Posted on 11/15/2008 7:14:07 PM PST by roostercogburn
Looking for the best place to buy bulk ammo from. Obviously want best price, but would like experienced buyers to recommend which to possibly stay away from due to poor quality. Years back bought bulk at a gunshow and had all kinds of problems. These were .357 SIG and 9mm rounds.
True.
I did find equipment on-line for making swaged (i.e.: full metal jacket) bullets at home. Looks like it really isn’t that hard once you get past the $1000 entry cost, and is much preferable to casting. Basic premise is stuff a piece of lead wire into a copper tube, and squeeze (very hard) to shape.
Brass shells may be a bit tougher to make. Haven’t looked into that.
The real problem is primers: AFAIK, ain’t nobody gonna be making those in their basements.
Very true that cost is nuts. Wasn’t that long ago I got a case of .308 for $180 and was grumbling over the cost.
10 years ago I stocked up on primers, its possible to make shot shells out of almost anything and the hulls can be used more times than other brass.
So if I were to be in total panic mode I would get as many shotshell primers as I could, get good decent hulls, wads and prepare to scrounge for lead or shot in any shape or form, wheel weights, fishing weights, 177 and .22 cal BB’s and of course the powder.
I seriously doubt things will ever go the way of Mad Max (Mel Gibson) days after doomsday scenario.
The bright light in all the surge of ammo sales and firearms is that it can seriously put the damper of a real life dictator taking power, in the near future it would pay to keep tabs on what is getting to be in short supply, from what I hear its .223 and 45acp. I actually have plenty of both but my first choice of longarm is my M1A in .308 and my carry the 10MM Glock.
***By the same token, beware of “Cheney Effect”. For many years birdshot loads where touted for home defense. The problem is, they loose energy fast and just don’t penetrate. If the person who wants to do you harm is down the hall and across the living room you may not get the desired effect. I’ve played around experimented and found that, when fired 10 feet from the wall, a 23/4” #2 load will not penetrate two 5/8” sheets of sheet rock and four inches of fiberglass bat insulation with enough energy to embed pellets in a piece of 3/4” plywood placed about three feet behind the target. 00 did. And 00 3” mag loads with 15 pellets would also blow away a 2x4 stud. I didn’t have any single 0 buckshot or BB so I don’t know what the effects would be. (This is also a fun way to demolish an old house.) The problem is finding 23/4”” #2 goose shot loads.***
It also really depends on where you are. I lived for some years in Dearborn, MI (neighbour on two sides with Detroit). A reputable CCW instructor who owned a gunshop and a firing range sold me on a Mossberg 500 pistol grip in 12 gauge.
His advice (he lived in Romulus) was 000 in the chamber alternating with slugs to fill the magazine. No matter the incident, you were equipped to deal with any eventuality.
His backup (as is mine) is the .357 GP. My Sig 229 chambered in .40 is nice, but I hit whatever I shoot at with the Ruger.
Thanks Javachip!
What a great site. I can order mass quantities here.
Box O’Truth says that dime loads aren’t good home defense rounds because they don’t penetrate enough.
In the old days, up until 1965, dimes weighed about 1/8th more than they do today. Silver is denser than copper. So each dime would have a bit more momentum and would have penetrated better.
Of course if you only wounded the guy he might run away with about 40 grams, over 1.4 ounces, of your silver worth about $13.25 at today’s prices.
I think I’ll stick with my #2 goose shot. :o)
Once again, use old pennies. Pennies made before 1982 were a 95% copper/zinc alloy and weigh about 3.1 grams each. Newer pennies are made out of copper plated zinc and only weigh about 2.7 grams each - less penetration.
Playing around with the old coin collection tonight I came across a steel 10 cent piece from Aruba that weighs in at 3.0 grams vs. 2.2 grams for a modern US copper clad dime which is the same diameter as a dime. It’s a little thicker than a dime so you might not get as many in a load.
The good news is, they’re only worth about 5.9 cents each. Of course you’d have to go to Aruba every winter to stock up on shotgun loads.
After reading up on those articles and a ton more on that website I decided to organize my almost full 3 gallon water jug full of loose change over the years of nickels, dimes and pennies. About those pre-82 pennies, they are actually worth more per weight as scrap metal at the current prices.
I need to get me some Kroil and Shooters choice, I’ve been using Hoppes for years and I will see if that mix works any better.
I would say offhand I have over $1,500 in that jug.
thanks! I posted a thread on the chat forum and it got pulled.
thanks! I posted a thread on the chat forum and it got pulled.
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