Price of S&W 40 vs. 9mm

[davidw]

Let me start by saying I have a M&P 40 compact. However, when I was researching a new gun to buy many people said to go for a 9mm because it was cheaper to shoot than a S&W 40. Aside from the fact that when I go to Walmart to buy my ammo for $13.95 (or maybe $14.95) per box of 50 there is never any other caliber on the shelves, is anybody buying 9mm much cheaper than this?

I ask because if it was significantly cheaper I would buy a conversion barrel and shoot 9mm at the range. However, it doesn't seem to be.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[varob]

.40 S&W is usually about $2.00 a box more than 9mm.

At Wally's any way.

[Ram Rod]

.40 S&W is usually about $2.00 a box more than 9mm.

At Wally's any way.

Same here. $9.47 50ct box for 9mm, and $11.47 50ct box of 40S&W at Wally's. That reminds me......maybe Santa dropped a few cases of 9mm at the local WM's since they were closed for a whole 24 hours for the holiday. I'm gonna call right now. They open in ten minutes.

[davidw]

[QUOTE=Ram Rod;1423992]Same here. $9.47 50ct box for 9mm, and $11.47 50ct box of 40S&W at Wally's.

Well if I could get my ammo from your Wally's have have it shipped here then it would make sense. I'd be saving $5 per box. But for $2.00 I'll just keep shooting what I carry.

[Ram Rod]

My local WMs have had the Federal 40S&W every time I go lately, and maybe the past couple of months. Best reason I always stock up on 9mm when they have it is to get ahead of the Steel Challenge season which starts in March here. Wife and I will go through 400 rounds easily at a once a month match. When they don't have the 9mm I'm looking for, I'll pick up whatever they have in the 40S&W, and once in a while some lead 22lr solids or HPs 36-40gr. Then there's always the bulk packs of the Federal .223.
I wonder.......have you checked walmart.com and see if you can get site-to-store shipping on ammo?

[kpw]

I don't usually buy 50 rd. boxes at WM. Winchester 100 rd. is $21.97 for 9mm, $29.97 for .40 and $32.97 for .45 and the 50 rd. boxes are a buck or 2 more per 50, depending on caliber.

[Ram Rod]

I don't usually buy 50 rd. boxes at WM. Winchester 100 rd. is $21.97 for 9mm, $29.97 for .40 and $32.97 for .45 and the 50 rd. boxes are a buck or 2 more per 50, depending on caliber.

Well, my main WM never has both at the same time, so I can't be that picky if they have any at all. I realize the savings on the WWB 100ct, and that's what I got today for $20.97 per box. 9 times out of 10 though they have the Federal 50rd boxes. This also determines how much your six box limit amounts to total. I can get 300 or 600 rounds depending on what they have at the time.

[davidw]

Last time I bought I got Federal Champion (.40) for $13.95 per box of 50. Then they had 1 box (100 rounds) Remmington UMC for something like $31 or $32. Just took 6 of the Federal.

[Lewis128]

I wonder.......have you checked walmart.com and see if you can get site-to-store shipping on ammo?

If you can find ammo on the WM website you are nothing short of a miracle worker...
No guns there either.
I remember there once were, but no longer.

[9mmPro]

the FMJ are cheap bullets in either 9mm or .40S&W , there is not much indifference only in the JHP the .40 is alot higher then the 9mm JHP.

[louie19]

$9.50/50 at Wal-mart? Wow - that's 19 cents a round. Its hard to find that nowadays.

Ah the good ol' days... I ordered some Blazer (aluminum) for $7.49 a box and Blazer Brass for $8.99 a box from Natchezss late last year. Nowadays those same boxes go for $13.99 and $15.99! Per round that is 15cents/18cents late 2008 and now 28cents/32cents late 2009.

All that being said, S&W40 will probably always be a little pricier because it is a smaller market and the overall cartridge is somewhat larger.

[TX-JB]

At my main WM they always have tons of the Federal .40S&W FMJ and are always low on 9mm and .45. The the other day, I was talking with an older guy at the ammo counter and he told me they get in about 10 cases of .40, for every 2 cases of 9mm and .45. He told me that he had just bought an M&P in .40 over 9mm, because of this reason alone...

[frankmako]

9mm is cheaper here at my wm. around 2 dollars per box. that is when they got any. 9mm is cheaper to reload over 40. i know because i reload both. now not much cheaper, but cheaper.

[Biomortis]

I have a little conspiracy theory on the .40 ammo being so plentiful. Since .40 is a round that isn't recommended to reload, they figure this will be a much more profitable round since more people will being buying factory ammo. There is roughly 10% more material used in its production hence its approximate 10% higher cost so their profit margin is the same. They flood the market with as much .40 as they can while squeezing the 9mm supply. People start buying more and more .40 guns to take advantage of the plentiful ammo. Once (if) the wave of .40 sales start to go back down, the supplies will equalize.

[Majorlk]

I have a little conspiracy theory on the .40 ammo being so plentiful. Since .40 is a round that isn't recommended to reload, they figure this will be a much more profitable round since more people will being buying factory ammo. There is roughly 10% more material used in its production hence its approximate 10% higher cost so their profit margin is the same. They flood the market with as much .40 as they can while squeezing the 9mm supply. People start buying more and more .40 guns to take advantage of the plentiful ammo. Once (if) the wave of .40 sales start to go back down, the supplies will equalize.

I'm curious; where did you see/read this recommendation?

.40 S&W dies are a hot commodity right now, as are bullets and cases, both new and once-fired.