ammo costs drop dramatically.

I shoot .38 spl primarily.

What would be initial start up costs to set up to reload .38 spl starting from zero? Is the equipment the same for .357? What equipment would I need? Is there a used market?

Thanks for any info.

Yes there is a used market. You can pick up a single-stage loader from somebody who bought a new progressive. (If you want to go REAL cheap you can get a lee loader, which I think goes for about $15. But that is REALLY slow. They do, I think, still make them.) You will need one set of dies and yes typically one set of dies will work for .38 or .357. You SHOULD have a scale. You can get by with a set of LEE powder dippers. A decent powder measure is better. A tumbler is needed to clean (and if desired, polish) the used brass. You should be able to get started on some sort of minimalist basis for about $200, not counting the cost of consumables of course. GO FOR IT.

$200? Wow! That sounds worth doing! Best deal I've found so far, just buying ammo, is 1000 rounds of .38 spl for about $330 delivered.

Maybe I'll start saving my brass...

I started loading .38 Special specifically to have a uniform load for PPC matches that I used to shoot every month. A single stage press, hand primer, set of dies. And yes I used the Lee dippers. Bullseye powder in a light wadcutter load. Never bought a scale.

It was slow but my consumption was not great. Read up a little and you can see what you need to start. It will save you money if you do it for a few years and who knows, you may find it to be great fun.

Not the fastest way but the best way...Read the front of a handloading manual. It not only points out things you need, it explains how everything works. There is a welcome emphasis on safety. After understanding the process, you'll be able to make a good educated selection of necessary equipment.

I haven't bought much in the way of new equipment in a long time, but I doubt there are any truly bad products available in what's a very competitive market. Stay away from gadgetry that offers little in the way of usefulness. Lots of it out there.

This suggestion won't be popular with the "want it right now folks", but it's a good way to learn to do things right and make good selections, a far better process than a YouTube education. Good luck-

You can get a new Lee Hand press.
RCBS carbide 38/357 dies.
Lee dippers.
Hand priming tool.
A few other case prep tools.
Case tray, funnel and flashlight.
Fits in a small bag and good upper
body exercise.

The family our boy married into,
all, only own 9mm Smith revolvers.

I still scoop and drop powder on a 505 scale.
A bit of lube on fingers for very light case coating,
even with carbide dies.
Shiny or just keep brass clean, is your choice.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

If you’re not in a rush, you can find used examples of everything you need. If you MUST have it right now, you’ll pay retail for new.

Just this weekend I saw a used RCBS single stage press and dies (38spcl, 357 and 44 magnum) offered for sale for $50. If you have a little patience, you can get into loading 38’s for trivial amounts.

To start reloading, make a friend. Facebook or Craigslist. I’ve been reloading for 53 years. I’ve taught several people how to reload. If you’re serious, reloading stuff is what you will be getting for your birthday and Christmas. It’s not cheaper to shoot, you can just shoot more. I still use a single stage RCBS press, because I like to reload ammunition, because I like to shoot guns. It’s a vicious circle. It gets to a point, where all of the equipment is paid for, now you only count the components, NEVER your time. Good luck.

How much do you shoot? How mechanically inclined are you? How much free time do you have?

Loading 1000 rounds on your typical single stage press that most people recommend will take 10+ hours. Equipment costs are highly variable depending on level of quality and type of press you buy - single stage, turret, or progressive.

As mentioned buy everything used. eBay can be a good source. Gun shows and flea markets are great also. I just picked up a like new Lyman powder scale for $10. I have never bought anything except some dies new. $200 to $300 invested and you will be turning out finished rounds. It is very satisfying. To get you started PM me and I’ll send you a nice set of Lyman .38/.357 dies.

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So you're thinking about getting into reloading...

No way you can get started for $200 including powder primers and bullets.

these threads pop up all the time and you will a gazillion options and info overload!

I have always suggested getting a "kit" so you don't have to buy Ala cart

Then there are the buy once cry once that suggest jumping right into a top of the line Dillon progressive

A single stage kit is all you need. RCBS, Hornady, Lyman
Has everything you need and nothing you don't to start off and do it right.

