JohnnieB
US Veteran
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.
John
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.
John
