Present cost of ammo in South Africa justifyable?

[racingfreak]

If you don't like prices, buy yourself a reloading setup and stop moaning. I reload and it works out to about R1.15 to reload a 147gr 9mm round. Yes, initial capital outlay can be anything from R5k to R15k, but I repaid my setup in less than 4k rounds of reloading

[P35]

I didn't know you were allowed to own many guns in AUS.

nkosi Location Australia

:-D

I am a SA business owner myself, but guess what, I am obviously also a customer. I'll simply go spend more of my money elsewhere than where I have in the past.

Votes with feet.

[BigT]

Yes they can own guns in Oz. How's that relevant.

I'm assuming your business doesn't make profit?

[JS4]

...is this not a clear indication to the importers to buy more? With larger orders come lower prices, higher sales volumes, etc... I do not see the downside?

By the sounds of it they would like to buy more as well, but struggle with supply:

Highly unlikely. It's so difficult to get premium ammo here due to high demand in the US. Any importer here would grab any quantity they could get. Same goes for decent range ammo, eg. Winchester white box.

[pierreandre]

So, we have Nobleteq that also manufactures and reloads ammo. Are there any other local manufacturers that are not state owned?
(Yes, I know there have been complaints about their quality, but I'm sure that can be solved. My last batch wasn't too bad at all)

Is the simple answer not to support the local, privately owned manufacturers (non-PMP) as they would be able to supply at a much lower cost and still run a viable business?

The million dollar question: Is the local market big enough to support a local high quality manufacturer?

[nkosi]

I didn't know you were allowed to own many guns in AUS.

:-D

I am a SA business owner myself, but guess what, I am obviously also a customer. I'll simply go spend more of my money elsewhere than where I have in the past.

Votes with feet.

Hi P35


Although irrelevant to this thread, yes you can own many firearms over here ( I am the odd one out at my local range, most of the guys have upwards of 6 rifles & 5 that I know of have 14 + each) & I have found it cheaper than when I lived in SA as far as rifles go, but when you talk handguns, the difference is not as great due to the smaller volume.

The major reasons for it being cheaper here compared to home, is the fantastic exchange rate & to a lesser extent, more favourable importing regulations. I am not sure about the size of the market relative to SA though. Funnily enough, the guys here complain about the very things we complain about on Gunsite as far as costs compared to the USA go.

I hear what you are saying about voting with your feet, but the gun shops need to make money or they will close & then what. I am sure that in your business, there are people who complain that you are making too much money etc. without really realising all the costs & hassles involved.

I am in the building industry (& was in SA too) & am forever being told by potential customers how much cheaper they can get things done etc (just like they did in SA) than we can. My answer to them is always the same: 'If you feel that you can get a better deal with the same 7 year guarantee that we provide, & with the same assurance that all work will be performed to the current building codes and standards and certified independently, then it is your perogative to do so.' This is often when they will say: 'What building codes apply to the work I want done? I didn't know about the guarante period? Certified, what needs to be certified? etc, etc..

They never look at the bigger picture & assume that only the materials & labour make up the cost of the job - they forget about overheads, insurance, code compliance, etc..

I think that we, as shooters, do the same with gun shops. It is a highly regulated industry with the concomitant expensive overheads, working on small margins & small volumes with unfavourable trading regulations and a terrible exchange rate to boot. It often amazes me that the SA firearms industry still exists at all.

There is nothing wrong with questioning the pricing policies etc. and that will keep the retailers on their toes to some degree, but I am pretty sure that if you were constantly asked to justify your pricing & after having done so, be asked again, you would also start tiring of it.

As you have said, you are free to shop around & the fact that you can, shows that there is competition between the different gun shops, which is always good news for the consumer.

I wonder what volumes Nobleteq etc sell? - from a viability perspective that would be interesting.

[ikor]

While some here seem to now better understand the 'whys' of this issue, apparently a few either don't want to understand or need to loosen up their tin foil hats. I am pretty sure that if anyone here wishes to reload rather than buy factory new ammo no dealer will shed any tears. They will simply make money on components rather than loaded ammo.

T is right when he said that most shooters do not, and never will, reload. Reloading does not 'save' one any money. Rather it allows one to shoot more for the same money once set up costs are amortized, and most gun owners are not shooters. In fact, get ready for price increases this coming year as pretty much all US made pistol ammo and components will be going up from 10-20%. Other manufacturers outside the U.S. still sell the vast majority of what they produce in the states, and they will quickly follow suite.

I think we have now well and truly beat this dead horse enough for now.

Thread closed