Spending on 'new' firearms vs. everything else gun-related

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A recent thread has stimulated my thinking about the percentage of my entire 'firearm' budget that goes toward buying guns against what I spend on that long list of related merchandise.

I tend to think of the firearm manufacturers being the largest players in the SHOT Show economy, but maybe all the other related stuff is where the bulk of my spending actually goes. Stuff like ammo, reloading components and tools, optics and mounts, extra magazines and other spares and custom components, gunsmithing fees, research books, storage boxes and safes, cleaning and maintenance gear, shooting range equipment, competition and range fees/memberships, transportation costs to/from gunshops and shooting/hunting venues, hunting licenses and tags, CCW license and class fees, cases, slings, pouches and holsters.

I consider myself a shooter/collector, meaning that some guns I buy are for my informal collection but everything eventually gets shot. I keep good records for insurance purposes on firearm purchase prices and firearm-specific accessories like stocks, optics and magazines, but not for all the other expenses surrounding my interests in firearms. Of the 38 rifles I currently own, original cost and the costs for specific accessories (particularly optics) runs about 1-to-1, not including dies and ammo. If I had to guess, all the other stuff would probably add up to a bit more than either category.

How would you estimate your own gun-related spending? Mostly shooting hardware, ammo or everything else?
 
I buy the gun once

Ammo and or components over and over
Accessories, sgain, often multiple times till the right one comes along.

When I was dealing guns, the small stuff ALWAYS sold, and they paid the rent. Guns would often take months to sell, and put the bigger dollars in the money bag...but smalls paid the rent.

So I would suggest that for most people feeding and makin em purty cost more in the long run than the initial purchase did.

Really, our cars are the same way...
 
Eventually, I’ll spend more money on ammo, Cerakote work, optics and accessories, but right now the answer is probably guns. That said, three rifles in my collection probably skew the numbers a good bit in favor of guns vs accessories. I’m gonna have to put a bunch of rounds down range to cancel the cost of that Falkor.
 
I hit the 66 gun mark some time ago, many never see daylight as there's only so much time and my shooting interests change over time.

Now I mostly buy components and specialized tools to help me enjoy what I have more. I kind of cut back on my defensive training, I was averaging a couple classes a year. Last year I did take a competitive shooting class.
 
How would you estimate your own gun-related spending?

I have come to realize lately that I can’t afford another rifle.
Because I’ll have to get dies, brass, gauges and a scope and mounts, a case and sock, cleaning equipment and all that goes with it.
Turning a $239 Savage 22-250, into at least twelve hundred dollars worth of vacant wallet space.

I could take that $1200 and get a Hornady LNL AP and spend less time loading for my fun and more time having it.

As of now, because I am acquiring accessories that are durable, and firearms that are inexpensive, I’d say I am 1.359:1. And getting larger as I go. Ammunition adds up every trip.
Maybe a visit to Turnbull or Alchemy could change that quickly.
Like you, I have more than I can shoot now, but still want more than I have room for. :)


When I was young I spent most of my money on wine, women and song!

The rest, I wasted!:D
 
I maintain a spreadsheet for guns and everything that attaches to them. I also distinguish between the initial investment in the guns themselves and everything that is spent on them afterwards, things like optics, grips, stocks and other accessories or custom work. The guns themselves accounts for nearly 70% of the total investment. What I don't keep track of is all the other crap. Ammo, reloading equipment and components, holsters, slings, accessories and my safe itself. I can't even begin to guess what that would add up to.
 
Even though I buy "On Sale" for the most part...( In order of actual dollars, not practical value ) currently my expenditures are spent as follows...
( And I don't "need" the very best of anything Lol, moderately priced parts work very, very well in this modern manufacturing era )

Currently, I have stopped purchase some type of firearms because of the draconian laws in my state. Instead focusing on parts and other things.

1. Ammo... Sadly, I don't have the time anymore to reload to my satisfaction ( precision load development ) that and moving has kept reloading equipment in storage until my "Kingdom" is fit to allow me to pursue fully building my reloading area.
That said, when I go to the range, I will be there at least 8hrs.

2. Scopes / Red Dots, Mounts, Etc... I hate moving around scopes / Red Dots... back and forth and re-sighting in.. I typically find a scope, with the features for the task and leave it on the firearm "forever".

3. Parts....( either spare or for a specific rifle I am assembling ) Better barrels ( IMHO, the very best bang for the buck investment, even a great barrel ) , BCG's, Stock enhancements ( pads, recoil setups, buffers ) Adj. GB's ( crazy expensive compared to other AR parts ), Triggers.. I love a good 2 stage trigger. ( far easier to back out of a shot, if I want to )

As to the actual dollar amounts spent, I live in denial.. I haven't racked up any CC debt,
But prefer to look at it as an investment in the future.
 
That said, three rifles in my collection probably skew the numbers a good bit in favor of guns vs accessories.

Now that you mention it, I've got a few outliers of my own. Even with those, the purchase was usually less than the upgrades. -- the one I went the stupidest on by far is my CZ527 chassis project in .300 Blackout. Price: $800, extras: $1200.

