Why is FMJ cheaper than JHP?
- Thread starter JayFlip
- Start date
Is the price difference kind of a performance/wanted for specific usage thing?
It has to do with the bullet manufacturing process. It is far easier to make FMJ bullets than HP. FMJs are swaged from tip to base (leaving an exposed lead base) and are generally held to a slightly lower consistency than HP or any other bullets than have an open tip and closed base (tipped, exposed lead, or hollow point) that are swaged from base to tip. There is some informational articles on bullet manufacturing around if you are interested
Hey bro… thanks for responding in this thread, When you say several more steps, do you mean in the casing and everything else too or just the bullet? Because I have always wondered this too... if it's just 'let's charge more cause this is special' type of thing… and I'm talking from the manufacturer, not you the dealers… I know it has nothing to do with you.
The bullets are four cents more each for 9mm 124 gr Gold Dots compared to the crappy TMJ… Four cents! So, four cents times a box of 50 is two bucks.
The cost of production is higher but cost has almost nothing to do with price. The price people charge is always the highest they can get away with before demand destruction dents their profits.
This is not a bullet manufacturing question it is an economics question. Those making, selling and distributing the bullets and ammo are in it for the money. If they could charge more they would, even if the cost to manufacture went down. The savings are almost never passed on to the customer, they are almost always taken as profit.
This is not a bullet manufacturing question it is an economics question. Those making, selling and distributing the bullets and ammo are in it for the money. If they could charge more they would, even if the cost to manufacture went down. The savings are almost never passed on to the customer, they are almost always taken as profit.
Besides JHPs being more complex to manufacture, I can think of two more reasons they cost more than FMJ bullets:
1. Sales volume. If I'm going through several thousand bullets a year punching paper, I want the least expensive "good enough" bullet. Even then, plated bullets (eg. Berry's, Cam Pro) win out over the FMJ pistol bullet offerings from the major manufacturers like Speer, Hornady, Winchester, or Remington.
2. R&D costs. Designing a bullet for robust expansion is more complex than just designing one that will fly straight.
1. Sales volume. If I'm going through several thousand bullets a year punching paper, I want the least expensive "good enough" bullet. Even then, plated bullets (eg. Berry's, Cam Pro) win out over the FMJ pistol bullet offerings from the major manufacturers like Speer, Hornady, Winchester, or Remington.
2. R&D costs. Designing a bullet for robust expansion is more complex than just designing one that will fly straight.
Ok, thanks Curseyou. The little 'bs bell' in my brain is usually right and I agree with you 100%…
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What he said^^^^^!
FMJs are designed for economy and ease of production. JHPs are designed for different purposes. With the competition between all the manufacturers to come up with the ultimate one shot consistent stopper ( see RIP ammo for example), the R&D and marketing cost to promote such things must be astronomical esp. in the US where they worry about such things in their carry guns. It's probable a macho thing too in the States where they compare man stopping rounds like people compare Stangs vs. Cameros. All this will bump up cost. Anything with a bit of mystique will cost more. We in Canada just like to plink!
Okay… A speer gold dot bullet 124 grain jacketed hollow point, sells for JUST four cents more than a TMJ 124 grain bullet… That covers that. This four cents per bullet more brings everything back to reality. Everybody can talk about how much more it costs to make a hollowpoint, but evidently it's 4 cents… Four pennies!
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