Ammo Shortages = Alternate Calibers?

[Ingramite]

First of all, let me state right out of the box....I do NOT handload.
I know, I probably should, but I don't.

Second of all, let me declare that I should have been like the squirrel saving nuts for the winter. I should have been rat-holing ammo when it was cheap and plentiful....but I didn't.

Am I alone? No, probably not.
Combine that with all of the new found shooters dumped into the market of handgun ammo purchasers.

So now, I can't find 9mm or .38 special. At the last local gun show there was a guy with a whole table of 9mm range ammo that he was selling for $55.00 a box!

A local chain sporting goods store recently had about 20 boxes of .38 Super for $22.00 a box and it was the ONLY ammo on the shelf. Another store of the same chain had some .32acp on the shelf.

I have dusted off my .32acp pistols and I just bought a beautiful stainless steel Colt 1911 Government in .38 Super.

How about you?
Are you looking at "alternate calibers" yet?

[Richard b]

I noticed plenty of 12 and 20 gauge skeet and bird shotshells in Wal-Mart this morning . No new handgun calibers for me right now.

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[big al hunter]

. First of all, let me state right out of the box....I do NOT handload.
I know, I probably should, but I don't.

Might be time to start getting equipment and learning how.

Even handloaders are feeling the pinch. Powder and primers are nowhere to be found. I purchased a couple thousand primers just prior to the rush. And I cast my own handgun bullets. But I think I will only shoot what I need to for hunting season this year. I will pick up on heavier practice when this all calms down. I refuse to pay insane prices because of shortages. If we all walked past the stupid high price tags and waited for cheaper products, the prices would naturally fall back to normal. Law of supply and demand works both ways. Just don't stock up now.

I figure this will calm down and prices of ammo will dip close to what they were. Then the used gun market will get flooded with all the people who bought a gun "just in case" but couldn't find the right one. So gun prices will be decent. I might get a new revolver and caliber when that happens. But I'm not searching for anything that meets the current availability of ammo. I just won't shoot as much for a while

[jimku]

Handloading is absolutely no advantage when components are as impossible to find as ammo.

[CDW4ME]

The 38 Super was a good choice, its not too late to get "reasonably priced" (comparatively) ammo for it.
https://triggerdepot.com/product/pmc...0-fmj-50-1000/
https://www.targetsportsusa.com/38-super-ammo-c-53.aspx

38 Super also be a good choice if under a 10 round limit, ammo shortage or not.

32 acp for SD? No thanks.

[FotoTomas]

I have always subscribed to the idea of having options in my collection for some of the more obscure calibers simply because you never know what opportunities may present themselves.

At a retired LEO qualification a fellow retiree presented me with a plastic bag of various cartridges from a recently deceased friend. She was not a hobbyist and had nothing that could use the ammo. There was .357 Magnum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .38 SPECIAL, some .32 Winchester Silvertip, and several various 9mm rounds. No .380 ACP which was her exclusive carry gun in retirement. I had options to shoot every round up. You never know and choices are good to have.

I will admit however a .38 Super might be a fun gun to add but then again I keep thinking I need to downsize in my old age. Decisions, decisions. ������

[jmr40]

When that 38 Super and 32 ammo is gone none of the manufacturers will produce any more until they get caught up on production of more common rounds. It could be a year or more before any is on the shelves. Maybe a lot longer than a year.

9mm ammo however is being produced just as fast as manufacturers can make it and it is being delivered daily. You may just have to be at the right place at the right time. Or place an online order and wait a little while.

I still think the better plan is to keep a good supply of common ammo available to get through these times. Reloading common rounds like 9mm and 223 isn't economically feasible for me and unless you've stocked up on components in advance it offers no advantage.

On the back end of this factory loaded ammo in common rounds will be available a lot sooner than less common rounds or loading components.

[CDW4ME]

Originally Posted by jmr40

When that 38 Super and 32 ammo is gone none of the manufacturers will produce any more until they get caught up on production of more common rounds. It could be a year or more before any is on the shelves. Maybe a lot longer than a year.

Yup.

If I had bought a 38 Super and didn't have ammo, I'd order a couple cases (minimum).

I've got 10mm and 357 Sig - like you said, manufacturers will probably not be making those calibers first.

