Tactical Surplus USA Ammo Price Index: October 2026

Home › Ammo Prices › October 2026 Report

By Mendy Segelman, Tactical Surplus USA · Data as of October 21, 2026 · Published October 21, 2026

October 2026 in one paragraph: As of October 21, 2026, median in-stock range ammo at Tactical Surplus USA costs $0.28 per round for 9mm, $0.61 per round for 5.56/.223 and $0.55 per shell for 12 gauge. Defensive loads cost $1.13 per round for 9mm and $2.03 per shell for 12 gauge. Groups with fewer than 10 in-stock SKUs are withheld: 5.56/.223 defense, 7.62x39 range and defense, and .22 LR.

This is the first monthly report of the Tactical Surplus USA Ammo Price Index. It covers 9mm, 5.56/.223, 7.62x39 and 12 gauge, measured from our own catalog on October 21, 2026. It isn't a market-wide price; it shows what in-stock ammunition costs at Tactical Surplus USA. For what the terms mean and how to use them when you shop, see the Ammo Prices guide.

Headline Figures

Full Figures by Caliber

9mm

9mm is the most-stocked handgun caliber in the index. Range FMJ has a median of $0.28 per round, and the cheapest 10% of range SKUs are $0.25 per round or less. The blended median of $0.89 is pulled up by 55 defensive SKUs, so use the range figure for practice ammo. Shop 9mm ammo.

5.56/.223

5.56/.223 range ammo has a median of $0.61 per round across 39 SKUs. Defense is withheld because only 5 defensive SKUs were in stock. The 26 other SKUs (match, soft point and similar) are counted in the blended figure. Shop 5.56/.223 ammo.

7.62x39

7.62x39 has 16 in-stock SKUs in total, enough for a blended figure ($0.86 per round) but not enough in any single load class. Range (8 SKUs) and defense (0 SKUs) are withheld. Shop 7.62x39 ammo.

12 gauge

12 gauge is priced per shell. Range loads (target and birdshot) have a median of $0.55 per shell across 74 SKUs. Defense loads (buckshot and slugs) have a median of $2.03 per shell. With 192 other SKUs, the blended median is $0.87 per shell and the highest listing is $8.59 per shell. Shop 12 gauge ammo.

.22 LR: withheld this month. 8 in-stock SKUs (3 range, 2 defense, 3 other), below the 10-SKU minimum. .22 LR shotshells are excluded.

How to Read These Tables

• Median is the middle in-stock SKU: half cost less, half cost more.
• Cheapest 10% is the 10th percentile. A listing at or below it is among the cheapest 10% of in-stock SKUs in that group.
• Lowest and Highest are the single cheapest and most expensive in-stock SKUs.
• In-stock SKUs is the sample size. Fewer than 10 means the price is withheld.
• Range is FMJ, TMJ, ball and target (12 gauge: target and birdshot). Defense is JHP, HP and defensive lines (12 gauge: buckshot and slugs). Other is everything else, such as match, soft point and frangible.

Change vs. the prior month and prior year: not available. October 2026 is the first snapshot. The November 2026 report will add month-over-month change.

Methodology Summary

Figures come from a read-only snapshot of the Tactical Surplus USA BigCommerce catalog taken October 21, 2026, filtered to a verified list of loaded ammunition. A listing counts only if it's in stock, visible, and has a positive price and a readable round count. Price per round is the listed price in USD, before shipping and tax, divided by the rounds in the unit sold; for a listing such as 20/500, the unit is the box of 20. 12 gauge is priced per shell. Each SKU is reduced to one price per round, then the median, 10th percentile, minimum and maximum are taken across SKUs. Full methodology.

Download the Data

• Methodology · Ammo Prices hub

Shop the calibers in this report: all ammunition, 9mm, 5.56, 7.62x39, 12 gauge. New to ordering online? Read how to buy guns online.

Data: Tactical Surplus USA, licensed CC BY 4.0. You may reuse the figures with credit to Tactical Surplus USA and a link to this page. Own-catalog data, not a market-wide price.