Need Your Opinion for an Idea....

[The Annoyed Man]

So if any of you are like me, you've accumulated a lot of ammunition over the years and have several thousand rounds in assorted calibers in your on-hand ammo inventory. I decided yesterday, prompted by the latest attack on M855 ball ammo, to do a proper inventory of everything that I have on hand, and I decided to create an elaborate spreadsheet to manage it going forward.

Between yesterday and today, I've already got about 8 hours of my time into setting it up, and I'm not done yet. Basically, what I've created is a file with mulitple sheets in it, one sheet per caliber. Under each caliber, I have multiple columns to describe an item on hand—manufacturer, bullet weight, bullet type, etc., etc.—each row representing one item you have on hand. The bottom row gives a sum total on hand for that caliber. Whereever possible, I have reduced the field to a pulldown menu, so all you have to do is select from the list, instead of repetetively typing everything out. Hand entry is reduced to the quantity field, a date field, and an "additional details" field.

The file is of course editable, so you can add or delete selections from a pulldown, add or delete rows from the table in a particular sheet, or add or delete caliber sheets depending on your own circumstances. I have set it up for the following calibers, because that is what I have on hand, but you can very easily copy a sheet to add another caliber, or delete a sheet for a caliber you don't need:

• .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO
• .223 Remington/5.56 NATO
• .30 Carbine
• .22 LR
• 7.62x54 Russian
• .45 ACP
• 9mm
• .38 Special
• .357 Magnum
• .44 Special
• .44 Magnum
• 12 Gauge
• 20 Gauge

I will eventually creating a similar spreadsheet for reloading components.

The columns (so far) include:

• Manufacturer
• Caliber (is it .308, or 7.62 NATO?, etc.)
• Bullet Weight (or total shot weight for shotshells)
• Bullet type (or shot type for shotshells)
• Pressure (Standard, +P, etc.)
• Quantity
• "additional details"
• Date In/Out

Each of the tables in the delivered file will contain a couple of rows of sample data for each caliber, plus a number of blank rows already formatted to receive new data.

Some of the time spent on this consisted of repeatedly going back and "upgrading" what I started out with as I began to require solutions to speed my own inventory process. In the end, I will have spent a lot more time creating the file than I would have on completing the inventory by hand, but it will greatly simplify and speed up my ongoing inventory tracking, which will help me to be more diligent about maintaining it going forward.....and whom among us has no use for something to make diligence easier, right?

What you would be receiving is simply a spreadsheet file, not a fancy app. If there were enough interest to develop an app, I might tackle it, but it would have to be a LOT of people to make it worth the effort for me. Because I keep the file stored in iCloud, it is accessible to me across all of my devices. If you didn't have an iCloud account, you could store it on Google Docs, Dropbox, or some other similar service where it could be available to you across platforms. I am building the file in Apple Numbers, but it would be available as either a Numbers file, or a Microsoft Excel file. Basically, it is a matter of A) whether or not this would be useful to you, and B) what your own time is worth if it would be useful. I would manage online payment for it through Paypal. I already know that Paypal is a problem for some of you, but I've already got a Paypal account and I'm not going to bother going through all the complexities of setting up another merchant processing account for this. The only other possibility is using my SQUARE device for accepting a credit card in a FTF sale.... in which case the cost would be whatever the price is, plus a card processing charge. If you refuse to deal with Paypal, simply answer "No" to the poll, and you can set up your own file.

The file would be delivered along with a link to a page with simple instructions for editing some of the field parameters.

So my question to you guys is, if you could pay a small amount to purchase a spreadsheet file like that as opposed to the hours and hours and hours it would take to create it (creating the logic process itself being part of the creative time involved), would you be willing to do pay for such a file? By "small amount", I'm thinking of something in the range of $5-$10. Keep in mind that if your answer to the poll is "Yes, depends, if you added XYZ calibers", that would drive my selling price up because I am balancing the price to you against the value of my time to me. I can't possibly account for all brands, all calibers, all bullet types/weights, etc., etc., etc., but I have deliberately tried to make it easy to customize for your own needs, if they are different from mine. You just have to know how to use your spreadsheet application.

This file could possibly be adapted to inventory other things as well, such as fasteners, pipe fittings, and other hardware items, gun parts, etc., in which case, I've done the ground-work, but you're on your own to modify it to your needs.

