Ammo Prices & Availability

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BigBill

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I noticed today that some of my sources for Wolf ammo are drying up and its not just the 7,62x39 stuff. It seems the Wolf .223rem, Wolf 9mm, Wolf 380 are all hitting the "out of stock" label lately too. I did figure that with the shortage of 7,62x39 everyone would switch to shooting other ammo thats available and that would soon dryup too its happening already.

I also heard some rumblings about ammo prices either doubling or even trippling in the near future too this is across the board all ammo prices.

I think its time to hoard what you can and get your reloading supplies stocked up too. I figure if the rumors and warnings are correct which they have been in the past most of this stuff is going to go much higher in price. I have been watching the 308 surplus ammo going higher lately already too.

I'm just trying to keep you guys updated on this festering problem. Seeing more of the Wolf calibers out of stock I figure the next load to arrive may cost more I guess we'll have to wait and see and keep an eye on this too.

I was just sitting back enjoying the surplus ammo good times when everything was affordable and having fun shooting. I hope i'm not tied to the reloading bench all the time like i was in the 70's, it was fun at first but then it becomes work and not a hobby depending on how much we shoot too.

I talked with one mailorder dealer and he said he'll keep the prices as low as he can on the priv-partizan ammo.
 
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Here's the real deal.

Wolf and Barnaul are "hit or miss" right now. Some sellers are using the limited supply to gouge people with high prices. I've found Wolf recently, yes the price went up, but just a little, nowhere's near a lot (try about $10 more/1000). Yes average price is WAY up, because the folks that always had it cheap, are out of stock (like my supplier).

Surplus 308 Ammo is in short supply right now. It went up a few years back.

8mm will soon go away, as 303 British already has.

7.5 Swiss? Get it now!

Will prices go up from everybody? Yes, but most won't raise it much. Some however, like a certain seller with high prices, but almost everybody worships, will raise their prices to outrageous levels, just because they can. Beware when the seller includes shipping in the price.
 
Rumor has it that price increases of ~6% can be expected on 6/1/06.

If that is true, it is normal for mfrs to hold back their supplies until AFTER the price increase date to maximize their profits.

Time will tell, but prices are unlikely to fall on the stuff that is for sure.
 
6% sounds about right. We've changed our prices earlier this spring, most went up, a few went down (due to slow sales, and competition).

Len, the shortage of Wolf and Barnaul has gone on for quite some time. That lead to all the other cheap stuff drying up real quick. I can assure folks that it is coming back, but is still hit or miss.
 
I can remember the high surplus ammo prices of the late 70's thru the 80's if you could find any. We had it great for a while, well a decade and a half anyway.

Some 303 britt is just making its way back again I'm seeing it on some sights for sale already. I'm not sure how much we will see of it. (very spotty)

I'm going to invest into new brass rather then pay too much for ammo. I have an RCBS Rockchucker since the mid 70's and i was just given another one plus a Lee PRO1000 setup for 45acp. I been playing with it and its fast and for plinking ammo it will do just fine. My point is I seen a few of these in the past recently used and it just maybe worth a few $$ to pick one up. I figure for 45acp or even .223 ammo it will do great.
 
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Right now the surplus 6,5mm swede, 7mm mauser and 7,5mm french is completely gone. There isn't too much of the surplus 8mm left out there right now too. If you shoot it and its still out there you better grab what you can right now and Hoard it.
 
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BigBill said:
There isn't too much of the surplus 8mm left out there right now too.
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I see 8mm everywhere for dirt cheap prices still. New lots are coming around every other week, ya just gotta know where to look.
As for prices increasing, I read it today in Four Season's e mail and I trust Carl's word.
 
Thats only part of it there is a lot of 7,62x39 ammo and AK47's being shipped to Venesuzuala to our good friend/buddy Chavez too. I was written its like 100,000 ak47's plus the ammo to feed them.
 
Milsurps 4 Me said:
I see 8mm everywhere for dirt cheap prices still. New lots are coming around every other week, ya just gotta know where to look.
As for prices increasing, I read it today in Four Season's e mail and I trust Carl's word.
Click to expand...

