9mm Ammo - Reload Vs Buy Facotry

[1911jerry]

I am pretty sure I am going to shoot 9mm in production as soon as I can get the DROS papers signed and get the gun delivered.

My question is this Is it cost effective to reload 9mm or buy factory ammo.

Do all factory ammo make minor load?

Does anyone have an opinion on what recipe to use or what factory ammo to buy?

Thanks

JS

[dajarrel]

JS,

I have 9mm dies that are rusting in the shop because I can buy 9mm from Academy Sports in Mobile, AL for $2.86/box of 50. Although I don't shoot it in competition, I believe that I have read in in the forums that it will make the minor floor of 125 pf in G17's and G34's.

FWIW

dj

[MasterLefty]

What are you getting for $2.86 a box. Maybe I need to move to 'Bama.

In Texas, the cheap stuff at Academy is $3.86 a box. It is CCI Blazer and it makes 140pf out of my STI Eagle. The cost works out to $0.077 per round. My component cost, without brass, are $0.067 per round to reload 9mm.

Kenny

Edited October 16, 2005 by MasterLefty

[Larry White]

I think I have every thing to load 9 except brass and I have been thinking about getting a G34 for multi gun. I,m sure I will just buy factory. Too many deals out there to buy 9 if you buy bulk. Major 9 for open is a diffrent deal, but for minor just buy it.-----Larry

[Steve Moneypenny]

I reload my match ammo, and most practice, it is cheaper for me loading lead that i get from KAP bullets. Now when I was working full time I did not have time to sit in front of a reloading press to load ammo..

DAMN those are some good prices, which i could find it at those prices 113/K at wal-mart is best around here.

[tomfturner]

So ... what kind of ammo did Academy have for that price and how much did you have to get to get it.

[Bruce]

At $2.86 a box [of 50, I assume?], I would rent a fork-lift and low-boy to get it home. That is $57'ish per thousand? Wow.

[Carl Provan]

I believe there is a thread about a factory squib load of a different kind in this forum. It states that a 9mm factory load did not have a flash hole and the prime was forced back in to the firing pin hole. This jamed the pistol. By reloading your ammo you are 100% sure of each case having a flash hole. Thus saving a match or lots of trouble.

[MasterLefty]

I believe there is a thread about a factory squib load of a different kind in this forum.  It states that a 9mm factory load did not have a flash hole and the prime was forced back in to the firing pin hole.  This jamed the pistol.  By reloading your ammo you are 100% sure of each case having a flash hole.  Thus saving a match or lots of trouble.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

WRONG!!

I broke an extractor, in my P9, in 1994 because of no flash hole with brass that I reloaded. The brass was new and did not discover that there was not a flash hole until it was too late. (FWIW: the brass was CP 9x21+P+)

Kenny

[Carl Provan]

MasterLefty

I was referring to a different thread

At our last USPSA match, one of the competitors pulled the trigger and the RO thought he heard a slight pop, like a squib. The competitor is told to stop. He can't rack the slide (G22). The RO is a certified Glock Armorer as is our club president and they can't open the slide either. Out comes a plastic mallet and they beat the slide open. The primer had backed up and the gas escaped around the primer. Of course, the primer flowed into the firing pin hole. What is up with this? The only thing we can figure out is there is no flash hole in the case. The guy was shooting Winchester factory ammo from Wal Mart. Later that day, the bullet is pulled and bingo, no flash hole in the cartridge case.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...topic=25399&hl=

I did not have the time to find it earler.

[toddrod]

It depends on if you enjoy reloading as a hobby. I do most of my reloading in the winter down here in Louisiana as my garage is just to hot to work in the summer. I will load 200-400 rounds at a time during the winter and by the time the summer comes around I will have a couple thousand rounds loaded, enough to last until the winter. For me it is a relaxing way to work off some stress. I do this with my 40 and 45 ammo as well.

As for as saving money, I load lead ($20/thousand from a local caster) most of the time and brass is free so I am saving some money. If you load FMJ or plated it will be pretty close to the cheap stuff at Academy.

Again it just depends on what you want to do.

And a Valiant 147g head and 2.9g Titegroup is a hard to beat production load, very soft shooting.

Todd

Edited October 20, 2005 by toddrod

[trjasgunr]

I prefer to reload. My CZ75B likes 124gr bullets better than 115's, and I can't find a good deal on factory 124 FMJ. I buy either Montan Gold or Zero 124's and load with a max charge of Titegroup. Shoots good, moderate recoil, and the CZ just eats it up.

[dajarrel]

What are you getting for $2.86 a box. Maybe I need to move to 'Bama.

In Texas, the cheap stuff at Academy is $3.86 a box. It is CCI Blazer and it makes 140pf out of my STI Eagle. The cost works out to $0.077 per round. My component cost, without brass, are $0.067 per round to reload 9mm.

Kenny

Kenny,

The Academy runs specials periodically for the $2.86/box. It is the CCI Blazer you mentioned. I went back Tuesday night to buy another case and it had gone back up to $3.86. Still rather cheap. I don't think I can reload them for that with jacketed bullets.

But I still don't know if it makes minor We shoot it in one of our club members subgun. We have a ball with it.

dj

Edited November 4, 2005 by dajarrel

[revchuck]

I used the 115 grain Blazer FMJs this year at the LA state IDPA match, and part of the match included a chronograph session for each shooter. It went (IIRC) 1160 fps from the factory barrel of my Beretta Brigadier. That makes it a 133+ PF.

