Soon To Disappear Handgun Cartridges

[TruthTellers]

With Glock discontinuing all .45 GAP models, that caliber is likely doomed, but ammo makers will probably keep making ammo for a few more decades. I lucked into getting 6 boxes of ammo for $10/ea at a gun show recently and it shoots fine in my .45 ACP/Colt Redhawk with moon clips.

Really, for any caliber to die it requires having few firearms out there chambered for it. For as antiquated as .22 Short, .25 ACP, .32 S&W and .38 S&W are there are millions of firearms out there that shoot them, so it's still viable for companies to make ammo to feed those guns.

It's the stuff like .45 GAP, .25 and .32 NAA, .22 Remington Jet, etc. that few firearms were made in those calibers that ammo manufacturers can't justify spending time making ammo for. .32 NAA is one I lament often because I feel it's superior to .32 and .380 ACP. Out of that whole list I gave, the .45 GAP is much better positioned to last a while longer because ammo is currently available for it and the pistols are fairly cheap to buy used given the low popularity.

.30 Super, if more pistols aren't made for it soon will die because what it's available in now isn't selling. Put it in a Glock and get 22 rnds to fit into a G17 sized mag and you might see it take off because the consumer is obsessed with capacity.

[orionengnr]

Out of curiosity I just looked up the ammo prices for 41 rem mag and 44s&w special. A 500rd case of 41 rem mag is $650 and the same for the 44special is $480. In ten years time you know those prices are going to double.

How long will the average guy spend this kind of money to take a pistol to the range?

The "average guy" does not own .41 Mag or .44SPL, or several other cartridges.

As a former .41 Mag owner (as well as a former 10mm owner) and a current .44Spl/.45LC owner I can say with some authority that most/nearly all 10mm/.41Mag/.44SPL/.44Mag/.45LC shooters are reloaders. I and everyone I know who own any of these chamberings is.

I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I have been at the range and seen the shooter of any of these cartridges who did not police and take home their brass. And I would still have three fingers left over.

Same applies to any variation of .32, whether it is Super Carry, ACP, S&W Long, H&R or FedMag--I have never found a single empty case from any of those on the floor.

But I bought a fair bit of (and pick up all of my) ACP/SWL/H&R brass and load it up again.

I'm not worried about any of the above loads "disappearing". I have plenty of components and I will be shooting them as long as I am physically able to do so.

[RickP66]

SGAmmo has a thousand round case of 44 Special for $500 right now if you hurry. Only 12 in stock. I'd grab it if I had a use for 44 Special ammo.

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by rmh3481

Out of curiosity I just looked up the ammo prices for 41 rem mag and 44s&w special. A 500rd case of 41 rem mag is $650 and the same for the 44special is $480. In ten years time you know those prices are going to double.

How long will the average guy spend this kind of money to take a pistol to the range?

First thing's first and it's that ammunition prices for the casual gun owner don't really matter because most of them only ever buy one or two boxes of ammo and the firearm sits in a closet or drawer for the next 30 years. For anyone who actually shoots their gun more than once a year, sure, price is a factor, but by far what influences sales is availability.

If there are no .41's or .44's in the shelf, they don't move in meaningful numbers.

The .44 Special will always be carried by .44 Mag, but those prices are very high and for those that don't reload and shoot they either have deep pockets or eat rice and beans every night.

This kind of cements my opinion that large frame, big bore revolvers are just not popular anymore, Dirty Harry is an old movie, nobody under the age of 30 has seen it, not unless they're Eastwood fans. John Wick, Call of Duty, and semi autos are the thing now, although that Red Dead Redemption 2 game did help boost revolvers pretty well. Small frame snubs are what people want in revolvers.

[Pumpkin]

Beans and rice

[44 AMP]

This kind of cements my opinion that large frame, big bore revolvers are just not popular anymore, Dirty Harry is an old movie, nobody under the age of 30 has seen it, not unless they're Eastwood fans. John Wick, Call of Duty, and semi autos are the thing now, although that Red Dead Redemption 2 game did help boost revolvers pretty well. Small frame snubs are what people want in revolvers.

I'd say it depends on what circles you travel in. Large frame big bore revolves are quite popular with a number of folks, still today. They're just not popular with "city folk" who want concealed carry and those people who get a handgun for home defense to use in an emergency only.

I'm not, and never have been in the group who choses what handguns I want based on their appearance on TV and in the movies. Nor does it matter to me what movies are watched by people under 30. My youngest child just retired from the AirForce after his 20 years of service.. (proud Dad!!)

I've owned over a couple dozen handguns, and only one of them has been a small frame snubnose revolver, and I only got that one as part of a multi gun trade deal some decades ago.

Single action revolvers aren't popular defense guns, they haven't been for quite a while, but they still sell a lot of them, every year. New ones, too!!

[1972RedNeck]

This kind of cements my opinion that large frame, big bore revolvers are just not popular anymore, Dirty Harry is an old movie, nobody under the age of 30 has seen it, not unless they're Eastwood fans. John Wick, Call of Duty, and semi autos are the thing now, although that Red Dead Redemption 2 game did help boost revolvers pretty well. Small frame snubs are what people want in revolvers.

Lot's of 44 Mags and 454s in this part of the world. Every outdoorsman I know in these parts has at least one of the two. Even my mother has a 6" Redhawk.

[44 AMP]

I don't have any .454s, never had a desire to go there. I do have four .44Mag pistols, and 2 of them are revolvers.

[1972RedNeck]

I don't have any .454s, never had a desire to go there.

I've never used any caliber in self defense, and hope I never do, but on large animals, the 454 is impressive. Kinda like the old 45-70/90/120/etc, just in handgun form.

Big chunk of lead with a rainbow trajectory that will flatten anything it hits out to any distance that you can put it on target.

I do have four .44Mag pistols, and 2 of them are revolvers.

That's where I'm jealous. My collection needs a couple of 45 magnum auto loaders.

[44 AMP]

That's where I'm jealous. My collection needs a couple of 45 magnum auto loaders.

Keep your eyes (and wallet ) open, they exist, but none I know of are in production now, and haven't been for some time, and not a lot were made.

The only .45 Win Mag auto loaders I can think of are the Automag IV, the Wildey, and the LAR Grizzly.

I had an opportunity to handle and shoot an Automag IV some years ago, I was not terribly impressed. Thought it was ok, but not great. Until it broke, and then it wasn't ok... the gun suffered a rather uncommon magazine failure, the front of the mag split, and it would no longer feed. Prior to that the fellow was trying to get me to trade my Grizzly for his Automag IV, which, I, of course, declined...

I have a Wildey, and a Grizzly in .45 Win mag, and a Contender barrel for the round, as well. Haven't see a Wildey for sale in ages, but I did see a Grizzly at a local shop last spring, for $2500...I would recommend it, if you can find one. A streched and beefed up 1911A1, with good sights and trigger, pachmayr type rubber grips that just seem to "lock into" my hand. I'm quite fond of mine.

[1972RedNeck]

Yeah I've been keeping my eyes open for any of the 3 auto loaders in 45 Mag. Hoping Automag gets up and going again and starts making one in 45 again.