Thought I had a source

[Informed Decision]

I had a guy at my work that had decided to get into reloading & offered to supply me with 9mm & .223 ammo. Well today he told me that he worked up his pricing & he says I can buy cheaper store bought. I consider this a brush off so now I want to locate someone local to Evansville to supply my growing habit. I just can't imagine he can't get pricing down low enough to still make some kind of profit. Sorry for the rant but really needed to gripe!

 

[AngryRooster]

How much ammo were you wanting and what did he quote you?

 

[Que]

I thought an FFL was needed in order to manufacture and sell ammunition?

 

[AngryRooster]

I thought an FFL was needed in order to manufacture and sell ammunition?

Not sure. I think there's some kind of license but don't know if it's an FFL. IIRC it was discussed here recently in another thread. I don't make ammo to sell, just use at the range with family and close friends. I was just curious how much the OP was after and what kind of price he was expecting. It takes time to load up a ton of ammo and time isn't cheap. Myself, I use a single stage and a turret press so if I were to sell it then it would have to cover the cost of my time. I cast my own bullets too and that adds quite a bit of time as well. Cost for materials goes down but the time required at least doubles.

A cheap box or two of 9mm at wal-marx may very well end up the same price that I would want. Collecting lead, cleaning & fluxing it, mold prep and melt time, powder coat and bake or traditional lube & size, sort and clean brass, load and box. That's not taking into account the risks of a bad round you assume when you sell it.

I've had people bring me a bag of dirty, muddy range brass and a small box of plated bullets. "Here's $5. That should cover the cost of powder and primers for 100 rounds, thanks. Just bring them with you next time" Ummm, no.


Not saying the OP was doing anything like that at all, I was just curious.

 

[Informed Decision]

When my guy was first talking about doing this he was thinking around 50 rds for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10.50. It really was not the price that put me off as much as that he cut me off completely! I suspect as Angryrooster mentioned, he doesn't have the time to do all the people he brought his idea up to. It would turn into a job. I'm just one of the unlucky ones.

 

[churchmouse]

When my guy was first talking about doing this he was thinking around 50 rds for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10.50. It really was not the price that put me off as much as that he cut me off completely! I suspect as Angryrooster mentioned, he doesn't have the time to do all the people he brought his idea up to. It would turn into a job. I'm just one of the unlucky ones.

Or the least favored.

There is a lot involved with doing a good job at the reloading bench.
That people expect a lot for very little is also no incentive.
Not that you are one of those folks but the issue is, If you can afford to shoot.....you will.
If not, well, maybe the habit needs to stay at current levels.
Start your own reloading project. You will soon see what is involved both financially and time investments.

 

[AngryRooster]

When my guy was first talking about doing this he was thinking around 50 rds for somewhere in the neighborhood of 10.50. It really was not the price that put me off as much as that he cut me off completely! I suspect as Angryrooster mentioned, he doesn't have the time to do all the people he brought his idea up to. It would turn into a job. I'm just one of the unlucky ones.

I'm gonna guess it's a time thing with him. You mentioned he's just getting started with reloading. Chances are good that be bought a basic setup and not a high volume setup that can crank out 1k rounds an hour.

It really isn't that difficult to learn or do but you have to pay attention. Just basic reloading with purchased components will save a good chunk of change. You can get the equipment fairly cheap but it will not be super fast. If you want to see what's involved you can pick up the Lee Modern Reloading book for under $20. It will explain what you need to do the job, how to actually do it, and why you are doing it that way. If you decide it's not for you then post the book up for sale and you'll probably get most if not all your money back.

 

[bocefus78]

Those 2 calibers are very tough to save any considerable amount of $ just in component prices. Factor in some $ for his time and wear on equipment, and yea....you can buy it cheaper online. Reloading isn't all about cost. Sometimes it costs more than store bought but shoots much better so as always, you basically get what you pay for.

Roll your own so you don't have to depend on him.

Personally, I wouldn't shoot anything I didn't make or watch made. That's asking for issues that are not worth saving a cent or 2 per round. What are you going to do when his reloads blow up your gun and injure yourself?

 

[Sniper 79]

Your guy is right. There is no profit to be made. I do think you need an FFL to make and sell ammo.

Hand loading is a hobby all by itself and is a time burglar. I easily had a grand invested before I was able to head to the range with my first box of ammo.
Components are expensive and hard to come by.

 

[postell]

Depending on type of ammunition being manufactured he would need a 06 or a 07 FFL. And other than a few exceptions a 11% federal excise tax will need to be paid.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I certainltly wouldn't buy reloads from a guy who just got into reloading. regardless of price.

 

[jstory]

I certainltly wouldn't buy reloads from a guy who just got into reloading. regardless of price.

Completely agree...

Pay attention to sales at Dunhams. Alot of times they have 9mm real cheap. A guy at work said they have Remington for $10.50 a box. Not sure if they do, just what he told me. Not sure where your located, but BK Bullet in Peru will reload your brass for $10 if I'm not mistaken. There number is 765-473-7801...HTH...

 

[looney2ns]

You can buy factory all day for $10.50 or less per box. The trick in both ammo and reloading savings is to buy in bulk.
You won't save much if the reloader is buying just 100 bullets or 100 primers at a time.
Find 9mm Ammo in stock at lowest prices | WikiArms AmmoEngine

I reload 9mm for roughly 10cents per round.

I agree, I would not want to shoot someone's ammo that just started reloading.

 

[Irishshooter]

Your friend probably also realized the huge liability he would be in for If you or someone else did something negligent with some ammo he sold you.

 

[Informed Decision]

Though I'm not certain, I believe he's doing everything legal. I also believe he would be following procedure when loading. ( pretty responsible) . ... On that note , when would a person who does reload become experienced enough to trust their ammo? Everyone seems to be making that a point. I personally am not deep enough in yet to reload myself, so that isn't an option yet. I just thought I might save a little by getting reloads.

 

[Contender]

I have reloaded for a couple friend over the years. The first one I felt guilty charging factory prices, it was not worth the time invested. Second time a guy wanted a combo he could not buy at the store so he paid more than factory ammo so it was worth my time. That was years ago, I would never do it again.

 

[jstory]

I will reload for my dad...no one else. He don't shoot that much anymore and when he does, its only a few rounds. I reloaded 50 rounds of 357 for him about a week ago. Guessing it will be a year or 2 before I have to reload them cases. My brother...he makes alot more money than I do. He can get what it takes to reload, or buy factory... It's simply not worth the price to reload for someone else.

 

[Brian Ski]

I certainltly wouldn't buy reloads from a guy who just got into reloading. regardless of price.

I agree with that... As much as you guys talk about squib loads, easy way to damage a firearm or get hurt.