Last post, I talked about ammo accumulation in a sensible manner and how not to break the budget doing it. Yesterday, I took my own personal plan to the second stage.
After 3 hours of alternately watching YouTube videos on reloading, and replicating it on my new press, this was the result! OK, that's just 100 of them, so there are about 25 more in another box, but you get the idea. So, let me start at the beginning.....
Over the course of the last couple of months, pretty much as soon as I bought my pistol, I started buying up reloading equipment. Here's the basics in a dollar and cents way. Practice/ball ammo costs something like $20 to $30 per 100 rounds purchased where normal people do their buying; eg. Walmart, or one of the big box sporting goods places such as Academy, Bass Pro etc. That's 20 cents pull per round for the 9mm that I shoot. So you go to the range and on a good day, you shoot something like 200 rounds. That's $40+, and if you average that over a year; you're looking at something like $480-500. After judicious buying, I've got $150 in my equipment to product 9mm rounds. Based on some rather conservative calculation, that's about 10 cents each, meaning that I'll save about $240-250 in my first year of shooting alone. Uhhhh..... what's not to like here? Let's break this down some.
Since I'm mostly going to be shooting 9mm, I'll use that to start. I bought a cheap and simple Lee "Breech Lock" single stage press directly from Lee Precision as a "factory second" for about $35. I'll be able to use this little press for cartridges up through the 30-06, so it's size and ability is going to be beyond my needs for some time. I found from looking at retailers (both online as well as brick and mortar), and at gun shows, that this was the best price I could get. Plus it's new, factory direct, it would have the Lee warranty. I'm not going to get into a ton of detail, here, but I bought all the other small/smaller items either from Lee, or online some place. They ranged from shell holders which are specific to the cartridge case all the way to the powder measure and scale. Why didn't I buy a whole kit for about $150-170? One reason.
Notice anything about this fine reloading kit from Lee Precision? No Dies! I'm not picking on Lee here. None of the manufacturers kits come with those.
Ya gotta have a set of those for each and every caliber that you plan on reloading. I also wanted to have a set with the carbide inserts so I wouldn't have to lubricate my cases. These are somewhere between $35 and $50 all by themselves! My total of $150 includes the set I bought on Craigslist. Mine are RCBS as pictured above, but the brand isn't all the relevant. These parts are pretty simple and the price doesn't vary a whole lot unless you want to buy the really expensive stuff, so it didn't occupy a lot of my time. What did?
This!!! Sorting through the bewildering array of supplies just about drove me to distraction! Luckily, I already knew the terminology from my last foray into firearms, but just the variety of what's out there is more than a little intimidating! So, let's break this down.
If you look at the cut open 9mm cartridge above, you'll see 4 components:
- The cartridge itself, which is the easy part. I had about 150 picked up from the range in Amarillo, cleaned, with the old primer punched out and ready to load. They do need to be inspected and any flawed ones (like the 2 that developed cracks when I sized them), need to be thrown out. Then the primer pocket has to be cleaned with a little tool designed for that.
- The primer, which is that little plug like thing that goes in the bottom of the cartridge. It's the most volatile of the component. The 9mm takes one size which is called "small pistol". No need for the "magnum" type. It's a simple cartridge that doesn't hold a lot of powder. You do need to decide on the brand though. I found a guy locally who had many 10's of thousands of Tul that he hoarded in case the last election went bad. I bought a 1000 for $26. That's $14 cheaper than the nicer CCI or Winchester brands, but it's range ammo and I just need it to go "bang".
- The powder is next, and there are a bewildering variety of this. I'll probably write a separate post on just this alone, but in this case (literally), I went with an easy to use meaning that it "throws well" out of a powder measure which throws by volume. I used Hodgdon HP-38, which is the rebranded Winchester 231. This doesn't generate the greatest velocities, but is efficient (lots of loads per the 1 pound bottle) and tends not to be very sensitive. Perfect for a first time reloader like me!
- Then there's the bullet itself. This is the singe most expensive component in the process. Typically, if you run down to Academy, you can spend around 15-20 cents each for jacketed. Or you can order some copper coated/plated for about 10-15 cents each. Why not lead? Many ranges and virtually all indoor ranges don't allow it. Sure you can cast your own, then powder coat it in the oven, but it's a huge hassle. So I went with a polymer coated lead which cost me about 7 cents each at the 115 grain bullet. This can be a huge headache as well since there's quite a range of weights and types, shapes and construction as well. I just went with a weight, and shape similar to the type I routinely buy anyway.
