Why I Dumped My .38 $pecial.

[max503]

I see reloading being spoken about here. Unfortunately it's a bad time to start reloading and has been for around the past 2 years or so. Still, with the unavailable of ammo still there and the extremely high costs associated with buying it, reloading is still a viable alternative.

Basic setups:
An RCBS Reloader Special-5 single stage kit on sale right now for $244.43 (Midway)
This kit comes with a digital scale and a reloading manual.

A Lee 4 Hole Turret Press w/auto-index kit on sale right now for $199.99 (Midway)
This kit comes with a balance beam scale which is rudimentary and usable. No manual included

Add a set of calipers and you are set up to start reloading.

You could start small with a Lee Loader. That, a pound of powder, a hundred primers, and some commercial bullets (projectiles) and you are good to go for probably $100.

I would definitely go that route. Definitely.

Lee Loader 38 Spl - Lee Precision

People like me have extra stuff laying around that we would sell to people like you for a song. Stuff like our old Lee Loaders, scales, measures, dippers, etc.

 

[Camster]

It's all about supply and demand, regardless of caliber. Right now, 9mm is plentiful, and .38 Special is in short supply, so the price on the former comes down, and the price on the latter goes up.

The inflation we're experiencing right now isn't helping matters, of course, but eventually things will settle down...

(Every time a discussion like this comes up, whether the subject is ammo, gasoline, groceries, or any other commodity, I think back to the writings of geniuses like Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell, and their explanations of how supply and demand works. Some of that stuff -- well, okay, most of it -- is pretty dry, but it's very informative.)

I was in the Kittery Trading Post recently.(a gigantic place, just over the border into Maine from NH) Loads of 9mm for sale. Not a round of 38 special to be had. Loads of rimfire, unlike my lgs.

 

[nbedford]

I have not bought factory 38 Special SWC's in ages. For a spell I used Speer swaged SWC's, but I was afraid those would also be in short supply. So, about 3 years ago I got back into serious bullet casting. I already had a two cavity Lee wad cutter mold, but went ahead and got the Lee 358 158TL SWC double cavity mold. I noticed last year that the Speer swaged SWC' bullets were unobtainable. BTW I have found my home cast Lee SWC's are a bit more accurate than the Speer SWC's.

 

[smithra_66]

I’ve always been a big fan of the .38/.357. It is IMHO one of the most versatile rounds ever produced.Until this most recent ammo/firearm crisis, I’ve always believed that the .38 was so common that you would always be able to find it anywhere; and at a reasonable price. Not so long ago, you could walk into any backwoods hardware store or mercantile and it was almost certain that you could find .38 Special in some iteration, even if it was Lead Round Nose.

Today’s ammo situation has proven me wrong. Was just checking ammo prices at Runnings. Federal American Eagle.38 Spcl FMJ, $58/50. Federal American Eagle .45 ACP FMJ, $34/50. Almost makes me want to buy a big bore!

I know that “these things shall pass”, but I think these crises shall become more cyclical and frequent . For the foreseeable future, it’s 9mm/.380 for me.

Why the heck wouldn't you reload?

357 and 38 special become some of the cheapest calibers to shoot when you do. I cast my own bullets so I'm probably shooting 38 special target loads for cheaper than 22 LR nowadays.

 

[smithra_66]

powder is going to cost you a minimum of 35$ plus hazmat and standard shipping. One place had hp-38 for 25$/lb but wanted a hazmat charge of 46$ and charged 6 dollars to "disquise the shipping box"

primers expect to pay 120$ per 1000. SOME gun auction site has folks selling/auctioning primers for 250$ per 1000.

Then find brass..

Whoa, you haven't been out in a while.

I just bought a pound of 2400 for $32 in store, so no hazmat.

Primers are available in-store around me for about $8 per 100.

Brass is super common for 38 or 357. I'm looking right now at a $25 buy now on gunbroker for 100 new starline 38 special cases. And that's brand new. There are oodles of auctions for used ones.

Reloading is very easy to get into right now, and the prices are way down from just a year ago.

 

[FLJoe]

I don't know if it's just local here, but 38/357 doesn't seem at all like a dying cartridge/caliber at my LGS and range. I go to the range about once a month or so. Every time I visit he's got about a dozen or more revolvers in the case, and every time it's a totally different stock than the last time I was there. He always has a fair selection of ammo on hand, not as cheap as mail order, but usually around $30 for a box of 50. Hell, even the rangemaster has a Chiefs Special on his belt when he's working, so I never notice that revolvers and revolver calibers are a dying breed.

It's true, you do t need to shoot as much with a revolver to practice. I can burn through a staggering amount of ammo with a semiautomatic rifle or my wife's 380 in a short time, but I do most of my revolver practice dry fire, then don't use near as much range ammo.

 

[FLJoe]

I wonder if there is any safe way to advertise locally that I am willing to buy a revolver. I'm real picky about who knows I have guns.

