Cheapest .38 Special ammo that ships to California (conditions apply)
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Cheapest that ships to California
$0.47 per round
$23.41 for 50 rounds at Kygunco
MAGTECH 38 Special 158Gr 755 FPS LRN 50rd
Buy at KyguncoKygunco sets conditions for California: "Shipping Policy (Ammunition) says ammunition must ship to an FFL dealer in California, Massachusetts, and New York.".
Based on each store's published shipping policy, not legal advice. Check the store before you order.
Showing the cheapest 50 of 504 listings. With JavaScript the filters, Sort and Show more cover all of them; without it, every listing is in this data file.
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
"CA check retailer" means no California conditions from that store are on file here. California law restricts ammo shipping, so confirm with the store first.
Stores that do not ship to California or set conditions
| Store | Status | Policy wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Munitions | Does not ship | FAQ states Freedom Munitions ships ammunition to most U.S. states except Alaska, California, Washington DC, Hawaii, Massachusetts and the cities of Chicago, IL and Annapolis, MD. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| BulkAmmo.com | Does not ship | FAQ says BulkAmmo.com does not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York City, or Chicago. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Lucky Gunner | Does not ship | Lucky Gunner states "we no longer ship to California". | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Cheaper Than Dirt | Does not ship | Terms of Use (Shipping Destination Restrictions) state Cheaper Than Dirt does not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Chicago, New York City, or other areas where shipping is prohibited by law. | Policy page (Oct 10, 2026) |
| AmmunitionToGo | Does not ship | Conditions page says Ammo To Go also cannot ship to Massachusetts, California, or D.C. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| SG Ammo | Does not ship | Conditions of Use state no sales to New York, Maine, California, Massachusetts, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington DC, or City of Chicago. No exceptions. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Ammoman | Does not ship | Conditions of Use state Ammoman does not ship outside of the contiguous 48 states, and does not ship to California or Massachusetts or to other cities and locales that prohibit shipping (e.g., Chicago and Washington D.C.). | Policy page (Oct 10, 2026) |
| Sportsman's Guide | Does not ship | Product shipping restrictions, ammunition section: "Cannot be shipped to ... CA". | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Kygunco | Conditions apply | Shipping Policy (Ammunition) says ammunition must ship to an FFL dealer in California, Massachusetts, and New York. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Ammunition Depot | Conditions apply | Ships ammunition only to a company registered as an FFL in California that has its FFL on file; order with the FFL as the shipping address. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Midwest Gun Works | Conditions apply | Ammunition Purchasing Policy says all sales to California must ship to a licensed California ammunition dealer, orders are held until proper documents are received, and there are no sales to the cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, or Avalon. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Target Sports USA | Conditions apply | Terms and Conditions say ammunition cannot ship to a California home address; every California ammunition order ships to a California-licensed ammunition vendor selected at checkout, where the purchase is completed with the California DOJ eligibility check. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
| Steinel Ammunition | Conditions apply | Shipping Restrictions & Order Cancellation page says: FFL / registered seller requirement: New York, California. | Policy page (Nov 9, 2026) |
What California rules say
Effective July 1, 2019, persons seeking to purchase or transfer ammunition will have to undergo an eligibility check, and be approved by the Department, prior to the sale or transfer, except as otherwise specified.
California DOJ: Ammunition Purchase Authorization Program (checked )ammunition may be purchased or acquired over the Internet or through other means of remote ordering if a licensed ammunition vendor initially receives the ammunition and processes the transaction in compliance with this section
California Penal Code section 30312(b), Legislative Information (checked )Commencing January 1, 2018, a resident of this state shall not bring or transport into this state any ammunition that he or she purchased or otherwise obtained from outside of this state unless he or she first has that ammunition delivered to a licensed ammunition vendor for delivery to that resident pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 30312.
California Penal Code section 30314(a), Legislative Information (checked )
Online and mail-order ammo must first be received and processed by a California licensed ammunition vendor, with a state eligibility check (official source).
Common questions
What is the cheapest .38 Special ammo for California right now?
As of Nov 13, 2026, the lowest .38 Special price from a retailer whose published policy sets conditions for California is $0.47 per round at Kygunco (MAGTECH 38 Special 158Gr 755 FPS LRN 50rd, 50 rounds). Kygunco shipping policy.
How does the California price compare with the national low for .38 Special?
The lowest .38 Special price nationally is $0.38 per round at True Shot Ammo, which has no published California conditions on file here while California law restricts ammo shipping (check retailer). The lowest that ships to California is $0.47 per round at Kygunco, $0.09 per round (24%) higher.
Which retailers listing .38 Special do not ship it to California?
By their own published shipping policies, quoted in the table on this page: Freedom Munitions (checked Nov 9, 2026), BulkAmmo.com (checked Nov 9, 2026), Lucky Gunner (checked Nov 9, 2026), Cheaper Than Dirt (checked Oct 10, 2026), AmmunitionToGo (checked Nov 9, 2026), SG Ammo (checked Nov 9, 2026), Ammoman (checked Oct 10, 2026), Sportsman's Guide (checked Nov 9, 2026). Freedom Munitions policy. BulkAmmo.com policy. Lucky Gunner policy. Cheaper Than Dirt policy. AmmunitionToGo policy. SG Ammo policy. Ammoman policy. Sportsman's Guide policy.
Which retailers set conditions for shipping .38 Special to California?
By their own published shipping policies, quoted in the table on this page: Kygunco (checked Nov 9, 2026), Ammunition Depot (checked Nov 9, 2026), Midwest Gun Works (checked Nov 9, 2026), Target Sports USA (checked Nov 9, 2026), Steinel Ammunition (checked Nov 9, 2026). Kygunco policy. Ammunition Depot policy. Midwest Gun Works policy. Target Sports USA policy. Steinel Ammunition policy.
Is bulk .38 Special cheaper than boxes for California?
Among listings from retailers that ship to California, packs of 500 or more rounds have a median of $0.63 per round across 26 listings and smaller boxes $0.72 per round across 152. Lowest bulk is $0.51 per round and lowest box is $0.47 per round.
Other calibers for California: 9mm, .223 / 5.56, 12 Gauge, .380 ACP, .45 ACP, .308 / 7.62x51, 7.62x39, .40 S&W, .300 Blackout, 10mm Auto, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, 5.7x28, .32 ACP, .45 Colt, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06 Springfield, .30-30 Win, 5.45x39, 7.62x54R, .350 Legend, .224 Valkyrie, 20 Gauge, .410 Bore. All .38 Special prices.
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