Suddenly over the last few days it seems that ammo prices, especially that generally all-important .223/5.56 caliber to feed ARs, has dropped quite a bit after holding fairly stable. Still not back where it was back pre-pandemic but it is definitely better. I am seeing a lot of $7.99/20 round box and that breaks the psychological barrier of $.40/round. Shipping is still killer but for example at Palmetto State you can get 20 boxes of 20 rounds each (400 rounds total) of 5.56 for $183.83 shipped.
That works out to $.46/round shipped and that is obscene but it is slowly getting better and I am hopeful that it will keep dropping into the mid $.30s. PSA also has 9mm jacketed hollow point ammo for $7.99 for 20 rounds, also $.40/round and that is pretty cheap for self-defense ammo.
Gun prices keep dropping as well, Rural King Guns is giving shit away. I saw this a day or two ago:
In 2020/2021 I was selling P365s for whatever price I wanted within a couple of days of getting them from wherever I could scrounge them. Dudes were driving up 2 1/2 hours from Indianapolis to buy them because no one down there could get them. My wholesale price as a dealer from most places is $448 for a P365. RK Guns has a bunch of stuff deeply discounted, Taurus G2C 9mm for $209 and those crappy SCCY for $159.98 after rebate. You shouldn’t buy either one of those because they are crap but that is still a huge price drop. Smith & Wesson dropped their prices on the Shield series a month or so back and my manufacturers I have direct relationships with are dumping product like crazy. They need to keep the machines running but the market for ARs and AR parts is really super soft right now.
Watch the prices fellas, we might be on the cusp of a buying window that hasn’t been around for a few years now. I ordered some ammo today and will keep doing so while prices are on the downswing, as I keep urging people to realize we are in a pretty good place for now to stock up on ammo and firearms. The near future isn’t so bright, the credit card tracking of gun stores is just the latest salvo and at some point the tide will turn again, returning us to the times when you couldn’t buy anything for any amount of money.
PSA is great as well if you're looking to build something on your own on a budget. For the prices it's pretty good the only unfortunate thing is that for me it's online. That'll soon be an enormous detriment for a lot of sellers and buyers with how credit card companies and others are reclassifying gun and ammo purchases (and how they admitted to keeping track of people's purchasing habits/history).
What’s your professional opinion of the Norma .308 recall. Send it back or check it and keep it. Never going to get the same price and most have fired fine.
I'm hoping 5.7×28 comes down a bit more. I've been paying just under a dollar a round for FN. A little less for Federal which I don't really like. A bit more for black fang obsidian which I love. Surprisingly, subsonic is pretty reasonable right now. I'd love a further dip to get more!
I would send it back, you can be sure the one time you really need it is when it misfires
I am already on the list, being an FFL means they know I have guns, but going forward it would be wise to limit how much you buy with credit cards. Face to face, cash, used gun, private party sales are the way to go
A buck a round is killer but that is the price you pay for less common rounds, even 9mm is still more than double what it used to be
RE credit card tracking. Besides the obvious answer of "cash" it would be a hoot to pay cash for prepaid MC/Visa and use that. Better if you bought them at a grocery in a liberal neighborhood. Definitely anywhere you don't shop.
Steve S6
The old check and tug isn’t enough to diagnose poor neck tension?
That is an excellent idea!
The old check and tug sounds like an additional service available at a massage parlor for a small fee.
Thank you for this information. What are your thoughts on the supply and prices of powder and primers and if they will soften short term? As a newbie reloader, I would appreciate any insight.