Still need dies and the powder and primers

Some examples


MIDWAY USA Don't know why it does that??
Access Denied




Reloading Press Kits | Reloading Presses for Sale

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Still Running Against the Wind

There's no easy answers to this question.
Getting started, I don't recommend a progressive press.
Though I'll give a turret type the nod.
You want equipment that stays out of the way of the learning process.
In fact, unless you already foresee the desire for a progressive press's volume, a turret press is probably your best choice.
If you do, a cheap Lee starter kit will suffice.
You'll learn on it, and it'll remain your go to for load development.

Before any of these decisions are made, get a good manual.
Be it the Hornady, Lyman or Speer.
Read and understand the process, review the data, then go shopping

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it just needs more voltage

This is what I started with I bought it at a garage sale NIB for $50, it gives you almost everything you need in one box. It is a low-cost entry, and you can use it for low volume loading if you decide to move to a progressive. I am sure there are used ones in good shape for less than the 259 listed on the website.

You really don't need all the bells and whistles and can load a lot of ammo in a relatively short period of time with a single stage setup.

I started with the 357 and 44 mag just because they were expensive to buy factory loads.

With this setup you do them in batches of 50 or 100 hundred completing each operation for the batch then change out the dies and move to the next operation.

Good luck, it is fun and not all about the cost for me. The other good thing is if you have a good supply of components then what happens in the market place has little impact on your shooting.

Lee Precision, Inc.. Breech Lock Challenger Kits

It cost 2-3 times more today with the price of 38/357 cases, that are out of sight.
The equipmen is not bad and with Christmas coming, it might be a great time to buy one
with the sales that might come up?

A must for those that want to shoot 38 & 357 ammo, today.

Take a deep breath and dive in.

If buying used:
Dies, get a set with a carbide sizer. Non carbide may scratch your brass and you don't need to lube before sizing.

Scale, balance type with a knife edge, be careful, may not repeat due to damage. Probably better to buy new.

Since I’ve recently taken up 38WCF I’m considering reloading. I use to do it for 28 and 12 gauge but gave it up as my spare times gone as I ..age. Last gun show I saw someone selling a 38WCF setup. Cheap. Next time I’ll probably bring it home. For some odd reason I’ve got a liking to that oddball cartridge.

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Remain Viable

Reloading has it's benefits and disadvantages. I have been reloading for close to 50 years, and honestly, if I were to start all over I would probably take up knitting.

That said, you need to contemplate a few questions before you truly take the plunge:
First, how many rounds do you anticipate shooting in any given month?
Second, how many different cartridges do you anticipate reloading?

If you plan on shooting under 750 rounds or so a month, spread over a few weeks, or you plan on reloading multiple cartridges, the single stage press would probably be your best choice. However, if you plan to shoot 400 to 500 rounds in any given weekend, a progressive press could be your wisest move, unless you plan on reloading both rifle and pistol cartridges (then get both) .

If you are shooting and reloading just one cartridge family (38/357 or 44 Special/ 44 Magnum) I would give serious consideration to getting a used Dillon Square Deal B in your chosen caliber. When I bought my first SQB, I bought it directly from Dillon for about $198. I have been looking on the popular auction site for a used SDB, and the starting prices have been around $400, with Buy it Now prices going well over a thousand dollars. [My current setup is my original RCBS Reloader Special (rifle cartridges, for priming LPP, and sizing PC bullets) and my Dillon 550B (all pistol cartridges except for 357 Sig).]

Back before prices went out of control, I was able to reload 50 rounds of my cast bullet 38 Special wadcutters for about $0.75, 45 ACP for under a dollar. Now, using current prices and my cast bullets, those same 38 Specials would be closer to $6.00, while the 45s would be about $7.00.

All-in-all, whether you go with a single stage press, turret press, or a progressive press should be influenced by your volume of shooting. Based on my reloading speed, I can resize, prime, charge, then seat the bullets at about 75 rounds per hour. With a progressive, I can usually reload about 200 or more pistol cartridges in an hour.

Note: for when the SHTF, I also have a Lyman 310 tong tool for my revolver cartridges and rifle cartridges.

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Judge control not gun control!

Onomea, like others here, I have been reloading since the mid 60's, when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I started off on my Dad's old Pacific C press. When I left home, I went with the fore runner of the Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic single stage press and I kept it until I upgraded to a Redding T-7 Turret press. I also have a Dillon I use for reloading pistol rounds, but I would suggest that you stick with a single stage or turret press. Of those 2, I would suggest that if you can find a good deal on a used turret press in good shape, jump on it. I find that using a turret vs a single stage more than doubles you round output. The T-7 is literally a big old chunk of high quality cast iron. I am also partial to good old mechanical scales instead of electronic, as they won't die out if the battery runs down and are not affected by electronic noise such as florescent bulbs. I am partial to the RCBS 510 and 1010 scales which are no longer made, but were made by Ohaus for RCBS. You will also need a primer flip tray, loading blocks, and a powder funnel or 2.