None of this is genius at work. It really boils down to what you thing your own time is worth, and would a small price make it attractive in light of the value of your own time. I have put it up here as a poll to gauge interest because the membership here is about as focused a market sample as I could want for this kind of thing. You can select up to 3 of the 5 possible answers

[TexasCajun]

Can you include a screen shot with some sample data?

After reading through your description, I found an app on Google Play called Gun Vault Pro which includes a lot of what you've set up but also includes a firearm inventory and stat tracker for $1.49.

However, there are several downsides with the app vs your spreadsheet. Subtracting rounds from a range trip might take a bit of doing. Your spreadsheet solution would probably be easier to manage in that you'd just have to input the number or expended rounds as a negative. Also, the app data is stored on-device with no really easy way to import the information to the cloud or other devices.

[mojo84]

TAM, I would not be inclined to purchase such as I do not have an ammo cache significant enough to warrant such inventory tracking. Plus I just don't see the need, personally, to track my ammo so closely. I also would not spend the time.

However, I can see how such a spreadsheet would prove valuable to someone that had a substantial cache and is an avid shooter that needs to manage their inventory closely.

Wish you the best with this endeavor.

[carlson1]

I would love to have it.

It took a long time for me to finally breakdown and do inventory of my firearms. I not only did serial numbers, description, etc..., but I also did photos. If I buy one I list all the Information from who I purchased it etc..., but I also do the same if I sale one.

[brhalltx]

No, I'd create my own FileMaker database to do that.

[joe817]

I have to agree with mojo84, in that I too, do not have the ammunition inventory to warrant such an expenditure of time to keep it current. And even if I did have such an accumulation, I doubt that I would be curious enough to list it on an inventory spreadsheet. Eyeballing a box of ammo is suits my purposes just fine.

Now if I were a competition shooter of any kind, I can certainly see where that, keeping such a spreadsheet, would be a necessary requirement. Especially if you are hand loading your own ammunition.

[chuck j]

We keep quite a bit of factory ammo , keep inventory on a legal pad (lol, old school) laying on the ammo shelf . We use an erasable pen to note taking or adding . I think many would like to have it online though .

[The Annoyed Man]

No, I'd create my own FileMaker database to do that.

I thought of offering it as a Bento template, but then decided that any proprietary DB might not be editable by all DB software. I also thought of offering it as an online subscription in a PHP/mySQL system, but decided that the kind of data contained is probably best kept off the Internet where it is more easily hackable. In the end, I decided on a simple spreadsheet because that is what is most commonly available to the most people.

[Jim Beaux]

No, I'd create my own FileMaker database to do that.

I thought of offering it as a Bento template, but then decided that any proprietary DB might not be editable by all DB software. I also thought of offering it as an online subscription in a PHP/mySQL system, but decided that the kind of data contained is probably best kept off the Internet where it is more easily hackable. In the end, I decided on a simple spreadsheet because that is what is most commonly available to the most people.

TAM

I dont have enough ammo to warrant keeping a list, and Im not discipline to maintain such.

On the other hand, for those of us who travel, the spread sheet you did on states reciprocity is well worth paying for. It offers practical value to a broader range- truly a work of art. Consider consigning it to the online gun catalogs.

BTW - Please dont invoice me for the copy I have.

[jimlongley]

Already have one I did myself.

[cheezit]

My stash is small as well. Its a great idea however.

[The Annoyed Man]

Well so far, the feedback is that there would not be much interest in this. That's OK, no hard feelings. As I'm working on it, it just seems like it would be useful to someone else.....but it looks like for those whom it would be useful, they've already got it covered.

Oh well. I'll keep developing it for my own use.

[chuck j]

For what it's worth I think you still have a shot , nationwide there are folks that have a large inventory of ammo . The shortages have turned many into hoarders .

[jimlongley]

Well so far, the feedback is that there would not be much interest in this. That's OK, no hard feelings. As I'm working on it, it just seems like it would be useful to someone else.....but it looks like for those whom it would be useful, they've already got it covered.

Oh well. I'll keep developing it for my own use.

Once upon a time in a place long ago and far away, I spent a year on staff at NY Telephone and my job was about 50% designing Lotus123 and Excel spreadsheets as well as Access and Informix database programs to use them. My wife says I use Excel to answer he math questions, like "Honey, how much is $1.98 + 8.25% tax?"

[LDB415]

Right now no, only because I shoot only 3 calibers and don't have nearly enough of any of the three. Eventually, after I win the lotto and get everything I want, then most likely yes.