SnowinOnRaton Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 I’m just getting into reloading. My wife and I shoot mostly 9mm, and to a lesser degree some .223. We try to hit the range once a week and put about 250-300 rounds each down range. That’s been getting pretty expensive for our budget so we’ve decided to get into reloading to get more shooting in for our buck. We knew this was coming so we’ve been saving our brass for a while now and man am I glad we did! Out of curiosity I started looking at what new unfired brass costs and I cannot for the life of me, understand why anyone would purchase new brass. Seriously, why does it cost the same or more as factory loaded ammo?! A few online searches for unfired 9mm brass seems to average $.17-$.19 per 1000. I can buy white box Winchester, Magtech, Fiocchi, and Blazer 9mm for that price all day every day. It doesn’t make any sense to my newbie reloader brain so will someone please humor my stupid question and explain to me why the hell unfired brass is the same or more as factory ammo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
223to45 Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Not sure were you was looking.But I generally buy 9mm brass at 2 1/4 cents apiece.The 17-19 is probably the total cost to reload one round.Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
223to45 Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Oops sorry, missed the part you said "unfired".I buy once fired brass.Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36873687 Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Reloading. Will save u money but not really just get that out of your head. U will just shoot more an that’s ok. Just save your brass never buy new brass no need if u shooting 9 minor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowinOnRaton Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 Thx for the replies guys. Yeah I totally get I’m not going to “save money” so to speak. I’m trying to get more shooting in for the same out of pocket expense. Just trying to maximize our shooting to dollar ratio. I was just stunned to see the cost of new unfired brass is the same as some loaded factory ammo. Stunned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stick Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 No need to buy new brass for 9mm minor. Do you have a local indoor range close by? if so, see if they will sell you once fired brass. If that's not an option, The classifieds usually have non dealer brass sales with some good deals on brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 You'll certainly get relatively clean brass from an indoor range. Here, 9mm is plentiful and you can pick all you want from OUTDOOR ranges - or take them from the bucket where people discard their unwanted brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmlook Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 normally people buy new unfired brass for consistency. same reason people mark or save their brass at the range and/or matches that allow it. you can monitor the number of reloads you put through your brass, and hopefully eliminate the risk of failed case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 6 hours ago, SnowinOnRaton said: I cannot understand why anyone would purchase new brass. You are 100% correct Matter of fact, I have never met anyone, in 60 years of shooting, who has EVER purchased new brass. Everybody I know either pays $20 - $40/1,000 (yes, that's 2 - 4 cents per piece of brass), or they pay nothing at all by picking up brass at their local range. I've never paid more than 2 cents/brass - and I have about 20,000 pieces of brass in my garage right now, even as we speak. THAT is The Biggest Saving in reloading - re-using the brass over and over again until the primers won't stay in the pocket, or the brass splits. The other three components (primer, powder and bullet) will still cost you $ 5+ per box of 50), but the brass will cost either 1. NOTHING if you find used brasss, or 2. as you mention, a small fortune for NEW brass. And, that's why NOBODY uses New Brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George16 Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Most people I have seen but new brass for reloading are bench rest shooters looking for consistency for their loads. Some 38 super guys buy new brass from starline since it not a lot of people shoot them around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevadazielmeister Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 3 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said: You are 100% correct Matter of fact, I have never met anyone, in 60 years of shooting, who has EVER purchased new brass. Everybody I know either pays $20 - $40/1,000 (yes, that's 2 - 4 cents per piece of brass), or they pay nothing at all by picking up brass at their local range. I've never paid more than 2 cents/brass - and I have about 20,000 pieces of brass in my garage right now, even as we speak. THAT is The Biggest Saving in reloading - re-using the brass over and over again until the primers won't stay in the pocket, or the brass splits. The other three components (primer, powder and bullet) will still cost you $ 5+ per box of 50), but the brass will cost either 1. NOTHING if you find used brasss, or 2. as you mention, a small fortune for NEW brass. And, that's why NOBODY uses New Brass. You need to get out more. Quite a few people buy their brass new. Having said that, for my 38 Super Comp rounds I am at $0.16 per round and while re-using my own brass, which I specially mark, the costs are minimal when it is understood that you can get 20 some odd firings of Starline brass. This brings the cost per round to $0.18 to $0.20 per round depending on whether I am at a club level or lost brass match. Buying brass ensures reliability in the firearms and the reloading machine. It is well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 (edited) People buy new brass because they want higher quality and more consistency (real or imagined). That's like asking why someone would pay $40/lb for Vihtavuori powder instead of $20/lb for Winchester. Edited September 26, 2018 by