New revolver

[ord sgt]

I had duty as a Range Safety Officer yesterday. While watching the handgun range, a young man arrived, wanting to shoot his new Colt .36 calibre revolver. A new one pound plastic can of Goex FFFg, brass powder measure, a plastic scoop for the powder and a new tin of caps. I watched him, to be sure that his loading and shooting were done safely. He did not have a loading stand, so he struggled to hold the revolver and measure and pour the powder, seat the ball in each chamber. When six were loaded, he again struggled trying to place each #11 cap. I could see the shaking of his hands with each step. He did load and shoot about six times, with no problems.
Talking with him afterward, I asked about the Goex. I wondered if he bought it somewhere local. He replied, "I bought it online." With the hazmat fee and shipping and handling, the one pound of powder cost him almost $50. I didn't want to tell him what I paid for my recent powder purchase at NMLRA headquarters. That would have ruined his otherwise good time with his new Colt.

 

[new2bp]

It is the cost of being "poor". I'm constantly in this situation when it comes to ordering components or ammo....

Some words from the world's greatest author explain it rather nicely....


The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
– Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms

 

[.36Rooster]

I'm on the cheap boots cycle myself... it's grueling.

 

[nkbj]

It is the cost of being "poor". I'm constantly in this situation when it comes to ordering components or ammo....

Some words from the world's greatest author explain it rather nicely....


The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
– Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms

Love it. Thanks.

 

[Tenring]

I think it’s a DAM SHAME what there asking for Black Powder and hazmat fees, I can remember when I paid 10.00 bucks a pound or cheaper and so do you guys, I am 57 years old and the price of shooting components when I was 16 then and now i think really is a turn off for new shooters wanting to get into the sport, it really Stinks .

 

[Phil Coffins]

When I got into black powder a mans wages where around $6 per hour. Now I don’t know anyone that makes less then $30 per hour. Not that much difference in costs but harder to find powder locally for me.

 

[Justin.44]

I don’t know anyone that makes less then $30 per hour.

Well now you know one!

 

[ZUG]

I can't think of a single item that cost the same as or less than it did 5-10 or 20 plus years ago so I don't get the point of this message . If you want to play then you must pay!

 

[ord sgt]

I had duty as a Range Safety Officer yesterday. While watching the handgun range, a young man arrived, wanting to shoot his new Colt .36 calibre revolver. A new one pound plastic can of Goex FFFg, brass powder measure, a plastic scoop for the powder and a new tin of caps. I watched him, to be sure that his loading and shooting were done safely. He did not have a loading stand, so he struggled to hold the revolver and measure and pour the powder, seat the ball in each chamber. When six were loaded, he again struggled trying to place each #11 cap. I could see the shaking of his hands with each step. He did load and shoot about six times, with no problems.
Talking with him afterward, I asked about the Goex. I wondered if he bought it somewhere local. He replied, "I bought it online." With the hazmat fee and shipping and handling, the one pound of powder cost him almost $50. I didn't want to tell him what I paid for my recent powder purchase at NMLRA headquarters. That would have ruined his otherwise good time with his new Colt.

OOPS! Should have mentioned its north Carolina....

It's a shame that this young fellow didn't know anyone else who needed powder. He could have split the cost with one or more people on the haz mat fee. At only 15 grains FFFg in each chamber, the pound of powder will last for a while.

 

[springfield art]

It's a shame that this young fellow didn't know anyone else who needed powder. He could have split the cost with one or more people on the haz mat fee. At only 15 grains FFFg in each chamber, the pound of powder will last for a while.

My local range allows single-shot only with revolvers; which is why I also belong to a range further away but you can do anything except full-auto.

 

[deermanok]

Too bad that guy didn't shop around online more.
Graf and sons is where I order from. Granted they have a 4 pound minimum order and the cash layout is a bit with hazmat and shipping but as an example, their own "brand " runs about 19.00 a pound. It ends up costing about 25 dollars a pound after all the fees. It's still cheaper than what you would pay for a 10 oz.
bottle of BH209.

 

[B P Arn]

When I got into black powder a mans wages where around $6 per hour. Now I don’t know anyone that makes less then $30 per hour. Not that much difference in costs but harder to find powder locally for me.

Shooting is way cheaper now for me than it was I was a young.

Rather than look at price, look at how many hours it took to earn the money for the item at the wages then, compared to how many hours it takes to earn a similar item now.

 

[Tenring]

The point that I was trying to make was the items that we need to shoot with have went up in a rather giant financial scope of things. I know things go up in price thats a given but come on. Now I know someone is going to twist this around and make excuses for the inflated prices, OWELL. My Two cents worth, and for what it’s worth……..

 

[Michiganmuzzy]

Well now you know one!

Make that 2 ✌

 

[Tenring]

Right on brother.

 

[appalichian hunter]

BP Arn, I do not know about the prices being cheaper now, 50 years ago I could buy a box of 22 longs for around 65 cents now a box of any 22s are quite a few more bucks, same as black powder a can of goex a few dollars now it is quite a few more dollars. As too time invested as a younger shooter a evening scrounging soda bottles thrown out along the road would keep me shooting for a bit. I had a dog that could sniff out soda bottles in the tall grass. Guess he knew we were going ground hog hunting once we got a box of rim fires he lived for the ground hog hunt.

 

[Major Tim]

Well now you know one!

I'm the third!

I order 10 lbs at a time but would like to order 25 to save money. I just have a storage problem for that much.

 

[B P Arn]

BP Arn, I do not know about the prices being cheaper now, 50 years ago I could buy a box of 22 longs for around 65 cents now a box of any 22s are quite a few more bucks, same as black powder a can of goex a few dollars now it is quite a few more dollars. As too time invested as a younger shooter a evening scrounging soda bottles thrown out along the road would keep me shooting for a bit. I had a dog that could sniff out soda bottles in the tall grass. Guess he knew we were going ground hog hunting once we got a box of rim fires he lived for the ground hog hunt.

How much were you earning per hour back then? How long did it take for you to earn the 65 cents to buy that ammo? A half hour? I would bet very few people today would have to work 1/2 hour for a box of .22 ammo.

 

[Michiganmuzzy]

Maybe the problem isn't JUST inflation and price gouging but wage increases that dont keep keep up with inflation or cost of living increase?

 

[B P Arn]

Gouging? The seller prices his ammo for what he thinks it is worth. If you don't agree, then buy from someone else at the price you like. There is no gouging on something as unnecessary as a box of .22 ammo.

My earning power has outpaced the rate of inflation. ...and "gouging".