[Newguy]

Some of us shoot production precisely because we don't have the time or desire to reload. These days, my time is limited so it's great to go to Academy, buy cheap ammo, and head off to a match. I think I also got burnt out on reloading, case gauging ammo, etc., etc. Once I start reloading again, which I'll eventually do, I'll go back to Lim or L-10 (.45 ACP).

[GuildSF4]

I don't reload 9mm. Partly because I can get it cheap, and I don't have time to load 9mm and the other stuff I shoot.

[Vlad]

Well, I guess it depends where you live. In NJ, there is no such ammo to be bought. I dont think there is any way to get ammo under $115/1000. No Academy here. My reloads cost me $75/1000 for 147gr JHP loads, not counting brass, but 9mm brass is not something I bother counting. Given that I actually buy nickle plated once fired brass and my loss rate my guess is that the real price is $77/1000. I think that even if I could by Blazer for $57/1000 I would still reload.

[oddjob]

I have a local Wal Mart near by & can get 9mm fairly cheap, but it has a snap to it (as much as a 9mm can have). I reload 9mm to try to squezze out the best of me, because I need the help. I like the softer feel of a reloaded 9mm. Once you go to a match and start trying out a fellow shooter's "home brew" you'll see a difference. In either case have fun!!

[michaels]

Remember that after you've bought about the 74th White Box of Winchester at Walmart, you've spent just about what it would have cost you to buy a 650 from our host....

michaels

[Newguy]

How do you figure 74 boxes? Maybe 74 cases (74,000 bullets), but that's only maybe. The fact is that I can't reload 9mm for much less than $3.50-$4 a box if I use FMJ bullets. That's about the same price I pay for Blazers. A decent reloading machine -- a Dillon SDB, 550B or 650XL -- with the tumbler, dies, gauges, calipers, reloading manuals, scale, media, etc., etc., will run anywhere from $500 and up. It would take a long time to recuperate that money given the cheap 9mm ammo at Academy or Wal-Mart. Reloading .40 and .45s is another story.

What separates out this issue for me is the fairly big price difference between the cost of factory 9mm and .40s. On the other hand, there isn't much of a price difference in terms of reloading the two calibers. It's a simple question of economics.

[George]

For me, reloading 9x19 is a lot cheaper because I have over 10k of 1x brass, 10+ lbs of powder, 7k+ of SP primers and just under 9k of hard cast lead 147's laying around already. I bought a really big supply back when I shot a 17L in Stock/Tactical (that's what it was called before Limited division was created in the early 90's). It's all stuff that I no longer use in competition so it's not going to run out fast the way I plink.

Until that's all gone, I just cannot justify buying anything 9x. If I want jacketed 9x19, I just use my 9x21, or .38 stupor competition heads and up the powder charge.

[Gun Geek]

I have a local Wal Mart near by & can get 9mm fairly cheap, but it has a snap to it (as much as a 9mm can have). I reload 9mm to try to squezze out the best of me, because I need the help. I like the softer feel of a reloaded 9mm. Once you go to a match and start trying out a fellow shooter's "home brew" you'll see a difference. In either case have fun!!

Oddjob hit the real issue - a 147gn 9mm at 127-130 pf is much softer than a a 115gn at 140pf (a 147gn at 130 is much softer than a 115 at 130 for that matter). I reload my 9mm for about 3.50 per box so I don't save much over the $3.86 stuff, but I like it much more. I scrounge range brass - nobody wants it bcause 9mm is so cheap, right?

Here's a real difference - guy was doing plate racks at average of 5.5s or so with white box. With my ammo he averaged about 5s. I can do plate racks in 4.25s or so, if I switch (and run a few to get the timing) my time goes up to about 4.5.

Lastly - I started loading 9's after I bought the press (650) to load other stuff (45's, 308, 22-250, 30 Carbine, 44Mag, 300WSM) which has good savings. The other stuff has paid for the press. I probably wouldn't buy the press to load 9mm, but the small additional cost of the dies makes it work. I'm thinking through reloading 223 right now.

[George]

I'm thinking through reloading 223 right now.

Don't bother unless you really need to tailor a specific load like a Sierra heavy, or already have components out the wazoo. Good quality .223 55gr ammo can be had for under .17/round and that's the best I can do with cheap components if I don't value my time.

[LoneWolf]

I'm thinking through reloading 223 right now.

Don't bother unless you really need to tailor a specific load like a Sierra heavy, or already have components out the wazoo. Good quality .223 55gr ammo can be had for under .17/round and that's the best I can do with cheap components if I don't value my time.

I purchased the RL550B from Brian to reload 45 ACP. I now reload 45, 38Sp and 9mm. I shoot roughly 600-800 rounds a month and after figuring in all expenses vs purchasing it took me roughly 18 months to break even. Now for the past year I've been reloading at a very good savings vs purchasing new ammo. Also, as previously stated, you can find plenty of once fired 9mm brass for free at the range. Just my 2 cents.

Edited November 18, 2005 by LoneWolf

[George]

9x makes sense to reload. The powder used is a minute amount, the brass is practically free, the heads are cheap compared to a match grade rifle bullet. Yeah, there I agree.

For .223 though, I still disagree about doing it yourself unless you are needing a special recipe as I mentioned earlier. I may load all my own .223, but I already have components literally stacked to the ceiling for various reasons and I use the SMK 69 and 77 projectiles. Commercial ammo with those heads on it is really pricey ($275+ a case).