Inconsistencies in ammo pricing from various sources

[.455_Hunter]

THIS IS NOT A GENERAL AMMO COMPLAINT THREAD!

Right now, ammoseek is showing 9mm at a minimum of approximately $0.60 per round for brass case. SGAmmo is listing brass case for about $0.70 cheapest rate. Many LGS are well stocked at $0.80 per round. One would think that this is the nominal going rate for ammo.

HOWEVER, when one is fortunate enough to catch some FMJ 9mm brass case on the shelf of a big box (like Sportmans or Cabelas) or even Midwayusa, the price can range from $0.24 to $0.36 per round.

What is the story?

It is not surprising to expect a price increase due to COVID and manufacturing bottlenecks, but what is that REAL number?

Have wholesale prices jumped 25-50% or have they jumped 200%?

How can the big boxes sell newly produced and received ammo at only a mild mark-up if the true price is much higher? Pre-existing delivery contracts with locked-in cost and quantity from manufacturers?

If the true wholesale price is only inflated 25 - 50%, where is the extra profit being taken? Distributors? I don't think its the LGS- they are paying through the nose too.

Just saying its "supply and demand" does not explain the above. It almost seems there are two different pricing realities co-existing right now.

[Grant H.]

It may also have to do with contract purchasing. Big retailers may have their price locked in via contract so they don't have to raise prices to cover the cost of the next box. (I spent a HS summer working big box store BS and got to be friends with a GM that shared a lot of interesting info).

It also has to do with the fact that some LGS/Online is pretty well proven to be willing to screw folks to make the extra buck whenever possible.

[beast556]

Grant hit the nail on the head.

This seems to happen every 5 years with guns and ammo for one reason or another. You need to stack ammo deep when times are good to weather these bad times. One other way to ride these shortages out it to learn to reload, I just started reloading a little over a year ago and it has been great. In the last year I have paied for my reloading set up five fold with my reloads and have no worries of how much ammo we are buring up every weekend at the range.

[.455_Hunter]

If it is contract deliveries, then I guess we could expect all ammo sources to jump to the nominal market level once those have been fulfilled, whatever that level might be at the time.

[MrPrena]

Support small business saturday regardless of 9mm cost 1.99/rnd or 2.99/round for 223!

^this hypothetical statement is a boarder line commie talk. Some will even say ammo surcharge is perfectly ok or restaurants nickel and diming customer without disclosure is perfectly fine.

you go ahead and spend $200 per box, and surcharge $5 on your small shop meals.

People will stick to ones that doesn't, and will reward competitive prices.


Eta: grant was right on the money with his comment.

[Aloha_Shooter]

If prices are consistent everywhere, you can bet someone is fixing the prices somewhere in the supply chain.

[Great-Kazoo]

If prices are consistent everywhere, you can bet someone is fixing the prices somewhere in the supply chain.

Just like gasoline pricing ?

[.455_Hunter]

If prices are consistent everywhere, you can bet someone is fixing the prices somewhere in the supply chain.

Double Tap

[.455_Hunter]

If prices are consistent everywhere, you can bet someone is fixing the prices somewhere in the supply chain.

In a normal world, let say a 50 round box of quality Winchester 9mm NATO ball averages $15, ranging from $9.99 at an online discounter, $13.99 at Sportman's, $15.99 at the LGS, and $19.99 at the indoor range. That would be a pretty reasonable price distribution.

The distribution right now is huge.

[Mtneer]

MarksmanTV on YouTube gives excellent insight into the gun business as an LGS. On his most recent "Weekly Used Gun Review," he mentioned his wholesaler doubled the price of 9mm.