I reload for .38/.357, 9mm, .40, 44spl/mag, .45ACP .223 and .308.
Anything I've spent on equipment and components has been returned 10X.
Something nobody mentions is that you get what you want. For example .38spl soft target load to +P and anything in between, as well as other calibers.

What have you been doing with your spent brass? If you are leaving it at the range you are making it easier for some reloader to save money! Pick up ANY spent brass you find even if you do not have that caliber! You can trade or sell the brass you can't use or sell it to a scrap yard for scrap brass after you have a 5 gal bucket full! A reloader for 50+ years and I still pick up spent brass.
jcelect

Titan reloading has that kit on sale for 169.00. It has more tools than I started reloading with. Add a set of dies. the 4 die carbide set is 55.99.
Not fancy, not fast, but If I was just starting out and a 225.00 ish budget, I would get it.
Or go used if you can find what you want.

....is that you aren't limited to just what is on the shelf, or even commercially available. I just made some 9mm 90 grain 'Screamers'. I COULD get them from Underwood, but you know they are going to COST. (About $28/20 online, so add the shipping and of course tax)

In the past I have experimented with very light and heavy for caliber loadings. One of my faves for beginners is a 110 grain spire point out of a 30-06 at 1500 fps.

If you shoot any calibers outside of 9mm and .223/5.56 you can benefit from reloading. The only real downside is that primers and powder tend to be expensive and sometimes scarce.

Since I load for 30-06, 7.62 Russian, .38 Special/.357 Magnum, 7.62 x 39, 9mm and .223 Rem. (light loads) for me , along 8mm Mauser and 7.7mm Arisake for a friend. We save a lot on ammo. I also have capability to load .44 magnum for another friend and 30-30 for whoever needs it. There are probably a couple more I forgot about.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

It used to be you could get all the stuff you needed
to load one caliber with a single stage press for 5
times the cost of 1 box of ammunition in pistol
calibers.

Now you can root around at places like GunBroker
and do it for slightly over 3 times the cost of one
box of ammunition including 9mm Luger.

But the old adage is still true. "You don't save any
money reloading, you just shoot more."

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never get out of the boat

Some real prices on items that I have purchased recently; Lyman All American turret press on eBay $100. Lyman scale at a gun show $40. RCBS powder measure $50 on eBay. Dies $30 at a gun show. 1000 primers at a gun show $70. 500 .38 cast bullets $45. That adds up to $335 and will get you producing great ammo right quick. Once you get going you can add the brass cleaning system of your choice and some other accessories. Straight wall pistol cartridges are pretty simple. That being said the reloading hobby can be pretty addictive just like the firearm part of the hobby. All of a sudden you have a dozen or more presses, dry and wet tumbling systems and dies for calibers you don't own a firearm for but might someday. Or so I've heard.

Every year, usually in January, I load 50 or 100 rounds of ammo with either a Lyman 310 tool or a Lee Loader. This is to remind me of how good I got it.

100 rounds of 38 special on a 310 tool take me about 2:15. Using a single stage press with all dies already adjusted takes about 1:00. Using my progressive Dillon 550 it takes about 0:10

Last years "Commemorative" ammo was 44 Russian, the time was the same as the 38 special. I get done a little more quickly than average because I use a Lyman 55 powder measurer instead of the Lee powder scoops.

When I load ammo for the sniper rifles (308 Win & 338 Lapua Mag) I weigh each powder charge on an extremely accurate beam scale. I size then clean. Priming is done with hand held tools. Charge the seat bullet, Total time involved is around 75 to 90 seconds per round. The brass is reusable 10+ times (it gets trimmed to length every 4th shooting using as much as another 60 to 75 seconds per round.) These rounds are around 1/10 to 1/4 MOA at 200 yards. and run 1/4 to 1 MOA at 1000 yards. (depending on how well I read the wind!)

One Redding Competition Die set cost more than a whole RCBS starter kit. So it is the same in all things, you mostly get what you pay for!

