Ammo cost: .223/5.56 vs. 7.62x39

[Quoheleth]

This is a double check, more than anything else.

Is it just me, or are these two rounds pretty close in cost/round these days - I'm talking plinking ammo here, not high-end precision .223 stuff. Flipping through my latest Centerfire Systems catalog, and then cross-referencing AIM surplus, JG Sales, and Ammotogo websites they are closely comparable.

Wasn't that always one of the +'s of the Russian caliber: cheap? Seems to me they are on equal footing these days as far as the pocketbook goes.

My observations - anyone else concur or disagree?

Q

 

[Motodeficient]

I agree they are pretty much equal in price. However most people run steel cased stuff in AKs, where most people seem to want to stick with brass in the ARs, which is considerably more $

 

[ny32182]

I've never understood why x39 can be comparable in price to .223 considering that materials cost has to be a MAJOR factor in the cost of common ammo, and x39 contains more of it (heavier bullet, namely).

 

[c5_nc]

.223 steel case should be cheaper but it is not. Steel ammo price is pretty much equal. Reloadable brass 223/5.56 ammo is actually cheaper than 7.62x39. But as already brought up, I like most people typically shoot the $200-225 per case Steel in AK, and Shoot $300-325 Brass ammo in my AR. I don't reload the value of the left over brass I guess splits the difference.

 

[DMK]

I've never understood why x39 can be comparable in price to .223 considering that materials cost has to be a MAJOR factor in the cost of common ammo, and x39 contains more of it (heavier bullet, namely).

Most 7.62x39 that we use is steel cased and made in ex-soviet states. These companies are still shipping this ammo to military contracts around the world. We get to take advantage of the economy of scale (if you gear up to make a product more efficiently and buy raw materials in larger bulk, you can sell the final product for less and steal sales from your competition).

Steel cased .223 ammo is also made by these same manufacturers but most consumers of this caliber want brass cased ammo so they don't sell it on the same scale as the 7.62x39.

 

[WoofersInc]

Wasn't that always one of the +'s of the Russian caliber: cheap?

That is why a lot of people are getting AK's chambered in 5.45x39 these days. You can get it for a lot less than the above 2 calibers. Look for the price of this round to go up significantly if the trend continues.

 

[Justin]

Most 7.62x39 that we use is steel cased and made in ex-soviet states. These companies are still shipping this ammo to military contracts around the world. We get to take advantage of the economy of scale (if you gear up to make a product more efficiently and buy raw materials in larger bulk, you can sell the final product for less and steal sales from your competition).

Labor and production costs in those countries are also lower relative to the United States. If every worker from the miner digging the raw materials out of the ground to the guy stocking the outgoing crates of ammo on a loading dock makes less than their US counterpart, the cost gets passed on.

They're probably more lax about safety and environmental issues as well.

On top of that, currency exchange rates likely play a significant part in the cost of foreign-made ammunition as well.

 

[ny32182]

All good points. I guess the closest comparison is Wolf .223 vs. Wolf x39; and would have to assume that all factors other than volume are equal.

 

[Quoheleth]

I know this is a rifle forum, so I ask for a moment of latitude as the question parallels into the pistol realm...

Wasn't cost of ammo for the 9mm Mak supposed to make it a cheap plinker, too? Last I saw the Mak ammo (steel case) is in the same ballpark as cheap 9mm Luger/Para brass these days. So much for cheap milsurp ammo, I guess. Then again, it's still a heckuva lot cheaper than .380...

Q

 

[C-grunt]

I recently bought steel cased .223 from Cabelas for 4.99 a box of 20. It shot pretty decent and didnt have that think laquer that older Wolf had. I heard Wolf did away with the heavy laquer, is that true?

 

[WoofersInc]

All good points. I guess the closest comparison is Wolf .223 vs. Wolf x39;

At the gunshow this past weekend on of the distributers had Wolf 223 and Wolf 7.62. Both were priced at $199 per 1000. So right now they are the same pricewise

I heard Wolf did away with the heavy laquer, is that true?

Yes. They are using a polymer coating now.

 

[DMK]

Wasn't cost of ammo for the 9mm Mak supposed to make it a cheap plinker, too? Last I saw the Mak ammo (steel case) is in the same ballpark as cheap 9mm Luger/Para brass these days. So much for cheap milsurp ammo, I guess. Then again, it's still a heckuva lot cheaper than .380...

I haven't seen any surplus 9x18 in a long while. It was cheaper when it was available. Wolf, Silver Bear, Barnual, Monarch, etc are not milsurp. They are new production ammo made in ex-Soviet states.