[Ingramite]

Thanks for the input (and ammo sources).

It's crazy which is the "new norm".
For years I've shied away from .38 Super because of my perception of ammo availability and cost. Curious but not so much as to cause me to whip out my wallet.

Of course, I've always been a sucker for beauty....

[74A95]

Once you start shooting that 38 Super, you might throw away all your other guns.

[Webleymkv]

I would think that a .38 Super 1911 would be pretty easy to convert to 9mm when the panic subsides. A barrel and maybe magazine and recoil spring would be all that's needed I'd think (the case heads are different, but they're close enough that the extractor and ejector should still work fine with both calibers).

Personally, I like to cover my bases by reloading, having a decent stock of both ammo and components, and having a variety of calibers. Even if all I can find are dusty old boxes of .25 ACP, .32 S&W Long, .38 S&W, and/or .44 Special I'll still have something to shoot Which reminds me, I really should pick up guns in .38 Super, .41 Magnum, and .45 Long Colt.

[jetinteriorguy]

Even though I haven’t needed to go to Cabelas for anything, I bet they still have plenty of .22TCM on the shelf at $20.00 per box.

[peterg7]

I’ve been kicking around the idea of buying some BB .45super for my 45 Blackhawk convertible, finally got a bit of extra cash so I logged into Midway to buy a 50 round box of 255gr hardcast.

All gone, who would of thunk a run on .45 super? Ain’t nothing safe with the ammo locusts about.


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[stinkeypete]

Handloading is absolutely no advantage when components are as impossible to find as ammo.

A standard brick of primers is qty. 1000 and costs about $40
A pound of 231 is 7,000 grains and costs about $30 bucks- that's over 2,000 rounds of .380 or lots more than a thousand .38 special or .357. Probably the same for 9mm.

Everyone needs a pound of Unique for the bigger bore loads... about 11 grains for .44 magnum so about 700 rounds per pound- you can use it for all the smaller calibers too- it's just a little fussy. I use Unique for my 30-06 loads- sure it's only a 170 grain cast bullet going about 2000 fps but a ballistic tip bullet at that speed takes any whitetail.

So... with a pound of 231 (or bullseye), a brick of small pistol primers, a couple broken out packs (100 each) of large pistol primers and about the same for rifle primers I have more than 2,000 rounds of whatever ammo I care to go shooting with for a cash layout of less than $120 not counting bullets. And bullets just seem to collect because as I experiment I find some perfectly GOOD boxes with 80 or more remaining bullets inside because I found something OUTSTANDING that I prefer- either of which are superior to factory loads.

So yeah, it looks like people are buying up primers and powder now. Huh. Oh well. I only have two pounds of powder remaining. Woe is me, only about 2,000 rounds of any caliber I need in the basement, whenever I get around to building more.

That said, I did collect a couple thousand rounds of .22 LR not so much anticipating panic but learning about how when you find a good lot of .22LR buy up a bunch of it, especially when it's on sale.

This will pass. The advantage of reloading is that I presently shoot .32 H&R, .380, .38 Special and .44 Magnum. I never know what mood will strike so rather than buying completed ammunition for ALL of them I buy boxes of 500 cast lead bullets and only need a pound of 231 and a pound of Unique. Sure... I could use a pound of TrailBoss and a pound of 2400 and I would not mind a pound of Bullseye and... but I have been trying to simplify and de-collect stuff.

As for .38 Super- other than I expect it's got a loud report... it's very tempting! I have never owned a 1911 in .38 super but I would like one!!!
And of course I would be reloading because it shares bullets with the .380 I already have a stock of bullets for, so I would only need some brass for it.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Webleymkv

I would think that a .38 Super 1911 would be pretty easy to convert to 9mm when the panic subsides. A barrel and maybe magazine and recoil spring would be all that's needed I'd think (the case heads are different, but they're close enough that the extractor and ejector should still work fine with both calibers).

Caspian Arms uses the same slide cut for 9mm and .38 Super, and the smae slide cut for .40 S&W and 10mm.

But the 1911 is more flexible than that suggests. I have it on good authority (a friend who tested it for me) that Para-Ordnance used the same slide cut for 9mm and for .40 S&W. He tested it by inserting a fired .40 case into the slide of his P18.9.

