Have you consolidated?

Before the Obama administration, I was all over the place with my handgun selection. Buying whatever struck my fancy, then buying dies and components to reload for it. Two major factors changed that behavior. The eight years of Obama and my wife who wanted to get into shooting with me. I knew and understood that she'd never be as enthusiastic about shooting or firearms like me and that' ok. We would go to an indoor range twice a month to shoot our handguns which was about 500 rounds total each outing. We even manage to get a few other couples to participate as the shooting range had "date night" specials on Fridays.

Well, I started doing the math. That was 1,000 rounds a month and although we didn't hold that schedule of shooting twice a month for the entire year, we were still going through 6,000 to 10,000 rounds a year. We even go to an outdoor rifle range during the summer months to plink with the 22lr and sometime bring her nephews along. If you ever want to make a 22lr brick of ammo disappear fast, bring two young ones along to go shooting!!!! While they'd be depleting my 22lr ammo, I'd squeeze off few round of the 223rem.

Then along came Obama and things got stupid crazy like they currently are today. That had me do some serious rethinking and had me come to the conclusion, that for me, I would be better if I started consolidating my reloading components and to lesser degree my firearms. I know longer hunted so didn't need firearms along those lines. Sold my dee rifles along with my 44mag handgun, etc.

"We" ended up to 9mm in our semiautos and 38/357mag in our revolvers and downsizing our collection got rid of the 45acp 1911s, da/sa pistols. I kept a 223rem bolt action just because, I wanted it, and then 22lr because they're fun and cheap!

By doing this, it greatly simplified my logistics! I didn't need to keep three different size primers, numerous different gun powders, sorting small primer vs large prime 45acp brass. If I was I was going to shoot 357mag load out of my revolver I'd use 2400 powder instead of H110 so that I wouldn't need to stock magnum small primers as well as standard small primers. Thinking ahead of stuff like that and what I want to do and need was tremendous helpful to me.

I'm not saying that what I did was right, but it did simply my logistics as I could focus where to put attention for reloading supplies, etc. and I find myself not as hurt during times of shortages such as we are currently experiencing.

Has anyone here every thought about consolidating to make their reloading life simpler?

I have to tools to reload 17 or 18 calibers. I have enough components to reload them all... But right now im only doing common calibers with what I have. 9mm, 556, 300 BO 10mm and 45acp mostly. My hunting calibers, 30 30, 308, 35 Remington and 350 legend can wait. I may do some 40 S&W too... But right now only defensive calibers are getting the love.

I'm sorta of the opposite opinion.

When scrounging for ammo, I can look for (currently) 7 different calibers, not two or three.

And while not yet reloading, I've been collecting various components for those calibers.

My thought is that if one becomes impossible, the others can still be had.

I don't reload, but I consolidated my choices several years ago, simply because I wanted to shoot in calibers that were always available (just like the present, LOL), had multiple choices in ammo types, and for the most part were more affordable. I've limited myself to four calibers. 22lr, 38/357, 9mm, and 45acp. Interestingly enough, most of the 45acp is shot with moonclips in revolvers.

whistlersmother said:

I'm sorta of the opposite opinion.

When scrounging for ammo, I can look for (currently) 7 different calibers, not two or three.

And while not yet reloading, I've been collecting various components for those calibers.

My thought is that if one becomes impossible, the others can still be had.

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Indeed this. During the panic of 2013, I could almost always find .40 cal.

9mm, .45acp, .38/.357 were all gone, but I could always get .40. I kept my collection broad intentionally thinking I could likely get ammo for one of them.

I'm pretty much the opposite. For me, every new cartridge is a new learning experience, and a new adventure. There's arguably some redundancy, but I'm ok with that.

I feel the opposite argument is stronger .

The typical cals that the approach standardizes on are very popular . Whenever ammo/ components supply become tight , they are the first to disappear .

For the simplify to the very popular to be valid , you would have to keep a near lifetime supply in reserve .

whistlersmother said:

I'm sorta of the opposite opinion.

When scrounging for ammo, I can look for (currently) 7 different calibers, not two or three.

And while not yet reloading, I've been collecting various components for those calibers.

My thought is that if one becomes impossible, the others can still be had.

Click to expand...

I use to be of that thought as well until I work at gun shop for awhile. Once the pipeline for the non-mainstream ammo is gone, there wasn't anymore coming in. The manufacturers were having trouble keeping up with the mainstream cartridges, 9mm, 223rem/5.56 that weren't going to have downtime swapping over to make say 380acp for example.

We got stocked once a year for 30-06 and that was it, versus getting 308win sporadically throughout the year, but the 308win would never stay on the shelf. Same with 223rem/5.56. The 40S&W had some staying power but it also eventually ran dry too and now that FBI went back to the 9mm and most of the police dept following, I don't know how much staying power the 40S&W will have during future shortages.

It's true that the mainstream cartridges are the first to fill the pinch during a shortage but they are also the ones given the most attention by the manufactures to try to keep up with demand as well. Just something to think about.

Different strokes and all that.

Even in flush times for ammo, I personally can't think of anything that would bore the hell out of me more, than a constant diet of nothing other than 9mm and .556. Maybe that's just me.

I've done something similar. I realized that I prefer handgun shooting to rifle shooting, I sold my ARs and my 40 S&W guns, and bought loading materials for my handgun calibers, 380 ACP, 9x19, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 45LC, and 45 ACP. I got rid of a lot of my redundant guns and got some multiple purpose guns. I got a revolver that can handle 9x19, 38 Special, and 357 Magnum. I got a lever rifle that shoots 38/357. I got A Rossi Circuit Judge that can handle 45 LC and 410. To go with the Circuit Judge, I sold some more stuff and got a Taylor's and Co. Ranch Hand in 45 LC. I also have a Taurus Judge that does the same thing as the Circuit Judge.

