Weekly 7.62x39 Ammo Survey

[The_Shootist]

Just did a survey of the mainstream online ammo outlets with the following results. All prices include shipping, except for Cheaper than Dirt, whose base price for Wolf was so outrageously laughable I didn't bother:

TYPE PRICE / 1000 rds

Ammoman Wolf MC $ 179.00
Cheaper than Dirt Wolf 122gr $201.00
Ammunition Store Wolf MC $179.00 (estimated)
Outdoor Marksman Wolf 122gr $190.66 (Eastern Whse)
Cabela's Wolf 122gr $170.99
AIM Surplus Brn Br 123gr $178.90
J&G Sales Wolf 122gr $179.85
Midway Wolf(various) OUT OF STOCK
Sportsmans Guide Brn Br 123gr OUT OF STOCK

Note that AIM Surplus has Brown Bear AK ammo in if anybody wants a different flavour than Wolf

 

[possum]

good post thanks!

 

[SpookyPistolero]

Good info, thanks. I never thought I'd ever see x39 surpass $200. Scary.

Rather than start a whole thread on the notion, does anyone know a reason why a domestic company couldn't/wouldn't start producing x39 for less, to fill the market gap left by Wolf price increases? Or are there too many other factors I'm ignoring? It seems like there is too much demand for it to just dissipate.

 

[Kymasabe]

I just ordered some Brown Bear from SportsmansGuide (as a club member) for $72 including shipping for 500 rounds. They're back-ordered but expected ship date is Sept 5th.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Rather than start a whole thread on the notion, does anyone know a reason why a domestic company couldn't/wouldn't start producing x39 for less, to fill the market gap left by Wolf price increases? Or are there too many other factors I'm ignoring? It seems like there is too much demand for it to just dissipate.

Because at any moment there could be a sudden influx of cheap old imported
ammo that could far undercut anything a US producer could ever make. And,
given the current American people's buy-the-cheap-import-at-big-mart-so-I-
can-save-a-nickel-while-screwing-an-American-comany-and-its-American-
employees attitude would be the biggest reason not to start.

Why would I invest millions of dollars in building a facility, buying the
machines, hedging on tons of future shipments of raw materials, hiring and
training staff, and then watch the whole thing go idle when my "countrymen"
bought Russian Wolf when it started freely coming in by the conex again?

What happens when a future US administration helps the Chinese get rid
of their mountainous stockpiles of x39 after the Chinese have finished
switching over to their new rifle cal?

Sorry to rant, guys, but it's the truth. I'm from the midwest and I've seen
what American "loyalty" has done to our domestic auto industry.

 

[Gary G23]

We had it good a few years ago. I knew it wouldn't last forever. I haven't shot my AK in over a year.

 

[2TransAms]

I just bought 1000 rounds locally,Silver Bear was $178/1000 rounds. Woulda bought more if I had more cash,in three years we'll probably remember what a steal that was.

 

[armoredman]

I buy a box here and there, when I can. Or, I'll get a baggie of brass, and load up 50 123gr SP loads. Still got a bunch of 1680 powder to use up.
But I still get some more of the milspec ammo when I can.

 

[Seven High]

The price of 762x39 ammo is doing better than the stock market right now.

 

[1 old 0311]

Cheaper Than Dirt lists the Military Classic for $149.97. Just got the new flyer.

 

[BoySetsTheFire]

Thin Black Line, you write, "Sorry to rant, guys, but it's the truth. I'm from the midwest and I've seen what American "loyalty" has done to our domestic auto industry."

Well, I was living in the midwest, not far from Detroit, when the Japanese imports came streaming in. This was around 1976. American auto quality had dropped down to being non existent. Showroom cars had doors that didn't fit properly. Loyal auto workers (older men) told me that the typical auto worker had turned into a pot smoking hippie that didn't care if he kept his job or not.

Like you say, sorry to rant. But Americans are patriotic. We are loyal. But we're not perfect. And like Sam Walton said, "Customers vote with their feet".

Okay, back to rifles. I want a Lazzeroni. But talk about ammo prices. Lazzeroni ammo can cost $100 for a box of 20!

 

[trickyasafox]

ok guys i know i am not the only one who gets the SOG newsletter so its not like i am letting a cat out of the bag here, but they still advertise 120$ per case of wolf plus shipping.

just a thought.

 

[flip180]

Everything has gone up.

