I just used up the last of a pound of IMR 3031 that was given to me many years ago. The price sticker on the metal can is $13.50 I'm trying to remember what time period when powder was selling at this price point but I would be guessing. Any long time reloaders remember when powder was selling in this range? Just curious, that's all.
Powder prices from a bygone era
- Thread starter StoneHorse
- Start date
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- of No Fixed Address
My first ever powder purchase was a can of IMR 4895, and I believe the price was $17.25. Was probably fall of 1989, so you've got to be looking at something like 10 years earlier.
I was guessing around the time my first daughter was born so 1982.
$3.50 for a cardboard can of Hodgdon 4895 in '75. Jennings in Winnipeg on Donald Street.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Yup , I have several reciept somewhere in the house for reloading component I purchased from Len Thompson dated when I was 10 yrs old. 4831 surplus powder for $3 lb. , primers $1.25 per slide and .308 CIL slugs I think were $2 per 50.
Was that the same Len Thompson as the maker of Canadian Daredevle spoons?
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
With Higginson surplus and gun show powders less than that.
Probably, but $15/lb was about the avg retail price in my area when I started.
Cannot remember what powder was in early 1980's, seem to remember primers at under 2.00/100 somewhere in that time frame, maybe even 1.75, seems to be stuck in the brain. I still have Nosler Solid Base .22cal 50gr from late 80's, 6.99/100 US, think most of the bullets I bought were under 25.00, Partitions, Ballistic tips when they came out, some Hornady's ring a dingy at 17.00/100, forget what brass was, bought it in Wash state. Bought powder in 92 or 93 down there for 55.00/8lb, was 125.00 up here. Bought lead and tin at 1.00/lb from Western Metals in 1990. Was just under 200.00 for a Rockchucker kit in 1980, Co-Ax was about 225.00, maybe a bit less, IIRC.
Well, in the year of 1900 A.D., a pound of black gun powder was between the price of $0.35 to $0.90., pending the powder type. Today, it's between $75.00 to $115.00 per pound. The reality is, as I always mentioned: inflation, supply and demand; a euphemism for plain-old greed.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
It sure was. I fondly remember sitting on the floor petting his "very overweight" black dog while my old man and Len talked guns & fishing. Len sat at his desk ( upstairs, over what is now Home Hardware in Lacombe AB) & hand painting those spoons (all were 5of Diamonds back then) by the hundreds while he visited.
Len was the only place between Calgary & Edmonton that sold components back then, he would ship fishhook spoons to the US and get some components as payment shipped back in return.
$1/lb at Yeager's in Washington at that time, cheaper if you purchased a 25 or 50 pound pressed paper drum, 25 cents a pound if you bought 200 pounds.
$1.50 / lb surplus imr 4831 , scooped out of a flour bin that was built into the counter and weighed on a hanging hardware scale before going into a paper bag.
Everyone smoked in the store and freely handled the firearms and ammunition……no one feared getting hurt and no one did.
1967 gasoline price per gallon was about the same as a 25 pack of cigarettes…around $0.35
Had lots of income on $2 to 3 / hr
How times have changed….
Everyone smoked in the store and freely handled the firearms and ammunition……no one feared getting hurt and no one did.
1967 gasoline price per gallon was about the same as a 25 pack of cigarettes…around $0.35
Had lots of income on $2 to 3 / hr
How times have changed….
