Price of reloading components over the years

[CLT65]

Is it just my imagination, or is brass for reloading cheaper and more plentiful now than it ever has been?

When I started reloading 30 years ago, I remember things like powder, primers, and bullets being about half the cost they are now, which is about right considering inflation. I also remember buying 9mm brass for $5/100. Nowadays you can't hardly give away 9mm brass, and you can easily buy it for scrap price. I saw someone at a gun show last week with huge bags of 9mm and 5.56 brass on their table, asking less than scrap price and not selling. I expect this is mostly due to the fact that ammo is relatively cheap right now, so less demand for brass, and the fact that lots of people shoot a lot of those common calibers.

Something else that is relatively cheap nowadays is reloading dies and tools. Looking through old catalogs from the 60's and 70's, and calculating for inflation, a lot of this stuff was expensive back then. Maybe now is the good old days.

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[Flatfish]

Got a couple cans from Grandpas bench.
2400 and Unique were 2.25 a pound.
I remember hearing stories of less than that, if it was a bulk deal and you brought in an old container to dump the powder in.

In the 2008-2016 era, I remember walking into Fishermans Marine (Usually has a decent selection of ammo in stock). They had one box of 480 and another couple of 25acp. Components were in high demand as well.

The cheap brass and ammo thing will go away if an anti gun politician is elected. If you have a need for volume inventory, it may be prudent to get a few extras of the high volume stuff before the smoke clears for the next cycle. Worst case scenario, you have a little extra stash to burn thru.

I'm just now running thru the large rifle primers I hoarded in the 90s. But I will have a few on the shelf before the clock strikes zero.....

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Is it just my imagination, or is brass for reloading cheaper and more plentiful now than it ever has been?

When I started reloading 30 years ago, I remember things like powder, primers, and bullets being about half the cost they are now, which is about right considering inflation. I also remember buying 9mm brass for $5/100. Nowadays you can't hardly give away 9mm brass, and you can easily buy it for scrap price. I saw someone at a gun show last week with huge bags of 9mm and 5.56 brass on their table, asking less than scrap price and not selling. I expect this is mostly due to the fact that ammo is relatively cheap right now, so less demand for brass, and the fact that lots of people shoot a lot of those common calibers.

Something else that is relatively cheap nowadays is reloading dies and tools. Looking through old catalogs from the 60's and 70's, and calculating for inflation, a lot of this stuff was expensive back then. Maybe now is the good old days.

9mm and 556 or .223 rem are the most common thing you will find laying on the ground at most ranges and gravel pits. I recently picked up some good range brass the other day. It was all commercial .223 rem. Had it been 556/military crap, I would have just let it lay. Its cheap because it doesn't cost anything but your time to pick it up....:


Dang near 1,000 pieces that I tumbled and just primed today... Didn't cost me a cent... I wouldn't base prices on what you saw at a gunshow table either, especially when it comes to the most common cartridge brass you can find... Try pricing 300WBY or 9.3x62mm and get back to me on that...

 

[300Pete]

9mm and 556 or .223 rem are the most common thing you will find laying on the ground at most ranges and gravel pits. I recently picked up some good range brass the other day. It was all commercial .223 rem. Had it been 556/military crap, I would have just let it lay. Its cheap because it doesn't cost anything but your time to pick it up....:
View attachment 622419

Dang near 1,000 pieces that I tumbled and just primed today... Didn't cost me a cent... I wouldn't base prices on what you saw at a gunshow table either, especially when it comes to the most common cartridge brass you can find... Try pricing 300WBY or 9.3x62mm and get back to me on that...

I feel the same when pricing 300 WM Brass!!! Even with reloading it still runs me in the neighborhood of $1.00 a bullet. It costs more to feed that rifle than a teenage son I think sometimes!!! Lol

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I feel the same when pricing 300 WM Brass!!! Even with reloading it still runs me in the neighborhood of $1.00 a bullet. It costs more to feed that rifle than a teenage son I think sometimes!!! Lol

Yeah, I remember back in the 90's when I started reloading. 300 win mag, 300wby, 338wm brass was fairly reasonable in cost. That was back when northwest armory had a good selection of reloading components too. Some of you guys here may remember that as well.... Damn I miss those days..

 

[ageingstudent]

Is it just my imagination, or is brass for reloading cheaper and more plentiful now than it ever has been?

