True Bulk Ammo

[KaosDad]

So, looking to buy some true, bulk training ammo. While I appreciate Georgia Arms "Canned Heat" I have all of the ammo cans I need (at the moment). The site "Bulk Ammo" sells *some* ammo in bags. How can we get ammo manufacturers to follow this trend? Seriously, do we need our trainign ammo to be neatly packed and boxed?

Of course, I may be totally missing a source that y'all already know about.

[OakRidgeStars]

I used to see 1000/rd boxes of Federal .223 at my local gun shop. It was nothing more than a plastic bag in a cardboard box.

What caliber(s) are you looking for?

[KaosDad]

At this moment, 9mm and.223. But that will expand soon.

[trailrunner]

I used to buy MBI in bulk from Lucky Gunner. It came in plastic bags. But after Sandy Hook, Lucky Gunner raised their prices, so I started shopping at Freedom Munitions. I like Freedom - the ammo has been fine and the prices have been good - but they do pack it in 50 round boxes, even when I buy 1,000 rounds. I much rather have a plastic bag filled with the ammunition.

[jdonovan]

I imagine the problem for many of the vendors is getting a package that will survive the gorillas that work for shipping companies. There are days I think I could ship a wrecking ball with fedex/ups and they would break it in transit. Putting ammo in an ammo can is probably what they have found is the best way to get it to their consumer.

Also how much sales by volume would be customers that wanted plastic bag ammo? a few per-cent at most I would guess. To setup a new packaging line to service a few per-cent is probably not cost effective.

[wittmeba]

As JD, I suspect part of the problem is to make a change from boxing to bagging causes problems with their built-in automation. It seems to me the ones using bags are individuals wanting to capitalize on profits buying bulk boxes then re-bagging smaller quantities selling at Gun Shows, etc.

Boxing also makes counting easier to verify.

9MM:
http://www.bulkammo.com/handgun/bulk-9m ... k-9mm-ammo
http://www.luckygunner.com/handgun/9mm-ammo

.223:
http://www.luckygunner.com/handgun/9mm-ammo

[Ironbear]

As JD, I suspect part of the problem is to make a change from boxing to bagging causes problems with their built-in automation.

Getting rid of "boxing", would cut out a substantial portion of the most fiddly part of automation. It would make the production much easier. Having been around some production facilities (but not an ammo plant sadly) I would even think it is likely that the ammo ends up in a bulk hopper before it gets packaged.

I think the more likely problem is, that people buying loose-pack, bulk ammo would expect to pay less for it, and selling large quantities of cheap ammo would reduce profit margins and undercut the profits on regular ammo. Think about it. Would most people buy a 1000 round loose-pack if they could get ammo in boxes, for the same price? Or if you could buy loose-pack at 30¢/round, do you think that would impact sales of ammo at 45¢/round?

You have think like a corporate bean counter on this, not like the end-user.

edit: A thought just crossed my mind....How does the military get their ammunition? Do our soldiers and marines sit around peeling open little cardboard boxes? I assume ammunition belts at least come "pre-assembled"!

[jdonovan]

edit: A thought just crossed my mind....How does the military get their ammunition? Do our soldiers and marines sit around peeling open little cardboard boxes? I assume ammunition belts at least come "pre-assembled"!

It depends... when I got ammo from supply it sometimes was loose in a bucket, stripper clipped, or in tan 20-round boxes with paper inserts to separate the ammo, just depended on the day of the week, phase of the moon or some such... don't question supply just be glad they had what you'd asked for.

The mg ammo for the M60 always came pre-linked and in cans.

[wittmeba]

Ironbear I'm looking at this slightly differently than yourself.

I agree that boxing is a very automated and costly process but when a mfg is producing thousands of boxes of ammo for the general shop sales, to alter the process from boxing (and counting) to bagging it is no longer their norm.

The question becomes is most of their sales from say 50 rounds or less or 250 or more?