kneelingatlas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 I would not hesitate to use once-fired brass, even for major. I can get all the 9mm brass I want for free, as long as I am willing to sift through all the brass buckets at the range. A buddy does just that. He brings his sorting baskets with him, dumps the bucket into the top basket and shakes. He keeps the calibers he wants and dumps the rest back in. I can go to the local indoor range and buy a 9mm bulk ammo box full of 9mm cases (and others) for $10. I can buy pristine once fired for $27/1000 shipped. I don't do any of those things. To save time and effort I buy fully processed once-fired in 6,000 case lots for 3.5 cents each. The cases are resized, deprimed, primer pocket swaged, push through resized, cleaned in SS media, dried and lightly waxed. I don't have to worry about Glock bulges or crimped primers. I just dump them in the case feeder and load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Reloading is a hobby it it's own right with almost infinite variables with which to experiment. Everyone has their own priorities when it comes to time, money, accuracy, consistency, and recoil impulse so to say there is one "correct" perspective is foolish. Many of us have spent years dialing in our process so we will have valuable input, but ultimately you have to make your own judgements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgh Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 If you have the option of always picking up your own brass, buy new and keep using it over and over. Same headstamp and same # of rounds through each piece of brass. Maybe even the same chamber. That will keep things consistent if that is important. But if you can't conveniently pick up your own brass it can be a PITA sifting through others' brass to find yours. I shoot on my own property and have a gravel covered range and so it is easy for me to just buy new or separate once shot by headstamp and still keep things simple. Having said that, I have so much brass separated by headstamp that I never anticipate buying more brass and haven't bought new in decades. Many guys who post here shoot mixed headstamp of uncertain history and it serves their purpose well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExStreetWalker Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Not sure where you were looking for new brass but Starline is $130.50/1000 delivered. I've purchased new brass many times. Used to be the Cabela's Bargain Cave had some good deals once in a while on opened packs of new brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcfoto Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 47 minutes ago, lgh said: If you have the option of always picking up your own brass, buy new and keep using it over and over. Same headstamp and same # of rounds through each piece of brass. Maybe even the same chamber. That will keep things consistent if that is important. This is the beauty of shooting revolver with moonclips, you always get your own brass back even during a big busy match! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 9 minutes ago, Mcfoto said: This is the beauty of shooting revolver with moonclips, you always get your own brass back even during a big busy match! Heck, blackpowder is even better …. NO brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowinOnRaton Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 A lot of info here so thanks for that everybody. It’s pretty much as I suspected. For my needs anyway, I can’t see where buying new brass would ever make sense. Being new to reloading I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t something I was misunderstanding or missing regarding the cost or benefits. It just seems to me with the average cost of new unfired 9mm brass being equal on average to a finished round (that includes reloadable case), there is just no reason to buy new brass. I currently have about 6k rounds on hand that I need to clean so I have plenty to get me started and keep me busy for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Two schools of thought, of course (isn't there always), but I keep using 9mm brass, for 9mm MAJOR, until it cracks. I bought a batch of 1x fired brass, one time, and it didn't look or feel any better than range brass to me, so I keep buying /scrounging range brass . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowinOnRaton Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 3 hours ago, zzt said: ... To save time and effort I buy fully processed once-fired in 6,000 case lots for 3.5 cents each. The cases are resized, deprimed, primer pocket swaged, push through resized, cleaned in SS media, dried and lightly waxed. I don't have to worry about Glock bulges or crimped primers. I just dump them in the case feeder and load. At that price it might be worth it to me when I consider the time savings of cleaning and processing myself. May I ask where you buy yours from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 I bought them from Ammobrass. The picture is deceiving. What you actually get looks better than what is shown. In fact, it looks better than new brass. https://www.ammobrass.com/product-page/9mm-fully-processed-reloading-brass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stick Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 34 minutes ago, zzt said: I bought them from Ammobrass. The picture is deceiving. What you actually get looks better than what is shown. In fact, it looks better than new brass. https://www.ammobrass.com/product-page/9mm-fully-processed-reloading-brass Wow! they look really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 (edited) I have never paid for 9mm brass. It’s everywhere at every range you visit. Really helps keep the cost down on your reload’s price. Edited September 26, 2018 by MemphisMechanic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMahan Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Thanks for this!! I can get all the 9, 40, and 45 I want, but nobody shoots .38 (more importantly, they don't leave it laying around), Placing order... Thanks again John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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