The cost of third world labor and the economics of scale.
15 years ago, from Cheaper than Dirt. I’ve still got some stashed away. It was $74.00 per 1000 ct and another $15.00 for shipping via UPS 5 day. Wish I had bought a lot more than I did. Wish I had not shot so much of it back then as well.
Comparable is steel cased 5.56 made in the same place.
Or the 5.45 that’s even cheaper.
At the same time.
You cannot compare surplus ammo prices to current commercial production. Surplus was made when materials and labor were cheaper, it’s being dumped because it is out of date, or has been stored out of a controlled environment, or is extra war stock that is no longer needed because of a change in service caliber.
If you look up the price of current manufacture 5.45 it’s the same as 5.56 and 7.62x39, there is nothing special about it that allows it to be made cheaper.
1000 rounds of WMC 7.62x39 FMJ $219.97 in stock at sportsmansguide.com.
I looked into a specialty load Wolf markets which is the 154gr S/P in 7.62x39mm at 2105fps. Local dealers stated dumping their stock last year at $99.00 per thousand after demand/sales slowed.
After a few range sessions this load shot decently enough thur my AK to lay in some cases.
15 to 16 cents a round, I’ve been thinking of getting a 5.45 upper.
It’s been many years since I had an SKS, but ammo in the 90’s was $90 for a 1600 round case. All ammo is expensive now.
I did just order some 5.56 WPA wolf, it was just over $200/k, I could buy once fired brass, and all components, and it would cost close to $200/k to load my own 55gr FMJ’s.