Author Topic: .380 ammo (Read 2719 times)

Mike in Virginia · « **on:** March 24, 2010, 05:53:41 PM »

I carry an LCP as a backup. I need more ammo. What happened to it? The stores don't have it, and now I've discovered that the big houses like Midway USA are out of stock. The only stuff I can find is the high-dollar Buffalo Bore and other 20-to-a-box premium ammo. I have enough to carry, but I sure can't waste any on practice. The market has been that way since I bought the gun last year. The few dealers that have a box or two for sale, have jacked the prices up so far I can't buy it. If the manufacturers can sell all they make, why the heck ain't they making more? I don't get it.

I thought maybe Mr. President scared folks into hoarding it up, but there ain't none to hoard! It's not like I see it occassionally and it gets sucked up; it never appears.

Such is not the case with other calibers. I see all the 45acp, .357, .38, .44Magnum, that I could ever want. But no .380. It's just weird. Has the entire nation gone .380 crazy?

rockbilly · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2010, 06:06:48 PM »

Watch the AuctionArms and gunBrokers sites thhere is quite a bit of it showing up for auction, think about what you are will to pay for several boxes and jump in.

Old Fart · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2010, 05:24:31 AM »

Quote from: Mike in Virginia on March 24, 2010, 05:53:41 PM

I carry an LCP as a backup. I need more ammo. What happened to it?

With the recent presidential election lots of ammo has become hard to find.
But it's starting to hits the store shelves a little more these days.
Downside for the 380 is manufacturer use the same setup as 9mm.
They're cranking that stuff out as fast as they can.
A result is the 380 isn't getting manufactured as often.
Along with the recent interest in 380 CCW the market has outpaced the supply.

Quote from: Mike in Virginia on March 24, 2010, 05:53:41 PM

I thought maybe Mr. President scared folks into hoarding it up, but there ain't none to hoard! It's not like I see it occassionally and it gets sucked up; it never appears.

This.

rdmallory · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2010, 08:37:01 AM »

Check your local WalMarts. I have found the WWB 100 round boxes the past two weeks for $33 a box.

Doug

OLDPUPPYMAX · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2010, 06:46:39 AM »

The largest gun store in my area posted a sign over its remaining supply (half a dozen boxes) of .380--1 box per week per family! And this is a store which offers perhaps 1000 rifles and shotguns, never mind pistols. The same problem has existed for any number of calibers over the past year, as everybody knows. I finally found .45 LC at Georgia Arms, on the web. 100 rounds delivered to me in Ky. are $63.00, less than Magtech Cowboy loads cost at the store. I haven't owned a .380 for 25 years or so, but I just looked it up and that supplier has 100 rounds, 95gr FMJ for $44.00. Don't know if that's too much or not, but it is available.

rdmallory · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2010, 04:33:03 PM »

I stopped by Gander Mountain on my my to the coast this weekend just to check out what they had.

Lots of primers anything you would want. $4.99 a hundred I snickered and passed. Then I noticed they had the Remington .380 plain hard ball, Get this $50.95 a box. I laughed in his face but he did not seam to care.

No wonder Wally world can't keep them in stock.

Doug

Cheesehead · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2010, 05:10:22 PM »

Quote from: rdmallory on March 28, 2010, 04:33:03 PM

I stopped by Gander Mountain on my my to the coast this weekend just to check out what they had.

Lots of primers anything you would want. $4.99 a hundred I snickered and passed. Then I noticed they had the Remington .380 plain hard ball, Get this $50.95 a box. I laughed in his face but he did not seam to care.

No wonder Wally world can't keep them in stock.

Doug

I had the same experiance with Gander Mountain in Eau Claire WI, obscene price gouging. I will NEVER shop there again. Stop in walmart often and you can get lucky with the 380 ammo.

Cheese

GH1 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2010, 08:16:33 AM »

Have you considered loading your own? I do and it's been working out very well for me, just hate pickling up brass.
GH1

rdmallory · « **Reply #8 on:** March 29, 2010, 10:28:07 AM »

Yes, I reload but .380 brass is not available except on the used market and I will not pay $15 a hundred for used .380 brass.

I have about 500 primed casings I have been using out of but I shoot at an indoor range and you can not pick up brass that falls ahead of the line. The Kahr can through the casing about as far as the bullet.

Doug

Cheesehead · « **Reply #9 on:** March 29, 2010, 12:21:29 PM »

I have considered reloading for the 380, since i reload for 15 other cartridges, just have not gotten around to it and may never do it since it is such a low volume cartridge consumer, my PPK.

Cheese

mechanic · « **Reply #10 on:** March 29, 2010, 12:30:29 PM »

It's been hard to find any pistol ammo in my neck of the woods. I lucked up at our outdoor range the other day and fell in behind a fellow that had shot 3 boxs of 380 then walked away. Before that my brother and I were sharing 100pcs.