There is only yugo 8mm ammo from the 50's / 70's left on the net right now. We aren't seeing the supply we had a few years ago anymore its gone and drying up as we speak too. I don't see any Equadorian 8mm, Turk 8mm(37/38/40's stuff $4/70rds) and there is a little romanian 8mm left but not much at the wholesalers/internet dealers so what your seeing locally is all thats mostly left chances are slim to none we will see any other 8mm ammo than maybe the yugo 8mm because they used the 8mm the longest.
 
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A vendor posted on another site that the shortage of 7,62x39 isn't over yet. Right now there getting $139.97 for a case of 1,000rds + $20 shipp & 3% more for credit cards. They also said they just received half there back order in the latest shippment too. She also said she heard the cost of the 7,62x39, 1,000rd case of ammo may hit $200 a case by the end of '06. She also said get on a back order list now with her or someone else to get it.

Right now the prices are $171/1,000rds, $143/1,000rds or $3 to $5 a box of 20rds. I don't know how much longer this can go on but the future prices don't sound too good.

So the shortage isn't over its the scalpers were seeing right now.
 
Well at least we know if the laws ever lighten up there will be plenty of AK parts and rifles out there, and i'm sure the ammo will be too eventually.
 
Milsurps 4 Me said:
Well at least we know if the laws ever lighten up there will be plenty of AK parts and rifles out there, and i'm sure the ammo will be too eventually.
Click to expand...

Yup the ammo will be there at $200 a case of 1,000rds.

I hope everyone is saving these berdan primed military brass too?

While there is new berdan primers being offered does anyone offer a reamer to make the berdan pockets open up to fit regular boxer primers?
 
BigBill said:
Yup the ammo will be there at $200 a case of 1,000rds.

I hope everyone is saving these berdan primed military brass too?

While there is new berdan primers being offered does anyone offer a reamer to make the berdan pockets open up to fit regular boxer primers?
Click to expand...

You can fit a regular primer into a berdan primed case with ease. Just prep the case as you would for any military case, and seat the primer.

Adam
 
Adam_MA said:
You can fit a regular primer into a berdan primed case with ease. Just prep the case as you would for any military case, and seat the primer.

Adam
Click to expand...
Adam, You may be in error on this one...
Berdan and boxer primers are two different and completely incompatable systems.
The berdan primers are usually different sizes than boxer primers.
The berdan primer has the anvil built into the primer pocket, not part of the primer, as boxer primers are made. The built-in anvil will make it impossible to seat a boxer primer.
The berdan system has two small flash holes located beside the anvil, not a single flash hole like boxer primers.
In some cases, it is possible to flatten the anvil, redrill the flash hole and ream the pocket to the correct depth and diameter, but it is a lot of work and rarely worth the trouble.
It is possible to reprime berdan primed cases.
It requires a special tool to carefully pry the primer from the pocket, being very carefull to not damage the anvil.
Berdan primers are not widely available in North America, and are generally much more expensive than standard boxer primers.
Jack
 
The Federal XM855PD seems to have evaporated and it looks like the Radway Green SS109 is rapidly going the same way. I didn't really NEED it (like THAT's a criterion), but I grabbed 2 cases while I could.

2 .50 BMG cans, each holding 720 rounds, w/stripper clips and bandoliers, to my door, $288. That's .20/rd. for genuine NATO milsurp.
 
For those of you in the area, as of 6/9/06 Collector's Firearms and Militaria (anyone familiar with Terry Goode, this is his place) in Pelham NH has 4 cases of Wolf 7.62x39 sitting on the floor of his shop for $150/each.
 
you guys can keep that wolf and silver bear sh!t! I really do not like it and it has jammed in two of my guns.. maybe in bolt action it might be ok, but even for target.. I will stay with paying a few more $$ for better ammo.............. just my comments
 
BillK said:
you guys can keep that wolf and silver bear sh!t! I really do not like it and it has jammed in two of my guns.. maybe in bolt action it might be ok, but even for target.. I will stay with paying a few more $$ for better ammo.............. just my comments
Click to expand...