I sold off my Sar-1 because a few months ago there was no ammo in stock just about anywhere. I've since bought an M1A Scout and feed it with South African which is going up also but not much more expensive that the 7.62x39. aimsurplus is fixing to raise their rate on that tomarrow so, I'm going to order another seven 140 round battle packs to add to the 51 battle packs I have here at the house. What I'm saying is find it cheap and stock up.

Flip

 

[LiquidTension]

Hmm...SOG doesn't have any 7.62x39 listed on their site.

 

[The_Shootist]

Ammo?

I figure its unlikely a domestic country could produce AK ammo in the same price range as Wolf, etc. But I'm REAL surprised Aquila in Mexico hasn't jumped in and started cranking the stuff out. They could likely make a go of it, with a modern remington plant, cheap Mexican labour and shipping costs way below having to bring the stuff in from Siberia.

Even better would be for the Chinese to hire Jack Abrahamoff, bribe a congressman or two to get the laws changed so they could start exporting ammo to us en masse. With all the stuff they could send, we'd probably be looking at $ 10 a case .

 

[Vitamin G]

US companies wont begun mass manufacture of 7.62x39 for the same reason no oil company is willing to develop and refine the technology to convert the shale oil... It would cost roughly $2/gallon end product.

What if the price of the imported good falls well below that on a moment's notice?

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I bought a 640 round tin of wolf 7.62 from sportsmansguide last week, for $100. Pretty reasonable, I'm glad I did, because now they are sold out.

 

[Will Learn]

Made a trip up to Cabelas and got a couple of cases for $170 each after posting "My SKS and AK are hungry" thread.

 

[trickyasafox]

its not on the SOG website. only in their snail mail flyer.

 

[Metapotent]

I am sure glad I stopped shooting my AK and started using .223 as my only high volume, high powered plinking round. Its not much cheaper to buy factory loads but it only costs me $.08 per round to reload.

 

[crazed_ss]

I tried some Wolf Ammo for my SKS this weekend and wasnt impressed. Out of 40 rounds, I had 6 FTFs. The primers were struck, but the rounds didnt go off. I dont think it was a problem with the rifle since I fired a box of WWB and didnt have any problems.

 

[Gary G23]

crazed,
I have experienced the same problem with every case of Wolf I have bought. Both 7.62 and 5.45. My guns never had problems with any other brand.

 

[buzz_knox]

crazed,
I have experienced the same problem with every case of Wolf I have bought. Both 7.62 and 5.45. My guns never had problems with any other brand.

I took an AK course a week ago, and most of the shooters were using Wolf or Wolf Military Classic. Out of several thousand rounds, I can only recall one failure to fire and that wasn't even confirmed (I ran the bolt rather than transitioning so I didn't get to recover the round).

Based on all the reports, I'd expected some major problems with the ammo. Instead, it worked pretty much flawlessly. It was far superior to my previous carbine class, where we had multiple failures with various 5.56 rounds.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Loyal auto workers (older men) told me that the typical auto worker had turned into a pot smoking hippie that didn't care if he kept his job or not.

...and then they went into politics and look what we have now

 

[Father Knows Best]

American ammo companies and 7.62x39

About a year ago I tried lobbying Hornady to come out with a version of their excellent TAP (Tactical Application Police) ammo in 7.62x39. They offer it in 12 gauge, .223, .308 and a half dozen pistol calibers, as I recall. They said no. They said there was no possible to produce 7.62x39 domestically at anywhere near the price the imported stuff was selling for.

I didn't dispute that, but argued that there was a big market out there of guys with AK's, SKS's, Mini-30's and bolt guns who were desperate for higher quality ammo than they could get from Wolf and the other Euro sources. I acknowledged that most guys would still buy cheap imported stuff for "blasting", but everyone I know with an SKS or AK would also love to buy at least a couple of boxes a year of higher quality stuff for target shooting and sighting in, and/or for hunting. They said they had tried that, and found there was no market.

I still don't understand it. The ammo companies make all kinds of obscure calibers for rifles that are only used for hunting. Those rifles can't go through more than a half box of ammo a year, and there are far fewer of them out there than there are SKS's, AK's and Mini-30's. Yet the manufacture of that ammo MUST be profitable, or the ammo companies wouldn't be doing it.

What am I missing? Am I the only idiot who thinks there is a market for domestically-produced premium 7.62x39 ammo? I'm thinking I ought to start making and selling it myself, since no one else is....