When I started reloading 30 years ago, I remember things like powder, primers, and bullets being about half the cost they are now, which is about right considering inflation. I also remember buying 9mm brass for $5/100. Nowadays you can't hardly give away 9mm brass, and you can easily buy it for scrap price. I saw someone at a gun show last week with huge bags of 9mm and 5.56 brass on their table, asking less than scrap price and not selling. I expect this is mostly due to the fact that ammo is relatively cheap right now, so less demand for brass, and the fact that lots of people shoot a lot of those common calibers.

Something else that is relatively cheap nowadays is reloading dies and tools. Looking through old catalogs from the 60's and 70's, and calculating for inflation, a lot of this stuff was expensive back then. Maybe now is the good old days.

In certain calibers no doubt. I'm always amazed at how cheaply I can find 12 gauge trap and skeet loads. At the price of lead these days it's amazing to me that you can buy a box of 25 on sale for 4.99 sometimes. I'm positive I was paying more than that 30 years ago. But then again maybe my memory is getting Dotty.

 

[Stomper]

It's probably from all the lead exposure....

 

[CLT65]

You all are probably right. The bulk stuff has become comparably cheaper, but the high-dollar stuff is just as high-dollar as ever.

There are a couple things that have definitely changed for the better though. Back in the day if you wanted to shoot obscure surplus guns, your choices for ammo were pretty much ancient FMJ surplus if you could find it, or really expensive Norma ammo from Sweden. Nowadays it's much more common and you can usually get most of the obscure calibers with reloadable brass for about the same price as common ammo. The same is true for a lot of the early American cartridges, thanks to Cowboy Action shooting.

I remember the surplus powders. I started out in the '80s with a 20 lb jug of surplus H4831 that I got with the Herters reloading setup I bought locally from an old-timer. I loaded an awful lot of 30-06 ammo with it (I know, not really right, but it worked). I could get old surplus 4895 for $5/lb.

On the other hand, I've been seeing some great deals on powder. I picked up several pounds at the gun show, fresh, sealed powder, for $15/lb. Surplus WC-842 is available online for less than $10/lb. Considering inflation, really not bad at all. It's not as good as the 50 cents/lb surplus powder in 1960, but surplus comes and goes, and the more there is the cheaper it gets. I bought a whole bunch of surplus 8mm Mauser ammo 15 years ago for a nickel per round and wish I had bought more.

 

[CLT65]

The cheap brass and ammo thing will go away if an anti gun politician is elected. If you have a need for volume inventory, it may be prudent to get a few extras of the high volume stuff before the smoke clears for the next cycle. Worst case scenario, you have a little extra stash to burn thru.

I have a couple 5-gal buckets of clean 9mm brass in the garage right now that my son and I have picked up at the range, to make him some extra money. 9mm ammo is so cheap and plentiful right now that there's no demand for it. We've been planning on hauling it to the scrap yard someday when I get time, but maybe I should just let it sit until after the next election, hedge my bets a little, you know. (I already gave him money for what he collected)

 

[P7M13]

Brass seems fairly inexpensive lately, even some bottle necked rifle cartridges. Less common like 300 RUM / 7mm-08 / anything Weatherby -- those are still at "bend over" prices.

 

[41mag]

It costs more to feed that rifle than a teenage son I think sometimes!!! Lol

from what I read of many of those shooting that round, it IS a teenage son...

 

[41mag]

when I started reloading circa 40+ years ago, it was not uncommon to regard a nickle each for used 45 acp brass as something of 'a deal'....not too many were after 9mm so a penny apiece was not unusual. 38 special was more in demand than 9, and 357 mag was harder to find used. 40s were unheard of and 10 simply did not exist either. SPP & LPP were around a penny each.

Think of primitive times? No internet, only 'Shotgun News'.

 

[CLT65]

when I started reloading circa 40+ years ago, it was not uncommon to regard a nickle each for used 45 acp brass as something of 'a deal'....not too many were after 9mm so a penny apiece was not unusual. 38 special was more in demand than 9, and 357 mag was harder to find used. 40s were unheard of and 10 simply did not exist either. SPP & LPP were around a penny each.

Think of primitive times? No internet, only 'Shotgun News'.

