Guns vs. Ammo ?

[PatriotX]

After a safe upgrade brought on an 'inventory' of sorts, I was very surprised by a few things.


The most astonishing to me was that at today's prices, I actually own more ammo than guns.


Some of it is currently useless to me (.40) as I no longer own any firearms in that caliber. Otherwise, it is a healthy 1:1 ratio of centerfire to rimfire by round count.


Am I a statistical outlier, or do other members find themselves in the same (pre-accident) boat?


.

 

[Arik]

I own way more ammo than guns. Each gun needs more than one round so.....

Only one rim fire which barely ever sees the light of day.

If you don't want your 40 let me know.


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[PatriotX]

I own way more ammo than guns. Each gun needs more than one round so.....

I guess a better example would be stocking $600 worth of ammo for a $500 gun.


It wasn't a planned event, either - more of a gradual accumulation.

 

[Arik]

Depending on caliber $600 worth of ammo is only 2 - 3 cases

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[mojave30cal]

I have kept ammo for guns I no longer have, like 7.62X51,
.22WRF, .45 ACP, .38 SW, etc. You never know when they
may come in handy some day.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Keep in mind that in bad times ammo is a great barter item. However keep in mind if you are trading ammo, trade just a few rounds at a time and have enough security handy so your old ammo don't kill you! Yes folks that last bit was a bit on the dark side of humor.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Less value in ammo because most of my guns share 9mm or .357.

 

[old bear]

At today's current prices I've got several thousand dollars worth of ammo set aside. I guess this means I could buy 2 1/2 of my normal price point guns. Guns last a hell of a lot longer than ammo does.

 

[susieqz]

the actual cash value of my ammo is higher than that of my guns.
it's clear that the cost of guns is a small part of the cost of shooting sports.

 

[S42N8]

Way on the ammo side here...after the last shortage buffoonery, I've set aside a fair amount.

 

[bushmaster1313]

If you have a lot of nice guns and little ammo it makes sense to stock up on ammo at today's prices so you can enjoy each gun for a number of years. Ammo is not going to get cheaper.

If you only have one nice gun and $1,000, I would get another nice gun for $900 and spend $50 for some ammo for each of the two guns before I would go out and buy 2,500 rounds for the first gun.

If you don't have any guns I would definitely hold off on getting lots of ammo.

 

[model70hunter]

I have a few guns, I have ammo plenty for said guns. The gun value is higher, but ammo plenty.

I like the way Mojave30cal thinks. I have kept ammo for long gone guns, and eventually one seems to show up. Some years ago Walmart had stocked a ton of 16 gauge shot shells. Don't know why, the 16 had long been dead and buried. After they set for a few years they did a fire sale. I was buying cases cheaper than some boxes of steel shot cost. And I had a 16 gauges in Parker and an AH Fox. Worked well for me.

I sold the guns at divorce for money, kept the ammo. I have had many Win M-12's in 16 and always had ammo. Folks asked where do you find 16 gauge ammo? I said Walmart. Same with 308, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 264 Mag and few others. I'll say the 264 is the unluckiest Deer round I've ever owned, I'm selling this Albatross and never owning another. Then a cheap one shows up.

I recently traded for an FN in 300 Win Mag. I went thru my meager selection and found 5 or 6 boxes, mostly my reloads and some freeby stuff by ammo makers when I part times in a LGS. Then I went by the local Walmart, they had 5 boxes of the Federal 300 Win Mag in the Deer Zombie brand in 150 grain which is perfect for Whitetail or coyotes. They quit sponsoring this show and Walmart sold off the ammo dirt cheap. I missed out on the 243, 270 Win, 308 and 30-06 but scored on what I needed. Found 2 more boxes of MOS WW 150 grain in 300 mag for 10 bucks a box at a gun show. He had just bought out some retired small LGS stock. I had bought a couple of ammo users and was almost out of cash or I could have scored more. So I have about 15 boxes of 300 Win Mag. 300 rounds or 300 deer seasons. Plus I reload and can refill the boxes. That means 600 deer seasons. Man I'd better lose my gut and get healthy, that's a lot of seasons.....

 

[STCM(SW)]

Don't even want to think how much ammo I have for guns I have or ones I have sold....
Still find 308, 6mm, 41 Magnum & 416 WBY rounds laying around....