The common thread through all the handgun rounds is they can be loaded with either Hi-Skor 700-X, IMR Target, and Trail Boss.

I got rid of a few other pieces and got a Kel-Tec PMR-30 and CMR-30 combo so I could have a lighter weight sporting rifle than an AR and have a pistol that uses the same ammo and mags. I wanted one high end race gun, so I sold three other pieces and got a Sig Sauer P320 X5 Legion with a Romeo 1 Pro, an extra FCU, and frames with slides and barrels for the P320 in compact and carry versions. I got rid of a few of my 22s and completely tricked out my Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite in gold and black. In total, I probably got rid of 15 pieces, but I ended up with a well curated collection that I can load my own ammo for without buying a round for years.

Uncle Duke said:

I'm pretty much the opposite. For me, every new cartridge is a new learning experience, and a new adventure. There's arguably some redundancy, but I'm ok with that.

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Me too!

Uncle Duke said:

Different strokes and all that.

Even in flush times for ammo, I personally can't think of anything that would bore the hell out of me more, than a constant diet of nothing other than 9mm and .556. Maybe that's just me.

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Not just you. Variety is the spice of life. Also, in a pinch, they are all hunting AND defense calibers!

Yes, I find myself liking shooting handguns more than rifles.....that's just personal feeling of what one likes more. I think part of the reason for me enjoying shooting handguns is because you can shoot them at indoor ranges and while more and more indoor ranges are allow rifle cartridges most of the indoor ranges are limited to 25yard, maybe you can get lucky and find one with 50yrd. Also from what I'm experienced few outdoor clubs have ranges more than 100 yards. The sportsman's club I use to belong to when I lived in Pittsburgh had a 300 yard range which I was told was rare for a club to have.

Yep, I'll give you that the standard cartridges maybe boring and they're the first ones to disappear during shortages but they're also the ones being produced during the shortage and the first ones to come back. Plus it doesn't take the much to stockpile of components to get you through the crisis. it's not a lifetime. Heck, I traded off 10,000 srp when I got here and still have some left. Many of the reloaders I know consider me a lightweight in their realm. I don't consider myself that. I just try figure out about how much I think I'm going to shoot. For my 9mm shooting needs from my previous post has it around 6k-9k. So I'd buy sleeve of primers or two and be good for the year. When I went through 2,000 or so primes and go ahead and order another sleeve just to try to keep the haz mat fees reasonable.

Heck, when my wife and I moved into our house end of Jan 2020, we want to Frederick to eat at Texas Roadhouse one of our favorite restaurants and decided to go up early and check out the Machine Gun Nest indoor shooting range to see what they had and maybe rent some handguns to squeeze of a few rounds until we found out that we couldn't due to not having our HQL and discovered how antigun Maryland was. And then Covid hit not long after. Needless to say, in 2020 the wife and I did not shoot anywhere close to what we shoot when we lived in Indianapolis. To come to think about it, we didn't shoot at all during 2020 thus why I didn't place an order for small pistol primers. Now that we become members of Isaac Walton league we will try to go shooting more in 2021 and even try to find other gun clubs to visit. I still can't figure out how with so many gun people I've meet so far that the state is so anti-gun!

.22 lr in my training rifle and training handgun

5.56 and 9mm in my primary and secondary

12ga for clays and hd

Yeah, I've consolidated. But to my detriment as these are also the most popular calibers in america.

@rootytootyshooty,

I've signed up for notices for reloading supplies and have gotten them but you have to jump vast or they're going. Supply-demand is going to dictate a higher price and personal decision if you want to wait it out or pay.

Unfortunately it's the primer shortages that's hurting everyone. The primer shortage is going to hurt non mainstream and mainstream cartridges alike.

At least right now, Not considering it at all. I'm not a simple man.
Me in particular, I have the interest in many things and NOT specialize. I know it means I won't ever be GREAT at one caliber or gun. I like to get good at one then move onto the next thing, periodically coming back to something in the past. I do have my favorite and accurate 9mm, 45, 22 and soon to be 38/357 pistols Other than a couple hunting rifles, 223/300Blk ARs all the rest are C&R.

I like having a wide varierty of calibers, for example I keep at least one in .40 and the ability to convert another as it always seems to be available (maybe not so much now) plus I enjoy using different tools for different purposes.

That said a collection can get unwieldy fast and when the day comes you need to move can cause some logistical nightmares. In most cases handguns are not as bad just by size and weight.

@jimbob2.0, yep, I have friends who buy 40S&W glock and then buy 9mm barrel so they could have ability to convert. Also have friend who bought 22lr conversion kits for their 1911s. All fun stuff!

Melnic said:

At least right now, Not considering it at all. I'm not a simple man.
Me in particular, I have the interest in many things and NOT specialize. I know it means I won't ever be GREAT at one caliber or gun. I like to get good at one then move onto the next thing, periodically coming back to something in the past. I do have my favorite and accurate 9mm, 45, 22 and soon to be 38/357 pistols Other than a couple hunting rifles, 223/300Blk ARs all the rest are C&R.

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C&R is a great thing to be collecting. I just picked up 1953 CZ52. What an amazing gun. Simple disassembly, decocker, all steel composition, and more. I was even able to score some Tokarev ammo.

Not really consolidating per-se, but most everything I've bought or built in the last few years has been 22, 9mm 5.56, 300bo or 308, and I stepped up loading those calibers, and they are all I shoot 90% of the time. Have mil-surps in a dozen calibers that I only keep a few boxes of ammo and rarely shoot, and a few calibers with only a gun or two, so not a huge deal to keep a lot of calibers.

Every year I find my collection has added 2 or 3 new Calibers... it is a sickness.