But I got started with a Lee Loader ($10) in 1979. I already owned a hammer!

Ivan

As a starting point for 9mm, I would estimate around $250 for a turret press and dies, and then another $150 for the other stuff like a way to measure powder charges, scale, calipers, reloading manuals, and the other things you'll want to have, like a bullet puller to "undo" some of the things that will happen when starting out and learning. There are a lot of opinions on what someone starting out should buy, so these numbers are based on what I would recommend.

I've had the conversation about saving money by reloading many times over the years, especially during shortages and/or when prices go up. For 9mm I can typically reload for 20-30% less for practice rounds compared to buying, which comes down to a few cents. This of course is highly variable, especially these days where ammo and component prices seem to jump around at random.

More often than not, when we do the math, for the person asking about reloading with the goal of saving money, it would take years to recover the initial investment in equipment given the number of rounds they typically shoot.

That being said, I still encourage people who like to shoot to get into reloading. It's really a seperate hobby that parallels shooting, and something that I enjoy as much as shooting

Back around 1983 I bought a Model 19 Smith in nickel for $319 including tax. I was shocked to find most ammo sold for $29 a box. So I bought this: Lee Progressive 1000 Press Model #90636

I learned how to use it immediately. I bought powder, primers and bullets along with a couple boxes of factory ammo. Later I bought a Lyman vibratory cleaner: You are being redirected...

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

I load 8 calibers and have been loading for 35 or so years. Actually probably for 40+ years. I used to shoot USPS an and went through a ton of 38 super and 45 acp ammo. Now I primarily shoot 38spl but still shoot a good bit of the orher 7 calibers.

I inherited a Rock Chucker that was my dads and it didn’t take long to tire of loading for my weekly matches and practice. Believe me loading on a single stage press is sloooow and tiring. All of my friends shooting competitively had Dillon progressive presses so I decided to buy a Square Deal B since I didn’t load rifle calibers.

I wound up eventually buying two and set one up for large primers and 45acp and the other gor 38 super and 38 special. I eventually sold one of the presses to my brother and he’s still using it and I’m still using mine. Both are 35 or so years old and both have had probably over 100,000+ rounds loaded through each. No issues with any of them other than a broken priming return spring.

I think Dillon still has a no BS warranty and any repairs or parts are covered for life. Even if you back your car over it it’s covered. Dillon is known for refurbishing their presses at no cost to their customers. My Dillon electronic scale failed after 30 years and they replaced it without a hitch.

On my SQDeal I can easily turn out 200 38’s per hour and more if I put my mind to it.

Save yourself the headaches and buy a good progressive press like a Dillon. I’ve never regretted buying mine.

That's exactly right!

How many times have we seen nay-sayers pointing out that their time spent reloading should be figured into the total cost for a box of ammo? I like to point out that they could be spending their time watching TV instead, how much do they get paid for that? I like TV as much as the next guy, but reloading is so much more rewarding.

This is very coincidental...
I had just came upstairs to start a batch of .45 Colt with a powder I haven't used before (HP-38), when I decided to sit and check the forum before getting started!

You could buy a Prazipress/120mm or a AREA 418 Zero press.
Both will tighten up your target with a one hole group.
That's because the press price may limit you to only one round fired each day.

Seriously, starting with a Lee Hand Press and other necessary gear that will still be useful when you get a progressive, turret, single stage or a Co-Ax.
Our Dillon, RCBS and old Spartan, do all we need to do, and still use parts of a Lee Zero Error kit for 223/5.56 bolt and single shot rifles.
Bought a NOS Win '94 44 Mag and picked up a NOS 44Mag Lee Loader. The 629 lives in Colorado and I just wanted to run a couple of dozen, to test it, using brass from when it lived in Florida. Rifle will eventually go West for the kids/grandkids.

I like 45 caliber and as many here did, started with Lee Loaders long ago.
45s are a family tradition.
Two of my Dad's EC '43 steel cases from the 10th Mountain Division flank a Golden Saber.
My boy thought hollow point +Ps were necessary.
Most of the box is unfired.
He would use the Gold Cup with our target loads and carry
a 380 or 9mm Glock.
Sad but true.
The first gun he bought was a G36.
Good boy.

Wish my Dad and his Detective/Military buddies had a chance
to run a 460.
They did shoot my scoped Colt Sporter.

