How much cheaper to load 9mm?

[Reefinmike]

Actually could be more like .50$ for powder, but yeah, 45 seems a lot more fun for only a little more dough.

Now, who makes 45acp rifles anyway?

paddy- I have a mech tech upper assembly for my glock 41. Its a hoot to shoot sending 230 grains of lead down range. Pair it with a 30 round kriss magazine and you cant have much more fun.

I cast my own bullets for everything. A lot of my bullets I do end up powder coating but I shoot straight cast alox lubed bullets out of my glock 41 and mech tech rifle in 45acp. No issues with lead in either firearm. If you want to reload 9 and shoot a ton, seriously look into casting your own. spend $50 on a lee bottom pour lead pot, a 2 cavity bullet mold and you might as well buy an appropriate bullet sizing die while making an order. especially if you are powder coating. A lot of people have some difficulty shooting cast lead at 9mm velocities. I'd honestly just knock out many issues beginner reloaders(especially bullet casters) experience by doing a quick cheap and easy tumble coat in some harbor freight red powder coat. Once you get a little experience under your belt, you can mess around with more traditional bullet lubes, alloys, gas checks, bullet size etc etc. Everything I load is $2 a box or less 380, 38, 357, 45, 300blk, err well actually 12 gauge slugs cost me $2.50 a box.

 

[jrdolall]

I reload 9mm for about $8 per 50. That is higher than many here but I am a newbie in reloading so many of my components were purchased towards the end of the panic. I have more 9mm brass than you can possibly imagine as I saved it for a couple of years before I ever started loading. We have a shooting range at my farm and I picked up every piece of brass that was left behind with 9mm being by far the most common. Recently I have had a couple of friends keep their brass and give it to me.
I don't consider my time because I don't reload when I should be working. I may only load 50-100 rounds in a session but I enjoy the pastime.

 

[Shooter973]

I bought primers back before"the crazy times" for $15 per thousand, and a couple of 5 pound jugs of Bullseye at the same time. I've been casting for years and have a huge supply of cast bullets built up in many calibers. The wheel weights were free. All my 9mm brass was free. I size my 9mm bullets to the same size as my 357 bullets. My costs are cut way back. I think my total cost is close to $2 per box. And i don't have rely on the LGS. I shoot these lead loads out of nearly a dozen handguns and a Ruger PC9. They do everything I need done. I saw what could happen if BO got the Presidents job , and acted accordingly. What shortages?
As for 45acp rifles, I have a Volunteer Arms Tommy Gun knock off. Works well with a cast round nose bullet,and a dose of Bullseye. Mine takes tommy gun 30 round stick mags. I have 14 of them. Loaded up they weigh a ton. Lots of fun, works magic on bowling pins.

 

[Kframe]

Who makes .45ACP rifles anyway?

Not many folks, but a few come to mind.
The Marlin Camp Carbine was a sweetie, came in .45 and 9mm.
The .45 used 1911 magazines, and I think the 9mm used S&W M59 mags.

As far as custom jobbies, I've seen a couple very short action .45 ACP bolt rifles, they were built up as brush/scout guns, and due to the action strength some very authoritative rounds could be worked up and one saw very nice use as a hog gun, and both were used on deer in thick woods (think ~40 yd max shots).
Ballistics were in the .44Mag neighborhood.

 

[Kframe]

Reloading is not for everybody, and one of the key decision points for anyone starting reloading (any caliber) should be - how much will you shoot?

Before the "how much will you shoot" factor, the key decision to whether to reload or not is:
1. Do you enjoy it, i.e. would it be worth your time? Even at minimum wage, if you took time off work to reload there is NO WAY it would be cheaper than buying factory ammo. So, if it is a grueling chore to you, don't do it.

2. Do you have the ability and motivation to pay attention to detail? If you don't, you will at the least make crappy ammo that functions poorly, and in the worst case, could be deadly.

If you can't satisfy those two prerequisites, no other discussion of economy is significant.

 

[Paddy]

That's definitely not the question I think I like the loading more than the shooting. It's more a question of should, instead of 45acp which I already know and love. Consolidating components has its advantages in many ways too. But, so does diversification....

 

[Dudedog]

I don't count my time - it is a hobby. Shooting is a hobby, reloading is just an extension of that hobby.

Exactly, if I added in my time spent reloading and on THR 9mm would probaply be $40 a box.

Not counting time 9mm is about $6.50 (depends on the bullet lead/plated), ..45 is about $2 a box more largely due to the increased bullet cost.

