Powder prices from the past.

When i started loading in early 2012, a pound of imr4895 was about 30$ at the local gun stores. 1000 primers were around 35$.
Not too long ago. I still have some of the 35$ primers actually
 
I grew up in the Shuswap area of BC, and our local 2nd hand store owner was also a bit of a gun nut, and he
stocked some components. He had a big container of old Hodgdon's salvage 4831, and he sold us a pound in a
paper bag for $1.00. Later the price went up to $1.50, and we really whined, lol. [c. 1961]

I have a box of 1000 CIL 8½M primers here, and the box says $5.95 :) Yes, things have changed a lot guys.
I am happy that I laid in some of my favorites from Thomas Higginson when he had them [Norma MRP, e.g.]

I believe that cost me around $11.00/lb, but worth every penny. Powder and primers still work as good as
the day I acquired them.

I lost a substantial quantity [28 lb] of Higginsons OEM 4350 [V-N160] to deterioration. Got acidy and the
vapor corroded anything in the vicinity. Have lost some individual pounds of other numbers over the years, but
not enough to cry over. Stuff keeps quite well, generally. I am using up the last of my Norma 203, which has been
out of production for decades. Dave.
 
And I thought I had something special.. lol
JK, my old buddy had it kicking around and he gave it to me.
Extra hundred rounds anyway.
 
Started buying powder in 1976, IMR and Hodgdon was $8.00 a pound at the local hardware store. Remember buying a pile of Type 44 from Higginson and a pile of Hornady bullets from them also, in the early 1980's. We all had 270 Wins and shot the Type 44 powder with the Hornady 140 BTSP. If I remember correct I think Higginson (Ammo Mart) would pay the shipping on the bullets if you bought 10 boxes and give you a free box of bullets also if you bought 10 boxes. If I recall back then you used IMR 3031 data for the Type 44 powder.
 
Eagleye said:
I grew up in the Shuswap area of BC, and our local 2nd hand store owner was also a bit of a gun nut, and he
stocked some components. He had a big container of old Hodgdon's salvage 4831, and he sold us a pound in a
paper bag for $1.00. Later the price went up to $1.50, and we really whined, lol. [c. 1961]

I have a box of 1000 CIL 8½M primers here, and the box says $5.95 :) Yes, things have changed a lot guys.
I am happy that I laid in some of my favorites from Thomas Higginson when he had them [Norma MRP, e.g.]

I believe that cost me around $11.00/lb, but worth every penny. Powder and primers still work as good as
the day I acquired them.

I lost a substantial quantity [28 lb] of Higginsons OEM 4350 [V-N160] to deterioration. Got acidy and the
vapor corroded anything in the vicinity. Have lost some individual pounds of other numbers over the years, but
not enough to cry over. Stuff keeps quite well, generally. I am using up the last of my Norma 203, which has been
out of production for decades. Dave.
Click to expand...

I was buying that powder, in white cardboard drums, during the mid/late sixties at $30/50 pound and $16 for 25 pound.

No trouble bringing a thousand pounds of it across the border in those days

That stuff was sold in bulk, brown paper sandwich bags all over North America for a dollar a pound. Canadians were still paying more for a pound than Americans, because our dollar was more valuable. About 90 cents Can for $1US

We were a LENDER NATION back then, instead of WALLOWING IN DEBT that was supposed to be good for us.
 
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This looks exactly like the first can of powder I ever bought. A pound of IMR 4895 from Williams Arms in Port Perry, ON, I believe the price was $17.95; it was 1989.
 
mbogo3 said:
Norma 203B is available I believe it is RE#15
Click to expand...


All this Norma talk ,Norma 203 and Norma 203B got me thinking. LOL

I have had these for 30 plus years and cannot remember who I got them from. I never bought them,I remember that much. HaHa
Cans still in great shape,some of my really old IMR's can's the bottom's started to corrode.

If these are the real price tags $4.50 ,I'm wondering just how old are these . ;)
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Rookie{OMC} said:
All this Norma talk ,Norma 203 and Norma 203B got me thinking. LOL

I have had these for 30 plus years and cannot remember who I got them from. I never bought them,I remember that much. HaHa
Cans still in great shape,some of my really old IMR's can's the bottom's started to corrode.

If these are the real price tags $4.50 ,I'm wondering just how old are these . ;)
View attachment 535709
Click to expand...

Since I started loading for a 308 Norma Magnum then, I bought Norma 205 and 204 in the 1960's for $3.95/400 grams, so right in that era would be my guess. You may notice these were 400 gram containers. Later Norma packaged their powders in 500 gram tins, and now, finally in 1 lbs [454 grams] Dave.
 
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This thread is depressing. Now it seems that anything under $50 for a pound is a good deal. I just used up an old can of IMR 4198 that I paid 19.99 for at E&I Sports in Prince George. That would have been around 1997.
 
I started loading in 1982. Small town hardware price was 20 bucks a pound. After that it shot up to 30 bucks, but a competitive store drove that down to 12-13. Disappointed when it passed the original 20 and balked at 45, but that turned around and next thing I knew I was buying pallets of IMR for 117 bucks an eight pound keg.(Made Hogdons at 160 seem expensive) Practically begged people to horn in on that action but few did. When I see a pound of Retumbo sell at auction for 120 its someone elses problem. ;) Don’t even get me started on primers…….

Remember when decent dies were 60 bucks, and a bag of magnum brass was 10? What happened there?

Shortages will come and go; surpluses likewise. Weather the storm
 
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