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Thread: Second hand ammo

  1. #1
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    Second hand ammo

    Beware : Picture heavy and not for the faint of heart in these tough times for American shooters.

    Full disclosure : I live in Switzerland

    I never meant to be an ammo hoarder but it starts to feel a bit like it. In the last few years I started shooting more, and whereas 22 lr, 9mm, and 223 has always been readily available and reasonably priced in bulk (1000 rds), some other bigger calibers (38/357, 44, 45, 10mm etc.) have seen an increase in prices, sometimes with a reduction of offer and little choice of brands.

    I started checking ads from private sellers unloading ammo they didn’t need or want anymore (and I still do).

    But then I placed some wtb ads and realised there’s a good number of people who gave up shooting, or sold a weapon but still had the ammo, who had an ageing or deceased parent and didn’t know what to do with the ammo.

    As a rule of thumb I offer to pay 20 to 30% below the lowest price I can get from the LGS for fresh bulk ammo. I am sometimes taking a chance, don’t know how old the ammo is or how it’s been stored and have no recourse.

    And it has been quite successful.

    One young gentleman had a huge trove of ammo : his father’s buddy is a retired LGS in a somewhat remote region of the country. So he made a deal with the kid : he sells the ammo and they share the money plus he could keep stuff he liked for his ammo collection for free. Apparently there was over 1200 lbs of stuff. Lots of quality US and European stuff.

    Now the kid lives 70 miles away from me and has no car. So he ended up coming down from his mountain on weekends by train (1 1/2 hrs one way) combining a delivery of abt 1000 rounds in his bag pack and grocery bag with a visit to his buddies in town.

    That’s the bounty :






























    This one is old (‘56) repacked Swiss GP11 tracers





    I ended up with 8300 rounds of all kinds for abt $ 2500.- spread over several months during the first Covid wave. I had to make a spreadsheet to keep up.

  2. #2
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    And from other sellers :

    1920 rds of 7.5 mm parabellum (.30 Luger)



    Some more of the same ammo in a military cantine





    A 1200 rds can of Hirtenberger sub machine gun 9 mm






    Surplus GP11 from an LGS





    WWII .45 (empty can and one box only, he has a full unopened can too but pricey)





    Various from a 90 yrs old gentleman



    Old stuff from an LGS



    Other private sellers









    Well nearly all of it will be shot in the coming years so it’s not really hoarding is it ?

    And I still buy new stuff from LGS, always happy to support them. Just bought 1000 rds of Geco .357 for $ 450

  3. #3
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    Seems like a good samaritan move on your part.

  4. #4
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    I know I'd be happy if I had that in my stash. Quite a few throw-back boxes on display, would be cool to have just from that perspective.
    Are those paper-cased shotgun shells that look like cigars?

  5. #5
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    What is the bullet profile of the Dynamit Nobel .357 called, the pointy one? And was it for a particular use?

    Based on packaging, I would guesstimate 10-20% of that is 90's era from buying it back then. Most of the rest of the US stuff I can vaguely recall seeing in stores as a child in the 70's to 80's with the even older stuff in older family and friends homes.
    Last edited by jsbhike; 10-27-20 at 18:16.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by sjoliat View Post
    I know I'd be happy if I had that in my stash. Quite a few throw-back boxes on display, would be cool to have just from that perspective.
    Are those paper-cased shotgun shells that look like cigars?
    That is 60 rounds of GP11 packed in 10 X 6 rounds cardboard / metal clips for the old Swiss straight pull rifles like the K31






  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by jsbhike View Post
    What is the bullet profile of the Dynamit Nobel .357 called, the pointy one? And was it for a particular use?

    Based on packaging, I would guesstimate 10-20% of that is 90's era from buying it back then. Most of the rest of the US stuff I can vaguely recall seeing in stores as a child in the 70's to 80's with the even older stuff in older family and friends homes.
    Those are metal piercing




  8. #8
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    Ahh understand now. The color of picture on the box had me thinking cast lead, which didn't click with the pointed profile.

  9. #9
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    I gotta ask...

    Do you actually have guns that shoot all those calibers? There are some real oddballs in there.


    I'm a confessed ammo stockpiler: I have a 5-10 year supply of the thirteen calibers that I shoot.

    (At least, I did, before my daughter got into Rimfire Challenge. My 5-10 year supply of hi-velocity .22lr was 10,000rnds, but she's gone through a 1,000+ in the last month, so at best that's looking more like a 1-year supply.)
    Last edited by Bimmer; 10-27-20 at 21:56.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    I gotta ask...

    Do you actually have guns that shoot all those calibers? There are some real oddballs in there.
    If he currently doesn't, he has to soon...one of the rules.

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