To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. continued from page 32 by PMC and it revolutionized the market so dramatically that CCI had to introduce aluminum-case Blazer and redefine its premium Lawman brand as a brass-case generic practice load. Federal introduced American Eagle to compete with PMC, as did Remington with their UMC line and Winchester with the USA “white box” brand. Other lowprice-point practice rounds — Mag-Tech, Sellier & Bellot and Wolf, to name a few — entered the same burgeoning offshoot of the stream of commerce. The Numbers In 1986, a box of mainstream, bigbrand 9mm 115-grain full-metal-jacket training ammunition carried a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $22.50 per 50 rounds. I bet you’re selling, right now, some generic 9mm ball that is identical in performance for around half as much. A reduction of 50 percent! Conventional copper-jacketed, hollow- point self-defense ammo in the same caliber and bullet weight, such as the Federal brand with product code 9BP, listed in ’86 for the same $22.50 per 50-round box. I just stocked up on some Federal 115-grain 9BP at Riley’s Sport Shop in Hooksett, N.H. (August ’07). The price was $12.50 for the same size box. That’s a 45-percent reduction, 21 years later! In 1986, a 50-round box of 185-grain jacketed hollowpoint .45 ACP, such as those from Federal and Remington, carried the MSRP of $26.05. I see Winchester “white box” 230-grain .45 in the same conventional JHP selling for about that in the same quantity in gun shops these days. That’s zero cost increase in 21 years! The hot rifle caliber today, particularly among your defense-oriented customers, is, of course, the .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO. The 55-grain full-metal-jacket round from mainstream makers carried the MSRP of $11.95 per 20-round box, as listed in the ’86 Gun Digest. That works out to 59 cents per cartridge, or $597 per thousand rounds. Today, I hear people screaming in outrage that .223 ball ammunition has gone up to $300 per thousand. Sec. 922(R) Applies AK Buttstock w/Pistol Grip, Handguards & Buttpad $ 99 99MSRP Better Price, Value I n 1986, gasoline cost 89 cents a gallon. Today, it’s hovering around $3. In 1986, a gallon of whole milk cost $2.19 per gallon; the last gallon I bought cost $3.99. The loaf of bread that cost me $1.99 yesterday was tagged at 98 cents 21 years ago. These prices are in the 1986 edition of Remember When by Seek Publishing in Millersville, Tenn. When you factor in the current average income of Americans, even high-tech defensive ammunition like CCI/Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST and Hydra-Shok, Hornady XTP and TAP, Remington Golden Sabre and Winchester SXT and Ranger are still extremely good values, compared to what the top defensive cartridges cost 21 years ago. The bottom line is, the long price war made ammo such a bargain for so long that your customers became spoiled. Today, the combination of high demand and skyrocketing material prices has created an illusion of Federal 9BP 9mm hollowpoint (bottom, left) ran around $24 per overpriced ammo, box of 50 in 1986. Ayoob bought the ammo from current when in fact, it has production for $12.50 per 50 in a gun shop in August 2007. merely signaled the end of the long, luxurious ride on a gravy train with bargainpriced tickets — something we may never see again. Perhaps it’s time for you, in your own “gentle way,” to tell your customers to “do the math.” Despite the rise in ammo prices, caused by events outside the industry, you’re selling them ammunition at a much better price and value than would have been possible 21 years ago! Sharing some of the price comparisons I’ve presented here will likely help calm some of your customers. As for the others? This is when your “I’ve heard this all before” mindset will come in handy. 9 Ruger Mini-14® Stock $ 109 MSRP AR-15 Buttstock w/Pistol Grip & Buttpad $ 99 69MSRP Advanced Technology, Inc. Stocks and Accessories for America’s most popular firearms. Made in USA • Lifetime Warranty • No Gunsmithing Versailles Kentucky CIRCLE NO. 205 ON INQUIRY CARD SHOT SHOW SUPER ISSUE 2008 • www.shootingindustry.com 35