CZ527ChassisLeft01.jpg

My Encore carbine is also upside down due to the two extra custom barrels and their optics, each of which cost considerably more than the bare frame. Back in the 90s I did something similar with a H&R Handirifle, only to get a custom barrel for that I had to first buy a factory accessory barrel and then have it rebored to .38 Super -- even back then that wasn't cheap!

NEFNickelSuper.jpg

The most I've spent up front to date was $900 for an M1 Garand, which was followed by another $550 for a replacement stock and 7.62 NATO CMP conversion. That probably makes me a piker in this exalted company.
 
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I maintain a spreadsheet for guns and everything that attaches to them. I also distinguish between the initial investment in the guns themselves and everything that is spent on them afterwards, things like optics, grips, stocks and other accessories or custom work.

That is exactly the same thing I do! I've told my wife of its existence for resale/insurance use in the event of my predeceasing, but fortunately she's never asked to actually look at it.

Here's a snapshot of the edited list, with several columns (e.g. serial numbers) ex-purged:

ExpurgedRifleList.jpg

I tried to make similar spreadsheets for my ammo stockpile and reloading component inventory, but I quickly found that those change too much to keep accurate. All I can say for sure about that is a rough estimate of how many cubic feet of space it occupies.
 
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The cost of a firearm can be small compared to feeding it. A simple $400 polymer pistol versus the cost of ammo.

At $0.20 a cartridge that's only 2000 rounds for $400. It doesn't take long to eat through 2k of 9 mm.
 
The cost of a firearm can be small compared to feeding it. A simple $400 polymer pistol versus the cost of ammo.

At $0.20 a cartridge that's only 2000 rounds for $400. It doesn't take long to eat through 2k of 9 mm.

Yup - the math is pretty straight forward.

I have $3200 into my Seekins PRS match rifle, $1800 for the rifle, plus new trigger, arca rail, cheek riser, rings, and optic. In three years, however, I have put $2100 in new barrels on it and have fired over $3500 in reloaded ammo through it, spent around $4,000 in match fees, around $1,000 in hotel rooms, another $1,500 or so in fuel to matches and practice, $800 at 2 competition/LR courses, and spent about $400 on reloading dies, plus about $2,000 on a practice 22LR rig to supplement it, and hundreds of dollars on 22 ammo... $1800 to buy the rifle, versus a $900 Ruger Precision Rifle, really doesn’t seem so relevant...
 
Yup - the math is pretty straight forward.

I have $3200 into my Seekins PRS match rifle, $1800 for the rifle, plus new trigger, arca rail, cheek riser, rings, and optic. In three years, however, I have put $2100 in new barrels on it and have fired over $3500 in reloaded ammo through it, spent around $4,000 in match fees, around $1,000 in hotel rooms, another $1,500 or so in fuel to matches and practice, $800 at 2 competition/LR courses, and spent about $400 on reloading dies, plus about $2,000 on a practice 22LR rig to supplement it, and hundreds of dollars on 22 ammo... $1800 to buy the rifle, versus a $900 Ruger Precision Rifle, really doesn’t seem so relevant...
We call these fun activities we participate in hobbies. They need to change the name to $$$ eaters. Doesn't matter if it's hunting, shooting, or collecting it takes our money :confused:
 
Hi...
Not really sure which is the biggest expense.
I have quite a few firearms(handguns, rifles and shotguns) and seem to be adding fairly regularly. I am not selling anything.
I buy a lot of reloading supplies. I try to keep enough supplies on hand to last for a couple of years. The only ammunition I buy is rimfire and shotgun shells. I may buy a box of ammunition for a new rifle just to give me a baseline accuracy reading before I start working up a load for it.

I do find that the initial outlay for a new gun is minor compared to the cost of optics, accessories and new reloading equipment if necessary.
 
Very few accessories have ever gone into any of my guns. One of my SKS received a Tech Sight.

My three imported AKs only received tiny pin retainer plates to replace the diabolical little shepherd's hooks, and also had Tapco trigger groups installed.
The AMD-65 folder 'stock' had a 'cheek riser' added, which gives a fairly good cheek weld.
The VZ-58 from Czechpoint USA now has a Slovakian muzzle brake.

For the 16 or so handguns I've owned?
Nothing was added to any, other than a weaker Wolff mainspring (Sig P6), and a weaker recoil spring in the German-made PPK/S, to help weak, modern US-made "lawyer ammo" function much better.
 
I'm new to shooting, but already the "other" spending is outpacing the cost of the firearms 5-to-1. Ammo is a big part of it, but as OP mentioned things like optics, storage, cleaning supplies, training, range fees all add up (fast!).
 
We call these fun activities we participate in hobbies. They need to change the name to $$$ eaters. Doesn't matter if it's hunting, shooting, or collecting it takes our money :confused:

Many hobbies are money pits. Most vintage vehicle restorations are and firearm enthusiasm is too. I weld and woodwork for hobbies as well and they have paid for my welding and woodworking equipment as well as my firearms hobby.
 
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