Ammunition as currency

[strangenh]

Socking away your cash in ammo since you figure it will only increase in value, or maybe because you think it'll serve as trade goods when the bottom falls out?

You're not the first to think of ammo as currency. Massachusetts did so officially in the 1600s. Musket balls as legal tender at 4 to the penny.

http://volokh.com/posts/1221689048.shtml

That's two to the ha'penny for those of you playing along at home.

 

[doobie]

I so want to buy 10k rnds each of 40, 45, 223, 30-06.

 

[strangenh]

I so want to buy 10k rnds each of 40, 45, 223, 30-06.

Your UPS driver will hate you.

 

[Admin]

I think it depends on where you are and how bad it is.

 

[doobie]

Your UPS driver will hate you.

I was going to get it from Riley's. I think it'll only be 900 lbs of ammo.

 

[strangenh]

I was going to get it from Riley's. I think it'll only be 900 lbs of ammo.

Riley's will love you.

 

[Ray-500]

Your UPS driver will hate you.

Grin, mine already does.

 

[JonJ]

And if all your "currency" gets wet you'll be poor. Buy gold.

 

[doobie]

Riley's will love you.

Think so? I need to wait a few months before I can spend that much $ anyway.

 

[Ray-500]

And if all your "currency" gets wet you'll be poor. Buy gold.

Yup...but "keeping your powder dry" is an individual thing. So is watching the price of gold fall daily.

Grin....different note....just for chucks, I sometimes log into a site that lists current prices. Two months ago Rhodium was selling for about $9500 an ounce. Not a typo....$9500 per ounce. It is now around $4200 per ounce.

Way to heady (and rich) for me....can't imagine something I bought for 9K fall almost overnight to 4K. Grin, I'll trust the ammo.

 

[doobie]

Yup...but "keeping your powder dry" is an individual thing. So is watching the price of gold fall daily.

Grin....different note....just for chucks, I sometimes log into a site that lists current prices. Two months ago Rhodium was selling for about $9500 an ounce. Not a typo....$9500 per ounce. It is now around $4200 per ounce.

Way to heady (and rich) for me....can't imagine something I bought for 9K fall almost overnight to 4K. Grin, I'll trust the ammo.

Buy in grams.

 

[Ray-500]

Buy in grams.

Hmmm....let's see....how many grams would two cases of 45 ACP convert to?

 

[strangenh]

Hmmm....let's see....how many grams would two cases of 45 ACP convert to?

Grains to grams...
http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grains-to-grams.htm

 

[Ray-500]

Grains to grams...
http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grains-to-grams.htm

Grin, it was a joke. Have a utility that will convert anything to anything else. But....thank you.

 

[doobie]

Hmmm....let's see....how many grams would two cases of 45 ACP convert to?

1 ounce = 28.3495231 grams = 437.5 grains

1 grain = 0.06479891 grams = 0.00228571429 oz

 

[Ray-500]

1 ounce = 28.3495231 grams = 437.5 grains

1 grain = 0.06479891 grams = 0.00228571429 oz

Grin, that's great. How many rounds of 45 ACP does that equal?

 

[Jedhed]

Yup...but "keeping your powder dry" is an individual thing. So is watching the price of gold fall daily.

Grin....different note....just for chucks, I sometimes log into a site that lists current prices. Two months ago Rhodium was selling for about $9500 an ounce. Not a typo....$9500 per ounce. It is now around $4200 per ounce.

Way to heady (and rich) for me....can't imagine something I bought for 9K fall almost overnight to 4K. Grin, I'll trust the ammo.

This is from today...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Gold prices exploded Wednesday -- posting the biggest one-day gain ever in dollar terms -- as fears of more credit market turmoil unnerved investors and triggered a flood of safe-haven buying.

Gold for December delivery rose as much as $90.40, or 11.6 percent, to $870.90 an ounce in after-hours trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange after jumping $70 to settle at $850.50 in the regular session. That was the biggest one-day price jump ever; gold's previous single-day record was a $64 gain on Jan. 29, 1980.

 

[SemiAutoSam]

Lets put it this way. Back in 1995 I boarded a 747 with 3 machine guns FN/FAL's mostly and a NIB M16A2 at Burbank CA airport headed to Reno Nevada on Reno Air on what they called the last plane out (Reno stopped serving Burbank California) and I had purchased 15 cases of 1000 rounds of 308 Lake City earlier in the day. and paid 100.00 per case = $1500.00 .

Now days that ammo would bring 500 per case or $7500.00 so that's a major hedge on inflation wouldn't ya say.

And Yes I still have those 15 cases untouched.

They made a real nice room divider in my sub basement.

I so want to buy 10k rnds each of 40, 45, 223, 30-06.

 

[Ray-500]

This is from today...

That's wonderful. The same hype should hold true for the downswing. Grin, I think you must know that unless someone is an avid daytrader, we are speaking of long, long term for any of it to make sense...at least to me. Everything is cyclical and is subject, in the short term, to current conditions. It all is part of the long-term cycle and what an individual does most likely depends on their makeup and outlook. Grin, given interests, and not really at this point in time having much confidence in the market...or our Congress for that matter....will invest in new ammo. Nearsighted? Perhaps. Am still using 45 ACP from over 20+ years ago, Win. and Israeli stuff that is headstamped either TZZ or IMI. It all functions just fine. Am also using 30.06 from the 60's. Try buying new today and see what it costs. Am also using Grizzly 45 Win Mag from when it was still sold in boxes of 50. Try getting it today. Financial plan? Not by a long shot! All I'm saying is that I bought mucho stuff many moons ago and am still using it today...where "new" is cost prohibitive in most of today's prices. Grin, not an "investment" in the traditional "market" sense, but to a shooter....an investment nonetheless.

 

[strangenh]

I think folks may be looking past that the MA colonial government of the 1600s promoted the production and distribution of musket ball ammunition by declaring it legal tender at a quarter penny a piece. The MA government was promoting the general production, possession and distribution of heavy ammunition.

The term "musket" was used specifically in reference to large caliber, smooth bore long arms, as opposed to those with rifling or smaller caliber, smooth bore long arms. Since musket ball was generally less desirable to the general populace (who would prefer smaller ball or shot for use in smaller smooth bores and "fowling pieces" - including "small" .50 or so smooth bores as opposed to .75 and larger muskets), the government was in essence trying to ensure a ready supply of musket ammunition for (wait for it!)... the common defense.

The very concept boggles the mind.