Ammo is precious...

[ZigZagZeke]

When was that? That would be $10.50 for a 525rd brick, in today's dollars. If that was a super long time ago, the ammo is was actually cheaper 10-15 years ago than say, 30-50 years ago when you were a kid. Manufacturing efficiencies...

Probably about 1960. The holster in this photo has the original sale price written on it on the under side the belt flap: $4.49

 

[Bushman]

Probably about 1960. The holster in this photo has the original sale price written on it on the under side the belt flap: $4.49

View attachment 656917

Nice! Don't see many people wearing rigs like that anymore. So actually, that ammo was WAAAAAY cheaper back then. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, today's prices in 2020 are 768.16% higher than average prices since 1960. The U.S. dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 3.67% per year during this period. In other words, $10.50 in 1960 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $91.16 in 2020, a difference of $80.66 over 60 years.....Wow that ammo was cheap back then...

 

[titsonritz]

And a Colt Python that cost $120 can now go for 3-4K. The good 'ol days aren't coming back. That is not going stop me from dumping 1000+ rounds in a weekend if I so choose, which I do.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Nice! Don't see many people wearing rigs like that anymore. So actually, that ammo was WAAAAAY cheaper back then. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, today's prices in 2020 are 768.16% higher than average prices since 1960. The U.S. dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 3.67% per year during this period. In other words, $10.50 in 1960 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $91.16 in 2020, a difference of $80.66 over 60 years.....Wow that ammo was cheap back then...

I recently disposed of a box of .32 acp for a Colt 1903 pocket model that I inherited from my mother (original and ivory grips).



The ammo box had a price tag of $1.99 on it. But that price tag also said it came from a store called Turner's Hardware that went out of business in 1970. Sporting goods was the whole basement level. My dad bought most of his rifles and shotguns from the pipe smoking old timer who seemed to live behind that gun counter. I still remember that aroma of guns and pipe tobacco, and the creaking wooden stairs, from the 1950s when I'd go to Turner's with him.

Those cartridges were probably 60 years old, at least 50, and I got one failure to fire and one squib out of the first magazine full. After I went home and pressed out the squib I decided to junk that box of ammo.

 

[Bushman]

I recently disposed of a box of .32 acp for a Colt 1903 pocket model that I inherited from my mother (original and ivory grips).

View attachment 656927View attachment 656928

The ammo box had a price tag of $1.99 on it. But that price tag also said it came from a store called Turner's Hardware that went out of business in 1970. Sporting goods was the whole basement level. My dad bought most of his rifles and shotguns from the pipe smoking old timer who seemed to live behind that gun counter. I still remember that aroma of guns and pipe tobacco, and the creaking wooden stairs, from the 1950s when I'd go to Turner's with him.

Those cartridges were probably 60 years old, at least 50, and I got one failure to fire and one squib out of the first magazine full. After I went home and pressed out the squib I decided to junk that box of ammo.

Memories! What a vivid description!! The sights, smells and sounds. You know funny thing is I hear all these stories about people who found ammo in the barn or the shed from their grandpa that still shot fine. I wonder if it was the manufacturer or how it was stored...

 

[CLT65]

I remember buying surplus 8mm Mauser ammo for $50/1000 delivered, sometime around 2005. I bought a couple hundred dollars worth, and my wife wasn't happy about it. I should have bought a pallet. I also should have bought Google stock...

 

[GWS]

Back in 2002, WalMart had 550 round boxes of 22LR for $12.

AIM Surplus had thousand round cases of Portuguese .308 147gr Ball ammo in 200 round sealed battlepacks for $125 delivered in a wooden crate.
I should have bought a pallet load instead of a few cases
A couple years back I saw a battle pack of Portagee going for $135 at my LGS.

 

[Pete F]

When I bought my first deer rifle, Enfield No 4 Mk 1 for $5, you could also purchase 250 rounds of .303 British for an extra $5 (2 cents a round) All of this was sold through Sears and Roebuck. I sportized the rifle and used it for several years of hunting with my Dad. Many of them were packed in cosmoline (my bother's).

I wish that I had bought more of the ammo for it. They came in bandoliers and were well packaged in oiled paper.

 

[TTSX]

Anyone else remember playing the original Oregon Trail game?

- You drank from a well...got dysentery, and died
- You went hunting and got cold and wet, got pneumonia, and died
- You got bit by a snake, and died
- You woke up this morning, got cholera, and died
- You ate something, who knows?, and died

Yea, I like modern medicine.

You don't the entire game hunting squirrels, got stuck in the mountains and died

You got pushed off a waterfall and died.

You died. Man I loved that game. Grueling pace or nothing! Heigh ho silver!

