Where to find Ammo for Gp 100 357?

[MidLife]

I am becomming more and more frustrated in trying to find 357 magnum ammo from the "big five" for my new Gp 100. Walmart, Dicks, online, Midway, cabelas, etc....all are backordered and some for a year or more!
I spoke to some dealers locally and they just say they can't get the 357 rounds, but, they have plenty of other calibers, etc.
Where do you find the 357 in all the flavors? Is there a shortage do to a particular reason ? "Available August 2011" is absurd! I can't even find the full menu of 38 special or 38 sepecial +P !!!!!!! Is this caliber a dying breed where there is no demand anymore?

 

[hittman]

No problems at all getting different brands and quantities of .357, .38 and others here in Illinois.

Maybe if you'll post your location someone here will know where you can look in your area.

Have you tried Georgia Arms?

 

[MidLife]

State of Maryland. Montgomery, Frederick and Carrol/Howard counties!
I suppose the old wheel guns ammo just don't sell well anymore around here. :(

 

[hittman]

http://georgia-arms.com/357mag.aspx

 

[TiteGroups]

Nothing old about wheel gun ammo, very popular, one of the reasons you can't find it. If you plan to shoot much you may want to consider loading your own ammo, the savings make it worth your while.

 

[MidLife]

Yes, it looks like the selection of 357 magnum is VERY limited. I was quite surprised. I would speculate an intentional withholding, but, I can't really determine why?
The ammo cases are FULL of everthing except this load/round/caliber in the tri-county area, and online as well. Curious indeed. :shock:
Remington Golden Saber is about all I can find, so, I'll stock up for now. Very expensive, though :cry:

 

[Sawtooth]

Check out "Zero Brand" ammo. Sold through Roze Distribution online. I've never used their loaded ammunition but have purchased reloading products from them and have always been pleased. They carry a full line of 357 and 38 Spcl. new and reloads with a short "relatively speaking" waite time.

 

[GP100man]

Before stockin up on RGS , I`d by a reloadin kit & components !!!!!

But ifin ya don`t wanna do that I`d order some !!!!

PM me when ya get a small FR box full of 357 brass , I like yellow not nickeled.

Thanks

 

[MidLife]

Not really ready for the reload thing, but, I might be!
I have already been firing 72 rounds a day! :D
At that rate, i suppse it would be cost effective.
Suppose a full kit, press, dies, scale, funels, spoons, primers, etc, etc, what would a nice fully prepped out bench cost? $1,000?
$600?
Just curious when the cosst saings kicks in.
Suppose I plan to do 150 rounds per weekend of 38 spl +P/357mag?
Thanks in advance :D

 

[GP100man]

NO !!!!

A lee single stage kit is way less than that !!!!

If interested ask around most people have used single stage presses layin under the bench & a set of dies

priming tool

Good scales

A way to measure powder would`nt hurt !!

I like Lees powder thru die it flares & with an auto disc screw on top drops powder in 1 operation.

Buy ya a manual or do some searches before ya make a decesion.

Straight walled revolver ammo is the easiest to learn on & besides ya got us as a support !!!!!!!!

I cast my own boolits , but if ya had to buy you could probably keep it to $12-15 / 100 depending on projetile .

 

[MidLife]

So, a nice starter kit is what, $500 bucks. more.less?
Actually, a grand doesn;t seem that bad for a starter kit since it's about a $.30 cents a round for the least expsnsive load I'm using up to $1.00 dollar a round for the hot stuff...... :)

 

[GP100man]

Savin money ????

I shot 20 rnds of rifle & 35 rnds of 357 & 44mag last week tunin up for huntin season ?????

Heres 1 bench of 3 , been at it for niegh on 30 yrs. !!!!

Here`s another 1 with the tumblers on it .

I don`t have 1 of the whole bench with the Lyman crusher on it , it has a rcbs partner press, 2 Lyman 450 bullet sizer/lubers on it !!

Ready to dive in & save $$$

That`s what I tell Mrs. GP100man , don`t tell er no different !!!!

 

[Bucks Owin]

This is a fairly modest setup like most have to begin with. Single stage press, scale and powder measure are the basics...(Sorry, looks like I resized the photo at some point... :oops: )

I'm currently living in a travel trailer and am putting this stuff and my casting equipment in a 4'x6' garden shed! "Where there's a will..." :wink:

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Check out a lee kit. They used to be around $50.00 for one cal. I have bought one years ago and used it a lot then gave it away. And upgraded to a rcbs rockchucker press. I currently have 2 rockchuckers and probably 50 sets of dies for different cal's. But I have been loading for about 40 years. And have bought others reloading equipment when they decided to get out of reloading. I'm talking some steals of prices. Whole setups for the cost of a couple of set's of dies.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I'm guessing it is a local phenomenon, particularly in that area of MD. Probably folks stockpiling again in anticipation of ...whatever. There is plenty of 357 everywhere here in VA.

