Mr. EISENBERG. How many primers?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. One hundred. And 158 grain lead, .38 Special bullets
are $2.80. So $7.80 plus $2.00 worth of powder and you are in business.
Mr. EISENBERG. For $9.80?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes.
Mr. EISENBERG. And how much would the bullets cost you if you bought
them commercially already prepared?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I think it is $2.50 per 50.
Mr. EISENBERG. Well, that is more. $2.25 per 50, did you say?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. $2.85? I never buy any ammunition of that type. I do
not know.
Mr. EISENBERG. So for a hundred that would be $5.90.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I would say it is closer to $8 per hundred for .38
Special.
Mr. EISENBERG. So it is cheaper to buy them that way than to buy the
components?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. It is cheaper to buy your components when you do not
have to buy the cartridge cases.
Mr. EISENBERG. Well, now, is it possible that a gunsmith would buy
the components, including new cases, and reload together a case from
Western-Winchester and a bullet from Remington-Peters?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I don't think that a gunsmith would buy the new cases.
That is what I was saying. For instance, used .30-.06 brass, right here
in town--you can buy it locally. You can buy National Match Cases,
which are excellent brass. I think they are a nickel a piece; $5 a
hundred.
Mr. EISENBERG. Are they as good as the new cases?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. They are once-fired cases. They are excellent.
Mr. EISENBERG. So in you opinion does the possibility that this
discrepancy in bullets and cartridge cases can be explained in terms of
reloading make much sense? Does it have a high degree of probability or
a low degree of probability, would you think?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I am sorry.
Mr. EISENBERG. Would you think it probable or improbable, in light
of all your testimony, that the discrepancy between the number of
recovered bullets and the number of recovered cartridge cases can be
explained in terms of a reloading operation of some kind, or hand
loading?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. No, sir; I do not. It is improbable, because we found
no indication of any reloading operation. And in an examination of
all the cartridges that we had examined, there was no indication of
a reloading operation on those. They looked like factory bullets and
factory cases.
Mr. EISENBERG. And if you were going to reload, you would use used
cartridges rather than new ones?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. You would use used brass, because you usually can pick
it up at ranges and places like that. You would not even have to buy it.
Representative BOGGS. By that you mean you would use these? (Referring
to Commission Exhibit No. 595.)