Dilemma

[deadin]

I wasn't sure which topic I should post this in, so when in doubt, go for the Lounge.

I just picked up my 5th or 6th revolver chambered in 32 S&W and find I have no ammo. I would kind of like to have some on hand, but found that Buffalo Arms has Magtech at $25.28/50 plus another $17-18 for shipping. (At least they have it...)

However I can buy brass, bullets and a set of used dies for about the same amount. (Maybe even less if I hunt the gunshows..)

Which way to jump ????

 

[CATI1835]

It appears to be available online. Have you tried that?

32sw ammo handgun

 

[perryhd]

IMO buy the dies and brass and you will be covered for a while. Any time I get a new caliber firearm I buy dies an brass and bullets so I don't have to worry about ammo.

 

[5-Shot]

IMO buy the dies and brass and you will be covered for a while. Any time I get a new caliber firearm I buy dies an brass and bullets so I don't have to worry about ammo.

I go one more step and buy a bullet mold rather than bullets.

Ed

 

[deadin]

It appears to be available online. Have you tried that?

Been there, Done that....
Most of those listings are for 32 S&W Long, not what I'm after.
The 32 S&W listings seem to be mostly with 100gr bullets which is a little heavy for the old top-breaks. (Should be in the 77 to 84gr. weight range.)
Other than having to deal with outfits I've never heard of, the pricing is comparable to Midway's. It's the $17 to $18 shipping & ORD fees added on that's the killer.......

 

[deadin]

I go one more step and buy a bullet mold rather than bullets.

That's usually my method if I plan on shooting a lot. However, in this case, I don't. I probably could get what I want by just buying a box of Magtech, but for pretty much the same price I could have a little flexibility in loads. (Plus a box of 500 bullets should last me the rest of my life. (and that of my heirs...)

 

[perryhd]

MY problem with casting bullets is getting alloy. In my area even wheel weights are expensive. Years ago I could get them free but the last wheel weights I got were $35.00 for a five gallon bucket full. After hours of separating zinc, soft lead and good alloy I only had about a third of a bucket. Just not worth it to me.

 

[deadin]

I'm not really sure just how much casting metal I have stashed away out in the garage. I know I have at least 30 or 40 lbs of old wheel weights, about the same amount of flashing (pure lead) that I got from a roofer years ago. (Lots of fun melting and removing the dross....). I also came across around 10 lbs of babbitt which is around 90% tin.
Still have a little bit of linotype and a 5 gallon bucket of birdshot mined from a local skeet/trap range. (This was before steel shot became the norm.) But casting, sizing and lubing just doesn't seem to be worth the effort unless I'm going to shoot a lot. I do still cast .45 and .357 wadcutters, but that's about it.

 

[TRE]

I too would buy the dies and reload it yourself, but then I load all of my own ammo. Sometimes I put the cart before the horse and buy dies and brass, THEN buy a gun to shoot it out of, but that's just me.

I also cast most of my own bullets.

Anyone having trouble getting alloy locally should give eBay a look. Most of the time you can get smelted, fluxed, wheel weight alloy in ingot form on there for around $1 per pound SHIPPED. Of course this depends on the specific seller and the amount purchased, but I've bought 3 different lots (30-50lbs) off eBay in the last few months and paid right at $1/lb with shipping.

I'm lucky, I can still get WWs locally for a normally reasonable price, but when I factor in the smelting, etc, most of the time I just buy ingots from eBay. I do, however, buy and store the raw WWs that I get at a good price locally, in case the online supply dries up or gets too expensive.

TRE

 

[finesse_r]

I was too lazy to buy lead, so I just bought enough ammo a few years back to last me three or four life times. May have been better than investing in the stock market or precious metals, or is lead now a precious metal.