So, yes, it's a no brainer to use the same slide for 9mm and .38 Super. It probably won't ever need a different recoil spring, but it might call for slight tweaking of the extractor tension.

[Drm50]

How much ammo does one need for a pistol such as 32acp or 9mm for that matter. Unless you are going to play with it a couple boxes should be more than enough. Panic is here again you need 2500 rds of 25acp to protect your 112 4packs of toilet paper.

[Targa]

Where I am at there plenty of rimfire...22lr/magnum, .17HMR and big bores, .45/.454, .460, .44mag and .41mag.

[PocketCamera]

at least 500 rounds is needed. gotta practice you know.

but never thought the idea of getting new calibers because your standard ones arent on the shelf was a good idea

[Bozz10mm]

Well, I've got a ton of .22 lr ammo, so bought a S&W M&P 22 Compact to shoot instead my 9mm and 45 ACP. The M&P 22 Compact is very close in size to my Shields which are my carry guns. Heck it even fits nicely in the same holster.

If I get the urge to do some rifle shooting, I just swap out my 10/22 instead of my Mini 14. And yes, Co2 powered BB pistols can help satisfy the hunger when you get the itch to shoot. I can do that in my back yard.

[5whiskey]

I would look into reloading. Sure, powder and primers are as scarce as hens teeth. But, I have enough powder/primers to make about 4K rounds of 9mm, 2.5k 45, 1k or so of 5.56 (caught with my pants down a bit but oh well), Thousands of my various milsurp caliber rounds (.303, 7.5 Swiss, 7.7 Jap, 8mm, .30-06, and 7.62x54 right now).

That’s probably 500 or so worth of powder and primers when I bought them at pre panic levels. Prices are cheaper to stock up with when you reload. Especially if you cast and don’t have to worry about projectiles. I could make enough 9mm alone right now to more than make up for that $500 investment.

[BJung]

Where is that barrel business that use to sell inexpensive pistol barrels so you could convert your rounds.

Then there were those conversion kits so you could shoot a .308 in a 30-06..

Those were the days..

[TruthTellers]

The only alternative calibers I would buy are those where the ammo is 50 cents a round or less and the guns that shoot them aren't terrible expensive.

.38 Super would be a no go for me, mostly found in 1911's with high price tags.

Stuff like 9x18, 7.62x25, .38 S&W... I could do those.

[Ibmikey]

DRM50, obviously you do not exercise your firearms regularly, in the past three months I have consumed over 700 rounds of 9mm and countless .223. Having two thousand 9 mm on the shelf is not much of a cushion for me. It is also nice to have a really good supply of .22 for the grandkids and moochers that would not spend the money when it was available.

[ms6852]

During these times of ammo shortages for whatever reason the causes are, if you do not have ammo now or firearms you now know that it is futile. Thinking that may reloading equipment is key now is also futile. The only possibility now that exist is you must except the fact that you are willing to pay for ammo or firearms with your blood or a 200% markup.
If one is frightened at this juncture and you have lived without firearms throughout your life continue doing what you've done. Most of us that have firearms and ammo have it not because were are end of the world fatalists but just enjoy the sport of shooting so we stock up on what we use. You may find an honest person willing to sell at a fair price, but lets face it, this is America and we are a capitalist nation and when opportunity knocks we embrace it with open arms.

[CDW4ME]

Originally Posted by Drm50

How much ammo does one need for a pistol.

Depends on how much you plan to shoot that pistol.
I suggested a couple cases (minimum) for the OP's 38 Super since he has (had) no ammo for it.
Case of 1,000 rounds gets free shipping, at $19 box of 50 that is one of the best ammo deals currently.

Example of how long 1,000 rounds might last, dependent on shooting of course.
Perhaps 200 rounds to ensure reliable function, get use to shooting the pistol.? Seems reasonable.
800 rounds left.
If one plans to shoot 100 rounds a month (doesn't seem excessive) the remaining 800 rounds will last 8 months.
Do we think that in April 2021 (8 months from now) 38 Super ammo will be available for $19 box of 50? IDK
Which is why if it was me, I'd have ordered at least 2 cases of that ammo.

Someone that only shoots a couple hundred rounds a year (whatever) have a different computation how long x,xxx rounds of ammo will last.