[RM]

OK, so maybe this has been done before, but it is new to me. What are the most expensive handguns? And also, what is the most expensive 1911 handgun? I am excluding here antique firearms and gold plated jewerly stuff. I am referring to guns whose value is based upon quality, attention to detail and custom features. Thanks for any opinions.

[10-Ring]

A couple years ago, a shooting buddy had a 6" custom STI built. After shooting it, I asked him how much he spent on it. $5000! YIKES!

[Hkmp5sd]

Custom 1911s by Wilson Combat (http://www.wilsoncombat.com/store.cgi?&shop=city&Category=10002) start at $3,000. Les Baers's (http://www.impactguns.com/store/les_baer.html) custom 1911s are a little less expensive, beginning at around $1,500. Of couse, you can find them at even higher prices if you look.

[Chupacabra]

Heckler & Koch USPs are pricey. $700+ for most models.

[SnWnMe]

Where the sky's the limit for cost, maybe a Sig 210? The old Sphinx CZ-75 style autos?

[Quintin Likely]

The "cheap" Wilsons start at like $1100ish for a KZ45, I think. CQBs are a little under $2K, and it goes up from there. Most anything that says "H&K" on it has a pretty stiff price tag.

[Standing Wolf]

I'm partial to Pythons and High Standards, both of which are decidedly over-priced these days. To the best of my knowledge, the German Korth is the Mercedes-priced revolver.

[Sean Smith]

Here are a few candidates:

SIG P210. Cheap ones are $2,000, and they go up to about $4,000+
Pre-WWII Colt National Match guns are "out there" and will run you over $3,000 easily.
Wilson Combat sells limited-production 1911s that are just shy of the $4,000 mark. There are $3,000+ Ed Browns and $2,500+ Les Baers too. All three make more "reasonable" priced models too (though that's relative).
Pistolsmiths building one-of-a-kind guns for you from scratch are in the $3,000+ range, but pistolsmith custom work is hard to pidgeon-hole because it can include everything from a $100 action job on a Colt to a $5,000+ gold-plated ego massager.
USPSA raceguns can get very expensive very fast, especially when you are talking about guns with funky optics and add-ons and such. Prices range from merely high to heart-attack-inducing.
I know Korth charges an arm and a leg for their guns.

At what point does spending money stop giving you ANYTHING objective but a lighter wallet? For a practical weapon, I'd say about $3,000, since at that point you can have a handmade gun from scratch with nothing but the best parts done by a highly qualified pistolsmith. That's overkill, no doubt about it, but you can at least quantifiy the material/performance advantages of every bit and piece going into the weapon at that point. Get beyond that, and you are just paying for metalworking masturbation or a highly specialized "game gun." Which are cool things if you can swing 'em. :D

Personally, I can't see dropping $3,000+ on a handgun, and I *like* customized guns. But at ~$2,000 it is almost dead certain that you can match $3,000+ performance 100%, and with luck and/or very judicious customizing hitting $3,000 performance with a $1,500 gun isn't unrealistic either. Heck, there are folks with $1,000 guns nipping at the heels of the accuracy and reliability of $3,000 guns, though at that price point you really do need to get lucky to play with the big dogs (at least insofar as "holy crap accuracy at distance" goes).

[Preacherman]

If I could afford it (I can't... :( ), and if I could bear to keep a gun as a "looker" rather than a "shooter" (I've never succeeded yet... :D ), I'd want one of these (http://www.lesbaer.com/presgd.html). Price? A mere $5,999.00, or if I want my name engraved and gold-inlaid on it, $6,186.00.


http://www.lesbaer.com/images/cov.jpg

[Island Beretta]

..polymer pistols in general..

[BlkHawk73]

I know some of the Korths (www.korthusa.com) start in the thousands and a few fancy ones get way up there $8000 - $10000. The Pardini line is pricey for "just a .22" but well worth it as are some of the Hammerli models. HK P7M8s can run $1000+ used.

[RM]

Yes, I went to KorthUSA.com, and their handguns do sell for about $6000. That seems quite high, but I believe that each Korth does come with a complete owner's manual and an extra mag.

[ZekeLuvs1911]

I just ordered one of the fifty Clark Custom Millienium Meltdowns. It will run about $3900.00.

http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/50thphoto.htm

[762x51]

The SVI TIKI-T is up there. About $6000 IIRC.

http://www.sviguns.com/tiki_pr.html

[max popenker]

Korriphila "Odin's Eye". slide & frame made from damaskus steel. Price is about 10K Euro (IIRC), that's about $11K

http://www.korriphila.de/web_Bild_23.jpg

[Blueduck]

Personally I'd put the $3,000+ 1911's in the same excluded category as "antique firearms and gold plated jewerly stuff". Only difference is instead of paying for a pretty diamond in the grip or obscure rollmark your paying for am impressive name on the slide. I'm sure Tussey, Wilson, or a hundred other guys would be willing to mess with the same pistol for 6 years and charge $300,000 for it if someone had the inclination and cash ;)

"Real guns" I'd agree with Sig 210 and Korth

[Animal]

S&W made a special edition 1911 you can see it at thier web site I believe. They want something like 10 grand for it I think. This probably qualifies as a "jewelry" piece, but its pretty impressive, you should check it out anyways.:)

[Skunkabilly]

Wilson Combat doesn't really do custom stuff any more per se, more like high end production guns....

'Expensive' is relative, I rather have a $2000 pistol that works great out of the box and a good warranty than a $800 one that takes $500 to get it where I want it to be and the resale value of a $800 gun. I also rather have a gun or two than a safe full of guns I don't compete with or carry.

[six 4 sure]

H&K P7

They tend to run close to $1000.


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