If Starline is such good brass why is it less than other brands?

Rule3

Rule3

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Not complaining, just found it interesting. I order some dies and brass for my soon to have M 25 MT Gun. First time I ever ordered new brass:eek:

Starline was almost half the price of Winchester, Rem, Hornady even MagTech.

Perhaps because that's all they do and do not have huge overhead?
 
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I use a lot of Starline brass and it has been very good.

I guess the lower price is because Starline specializes only in brass and developed their business model and price structure around that efficiency.

Also, you are generally buying direct from the manufacturer and not after it has been marked up by distributors and retailers.
 
sjmjax said:
.......
I guess the lower price is because Starline specializes only in brass and developed their business model and price structure around that efficiency.

Also, you are generally buying direct from the manufacturer and not after it has been marked up by distributors and retailers.
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100% YUP!

I was buying nickle casings here and there on the net and finally said the heck with that and order 500 brass casings direct. I'll keep the 300 nickle cases back for HOT....*S*...loads and use the brass for "everyday shooting"
 
I have had brass from Win and Rem, that suffered from premature split necks, or had undersized primer pockets. It was not usual, but not unusual either. I have never had any problem with Starline brass. I think their QC may be better.

Price is not always an indicator of quality.
 
I have only ever bought a smidgen of brass that wasn't at least once fired. Usually, I get mine by the 5 gallon bucket full and have to sort it!

Don't ask how much 9mm I have! ;)

It comes from an indoor range and the paying customer lanes. There could be some that have been reloaded, not may though. If someone reloads and goes in there to shoot, they usually come out with more brass than they went in with! ;)

Fiocchi, Winchester, Remington, Magtech, A-merc and a few others have come home with me. I use almost all of it!

Oh, yeah, the price per 5 gallon bucket? Usually under $10! ;)

I doubt I could buy new brass for that price. :D
 
I've had to buy most of 45 Colt brass at the thread suggests. Very little if it lying around at ranges. I recently bought 1000 Starline 45 Colt brass for $205 at the gun show in Mesquite, Texas. I got 500 brass and 500 nickel. I'm happy with that. I think that the point is not that Starline is underpriced, so much as the others are overpriced. I've never had any issues with Starline brass and it's a family run business. Bob!
 
Profit margins for the Ammo boys is best for loaded ammo not components. Components is a small part of WW, RP, and even Magtech; but they do have overhead including advertising and Liability insurance which I am guessing is much less for Starline.
 
smith crazy said:
I have only ever bought a smidgen of brass that wasn't at least once fired. Usually, I get mine by the 5 gallon bucket full and have to sort it!

Don't ask how much 9mm I have! ;)

It comes from an indoor range and the paying customer lanes. There could be some that have been reloaded, not may though. If someone reloads and goes in there to shoot, they usually come out with more brass than they went in with! ;)

Fiocchi, Winchester, Remington, Magtech, A-merc and a few others have come home with me. I use almost all of it!

Oh, yeah, the price per 5 gallon bucket? Usually under $10! ;)

I doubt I could buy new brass for that price. :D
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Well Skip,

We know you get you lead wheel weights for free,and your wife buys your molds for you, now you get you brass for free so I am afraid to ask where your powder comes from and who is pulling the handle on the Dillon that you got at a garage sale for $5.00.:D

Hope it's really, really cold there.;)

I sent you a PM
 
OCD1 said:
Well Skip,

We know you get you lead wheel weights for free,and your wife buys your molds for you, now you get you brass for free so I am afraid to ask where your powder comes from and who is pulling the handle on the Dillon that you got at a garage sale for $5.00.:D

Hope it's really, really cold there.;)

I sent you a PM
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:D

I'll answer after I get home from church!

(Jealousy is such an ugly word! :) )


I'm just like the rest of you! I have to buy my powder! I just have several local sources and from time to time, they have stuff marked down! ( :) )
 
As has been mentioned the key to buying Starline brass is to always order direct not through a dealer. Shipping is free !

I just ordered a bunch ! :) :)

.45Colt is $153/1000 !

.44 Special is $146/1000

.45 Auto Rim is $150/1000

Jerry
 
Starline has a niche in that they only make straight wall cases and still popular "obsolete" cartridges that others don't feel is profitable.So with minimal investvment in machines and less steps to make a straight wall case their prices are low and quality is high.You are paying for all of the machines and labor for stuff you won't buy or need from other makers.They make no loaded ammuntion but several loaded ammuntion makers use their brass with a proprietary headstamps.
 
Why are aftermarket performance automotive & motorcycle parts (Crane/Edelbrock/Holley/Wiseco/S&S/JIMS) cheaper and better than OEM (Ford/GM/MOPAR/HarleyDavidson) parts?
 
Man, I don't have a clue. But I sure am glad it's that way!

I can't think of a better brass that meets my needs. You know the old saying about don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
mkk41 said:
Why are aftermarket performance automotive & motorcycle parts (Crane/Edelbrock/Holley/Wiseco/S&S/JIMS) cheaper and better than OEM (Ford/GM/MOPAR/HarleyDavidson) parts?
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Ooh, ooh, I know the answer to that one!:D

I dare not say or I might be put in the corner for a time out.
 
I must not live right (LOL). Every time I've visited the Starline web site they are out of stock for the caliber I'm looking for.

Dave
 
Supply versus Demand is an internal factor for pricing as well as being an external one. If a manufacturer produces a finished product such as loaded ammo, motorcycles, cars or buggy whips, the assembly line for the finished product competes (internally) for the output of the production lines producing the components that make up the finished product. If there is no finished product to internally compete with the output of the component production line, the price out the door is based solely on the manufacturing costs and overhead of the component itself and not influence by the desired profit margin of a finished product.

Guess who has first dibs on the output of the component lines? You guessed right if you said their internal customer (aka finished product assembly lines).

While I have no factual data, I suspect that Rem., Win, and other ammo manufacturers that also make and sell unloaded cases, design and build their component manufacturing lines to meet their internal needs on a M-F/8hr/day basis, so the pricing for component sales are based on 2nd & 3rd shift and weekend labor costs.

Of course my theories may be entirely wrong, but in my personal reloading experience, Starline brass is at least as good as the brass from Rem., Win. and the other name brand ammo manufacturers. And for whatever reason(s) costs significantly less.

Incidentally, I get new Startline brass for about half the price it is sold empty by buying "New" loaded ammo.
Granted, it is "once-fired" by the time I reload it, but the price is right. :D

John
 
Some of Starlines earlier advertising claimed that they started out making straight-walled pistol cases for the big ammo makers. They made many of their seasonal and low sales volume calibers.
 
I've bought and used lots of Starline brass over the years, with almost 100% good results. I did get a batch of .45 Win.Mag. brass that was too brittle and suffered case separations on the first or second loadings several times, with loads that were not all that hot. Their brass seems to be pretty hard all around, which is fine for low-pressure stuff and usually great for semiautos, and I've never had a problem with it in hot 10mm and .44 mag. loads, but I've not loaded any of those enough times to see how many loadings they'll go before failing.
 
I just ordered some 10mm, 32 H&R mag, and .38 super from them. Everything showed out of stock. I received two calibers in a weeks time and then received the last one about two weeks later. Just place the order and don't worry about it being out of stock.
 
How is their 357 brass? I have a lot of Speer brass from my 38 spl reloads but I'm thinking seriously about buying Starline for my 357 magnum reloads. IN 1000 unit lots it's less than .12 per which looks pretty good.
 
I bought 500 357 mag starlines cases during the 90's I'm still loading and shooting brass from that purchase. Fine product!
 
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