I couldn't find bullets for a while, so I bought a mold.....

Now primers are about impossible.

Mike in Virginia · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2010, 04:54:29 PM »

I reckon reloading is a viable option. I'm just a tad concerned about my abilities in that arena. Okay for practice, but I like to have a stockpile of reliable factory ammo for the guns I own.

I'm beginning to think that the shooting public has panicked to some degree because of the Dems who are in currently in power. I sure hope things turn around in that regard, so that we might go back to the norm, or what I think is the norm. To live in fear of your own government is not a good thing. Outlaws should worry about the law, not us. I suppose I'll wait and see if things get better, regarding ammo supply.

rockbilly · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2010, 07:13:51 AM »

Just recently the local Academy store had .380 Monarch for $11.95 a box, the same ammo was listed at th3e gun show last week-end for $40.00 a box. Looks like someone is lining their pockets off the ,380 shooters.

I think I would be looking for a 9mm, there is still plenty of cheap ammo available for them.

Mikey · « **Reply #13 on:** April 02, 2010, 02:07:27 AM »

Mike: Natchez Shooters Supply just sent out a flier advertizing 380 ammo, among others, for about $20 per box of 50.

And reloading is more than just a viable option. If you are capable of properly handling a firearm and practicing adequate safety measures without incident you should not have to worry about your abilities to reload.

Personally reloaded ammo is more than adequate for personal defense and may well be of higher quality than something you get in a box from a factory in Mexico. Think about reloaded ammo being custom tailored to you, your shooting style and defensive needs, and that you can practice with what you carry.

I would not wait and see about the future availablility of ammunition, I would make my own. There are any number of sources for brass, bullets, powder and primers and I would get started by looking into reloading. There is a cost efficiency to reloading that should make any American taxpayer happy and you will have all the ammo you want.

The 380 is a very easy cartridge to load for, as long as you keep your thumb out of the way (lolol). You don't have to go whole hog at first; there is a hand held loading tool that looks like a large set of pliers that allows you to reload in singular stages (size, prime, etc., I think Lee makes it, but reloading for the 380 is something you should really consider. jmtcw.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2010, 02:32:39 AM »

Considering that 380 has been one of the most popular pistol rounds is America for generations, this is absurd. No reason we should be deprived of this stuff damnit.

Definitely start loading Mike. If you are unsure of your abilities, start loading and you'll figure it out. Loading is like a lot of things; it takes a lifeime or more to learn all ther is to know about it, but you can become reasonably profficient in a couple of months. Press together a couple of batches to get the hang of it and get a load worked out and you will then be capable of loading up a stash of ammo limited only by your ability to get components. Creating a new wildcat cartridge is something that requires experience beyound a short time, cranking out a bucket of pistol food does not. You can do it. My first loading experience went like that. I got a press from my uncle. He walked me through a batch of 45acp. We shot it. I went and loaded about 400 the next weekend. No problem. I could have loaded 4000 if I'd had the components. A certain amount of loading is repetition, volume is irrelevant.

For me, I don't shoot much 380 these days. 9mm is cheaper and easier to get, so I got a keltec that's about as compact as a PPK. Problem solved. I have a pocket pistol and it eats the most popular round in the world. Barks a little louder. Big deal.

Another option to consider is going for a commie cartridge. The 9x18 Makarov is real close to a 380. Kind of right between 380 and 9mm. It's cheap and available (for now) Like $200/K. You can get a Polish pistol that looks and handles just like a PPK (I don't remember what it's model designation is, but they are all over shotgun news real cheap) It's a chunk of change to lay out at one shot, but a case of ammo and a pistol to feed it may hold you over until the 380 becomes more available. Right now, there are bargains galore on old East Block ammo. That's the case in pistol and rifle ammo. For the time being, it may be a good option to consider getting a gun or two to take advantage of that fact. Years from now, will that ammo still be available? No one knows. US manufacturers may be making 5.45x39 and 9x18 ammo, or maybe not. That's the problem to worry about then. For now, it makes sense to take what you can get.

mechanic · « **Reply #15 on:** April 02, 2010, 05:17:50 PM »

Just passed by Academy a while ago. Bought some bulk 22 rimfire, the first I've seen in a while. They had no 380, 9mm, 38, 357, or 40 other than the personal defense ammo which was about the same price as my first car.....

Natchez has 3 brands of 380 avail. with limits on quantity, at $19.95 and up.

This is at least an improvement.....