 

[BUFF]

I hate to preach doom and gloom here, but I am afraid the day is coming soon when we will ALL need a license just to buy ammunition.

I have been buying more ammo and components than I shoot for a long time. I doubt I will ever run out of anything, but I am 63.

I am afraid that when I die or get put in a home, my heirs will either be very happy or very angry when they clean out my house.

To paraphrase Scarlet O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND, "If I have to lie, cheat or steal, as G-d is my witness, I will nevah run outta ammo agin!"

 

[H Richard]

I believe in a minimum of 1000 rounds of ammo for every caliber I shoot, and much more for those I shoot regularly. Then enough bullets, powder & primers to reload that quantity several times.

 

[the ringo kid]

I guess a better example would be stocking $600 worth of ammo for a $500 gun.


It wasn't a planned event, either - more of a gradual accumulation.

Ive done the above a few times not really realizing during the process. For instance--ive got five .22s--and probably $1,500 (by todays prices) in ammo for them. I got rid of all my **** .22-and only buy CCI etc-when its either available? or affordable.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Mine seems to be pretty even if we're considering the value of ammo and firearms at today's best case scenario retail price. Ammo might even be worth more, but not by much.

 

[lrrifleman]

I honestly don't know if it is a matter of fortunately or unfortunately, but the dollar value of my guns massively overshadows the value of my ammunition supply. However, I reload and rarely buy factory ammo. In the past 40 years, if I have purchased more than 10 boxes of centerfire ammo, I would be surprised. Of late, since I now have a carry permit, I have purchased some self defense ammo.

For my reloading, I buy bullets and powder as necessary, but I buy at least a brick of primers whenever I have a few extra bucks. I cast bullets for all of my handguns, so I only purchase rifle bullets. I have about a 400 pound supply of wheel weights.

 

[vmumford]

Jesus, I wish I knew how much ammo I have. I Dred the day I need to sort and inventory it but I do know its not at the same value as all the guns. I have several that share off the same plate so I don't do the usual 1k per gun. Last inventory was in excess of 20k rounds in different calibers. That was 8 years ago and it has gotten worse. I just figured out what my first starter thread will be coming up....

 

[rburg]

I guess I'm more practical than most here. I know I'm not going to live forever, or even that much longer. Not sure I won't even be too feeble to shoot at some point. I sold off my 22-250 and gave all my 22 centerfire stuff (except Jet) to my oldest. He scored big time.

At some point I need to do an inventory. Including the dreaded reloading junk. I don't have the nerve, but I probably should start taking it to gun shows and selling it off.

I bought components in no rational way. I'd just see something at a gun show and kind of remember I was "low" on that item, or something was very underpriced so I'd load up. Once, the guy behind us at a gun show had a ton of 7mm Rem Mag brass. He didn't reload, but saved all his once fired stuff. I made him a low ball offer and he jumped on it. To him it was just free money. Another time at a show I guy I knew was trying to sell off his .30-06 military brass. He'd resized, trimmed and reamed the stuff. Hundreds upon hundreds of cases. All mine!

I love it when folks sell off a gun and then dump their ammo or components out on a table. They just want it gone. And then there are the fortune tellers who see the future. Fools is what they are. 25 or so years ago a buddy and I were hiking the rows at a gun show. For whatever reason, they decided .45-70 was obsolete and they wanted the space. Or maybe their houses were sinking into the ground. So they were dumping 20 round boxes for $3 and $4 each. I was buying at $3, and when I got to a table where they were $4, the guy offered me all of his for $3. I think I took home over 15 boxes. Some 300, some 405. but I've only fired a few from that day. And only to satisfy me my POI was the same as my reloads.

So tell me, wise ones. Are we going to have a shooting war? Does body armor stop a .30-378 200 grain bullet running at 3600 fps? How many rounds do I fire before digging out the M92 in .32-20? Back to the big boomer.... if I hit a hard plate with that 200gr Berger bullet, does it shatter? or just turn the guy inside out? Should I load up my .458 Tungsten solids and wait for the plow truck this winter? Will its diesel engine keep running after a few hits? Should I shoot it before it gets to my drive to leave a load of ice? Is it the trucks fault or the AH driver?

How much ammo do I really need?