Missing from pic are the 45 Long Colts.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

Every piece of my reloading equipment is now over 40 years old, with the exception of some die sets. Every time I add a new caliber I always order a set of dies and bullet mold.

After 51 years of reloading I can't even estimate how many thousands of rounds I have cranked out. Haven't purchased any factory ammo in decades, other than the occasional box or two of "carry ammo" for my personal sidearms. No need to do so.

Today, getting started with a basic set-up in one handgun caliber, probably $200 to $300 is very realistic. After that your only costs for practice ammo will be primers, bullets, and powder, probably somewhere between 12 and 20 cents per round depending on your preferences. The initial cost ($200-$300) will be recovered with the first 15 or 20 boxes of reloaded ammo.

I'm slowing down in my advancing years, but still try to shoot every week, usually 200 to 300 rounds every month (.38 Spl, .357, 9X19, .40, .45ACP, and several others). Using single-stage presses and processing everything in batches of 500 or 1000 I probably spend a half-hour per finished box of ammo. Beats watching stupid television shows.

So if I were just getting started I would expect to be fully amortized in 3 months or so, then pretty much independent of the retail ammo supply chain. The economy is what started me out, but that sense of independence is what makes it really worthwhile for me.

Another plus has been feeding my little collection of antique and vintage firearms for which commercial ammunition is either unobtainable or very expensive. I still shoot .45-90 Winchester, .45 Sharps Express, .33 Winchester, .44-40, and a few others, all for nickels and dimes instead of folding money.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

I agree with those saying to start with a "KIT".
Been reloading since the early '80s and have used only Lee presses and dies.
I prefer the 4 hole turret as it is easier to set up for multiple calibers.
Add a tumbler and good digital scale plus dies and you're ready to go.
Start by reading and re-reading the front of the manual.
Lee Precision, Inc.. Classic Turret Press Kit

Taking only into consideration that you want to load .38 Special I come up with $215 + shipping (at Midwayusa) buying things separately. I don't think I can share a link due to forum rules.

Kits are fine but you're always paying for something you don't need, and something you have to replace because you don't like it. There's more you might want, but for .38 Special all you need is a scale, a press, a die set, a powder measure, and a way to prime. I prefer to prime on the press as it speeds things up. You don't need to trim cases. If you decide you want to you can add that later. As with everything else.

But you need to take into consideration the cost of components. Current prices are going to run you about $10.00/box of 50 with cast lead bullets.

Yep! and then there is casting your own bullets.

I think one of the most important considerations is the amount of available time you would have, and what it is worth.
I personally have time available and find the reloading process enjoyable and relaxing.
I suggest finding someone as a mentor, have found people generally are very generous in helping a newcomer.
I also strongly recommend starting out with a single stage process. This allows one to determine if reloading is worth doing without spending excessive amounts. It also allows better development of a basic understanding of reloading.
It seems like many insist the particular brand of equipment they have is the way to go. I personally have RCBS and Hornady, and pleased with them. The major equipment brands seem to be incredibly good with customer service, whether we’re talking blue, red, green, or whatever.
Good Luck, Kevin G

Thanks, guys, for all the information, and for the very generous offers to help. You've provided a lot of great info for me to consider. Just what I was hoping for when I posted.

I'm thinking it over, considering whether to jump in...

Handloading isn't for everyone. If you don't enjoy it as a hobby in itself, it's not worth doing. If you see it as a big chore and don't look forward to it, it's not worth doing. If it's not worth doing, the quality of your ammunition will reflect that attitude and will probably be mediocre at best.

While it is considerably more expensive than when most of us started, more shortages may just be an election away. One of the reasons i reload, is to help insure availability of rounds in the future. Years ago, our State attorney general tried to affect reloading by getting legislator to introduce bill banning reloading components and ammunition.

The older i get, the closer to a life time supply i have.

This is a good point. A friend’s son is an avid hunter and shooter. He bought a complete reloading setup used for a very good price. When he asked for help, I told him I’d be happy to show him but watch the Sinclair tutorials on YouScrewed first (a great resource IMHO). A couple of weeks later I asked how it was going. “Man, that’s way too much like school.”

You need to do some research. You need to be methodical, carefully following a step-by-step procedure. Hand loading is NOT rocket science, but mistakes could have very serious consequences. You can’t be too careful about quality control because you are it. If that all sounds OK, party on! I really enjoy handloading.