I don't think think there is a safe way, and I don't blame you for not advertising your gun hobby. I think everyone that collects and shoots should limit who knows. As long as gun thiefs and people who use stolen guns in crimes are allowed to go free without bail and are treated as minor criminals we all need to play it safe as legal owners and collectors. Someday maybe the criminals will be treated as such, and the good guys will get their break, but I don't expect it anytime soon. Sorry, I don't want to get this thread off track. Back to the discussion of 38 prices...

 

[Greyman50]

Happened to go in Academy Sports today, 38 Spl. JHP in 20 round box for under $30, couple of mfgs. There was almost an entire shelf of assorted 9 mm. Even quite a few assorted 45 ACP but at obscene prices.
I feel for guys/ gals just starting out, however for those that have been shooting for years, you should have learned from past “ events”.
Thank God have been casting and reloading since 70s.

 

[heeter3]

All I have are .38s mostly Smiths and a mix of Colts.Eleven to be exact.

I love the guns and caliber.I have stored a lot of ammo over the years and am fortunate enough to be able to put some money aside monthly for the times I find the prices a little more reasonable. The prices are never going back so I'm a little more selective now when buying.As stated earlier by RWPBR the free shipping offers from SGA are something I always take advantage of. I am not good enough to reload so that's why I buy.I will never let my .38s go and am satisfied to keep feeding them even at an increased cost and I hope my son and grandsons decide to keep them when they become theirs.

 

[EPVegas]

Double post

 

[EPVegas]

38 Special +P 125GR CCI Blazer JHP (3514)
– Bone Frog Gun Club

This place has rolling deals, some are very good. Here is .38 +p for under 25, it was 20 last month

 

[Beemerguy53]

I was in the Kittery Trading Post recently.(a gigantic place, just over the border into Maine from NH) Loads of 9mm for sale. Not a round of 38 special to be had. Loads of rimfire, unlike my lgs.

It's a small world: I was in the LL Bean store in Freeport two weeks ago...had some time to kill before a flight home out of Portland...and noticed that they too had loads of .22, a fair amount of 9mm, and almost no .38...

My local WalMart is stocked pretty much the same way...

 

[Beemerguy53]

38 Special +P 125GR CCI Blazer JHP (3514)
– Bone Frog Gun Club

This place has rolling deals, some are very good. Here is .38 +p for under 25, it was 20 last month

Courtesy of the Ammoseek search engine, I found it a bit cheaper...

.38 Special +P 125GR CCI Blazer JHP 3514 (50 rounds) - Canoe Club USA

 

[jeeps]

A Lee hand press and a set of there 38 special dies will take care of your needs. Mastercast bullets in PA. makes great bullets too.

 

[max503]

powder is going to cost you a minimum of 35$ plus hazmat and standard shipping. One place had hp-38 for 25$/lb but wanted a hazmat charge of 46$ and charged 6 dollars to "disquise the shipping box"

primers expect to pay 120$ per 1000. SOME gun auction site has folks selling/auctioning primers for 250$ per 1000.

Then find brass..

Cost has never been a consideration for me. I want the ability to make my own ammo. Period. That ability has paid off handsomely for me over my shooting career.

 

[Drm50]

The Black Helicopter Crowd & Preppers are hoarding the Para Military ammo. The ammo companies can make big bucks and not have to change tooling for lesser sales volume cartridges. Pair this with the No Inventory type business plan and you got shortages. Little companies are springing up if it’s profitable they will make it- for higher price.
I’m 72, shot up a storm for several years, RVn Vet and I know guys in their 20s that have burnt up more Ammo already than I did my entire life. Getting ammo to them is like getting a bucket of balls at a driving range.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

That said, even in the 2017-2019 salad days of ammo pricing, plinking .38 was still way more expensive than plinking 9mm

That's true but it was dirt cheap to reload.

 

[smithra_66]

Cost has never been a consideration for me. I want the ability to make my own ammo. Period. That ability has paid off handsomely for me over my shooting career.

Bingo, it's an investment, just like stocks.

It's like people complaining they don't have any money, but then they aren't willing to invest in order to make money!

It's the chicken and the egg.

I swear some people just complain about everything. They say ammo is too expensive so you tell them to reload. Then they say equipment is too expensive. Then you say cheap equipment is available, then they say "well you can't find primers."

Ughhhhhhh.

 

[Greyman50]

powder is going to cost you a minimum of 35$ plus hazmat and standard shipping. One place had hp-38 for 25$/lb but wanted a hazmat charge of 46$ and charged 6 dollars to "disquise the shipping box"

primers expect to pay 120$ per 1000. SOME gun auction site has folks selling/auctioning primers for 250$ per 1000.

Then find brass..

Best look around, can find better prices with a white stick with red end….

 

[kaaskop49]

Reason I cast close to 500 assorted projectiles today, not to hot. Plan on casting more next week, then few days sizing them and be ready to reload.

Sounds like 'work' to me. I don't work anymore. Recently bought two 500rd cases of R-P .357SWC from LGSs in Montana. NO SALES TAX in that state. And .357 prices have come down from $60 a box to the $35 range. And I DO miss the $28 100rd boxes of R-P 125gr JHP in both .38 and .357 in Walmart!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103