BillK; What guns were you shooting the russian ammo out of? I have never had a problem with wolf ammo in any gun yet, but my guns are moly'd up too. I did pickup some russian barnaul 30-06 ammo for $1.99 a box of 20rds but i haven't tried it yet. I have heard some do say it doesn't work in some guns. I figure maybe thats why it was so cheap. We have been hammering away with wolf 45acp, 9mm, 223 and 7,62x39 at the range with no problems yet. I did notice a while back with the older wolf ammo i have it was dirtier and the newer stuff is a little cleaner.
 
BillK said:
you guys can keep that wolf and silver bear sh!t! I really do not like it and it has jammed in two of my guns.. maybe in bolt action it might be ok, but even for target.. I will stay with paying a few more $$ for better ammo.............. just my comments
Click to expand...

It's fine in AKs and SKSes, which is basically what it was designed for.

the .30-06 stuff (Barnaul, pic of guy with rifle on box, $4.50 a box) won't work in a garand, at
least not after the gun has heated up and starts to melt the coating on the cases... the cases tend
to get jammed in the chamber, requiring a cleaning rod to remove!

It probably does OK in bolt guns, but only due to the relatively low ROF.

The newer poly coated wolf is probably much better. I know its definitely better WRT their handgun
ammo. I have had a .45 ACP case get stuck in my P220, though. Nothing a pocket knife
didnt fix, but that can't be good for the extractor.


-Mike
 
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I had two issues in my 7.62.54R M44 (russian gun stuck up with russian ammo... odd huh? lol) and my .40SW P99

I know my cousin had issues in his .223 and the MAK90.. also the HK .45USP

I am sorry if I had upset anyone.. I was tossing in my .02's about the brand
 
How long ago was this? Wolf ammo used to have a lacquer coating on the outside of the case. After sustained fire, your barrel would heat up, and you would end up with a lacquer residue in your chamber, that would cause the cases to get stuck, and have FTF and FTE. They solved this issue by removing the lacquer coating.

BTW, I have probably put 500 or so rounds of wolf 40S&W through my P99 with no ill effects, and honestly I can't remember one failure using it.
 
Okay for the people that do not know Billk is my cousin.

The wolf ammo that I bought was the worse ammo ever!!

My colt match target and my h/k usp 45 compact both jammed on me for the first time ever!!! The guns were clean!! The usp 45 jammed on Ross, I was embarrassed!!! As for my MAk 90 I bought cheap ammo before that had jammed before!!!

I have to agree with Bill
 
I tend to stick with what I am going to carry when shooting the P99, so from now on, I am not feeding it anymore target loads.

Jeff, I saw your reaction when the HK jammed up on Ross.. you had a facial expresion of one who had the sh!ts (and in a way did) LMFAO!
 
Aside from the documented difficulties Wolf ammo causes in many guns, I don't like finding steel cases rusting all over my range and I'd rather use a reloadable case because it's more economically and ecologically sound.

Besides - with Sellier & Bellot being quality ammo at a reasonable price, why would I want Wolf?
 
I pay only about $7.30 a box for wolf 45acp ammo by the 1,000rds case. My new auto-ordnance army and my norinco 1911a1 loves to eat this stuff.
Did you know the US in WW2 used steel cased 45acp during the war. The 3 or 4 and sometimes 5 of us shoot 500rds of 45acp at the range on one trip. I can't keep up reloading for that much shooting. I have a LEE Pro1,000 setup for 45acp but i haven't used it yet because the price of wolf ammo is hard to match.

There was problems with Sellier & Bellot ammo lately too with there 7,62 tokarev ammo having different amounts of powder in them. They seem to have a problem even making them close if you pull some bullets the amount of powder seems to vary alot. This problem could spill over into the rest of their ammo too i'm not sure yet.
 
A few days ago my friend and I picked up 2 cases of Wolf 7.62x39 from Zero Hour. One old stock being laquer coated hollow point in white boxes marked TCW Ammunition Made in Russia that were sleeve wrapped in sealed Wolf case packaging with a Cheaper Than Dirt shipping label on it. Talk about vintage! The other is the newer polymer grey stuff in Wolf boxes.
As for Wolf ammo, i'm not worried about it. Its for my Romanian SAR1 and that thing would probably feed and shoot sticks and rocks if I could get them in the magazine.[laugh]
 

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