cost of materials and price of ammo

[MiG25]

ok, there are some other threads and mentions of the increase in ammo price being due to the increase in raw material (read lead and copper) prices.

now, some quick math on my part indicates that there is less than 0.5 lb of lead in a box of the 180 gr ammo of your choice. now in a typical brick of 22 shells, there is 2.85 lb of lead. so at the present inflated prices, there is about $4.11 worth of lead in the 22 shells, and 74 cents worth in the centerfire ammo. so in the last 5 years, the value of the lead in a box of 30-06 has gone up something like 50 cents.

anybody have any figures for how much brass there is in 20 centerfire rounds compared to 500 22 shells?

and in the last year, the price of copper hasn't really moved.

 

[scout3006]

You also have to take into account the rising price of fuel, as well as other feedstock neccessary to the manufacture of ammunition. Vast amounts of energy are used in the mining of raw materials, the smelting of the metals, the assembly and the transportation of the finished goods.
In case you haven't noticed, the price of EVERYTHING is going up, and rather dramatically. (Especially food.) It is going to get much worse over the coming few years.

 

[CanAm]

It is not about commodity costs it is about supply and demand. Before 2004 there was lots of supply and little demand, now lots of demand and little supply. Simple economics 101.

 

[contact148]

and free market

the manufactures/stores and middle men have figure out why sell a box of 9mm for 7.99 when Joe public will pay 12.99??

kinda funny i just bought a bunch of lead fishing weights and they were the same price as in the spring......

 

[Assyrian]

kinda funny i just bought a bunch of lead fishing weights and they were the same price as in the spring......

LOL.. EXACTLY!

Was there any extra shipping costs on those weights? Fuel has gone up! lots of duties and taxes on stuff from the usa too I hear.
Those fishing weights will be tripple the price next month..............

 

[MiG25]

i am not actually complaining as i haven't bought factory ammo in years, and in the last 5 years i think i have bought a pound of black powder and a pound of 4198. so i am actually quite ignorant to how much ammo is selling for these days.

while there has been increases in the price of materials and fuel, it is the nature of business to try to squeeze every margin they can from the consumer.

now, how does the rise in the canadian dollar offset these increases on ammo coming from the US?

 

[OldGravy]

I heard recently that the price of lead (per tonne) went from somewhere around $300 up to $2300. Conjecture? All I know is that the word I keep hearing is "buy ammo now."

 

[CV32]

Buy ammo now. (Not that you shouldn't have bought ammo before, just keep buying ammo).

 

[joe-nwt]

I heard recently that the price of lead (per tonne) went from somewhere around $300 up to $2300. Conjecture? All I know is that the word I keep hearing is "buy ammo now."

You have to go back a long ways to find copper at $300@ton.

Even at $1.50ish, there is still only a couple $$ worth of lead, if that, in a box of ammo. The cost of materials alone in no way accounts for the recent price increases we are seeing. Some of it is freight costs, some of it production costs, although technology usually lowers production cost.

I'd say a good portion is gouging.

 

[MiG25]

Even at $1.50ish, there is still only a couple $$ worth of lead, if that, in a box of ammo. The cost of materials alone in no way accounts for the recent price increases we are seeing. Some of it is freight costs, some of it production costs, although technology usually lowers production cost.

I'd say a good portion is gouging.

like i said, less than 75 cents worth of lead in a box of 180 grain factory ammo.

 

[BattleRife]

The machines that make .30-06 ammo are busy making 7.62mm and 5.56mm for the war, greatly limiting supply.

The machines that make .22LR and fishing weights cannot be converted to make NATO ammo, therefore they continue to produce .22LR and fishing weights, leaving supply unaffected.