Obviously, there are a lot of factors and the costs can vary a lot. Here's how it come out for this very basic load. The bullet at 7 cents, the powder at 1 cent, the primer at 2.6 cents, equals 10.6 cents per round, or $106 for the thousand.
That's roughly half price for the cheapest ammo to buy! When you start looking at more costly calibers, it's even more attractive.
Let's use another common chambering out there; the 243 Winchester which is the defacto standard for deer in the South. It's sells off the shelf for about 80 to 90 cents per round for the inexpensive stuff. After a quick calculation, it would reload for about 20 cents each. That's saving 60 to 70 cents per round making the 100 round saving in the $60-70 range! Wow! Why wouldn't ya?
I've only discussed the basics and the most inexpensive scenarios. It can get wild if you were to reload exotics, or big bore calibers. For, me, it's not about that. Obviously, it will allow me to be able to shoot more for less money, but there are two other benefits that are just as, if not more important to me. First of all; if things go bad in the next election and we get another "Clinton" in the Oval Office, I can load my own and be more insulated from that situation. But secondly and arguable, more important to me, is that I've found it to be strangely therapeutic. Sure, it's precise and demanding, but it's a fit for me.
We gun owners/lovers are ever in a state of paranoia. Yes, I'm aware of the latest election win by "the Donald" which allayed the 2nd Amendment fears somewhat. But now, we're "on the clock", for the next election when another Obama or worse yet; a Clinton, could enter the White House and then it would be "ON"......again!
In all honesty, I can't say with any amount of certainty whether the last big scare of ammunition shortages was due to under-the-table meddling by the Democrats or simple market realities brought on by people hoarding from fear of Democrat meddling. I suspect it's some of both. The reality is, if you're a gun person who plans to shoot a fair amount, ammo shortages is as close as the next presidential election. What's a rational (I often describe myself as being radically anti-radical) person to do?
Some would run out and buy up a bunch of spam cans! OH NO.... I don't mean this kind of Spam......
I mean, this kind of spam can! Ahhh; the beloved of "preppers" all over! Cold War remnants from the other side. Essentially, vacuum sealed ammunition that can withstand virtually any kind of storage for decades. They can be found in any of the standard military calibers of the world's major militaries, and come in weird amounts like 420, 800 and 1080 rounds. In this case (pun not intended), they are great to stash away in case of situations like nuclear war, extended grid collapse, or the Zombie Apocalypse. At this point in time; it's a little bit extreme and expensive for me. I'll get back to you if and when I start building up a "bug out" compound out in the woods somewhere. So, what's a sensible person who has a healthy distrust of the direction that our country/government is going to do?
The next level is this; "bulk ammo". It can be found in a number of different forms. The main things is the amount, which is generally of greater quantity than the typical 50 round (pistol) or 20 round (rifle) boxes. They also are often cased in steel, aluminum, or military surplus brass where the primer is held in place by a little ridge which has to be removed if you plan to reload it. This stuff tends to come in anywhere from 150 rounds such as the Winchester USA Forged stuff (which I've shot and can recommend) to big boxes of the "mil-surp" stuff that can and sometimes, does come in the well known steel ammo cans. I tend to stay away from this category all together. Why?
- If I want to long term store it for WW-Z, the "spam can" stuff is cheaper and stores better since it's already sealed for that.
- This bulk stuff isn't all that much cheaper than buying regular stuff (if you shop wisely). It's often between 15 and 18 cents per round. I buy the regular stuff for 19 cents per.
- It's usually found to be cased in either steel or aluminum which first of all, doesn't "form" in the chamber as well as brass, thus tending to be dirtier to shoot and most importantly to me, either can't be, or in the case of "mil-surp" a pain in the A** to reload requiring the little primer ridge to be removed.
Then, what's the solution?
My solution is both cheap; both in terms of bought price, and the ability to be reloaded later. I typically buy a box of whatever is inexpensive pretty much every time I go to Walmart. For the last 2 months, it's been this Federal 100 round per box stuff at $18.97. I buy it whether I'm going to go shoot it or not. After 2 and a half months, I have about a 1000 rounds stored away in a drawer. This is relatively painless, and importantly, something my wife can tolerate budget-wise! There's no sudden $200 hit on the account! Don't laugh, $200 is a lot of money to the parents of 2 teenagers.
I also don't put all my eggs in one shopping basket. Walmart generally has the best price, but they can sometimes be out of stock. I've also found that, other big box retailers ranging from Academy to Bass Pro, to Cabela's will almost always have sales. If they don't and you don't want to drive across the town to buy one or two boxes, they'll price match with any other "brick and mortar" store, so I just pull it up on my phone and show them the price. Problem solved. It's usually a dollar more than "the Mart", but it's still about 20 cents a round which is my buy ceiling. There's almost always some sort of "sale" by one of the ammunition "big boys", whether it's Winchester, Remington, or Federal. So, if you aren't an ammo snob, then you can play the system.
