Mountain City Supply

[eddiememphis]

What constitutes "not so insane prices?" these days for 9mm?

Speaking of ammo prices, I know price-per-round is more accurate but I always think in terms of price-per-box (assuming the standard of 50 rnds/box for pistol ammo and 20 rnds/box for rifle ammo.) It makes it easier for me to figure whether prices have gone up or down if I can think of it in terms of "per box."

So, before the Great Ammo Panic of 2020, "low end" 9mm (non reloadable Berdan-primed steel cased Russian ammo, either Tula or Brown/Silver bear) was around $8 - $9/box, and boxer-primed brass "range" ammo typically started around $12 - $14/box (these prices had been relatively stable since I started buying ammo online around 2010 or so, except for the 2012 - 2014 post Sandy Hook ammo panic.)

Those numbers have been my "baseline" for calculating the change in ammo prices. I'm not really in the market (haven't been doing much shooting at all these past few years) but I'm idly curious to know what people are paying for 9mm, if they don't mind sharing the info.

I paid $.41 each including tax.

Two weeks ago on AmmoSeek, Russian garbage ammo was dipping below $.30 for the first time in over a year. I vowed years ago I would never put that dirty crap through any gun I own again, after a few boxes of Wolf in .380. The smoke was toxic and the Sig 232 took and hour to clean.

Since the Biden ammo ban last week, the prices have jumped back up. Cheap steel jacket is at $.33. The least expensive new brass is at $.36.5.

So I may have overpaid but it's convenient and the online prices don't include tax and shipping.

Now I need to do some math and decide if it is worth it to start handloading 9mm. I never considered it before when you could buy 1000 gun show reloads for $100 or whatever it was. Now? It may be worth the time and effort.

[Martinjmpr]

I paid $.41 each including tax.

Two weeks ago on AmmoSeek, Russian garbage ammo was dipping below $.30 for the first time in over a year. I vowed years ago I would never put that dirty crap through any gun I own again, after a few boxes of Wolf in .380. The smoke was toxic and the Sig 232 took and hour to clean.

Since the Biden ammo ban last week, the prices have jumped back up. Cheap steel jacket is at $.33. The least expensive new brass is at $.36.5.

So I may have overpaid but it's convenient and the online prices don't include tax and shipping.

Now I need to do some math and decide if it is worth it to start handloading 9mm. I never considered it before when you could buy 1000 gun show reloads for $100 or whatever it was. Now? It may be worth the time and effort.

Well, I handloaded for about 15 years and for me the issue wasn't money, it was time. Should point out that I had a single stage (lee) press so of course that's much more time consuming than a progressive press (but then again the progressive press costs more so that has to be factored into any accounting as well.)

However, there's still sorting, case prep, obtaining components, etc etc. Ultimately I decided that I didn't shoot enough for handloading to be worth my time.

It was fun for the first few years, sitting in my shop with calipers and loading data books and experimenting with different bullet types and loads but after I got married and got a house, other stuff just took up most of my free time and then reloading became more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby.

Maybe after I retire I will consider taking up reloading again, just because I'll have more time for it.

[Great-Kazoo]

Maybe after I retire I will consider taking up reloading again, just because I'll have more time for it.

Keep thinking that. These last 3 years have been some of the busiest for me. I don't have a job, however between volunteering at a few different places, and various projects. It seems like there's not enough time some days.

The up side, is you're not on the clock for your own projects.