So, a gun buddy was complaining about ammo prices again. He’s spoiled. He remembers a day, not too many years ago, when 1200 rounds of surplus SA 7.62x51 cost $140.
I’m just waiting for an older codger to regale me with stories of:
“Back in MY Day, the gummint would pay ME to haul away surplus ammo. If put 10,000 rounds in the pick ‘em up truck they’d give me a brand spanking new C-Note. Back then, the back of the hunnert dollah bill had a picture of a buffalo doing it’s dirty sinful bidness on some poor Okie’s bean field. Ben Franklin looked much younger, too”
Well, I don’t remember them days so it doesn’t bother me that ammo isn’t a dime a round. I got into the hobby at this price, and I don’t hesitate to practice at these prices. The horror stories don’t intimidate me. I am blissfully numb and ignerint, and just assume that this is how it always was.
Of course, if prices go up to $3 a round, I may be a bit put out.
Law of supply and demand will apply. Commodities prices will go up AND down. Ammo factories will make extra to make more profit. Wars end. Laws about selling surplus ammo change. Let’s hope they go the right direction so I can one day brag about dime a round ammo, and tell stories how before that it was a DOLLAR a round. And before that, I heard, the gummint paid you to haul it away.
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5 comments:
We need to remember the dollar is continually falling...
And while war demands and heightened taxes are probably a factor. The rest is probably due to the falling dollar.
I'd really like to know what the average round costs today in silver? Versus 10 yrs ago? 25 yrs ago? 100 yrs ago?
I expect prices to keep rising. At the moment military demand far exceeds supply. Eventually when the Iraqi, Afghan and US ammo dumps are full prices will go down but in the meantime I don't think its economical to build more factories to increase supply. Hopefully no major wars will be started in the next few years.
The Saj, that would be very interesting to know how silver compares to ammo prices over time!
Why I like reloading when able. Of course, with the money saved comes more ammo, and more shooting. So in essence nothing is saved. . .
but I get to shoot more.
Actually, even with today's elevated prices, ammo is cheaper than it has been in the past.
I distinctly remember stocking up big time on 22LR Remington Thunderbolts because they were on sale for the ridiculously low price of only .99 per box. I bought two cases, i.e. 10,000 rounds. At the time I was only making $5 or so an hour. Yes, I spent a week's gross pay on 22 ammo. I could afford to do that since I was still living at home THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Factor in inflation and you see that we have it pretty good right now. Go back and look at centerfire ammunition from that same era and it's the same thing. Do the math to compensate for inflation and it's still cheaper now. It used to be even cheaper a couple of years ago, but these are still better than the good old days.
Surplus ammunition is probably the only area where the prices have risen, and that's strictly a function of a relatively static/decreasing supply.
Sag - I actually remember seeing a graph of gold prices compared with ammo prices over the last 5 or 10 years.
I'll see if I can dig it up.
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