I remember those days. I still have a couple Shotgun News lying around that I saved for posterity. As I recall, the average gun owner didn't shoot anywhere near as much as they do now. There was the occasional "gun crank" and competitors who shot a lot, but not the average guy. My dad had guns on the farm, but a single 50 round box of 22lr ammo would last him years. I remember one of the first times I went out behind the barn and did some target shooting on my own. I used up a whole box of 22 ammo, 50 rounds! I got a lecture for being wasteful. Those were the days when you had to sign for ammo, and he didn't like that.

 

[Camelfilter]

I have a couple 5-gal buckets of clean 9mm brass in the garage right now that my son and I have picked up at the range, to make him some extra money. 9mm ammo is so cheap and plentiful right now that there's no demand for it. We've been planning on hauling it to the scrap yard someday when I get time, but maybe I should just let it sit until after the next election, hedge my bets a little, you know. (I already gave him money for what he collected)

If you have the space, just sit on the excess. I am now.

Traded p/sold some off before our move down here, but have replaced those plus a whole bunch more. Free range pickups aplenty.

My thoughts are:

-They won't go bad.

-We'll have them available for the next blight, for us, family & friends. Also if taking new shooters out.

-May be handier as trading stock, in a blight type situation as well. Say trading brass towards other components, other calibers etc.

Everyone's storage & budget situation is different tho.

I'm actually considering getting the equipment for casting now, just to set aside for the next blight, depending how long it lasts.

I'm not keeping brass to scrap at a possible future higher price. Nothing wrong whatsoever with that thought process at all, IMO.

I just "think" they'll hold more value as trade is all.

 

[bbbass]

I have enough brass of everything I shoot to last me for the rest of my life. Probably enough powder too since I bought in quantity after the shortage eased up.

But I haven't bought bullets nor primers in awhile... getting close tho, how's prices holding up?

 

[DizzyJ]

Political situations change, and with it supply and demand for Ammo and reloading equipment/components.

Now is the time to stock up whether it be for your own use, or for investment purposes.

This is a great time to stock up on powder, primers, cases and Bullets.

Anyone who was a shooter or reloader doesn't have to go that far back in time to remember the shortages across the spectrum.

Even 500 ct bricks of .22LR were going for $50 at the gun shows. Primers and powder were back ordered for over a year, if, in fact you could even place a back order for them.

A wise man learns from the past and a fool suffers the same folly again and again.

 

[Eveskcige28]

On the other hand, I've been seeing some great deals on powder. I picked up several pounds at the gun show, fresh, sealed powder, for $15/lb. Surplus WC-842 is available online for less than $10/lb. Considering inflation, really not bad at all. It's not as good as the 50 cents/lb surplus powder in 1960, but surplus comes and goes, and the more there is the cheaper it gets. I bought a whole bunch of surplus 8mm Mauser ammo 15 years ago for a nickel per round and wish I had bought more.

Source to find powder for less than $10/lb!? That's an amazing price!

 

[CLT65]

Source to find powder for less than $10/lb!? That's an amazing price!

It's a company called Fedarm, selling a bunch of their stuff cheap on Gunbroker under the name "ST Auctions".

They have numerous listings of WC-842, which apprently is very similar to CFE223. They have them set up as auctions, two-8lb jugs, and they typically go for around $130 to $140, plus $26 shipping and $20 hazmat. I haven't bought any so I can't recommend it one way or the other, but I'm kind of thinking about getting some.

GunBroker.com - Error

 

[Eveskcige28]

It's a company called Fedarm, selling a bunch of their stuff cheap on Gunbroker under the name "ST Auctions".

They have numerous listings of WC-842, which apprently is very similar to CFE223. They have them set up as auctions, two-8lb jugs, and they typically go for around $130 to $140, plus $26 shipping and $20 hazmat. I haven't bought any so I can't recommend it one way or the other, but I'm kind of thinking about getting some.

GunBroker.com - Error

Thanks for sharing! I'm fairly new to reloading but kind of jumped into the deep end and am a full blown addict. I've only ever bought powder in 1 pound quantities because it hurts less in the moment. But my wife has given me the green light to buy in bulk as part of being prepared!

 

[CLT65]

Speaking of Shotgun News: I couldn't find any of the older ones I know I have around here somewhere, but here's an ad from the front page of one from 2002.