 

[MidLife]

cool stuff! :D

 

[FergusonTO35]

Yeah Midlife, you can get every bit of the relaoding stuff you need for less than $200.00. Revolver ammo is really overpriced nowadays, fortunately you can roll your own very cheaply.

 

[jimd441]

I just bought a few boxes of Fiocchi fmj in .357 mag for $16.95 per box plus shipping from ammunitiontogo. I believe they still have it in stock.

Jim

 

[Coop]

Can't speak for MD. I was in Cabelas - Wheeling last week and saw about 4 different brands of .357 Magnum ammunition for sale. I was also at a local gun store here near Pittsburgh, PA and they had 6 different brands of .357 Magnum ammunition for sale.

I do all my reloading with Lee equipment and presses. As for a minimal reloading setup for .357 Magnum ammunition, Cabelas lists the Lee Classic Loader Kit (ZL-21-0526 {812}) for $25.00 plus shipping.

All you need to supply is used brass, small pistol primers, powder, and bullets. I have several of these for different calibers, and use them every other year or so, when reloading my small batch test reloads.

Nonetheless, the Lee Classic Loader Kit is the very best example of single cartridge reloading gear I have ever seen. It does not require a reloading bench, and is very easy to use.

Coop

 

[MidLife]

Been to two Walmarts, Dick's Sporting Goods, two gun shops, no luck. Did find some good pricing on Cheaper Than Dirt. Not sure how well they do.
Will look into the reloading. I did view some (3 or so) very good basics videos by a gentleman on utube. He went over the equipment (press, scales,dies,primer tool, bullet remover, etc. Very informative!)

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Black Hills is good stuff. :D
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=727349

Fiocchi
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=177876

Prvi Partizan
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=754316

...Jimbo

 

[TiteGroups]

You may want to look into the Lee classic turret presses. Very good value, basic set up would take about $300 or so and can turn out 125rds an hour, those youtube videos are helpful. The basics of reloading are pretty simple and it is rewarding to shoot something you made yourself.

 

[Merlinspop]

The reason .357 is so hard to find in the Northern Va/MD/Eastern WV area is cuz I bought a GP, SP and Marlin 1894c all within the last year. If I had gone with .44mag, there'd be .357 out the wazoo.

Sorry about that.

B

 

[maxpress]

I bought a hornady progressive new for $400 and a scale for $50 plus an electronic scale for $20. I figure with 38/357 being loaded for about $4 im saving $12 a box or $240 on 1000 so 2000rnds it more that paid for itself in 3 months at my current rate of fire. loading about 100rnds in 15min with 10min between 100 round boxes to refill the primer tube and stuff.
Now if you add in my .44 at $30 a box off the shelf im saving $25 a box times 1000rnds.....
As far as a bench 2x4s and a 3x2 peice of 3/4 plywood works fine.
A single stage or lee setup would pay for itself in no time.
Check your gun store odds an ends table. ours often has cheap used presses on it.

 

[MidLife]

The reason .357 is so hard to find in the Northern Va/MD/Eastern WV area is cuz I bought a GP, SP and Marlin 1894c all within the last year. If I had gone with .44mag, there'd be .357 out the wazoo.

Sorry about that.

B

I hear ya! :D
Seriously, it is really tough to find.
I ended up ordering from cheaperthandirt
The key is to note that they have two or more warehouses and if you order is from more than one warehouse, the shipping can get outrageous!
So, I ordered the numeric part numbers separate from the alphanumeric and the rates were reasonalable.

 

[maxpress]

Think I mentioned this in another thread.
One cool way to reload with a progressive in steps is to take the powder pooper and and sester,crimper out and decap, expand, prime, and flare.
Then charge them anyway you want and run them back through with just the capper/crimper in the press.

 

[RobertAnsonHeinlein]

Here's some mail order .357 This site only posts in-stock items.

http://www.luckygunner.com/handgun/357-magnum-ammo

 

[BlackBird]

Also living in MD, I can relate. .357 is difficult to find in this state. I did the reload thing about a year ago and it is a real savings, besides being kind of therapeutic. Bought a Lee progressive, and associated gear and haven't looked back.

 

[rockman]

I found good prices on www.ammunitiontogo.com

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/