I've never reloaded for handgun before and was thinking of picking up something in the near future. What would be the approx cost difference between reloading 1000 9mm vs 1000 45ACP? I had a Glock in 9mm years ago and it was pretty snappy. From what I remember about shooting a 45 a very long time ago is that it had more of a 'push'.
Reloading cost difference between 9mm and .45ACP
- Thread starter KDX
- Start date
dinsdale
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just outside the Ottawa City Limits!
Bullet cost , unless using lead , will be about $40-$50 more per 1000.
Primers same , powder around 1 grain per round so 1000 grains more on 1000 rounds or 1.14 times as much.
If you buy brass, that can cost you another $20-$30 more per 1000.
Say roughly a max of $100/1000 more or 10 cents more per round.
Did I get my math and values right?
Primers same , powder around 1 grain per round so 1000 grains more on 1000 rounds or 1.14 times as much.
If you buy brass, that can cost you another $20-$30 more per 1000.
Say roughly a max of $100/1000 more or 10 cents more per round.
Did I get my math and values right?
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Depends if you are shooting cast or FMJ but assuming you can find some range brass, or have saved your spent cases then the only cost difference is really the bullets.
Cast lead will be about $20-30 more.
FMJ will be $50-60 more.
Plated is about $40-50 more.
Cast lead will be about $20-30 more.
FMJ will be $50-60 more.
Plated is about $40-50 more.
In comparing 9mmvs 45 for reloading,as stated above,the bullet cost is more with the 45(unless you cast your own).Powder cost is negligibly more and primers the same
However,the big difference is the cost of brass.I can usually pick up bucketloads of 9mm(and 40)at my range.I dont think that Ive bought 9mm brass for at least 10 years,while 45 brass is quite expensive and no one ever seems to leave it lying around and I find that for myself this makes 9mm definitely cheaper to reload(same goes for 40).Its still very worth reloading 45 however(more so than 9mm),as factory rounds are
expensive
However,the big difference is the cost of brass.I can usually pick up bucketloads of 9mm(and 40)at my range.I dont think that Ive bought 9mm brass for at least 10 years,while 45 brass is quite expensive and no one ever seems to leave it lying around and I find that for myself this makes 9mm definitely cheaper to reload(same goes for 40).Its still very worth reloading 45 however(more so than 9mm),as factory rounds are
expensive
.45 is a bit more expensive but not a lot. Bullets are the most expensive component. If you can buy cast bullets in bulk for $70-$80/1000 your costs go way down. I figure i can load .45 for about $0.15 to $0.20 each, and 9mm for about $0.12$ to $0.15 each, depending on how many reloads i can get from my brass. Usually you should be able to get 10re loads, but that depends on your brass, chamber dimensions, and how hot you load. Initial cost on the brass is recouped the more times you can reload it. http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
Unless you want to use up your time in reloading the .45 and .40 are much more cost. If you have to buy reloading tools you might be way further ahead just buying the cheap 9mm ammo and leaving the brass lie where it falls. You can find 9mm and .40 cal brass anywhere but 45 ACP is worth lots of money and you don't find it often laying around.
Graydog
Graydog
This is the major difference. You can always find piles of 9mm brass laying around, but .45 seldom appears and disappears very quickly. My expectation would be to never have to pay for 9mm brass, but have to buy .45 brass and then scavenge it carefully to minimize losses.
OP said he wants to reload, so that would imply he is willing to dedicate his time and invest in equipment. With a decent progressive loader it doesn't take long to crank out 1000 rounds, he can customize his ammo to his uses (cast bullets for steel shoots, for instance) and is not hostage to breakdowns in the ammo supply chain that have regularly occurred over the last few years. All very good reasons beyond cost to reload.
Mark
Substantial cost savings can still be realized in reloading 9mm. My approximate cost breakdown per thousand is as follows:
Cactus Plains bulk cast bullets: $80
Primers: $35
Powder: $15
Total: $130 plus GST
Given that 9mm factory ammo is now selling for over $300/1000 and even Wolf reloads are going for $270/1000 plus shipping, I think this is pretty substantial.
In comparison, approximate .45 ACP costs are as follows:
Cactus Plains bulk cast bullets: $90
Primers: $35
Powder: $20
Total: $145 plus GST
The relative savings are even greater, considering that factory ammo runs over $500/1000 and Wolf reloads run $310/1000 plus shipping.
It must also be noted that remanufactured ammo is sometimes in short supply.
In either case, I have assumed fully amortized brass costs and that losses are made up via range pickups. If you want to include brass costs, let's assume 10 firings per case, which would work out to about $5/1000 for 9mm and $10/1000 for .45.
As for the time component, reloading is not excessively time consuming if you use a progressive press. I can crank out 100 rounds in 10-12 minutes with my Dillon RL550B. Allowing $800 for equipment, it will pay for itself after about 1650 rounds of .45 ACP or about 4400 rounds of 9mm in comparing component costs versus factory ammo.
Cactus Plains bulk cast bullets: $80
Primers: $35
Powder: $15
Total: $130 plus GST
Given that 9mm factory ammo is now selling for over $300/1000 and even Wolf reloads are going for $270/1000 plus shipping, I think this is pretty substantial.
In comparison, approximate .45 ACP costs are as follows:
Cactus Plains bulk cast bullets: $90
Primers: $35
Powder: $20
Total: $145 plus GST
The relative savings are even greater, considering that factory ammo runs over $500/1000 and Wolf reloads run $310/1000 plus shipping.
It must also be noted that remanufactured ammo is sometimes in short supply.
In either case, I have assumed fully amortized brass costs and that losses are made up via range pickups. If you want to include brass costs, let's assume 10 firings per case, which would work out to about $5/1000 for 9mm and $10/1000 for .45.
As for the time component, reloading is not excessively time consuming if you use a progressive press. I can crank out 100 rounds in 10-12 minutes with my Dillon RL550B. Allowing $800 for equipment, it will pay for itself after about 1650 rounds of .45 ACP or about 4400 rounds of 9mm in comparing component costs versus factory ammo.
easyrider604
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Greater Vancouver, BC
All who responded got it right.
Eventually, if you are like most shooters, you will own and shoot both 9 and 45.
I started with 45 and got a 9 soon after. Important thing is we all reload to shoot more, and chances are, we spend more.
My group took to casting to save more. We spend more time casting and reloading but that keeps us out of trouble.
Eventually, if you are like most shooters, you will own and shoot both 9 and 45.
I started with 45 and got a 9 soon after. Important thing is we all reload to shoot more, and chances are, we spend more.
My group took to casting to save more. We spend more time casting and reloading but that keeps us out of trouble.
