How much does a gun really cost?

[Siderite]

I often find myself in trouble when buying a new gun, not for the cost of the gun itself, but when I start getting accessories.

With a pistol, for instance, there's holsters, magazines, ammo, caliber conversions...

For rifles, there are optics, slings, caliber conversions (again, but who doesn't enjoy .22LR? ), cleaning kits...

I recognize that some things like cleaning kits and magazines might not be necessary for later purchases, but as a new shooter, they are required.

so, the question is: how much do you spend on a new purchase, above and beyond the price of the firearm itself?

(for the curious, the question came up when I considered getting a sound-suppressor for a Kel-Tec PLR-16 and realized that it would cost close to twice the price of the pistol itself )

 

[M2 Carbine]

I easily spend as much for ammo as the gun costs.

 

[Odnar]

...divorce lawyer...

 

[Pitmaster]

Well, I've only become interested int he past 6 months.I've purchased a Glock 30 and Walther P99. So far I've spent a minimum of $3609 according to my Quicken records. This does not include cash purchases, magazines and supplies bought with other purchases.

Purchases include extra magazines, NRA membership and Basic Pistol class, indoor range time, ammunition, videos, books, range bag, 3 holsters, belt, cleaning kit, hearing protection, local club membership, and I'm sure there are other small things I left out.

I still need to purchase some shooting glasses. I'm researching this now. I wear bifocals and want to make sure I purchase exactly what I need. I will also be buying a couple of more belts. I would like to get a few individual shooting lessons and then take a defensive pistol course within the next year.

I also plan to add a Walther PPS, shotgun, semi-auto rifle, and another rifle over the next year.

 

[Big Calhoun]

Cost Of Ownership...

Depends...you gotta factor in ammo, accessories, cleaning needs, if you reload, etc. etc. MY COO is probably +10% of what I've spent of the guns so far. I'm pretty sure it'll increase once we get into our house and i have more room for more stuff.

 

[obxned]

The most expensive gun you can buy is a plain-jane 1911. Great fun to shoot, but always nagging you to buy her more and fancier jewelry and accessories.

 

[RubenZ]

If you want to really wake up and smell the coffee add up all your ammo purchases per month. you'd be surprised at how much one spends a month for ammo.

On a monthly basis I purchas. .17hmr ammo which isn't cheap, 45 ammo which is so so , .223


The .223 is probably most expensive to shoot because its my AR-15 which is fun. So each Clip is one Box

 

[Geno]

I have seen Bushmaster A4 carbines, with rails and accessories that price-tagged at $4,500.00+! The carbine alone was $1,199.00!

That, however, is the least of the problem. The one carbine looked so Sci Fi that it was borderline freakish! It had more gadgets and gizmos than a Swiss Army knife. IMHO, it looked down-right foolish! As I stood looking at it (them), all I could think was someone has too much money, too much time and too little common sense.

Doc2005

 

[GRIFFIN1]

I was going through the local paper a couple of months ago when I ran saw an ad for a Remington 700 .270 cal. for $275. I went to look at the gun, and it was in very good shape, so I bought it.

I then went on to spend another $450 a new scope, bullets, powder, dies, and other things I needed to reload .270 winchester.

 

[heron]

Ammunition, far and away. The other stuff I've gotten, cleaning kits, holster, sling, etc., (and even the guns themselves) are one-time expenditures, but you keep buying ammo.
Makes me wonder what you'd find out if you did the same kind of comparison with your motor vehicle -- would the fuel alone cost more than the car over its lifetime?

 

[P97]

With me its like all the other things I spend money for. I have to set my priorities. I have guns for CCW, Hunting, and Plinking. When I set priorities on anything I set them by what use I get out of them. For my Hunting Rifle I might use it one time a year. Plinking I do quite often, but CCW I do every day. The only additional money I have spent on my guns other than my CCW is Scopes and cleaning supplies. I Reload for all but the .22 plinkers. Since I use my CCW every day, I had it engraved, a action job, and a good carry holster. I try to regulate my spending on anything to correlate with what use I get out of it. Just what works for me.

 

[Titan6]

You know what they say... never buy anything that eats.

 

[lee n. field]

I often find myself in trouble when buying a new gun, not for the cost of the gun itself, but when I start getting accessories.

Yeah, that kind of bugs me when you see someone on THR or elsewhere asking "what gun for $X?".

 

[General Geoff]

A gun is like a car.


For the average owner, it takes very little maintenance to keep for years of dependable service.


For the enthusiast (whether it be for cars or guns), the costs can very easily double or triple the initial value of the core item.

 

[RubenZ]

Thats why the Key is to buy guns in calibers you already own

 

[M2 Carbine]

Probably my most all time expensive gun accessory was buying the land for a shooting range.

And, recently I hired a bulldozer to build a better backstop. Haven't got the bill for that yet.

And, there's a gun show tomorrow.

 

[Rumble]

A kabillion dollars, easy.

I dunno. My collection, just in terms of the firearms, is north of $4K (which isn't really much); I've probably easily spent that much on training, accessories, and ammo, and I've only been at this for a year and a half.

At least spending money on gun stuff isn't as irritating as spending it on car maintenance.

 

[leadcounsel]

Cost of a typical handgun = $500
Cost of typical ammo for a year = $1000
Cost of CCW and courses = $300
Cost of accessories = $100

Value of sleeping soundly and being able to defend yourself and your family = priceless

 

[Deer Hunter]

On the other hand, how much do you think it costs to actually produce a firearm these days? You don't have to pay the machines much to keep their union happy....

 

[Brad Johnson]

I have to laugh a little at guys who will bust a vein trying to get $5 off the price of a beat up $350 Remmy 700, but don't blink an eye at paying $1500 for a Schmidt or Swarovsky scope to stick on it.

Brad