.380 Ammo - talk about charging 'what the market will bear' !

[david86440]

I agree with the reload comment, but WHERE do you get the parts? Primers just recently became available, profectiles are doing ok, but I can't get brass, to save my life. I don't reload my S/D ammo, shoot only factory, but like to reload my practice/plinking ammo. I guess I'll have to break down and order some online. Know a good source for once fired or new?

Saturday I just happened to stop in at Huntingtons in Oroville, CA (founder of RCBS) and they had small pistol primers. I've been calling them for weeks and they keep saying they were out and to check again. They actually let me buy the full carton unlike Sportsman's WH,  limiting me to 200-500 when they have had them.

I have friends that don't reload and I have them save me their fired brass. I just sorted the last bunch as it was .380, 9mm, 40, 45, .38 spcl. I weighed the bag and it was a little over 6 lbs of brass.

If you have friends that don't reload, ask them to save it for you.

[CJS3]

I agree with the reload comment, but WHERE do you get the parts? Primers just recently became available, profectiles are doing ok, but I can't get brass, to save my life. I don't reload my S/D ammo, shoot only factory, but like to reload my practice/plinking ammo. I guess I'll have to break down and order some online. Know a good source for once fired or new?

There are several different places, locally, that I buy components from. I never wait until I need something to buy it. I always pick up primers whenever I can (my local reload supply limits primer sales to 500 per. For that reason he ALWAYS has primers). Same with powder. I've got a lot on hand, and buy more of the most used whenever I see a good deal (or even an OK deal). I also keep supplies of powder I don't always use, as a backup just in case. ALL of my brass is range brass (I always come back with more than I take), except for some of the odd calibers (7.62x54R and .45 AR). And bullets are always bought in bulk and on sale. If I were going to load just my 380 components, I'd have about 500 rounds to play with. I keep factory 380 for SD, but never shoot more than 5 rounds of SD per range visit.  

[Badgersmilk]

Cabela's, while high priced on most things is a good place for reloading supplies.  Midway is good as long as you don't get anything like powder or primers.  They charge extra for shipping of that stuff.  Much more so than other internet sellers.  Cheaper than dirt, midsouth shooters supplies, Shooters warehouse, there's tons of places on the internet that are good.  Gander Mountain, if your in MI Jay's is good, and William's Gun Sights.

The thing with getting primers is that their CHEAP!  When you see them, get a BUNCH.  I couldn't find them at all for about 6 months, but when I finally did...  I won't run out again for the rest of my life now! 

[jaybet]

If you belong to a fairly active range there is brass to be had. The reloading craze is basically over and now that folks can buy ammo again they're too lazy to reload. The thing is you have to be willing to spend time "pecking" for brass. You have to be a brass whore. I try to always go home with more brass than rounds fired, and don't be afraid to ask people if they reload. If they don't they're usually willing to give you their brass.
Trouble is, I haven't found much 380 brass....again I go back to the fact that it's not all that popular. Most people want a substantial round and there's not a whole lot of it going boom at the ranges. Of course, maybe some of that is because of the going prices too.

[1911 Junkie]

Trouble is, I haven't found much 380 brass....again I go back to the fact that it's not all that popular. Most people want a substantial round and there's not a whole lot of it going boom at the ranges. Of course, maybe some of that is because of the going prices too.

I like my Kel-Tec, carry it all the time. The popularity is one of the reasons ammo is so expensive.

Problem is that most of the .380's just aren't fun to shoot. The triggers kinda suck and they are small friggen guns that don't fit the hand well. Good for SD, not good for plinking. And there is that pesky ammo price thing.

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