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2010, 01:37:30 PM »

gander mtn says they gottem.. they also say they have the 22 cci velocitor.. another rnd ive found hard to find.. i didn t calem though as the still ain t given it away an thats what it would take for me right now.

slim

Greeenriver · « **Reply #17 on:** April 06, 2010, 05:25:44 PM »

Two weeks ago, Gun & Knife show in Cadillac, MI., had lots of .380 on one of the tables. Was a "Mom & Pop" loading business, and they were like $19.95 a box of 50 for RNFMJ loads. I didn't pay much attention, I've got a couple 5 gallon buckets of .380 brass and a 102 grn RN mold, so I havn't been hurt for .380's even when it wasn't available. 5oo rds will last me a year or more, don't shoot it much.

But that's the first I've seen much of it anywhere. They had a lot of it. Probibly a couple hundred boxes on the table and more under it. Had lots of .223 and 9mm, and 45acp, too.

Just for information, it's comming back into the pipeline slowley but is more available than it was a few months ago.

Greeenriver

reloading_rich · « **Reply #18 on:** April 07, 2010, 03:35:40 PM »

I just got 5 boxes of PMC Bronze 90 gr FMJ from Natchez today. They are still showing them in stock, try them online and see if they still have any. They put a limit of 5 boxes on them but that should hold ya for a little while. Here is a link to it:
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=PM380A&src=tpSlrByr11

1marty · « **Reply #19 on:** April 07, 2010, 06:18:44 PM »

I've been buying reloads over the internet. Plenty of supply. Casings are either win. or rem. They shoot just as good as the new ones.

Richard P · « **Reply #20 on:** April 08, 2010, 05:11:12 AM »

An old adage states in relation to scarcity ''Make do--or do without''. When I bought a 45 it didnt take long to think ''and why dont I own something that uses the most common ammo on the planet ?'' So, I bought a 9mm. I wasnt dependent on one type.
When you visit the gun shows you are in a ''free market'' environment. If they have it and you want it; pay their price or walk away, its your choice. If they were not there you wouldnt even have the option to pay or walk. That seller had to pay for a product, travel to the show, pay for a table, and give up his time to offer their products. They expect to earn a profit. They also must compete. If they dont sell, they have to haul that product and price it so it sells at some point. RP

p15camborne · « **Reply #21 on:** April 09, 2010, 03:51:23 PM »

I'm in Tennessee. Yesterday I bought a box at my local gun shop. Today I bought two boxes at Walmart. They didn't have a lot, but the .380 spot on the shelf wasn't bare.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #22 on:** April 11, 2010, 05:00:12 AM »

Slowly but surely, the big "ammo frenzy" is clearing up. Much like the price of gas though, the prices won't come back all the way down. Funny how that goes.

1marty · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2010, 04:41:43 PM »

during one of the gas shortages Johnny Carson made a joke that certain toilet paper companies had to shut down and supplies would be scarce. Within two days people had cleaned out the shelves of all the toilet paper. My wife's aunt had a closet full of toilet paper. Supply of ammo has come back after all the hoarding. I believe people just ran out of money.

gypsyman · « **Reply #24 on:** April 14, 2010, 03:16:42 AM »

Reload it myself. Use a Hornady 90HP, and Win231. Opens up a plastic 1 gal. jug filled with water quite nicely. Gonna get some 90-95 RDN for plinking. Might even get a mold and start making them too. Do it for every other pistol caliber I load for. gypsyman

tturner53 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 27, 2010, 02:29:52 PM »

Can I reload .380 using 9mm dies? I wouldn't make a habit of it, just wondering if it can be done as a temporary expedient type thing? Guess I could go out in the garage and just try it.

GH1 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 27, 2010, 04:49:08 PM »

I know the shellholders are different, but I don't know about the dies themselves.
GH1

rdmallory · « **Reply #27 on:** April 29, 2010, 04:11:27 PM »

Not the same. .380 is a smaller diameter case.

Doug

tturner53 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 30, 2010, 12:53:14 PM »

I was able to make up a couple dummy rounds using the Lee 9mm dies. The shell holder just barely pulled it out of the sizing die. Seated my 125 gr. cast bullet to about .9" oal to get them big bullets to work in the Firestorm magazine. I will definitely get the proper dies before I go to town loading up a bunch. Can't wait to try the new gun out. Now I look back on all the thousands of spent .380 cases I've pushed aside while brass farming. I have picked up a bucket full of .40 S&W and I don't have one of those, go figure.

GH1 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 30, 2010, 01:35:51 PM »

Quote from: p15camborne on April 09, 2010, 03:51:23 PM

I'm in Tennessee. Yesterday I bought a box at my local gun shop. Today I bought two boxes at Walmart. They didn't have a lot, but the .380 spot on the shelf wasn't bare.

Whereabouts in TN? I'm in AR just across the river from Memphis.
GH1