 

[NW Backpacker]

Bi-Mart has Federal American Eagle .22 LR on sale - 500 for $18.88 thru the 12th:

Advance Ad Inserts

This full replica of our printed product provides you the newspaper as you know and love it from the convenience of the web.

advanceads.mi.newsmemory.com

NW Armory has S&B 9mm for $7.50 per box of 50 ($150/1000):

Home | Northwest Armory

nwarmory.com

 

[Certaindeaf]

When was that? That would be $10.50 for a 525rd brick, in today's dollars. If that was a super long time ago, the ammo is was actually cheaper 10-15 years ago than say, 30-50 years ago when you were a kid. Manufacturing efficiencies...

525 round bricks are not boxes of 50. Go down to sportsmans and price a box.

 

[The Heretic]

I started with bulk ball ammo for the rifles and occasional boxes defensive ammo for the pistols. When that guy shot up that lawyer's office in SF with Black Talon, I had already tested a Glock 21 with it and it worked well. So I bought a case of 500 ASAP before the price went thru the roof - still have most of that.

Now I buy occasional bulk ball ammo for practice, and bulk defensive ammo on sale when I see a good deal. I've got enough of most calibers to serve my purposes. I have at least a few boxes of hunting ammo for non-defensive guns - e.g., .30-06 (dad's hunting rifle), .30-30, .45-70, etc.

Plenty of .22 rimfire (somewhere around 30K rounds), but I need some of the precision match ammo, and hunting ammo.

If SHTF, the defensive and hunting ammo gets used first, then I fall back on the ball ammo. Probably (hopefully) I won't use much of any of it. It won't be too long before I can't shoot much (my right shoulder has been killing me lately and it is getting worse) - I already can't hunt (much - maybe if I had to) because of heart problems - for at least a while I could maybe take deer that frequently come within spitting distance of the house - not sure how long that would continue to happen - so I stock up on food whenever I buy groceries.

New health insurance won't pay for 90 day supplies of heart meds, only 30 days - fortunately the meds are cheap (I can buy generic for about the same I pay after insurance pays their share of the cost).

 

[Koda]

If SHTF, the defensive and hunting ammo gets used first, then I fall back on the ball ammo.

If SHTF Id rather rely on ball ammo it feeds better and is equally destructive. Check out some of the Paul Harrel videos he does comparing various FMJ pistol rounds on his "meat target", I can see why now the old 45 FMJ won two world wars.

 

[Certaindeaf]

If SHTF Id rather rely on ball ammo it feeds better and is equally destructive. Check out some of the Paul Harrel videos he does comparing various FMJ pistol rounds on his "meat target", I can see why now the old 45 FMJ won two world wars.

$5 ol Paul doesn't use ball for hunting or defense.

 

[Koda]

$5 ol Paul doesn't use ball for hunting or defense.

because its illegal for hunting and implicative for self defense...

 

[Certaindeaf]

because its illegal for hunting and implicative for self defense...

No, he has a brain.

 

[Koda]

No, he has a brain.

Hunting and self defense are not the same as SHTF.

 

[BSDave]

I've been collecting for years. Mostly .22lr since it's the most popular caliber on earth. I to have thought for years that of SHTF it can be used for barter. At this point I'm sure I have well over 125,000 rounds. Maybe even more? Last I really sat down and counted it was 2 maybe 3 years ago and accumulated 105,000ish. Any time I am in Bimart I always buy something. Whatever's on sale at the time. I try to stay away from the super cheap stuff but have found the lever guns and pumpers seam to eat anything anyway. I'm currently working on a goal of 5,000 rounds for every centerfire rifle I own. .223 762x39 45-70 and .308. I have read that most usual shooters will never shoot 5,000 rounds in a weapon in there life time. I figure when I hit my goals I will be set for the rest of my life. So when not if the crazy left restricts ammunition like in California I won't be bothered. Just so everyone knows. All my stuff is stored I'm my house in my locked man room in a locked safe with an alarm dedicated to said man room.

 

[Camelfilter]

...I have read that most usual shooters will never shoot 5,000 rounds in a weapon in there life time...

Don't worry, it's ok if you do...

 

[revjen45]

1) I remember ads for a Solothurn 20 mm for ~$120 or so, delivered to you door.
2) I remember the smell of a gun shop that didn't stock sneakers and golf clubs.
3) I don't watch the show. What do they do about eating something besides meat? I remember laying in a monster stock of assorted beef @ bargain price for Sturgis in '98. An all-meat diet really isn't that great, especially after 4 days without dropping a deuce. OTOH, there is something to be said for eating a filet mignon from a fork like a popsickle. (Meatsickle?)