P.S. I would have no problem buying a single stage or turret press used. Based on my experience with a Hornady progressive press, I would only buy one new so that I could access tech support (they were excellent). Also, there’s a lot more that could be mechanically wrong or missing parts with a progressive press. That Lyman All-American turret press looks very nice. I’d probably buy one of those if I were starting out today.

Okay, you sent me down another rabbit hole. I looked up the 310 tool and lost my mind. Not that I am looking for the end of the world but, I like to be self sufficient. I ordered one for 38spl off of Guns International and have been scouring Ebay. DANG YOU.

Surprisingly there are a bunch of 310 Tools in 270 WCF. Or maybe not.

@IAM Rand,

As Lyman use to advertise, the 310 Tool was "reloading in a nut shell"!

Just remember, have a supply of case lube on hand when sizing cases with the 310 Tool!

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Judge control not gun control!

I started with RCBS formula Number 2 (water soluble) and a new ink pad that was 75 cents! Still use them on occasion.

Ivan

It just occurred to me (and I didn't read through the thread to see if it had already been suggested) that you might want to go ahead and lay up some components while you have the opportunity, especially primers. That way, if you choose to go ahead with it you'll have them. If you choose not to, you won't have any problem finding a buyer. Projectiles right now are looking real good, powder is making a nice comeback, but primers are the most iffy.

This could be a now or never proposition. With what I bought previously the dollar cost average is still reasonable. I never thought I would see it, but I believe components will be unavailable in our lifetime.

I was gonna suggest the same thing. Maybe first buy should be a pound of powder? Ain’t nothin happenin without that!

38Special, you could start with Bullseye, Unique, W231/HP38… probably others.

I’d skip the Lee Loader. Hated mine. A good solid single-stage press will do everything you need, and still be useful for depriming or something if you get a turret/progressive later.

Never had a tumbler. Washed a few, that were real cruddy.

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Uvidíme se později, aligátore.

Sadly, I fear that this could be a fair assessment! I bought a device that allowed me to make percussion caps for my 1861 Navy. I had discovered that with this tool, using empty soda cans and roll caps, I could make my own percussion caps. Not too long after that purchase, it has become near impossible to find roll caps! It has gotten to the point where it may be easier to find hen's teeth!

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Judge control not gun control!

An essential note on the Lyman 310 tool is that this device provides only cartridge neck resizing, not full-length cartridge resizing. Generally this is fine for reloading only for the firearm in which the cases were fired in, but problems can arise if we are reloading for use in any other firearms.

Not all chamber dimensions are equal in every dimension. Neck sizing only provides everything needed for re-use in the same firearm. Full-length resizing is intended to return the fired cartridge to dimensions that will work in any appropriately chambered firearm.

Reloading 101, usually included in the first chapter of any decent manual on this subject.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

Lots of good advice above and opinions!! First thing I advise is to buy a Lyman Handbook of Reloading and read the "how to" sections at the front. The rest is a manual of loads. For .38 Special, there is little reason to buy jacketed bullets, lead is fine, coated is even better, especially for indoor shooting.
I used a single stage press for probably 25 years before I bought a Dillon 450, then sold it and went to a 550B. The latest is the 550C. Dillon has a lot of video instruction on their website. I have reloaded several hundred thousand rounds, I guess and saved a lot of money, over the present cost of $35/50 rounds of range ammo.
Besides, its something to do on rainy days!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

I've been reloading for 40 years and do at least a dozen different cartridges. Still do it all on an old RCBS Rockchucker press I bought used way back when.
I hate to rain on your parade, but right now may not be the best time to take reloading up. Powder and primers are hard to come by and prices are outrageous. Where just a couple of years ago a box of 1000 primers was around $30-40, now they're anywhere from $75-100+. That's if you can find them.
Powder is pretty much in the same boat. Before you make a decision, you might wanna do some searching on what you need in the way of powder and primers, current availability and pricing.
For the last 2-3 years I've been buying factory ammo in bulk for the more common calibers and saving my dwindling supply of powder and primers for the more expensive and harder to find calibers.
I consider .38 Special to be a common caliber. Might wanna check into bulk pricing for factory ammo. Start at Ammoseek.com.

...that I don't see it getting any better. I don't think the 'old days' are going to come back. Right now ammo is at least available. But that can change in a heartbeat and we could have another years long drought where you can't even buy .22 ammo.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"