Special Report

These Are the Most and Least Expensive Handgun Rounds

U.S. Army MP's Train Iraqi Police
2003 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Handguns — a category that includes both pistols and revolvers — have ranked as the best selling firearm in the United States for well over a decade. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, handguns have accounted for over 40% of all domestic firearm production every year since 2007 — and U.S. based gunmakers manufactured more handguns in each of the last seven years than rifles and shotguns combined.

ATF data also shows that consumer demand for handguns has surged in recent years. Nearly 21.4 million handguns were manufactured in the U.S. between 2020 and 2022, 17% more than were made during the 1990s.

For most American gun owners, the choice to have a firearm comes down to self defense. A 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center found that personal protection is a major reason that 72% of gun owners have a firearm. In many states, adults can carry a concealed firearm in public places without a license or permit, and handguns are ideal concealed carry weapons. According to an earlier Pew survey, well over half of all handgun owners carry their firearm outside the home at least some of the time.

But whether keeping a firearm for personal protection, hunting, or recreational shooting, handgun owners need to be familiar with their weapon — and regular practice at the range is far more expensive with some handgun calibers than others.

Using data from Ammo Prices Now, an ammunition price tracking website, 24/7 Wall St. identified the price of 19 different handgun calibers and ranked them by price per round, from lowest to highest. It is important to note that ammo prices can vary by brand, cartridge ballistics, retailer, and geographic area. The prices on this list represent the lowest available as of mid-March 2024. Date ranges for average prices over a given time period vary by caliber, based on available data.

Among the handgun calibers on this list, prices range from as low as $0.02 per round to well over $1.00. The cheapest handgun round, by a wide margin, is the .22 Long Rifle, or .22 LR. Unlike most other cartridges, the .22 LR is rimfire round, which are much cheaper to manufacture than centerfire ammunition, partially because they are relatively low pressure and can use thin-walled cartridge casings.

While affordable, .22 LR ammunition is far less capable than other common handgun rounds, and largely limited to target shooting and small game and varmint hunting. Meanwhile, the most expensive ammunition on this list are generally powerful, high-caliber rounds with heavy recoil that many shooters would find uncomfortable. (Here is a look at the most powerful handguns.)

Rounds more shooters would find practical for a wide range of applications fall closer to the lower and middle range of the price spectrum. These include the 9mm, which has been the most popular handgun caliber in the U.S. for years. (These are the companies making America’s most popular 9mm pistols.)

19. 22 LR

simonov / Flickr
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.02 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.08 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Ruger Mark IV

18. 9mm

storem / Flickr
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.16 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.30 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Beretta 92FS

17. 22 WMR

  • Lowest price currently available: $0.19 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.28 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Heritage Rough Rider

16. 380 ACP

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.21 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.43 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Ruger LCP Max Micro Compact

15. 40 S&W

Slantsixx / iStock via Getty Images
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.26 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.37 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Glock 22

14. 32 ACP

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.33 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.33 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Beretta 3032 Tomcat

13. 38 Special

NoDerog / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.34 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.50 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: S&W M&P Bodyguard

12. 10mm Auto

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.34 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.48 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Sig Sauer P320

11. 45 ACP

RonBailey / E+ via Getty Images
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.35 per round
  • Avg. low-price between June 2020 and March 2024: $0.46 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Colt 1911

10. 30 Super Carry

Gunmaker Smith & Wesson Reports Drop In Quarterly Earnings
2022 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.36 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.36 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: S&W Shield Plus

9. 357 Magnum

szuppo / Flickr
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.36 per round
  • Avg. low-price between April 2021 and March 2024: $0.55 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Colt Python

8. 5.7x28mm

  • Lowest price currently available: $0.38 per round
  • Avg. low-price between April 2021 and March 2024: $0.72 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Ruger-57

7. 7.62×25 Tokarev

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.43 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.42 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Zastava M57A

6. 357 Sig

  • Lowest price currently available: $0.46 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.45 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Glock 33

5. 44 Special

  • Lowest price currently available: $0.58 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.58 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Ruger Blackhawk

4. 45 Long Colt

666_is_money / Flickr
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.60 per round
  • Avg. low-price between May 2021 and March 2024: $0.83 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Taurus Judge

3. 44 Magnum

  • Lowest price currently available: $0.60 per round
  • Avg. low-price between May 2021 and March 2024: $0.82 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Colt Anaconda

2. 41 Remington Magnum

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Lowest price currently available: $0.69 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $0.69 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Ruger Blackhawk

1. 500 S&W Magnum

National Shooting Sports Foundation Hosts Annual Trade Show In Las Vegas
2018 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Lowest price currently available: $1.44 per round
  • Avg. low-price between Feb. 2024 and March 2024: $1.41 per round
  • Handgun models chambered for ammunition include: Taurus Raging Hunter

Essential Tips for Investing (Sponsored)

A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.