Recently, I've started applying my ammo buying strategy to .223/5.56 as well in preparation of getting my AR build finish (a forthcoming post). Walmart has the Federal 100 round value pack for about $33 which is a pretty decent price for AR ammunition. However, Academy has had the little 20 round boxes of Federal/American Eagle at $6 per, which is 30 cents per round. On top of that, it has a $1 per box rebate on it through December 31st. That is as cheap or cheaper than the bulk ammo deals out there. I've already bought 300 rounds of it and plan on picking up at least another 200 more before the deadline. In the end; all that will be 25 cents per round which is a really nice price. So, what's the "end game"?
No, I'm not going to become an ammo hoarder like a lot of those guys you see on Youtube who keep saying they aren't. My plan is to have about a 1000 round buffer per caliber firearm I own, that I plan on not shooting just in case. IN CASE OF WHAT!?! In case of natural disaster and there's an extended period of "grid down" and people are a little crazy. In case, I get invited to go hog hunting (that happens quite a bit in this part of the country). In case, the next election goes bad....... you think, Hillary and Barrack are the only ones of those out there? In case paranoid people buy up so much that the price goes astronomical. Waiting till then is not the time to buy! 'Cus if you do; then your AR and/or your 9mm will become so much modern sculpture!
In the 1968 Sci-Fi classic, "Planet of The Apes", the main weapon used was a carbine. It wasn't particularly notable due to the setting of the story, but it could be described as rudimentary and certainly not terribly attractive.
..... and if found it on the shelf of a store, you'd probably describe it as downright ugly!
Fast forward to today.... yeah..... It's called a Hi Point 995! Granted, it's the "classic" verson, and whoa, is it an ugly gun. OK, I just bought one..... Why!?! Well..... here's the deal.
This is what I mostly shoot, and plan on shooting even more; the 9mm "Luger" or the 9 x 19 round. As of right now, I already have 2 handguns that are chambered for it; an HK VP9 "service type" pistol, and Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2 compact for "concealed carry". But, what, I'd like to have to go along with them is a "carbine". This category, specifically the "pistol caliber carbine" is one of the hottest in the firearms market today. For those interested in having one, there are of course, several ways to do it.
The simplest and most obvious way is to buy a model that was/is produced by a mainline manufacturer, like this Marlin Camp 9, or the Ruger PC9. Only one problem..... they were made in the 80s-90s, were not popular, and are now out of production. The biggest problem? They're somewhere between $600 and $1000 when you can find one!
Then, there are these; a pistol caliber AR. Indeed, these are very attractive, especially since I'm already in the process of building an "AR" platform carbine right now, but in the standard 5.56/223 caliber. Why wouldn't I do a AR build in 9mm? Aaaa....., they tend to run into the $500-600+ range as well, that's why! Now what?
Do I do a "Planet of The Apes" gun? As you can see; even tarted-up, it's hard to escape the sheer awkwardly ugliness!!!
There is this route; a stock available from ATI that roughly simulates the Beretta CX4 Storm carbine. Again.... no. I don't think so, I don't think I could even bear this in a BB gun. Is there a solution?
Sure there is (OK, will be). As you can see, this is a computer rendering. What is it? It's a High Tower Armory MBS 95. A polymer drop-in stock in a "bullpup" configuration for the Hi Point 995 (either Classic or Tactical stock versions). This will make this rather short carbine even shorter! I'd expect this configuration to cut at least 8" off of the original's 32" overall length putting it in the 24" range!
Here's a preproduction prototype "in the flesh". It should really be a handy little carbine. No, it's not in production yet, but I figured that if I waited to find a cheap 995 until the MBS 95 becomes available, the price will have spiked. Therefore, last week, I bid on and won an auction on Gunbroker of an ugly original 995 for $130. Of course, after shipping and FFL cost, it will run about $150, but it's still a good price. So, just wait and all will be well? Not exactly.....
The original gun was developed during the "Clinton Assault Weapon Ban" years. Of course, this means that the design has a 10 round max. For this type of gun, that's really a sore area. Certainly the aftermarket has an answer.....right?
Of course it does! The most well known, is the Promag, 15 rounder. Unfortunately, it's almost as well known for it's inability to feed without jams. I've ordered 2 of these. What the....?!? The current ones are version 3, so I'm hoping that Promag being a well known and long standing company have made changes to resolve the issues. If, not, I'll try one (or more) of the fixes that can be found on Youtube.