 

[mstreddy]

Paddy,
Should? Good question, that is. I am equipped to load for 28 cartridges/calibers. The round I shoot the most is 9MM, it accounts for over 48% of my loading. The next round is 38 Spcl, then 223 Rem, then 45ACP.
One of the other key benefits of reloading is that you can easily, cheaply, and quickly adopt another cartridge. I got into 300 Blackout when commercial ammo was non-existent, no worries, it was on my bench. But, I think you know that already.
So, I say, go for it. A 9MM carbine is a ton of fun.

 

[Mike Kerr]

Paddy,
Yeah, to get back on track regarding your OP, it is worth it to set up a separate caliber (9mm) for reloading. I load and shoot both 9mm and 45 and its well worth it. Carbines have a way of eating ammo and they are a hoot to shoot. 45 ACP carbines are available but there are many more 9mm for a somewhat cheaper price point and it is a few cents per round cheaper in ammo costs to shoot 9 rather than 45. Give it a shot.

regards,

 

[tcoz]

My biggest savings as a percentage is 45 and 300 BLK. Smallest is 223/5.56. 9mm is right in the middle but I don't reload for the cost savings anyway. Accuracy and fun.

 

[GLOOB]

OP, I am looing into a .357 rifle/carbine for the same reason. Cheaper projectiles and easy, straight-walled reloading. But a .357 out of a 16" barrel can actually get into "real" rifle territory in terms of energy and velocity. Of course, the powder cost will double/triple, but that's only changing from ~3 cents worth of fast pistol powder to ~8 cents worth of magnum powder.

9mm projectiles are significantly cheaper than 45ACP, if you shoot jacketed. But if you buy cast bullets, it seems like the difference isn't nearly as much. And 9mm out of a rifle isn't very impressive.

I'm hoping with the 357, I can get near the same ballistics I get with cast centerfire rifle loads, but using an off the shelf, store bought cast bullet.

 

[Paddy]

What kind of rifles are available in 357?

 

[Toprudder]

What kind of rifles are available in 357?

A few companies make lever action carbines in 38/357. Marlin and Rossi come to mind.

 

[GLOOB]

Not a whole lot of rifles, unfortunately. And nothing tacticool.

Right now, my top contenders are Rossi R92, Ruger 77/357, or the recently discontinued Handi rifle. Then there's the Contender rifle, if you want to get spendy. And that Marlin,Topruddy already mentioned. I'm not sure which model. And that's all I have found so far, so if anyone knows of anything else, I am all ears.

 

[mstreddy]

Gloob, you are right, the offerings in 357 Mag carbines are limited. I've heard of someone playing with an AR style upper and using Desert Eagle mags, but I don't know if it's fully viable.
I do own the Rossi 92 and it's handy and fun.

 

[Paddy]

I have a Rossi 92 but it's more of a novelty gun. I'm thinking more tacticool, or Thompson, but as said the Tommy is too heavy

 

[GLOOB]

I've heard of someone playing with an AR style upper and using Desert Eagle mags, but I don't know if it's fully viable.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know of that. But I don't really care for a gas-operated 357 carbine. To me, a major plus for a 357 carbine is that you can shoot 158 grain bullets at a muzzle velocity in the 1900-2000 fps range (about the max for a plain cast bullet), out of a straight-walled case that needs no lube or trimming. While I can get my gas checked 223 loads to cycle my rifle, it is a pain to make GC'd bullets, and they necessitate frequent cleaning of the gas port.

My .308 GC'd cast loads in my bolt action are less of a hassle, but I still find myself limiting my shooting because of the time involved in loading this ammo.

A 357 carbine would be a "shoot 'em if you got 'em" type of cheap, high volume plinker, but with real power behind it.

 

[mstreddy]

A 357 lever gun is fun. I've mostly ran 38s through it. A buddy smoothed up the action a bit for me and it's a great plinker. I hear what you're saying on a gas action. A buddy has one of the Coonan pistols and it is picky on the ammo. Wants warm to hot 357s and for 38s it HAS to be +P at the highest levels. He's taken up reloading and I've helped him tune the loads for it.

Paddy, a "tacticool" 9MM carbine is a great addition. You can go from an AR, AR type, the "classics" Uzi, MP5, Mac 11, the pistol mag compatibles Beretta CX4, KelTec 2000, Lone Wolf upper, Ruger PC9. HiPoint, Taurus and the Sig.
There are many choices, and the price range is likewise broad.

Of the ones I own, the ones I really enjoy taking to the range the most are the AR pattern and the CX4. The MP5 Clone and the Uzi make it from time to time. The PC9 is a lot of fun too, but it's no longer made, however there are used ones and police trade-ins around. I picked up a police trade-in as a second one.

If you have any specific questions on the ones I own, let me know.