In the end, it will be a "project gun" that should be fun and unique.
Ah..... the black gun...... that which we love, lust after, loath and fear. It could be said that the genre was invented by the Germans during the last great unpleasantness.
The Sturmgewehr STG44, generally thought of as the progenitor of all modern military assault rifles. In fact, when translated, "sturmgewehr" literally means assault rifle. According to legend, it's a name selected personally by Hitler himself! So, right from the very beginning, the entire genre has a blackmark against it. And if that wasn't enough, probably the most direct descendant that exist today was/is the primary infantry weapon of the "Evil Empire" as well!
As if that's not enough, it's commonly seen as the weapon of terrorist as well.
While on the other hand, we Americans like to think of ourselves as being the descendants of the Minuteman...
The ultimate "brown gun" hero. The story-line being that we're frontiersmen who had to take our Kentucky Rifle off the mantle when we are forced to defend our homes and freedoms. As a nation of hunter/marksmen using our deer rifles to pick off the enemy. You can decide for yourself whether that's myth and legend based on truth or otherwise. The fact is; that is how we view ourselves, so it's very jarring for certain segments of our population to accept that anyone would find anything other than a the traditional bolt-action hunting rifle to be enough.
In fact, we went down this road so far that, while the military of most of the world was using AKs (the 47 part means 1947), we decided the M-14 would be our weapon of the future.
Don't get me wrong: it's a very fine weapon. But the reality is that, it's really an updated M-1 Garrand, which was our main battle rifle during WWII! A weapon designed for open battle fields where uniformed soldiers lined up several hundred yards apart and shot at each other. I'm sure you're aware, that, that's not how modern wars are fought! Then this happened.....
We decided that it'd be a good idea to pick up where the French left off in Indo-China (otherwise known as Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos). And we noticed our allies seemed to be somewhat challenged from a stature standpoint. Therefore, the rather large, .30 caliber (.308/7.62x54) M-14 was simply too big, plus the ammunition was too heavy. I'm not going to get into the political morass of how we got into the M-16 today. I'll just say that what was originally the Armalite AR-10 chambered in 7.62 then became the AR-15 in 5.56 and thus was born the M-16. Ultimately, this would be the beginnings of the modern "AR" platform. Please note that the "AR" stands for Armalite Rifle, and NOT Automatic Rifle! By the mid-60s this would become the standard battle rifle of the American military. However controversy would continue to stalk it for the next few of decades.
By the 90's though, with the introduction of the A3, then the A4 version, the AR/M-16 has developed into a fully mature product and is now the dominant semi-automatic rifle in the United States and in the world as a whole.....that's not an AK..... My take on why this has become the commercial success is that it's the right combination of several factors.
One, we are not a society of hunters any more. I'd say that most people who shoot have never been out in the field stalking game of any kind. Therefore, to them; shooting isn't about a very few carefully aimed shots. Gun owners go to a range or out to the country somewhere and shoot a lot of ammo at iron/paper targets, or dangerous cans, fruits and vegetables. Hence the semi-auto taking over from the revolver and bolt-action rifle. When I was last "into guns" 25 years ago, I was part of the majority as the owner of a Ruger revolver. Now, I'm again in the majority as the owner of a "high-capacity" 9mm, polymer framed semi-auto.
We also see society in a very different way. It's not the world of Andy, Aunt Bea, and Barney Fife any more. Whether it's purely perception or fact, people feel that the "controls in society" are tenuous at best. That at any given time, we could have an across the board terrorism attack, war with rouge states (eg. North Korea, Iran, etc) and/or a societal breakdown of "Rule of Law" could happen for a people at any time. Therefore, people who believe this need to engage in self-protection. Meaning the perceived need for military type firearms. Whether that is reality or paranoia, that's for everyone to decide on their own. As for me, I'm leaning toward the direction of believing that modern American society is very fragile and that the behavior of the average person has far few controls than there used to be. Am I fearful and afraid to go to "sketchy" places? No; I've always been adventurous and pretty much willing to go most anywhere, but at the same time, I'm attentive to my surroundings.
This is why I plan to complete the classwork necessary to get a "concealed carry" permit, which is know as a CHL (Concealed Handgun License) here in Texas. Why? Everyday, you see more and more stories of "road rage" turned bad, or the really unfortunate scenario of "active shooter". I simply have no intention of not having options to defend myself and my family.
Does that mean that I'm not a believer in the whole "prepping" concept. Let's just way that I'm listening and I could definitely see some of the discussed scenarios happening! What am I doing about it? I'm building a an AR. I'm not in a panic, but I'm building one and will keep a stock of ammunition around!
