Is gun ownership becoming a luxury?

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CoalTrain49

CoalTrain49

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Somewhere in WA.
With every new regulation comes a new administrative fee.

I was just looking at I-594 which will be voted on here soon. If passed it will add a transfer fee to a private sale.

If I carry concealed I pay for the license to do that.

If I buy a gun from a dealer his sales price includes his fee for his time to do a background check and his overhead to maintain his FFL.

I can no longer access public land (gated and locked) so I pay range fees.

If I ship a handgun myself I pay $100 more or less.

If I ship a handgun through a dealer I pay $100 more or less.

Ammo prices have increased 25% in the last few years.

Reloading component prices have increased 25% in the last few years.

About the only good news is firearms prices haven't increased that much but that doesn't begin to offset the increases that I see elsewhere.

It looks to me like about the only people that can afford it these days are boomers. You know, the guys with all the Harleys. It wasn't like that 40 years ago.
 
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All these fees and taxes are part of what makes gun control a racist establishment. I think the theory is if you keep poor people from owning guns, they can't rob rich people. That's a crass way of putting it, but if your options are $100 for suitable clothes for an interview or $100 for a cheap pistol, you can buy the pistol and rob a store, and have more than $100 for the clothes and then some for whatever else you want. I disagree with that, but I think that's why people vote for bans on cheap firearms.

The real issue is this: defense control (because historically it's been edged weapons, sword length, whether or not you can learn martial arts) is about disarming the lower castes. Adding fees that are barely noticed by the rich, a bottleneck for middle class, and essentially a ban for low class sets up a caste system where you have no guns on the bottom, a few guns in the middle, and the most guns on top.

This all sounds classist, so how is it racist? Because of the demographics of upper class vs. lower class. A larger amount of minorities are in the lower class than upper class, which means legislation that limits the rights of the lower class hurts minorities more than it does whites.
 
Guns and ammo are still really cheap in historical terms, we are just came off a 20 year period where ammo was cheaper adjusted for inflation than any time in history. In 1985, 50 Winchester FMJ 9 mm rounds were about $9. They were cheaper than that in 2005 after 20 years of inflation. Things are just starting to normalize a little bit.

People could not afford to blast through 500 .22 in an afternoon during the 40s, 50s and 60s. Every shot counted. Most people can afford to do that now.
 
Any gun related hoddy has always been expensive. If someone can't afford it try a cheaper one like golf or something.
 
Any gun related hoddy [sic] has always been expensive. If someone can't afford it try a cheaper one like golf or something.
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Hey! Way to reach out and expand the Pro-2A community! Of course, when the pitchforks and torches eventually come out, I'm sure you'll be happy to be better armed than the lowly rabble, huh Richie Rich?
 
mboylan said:
People could not afford to blast through 500 .22 in an afternoon during the 40s, 50s and 60s.
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I'm not old enough to comment on those times. All I have seen as an adult is the '80s to the present. My income peaked in 2002, with declines and rebounds of that income in the last 12 years. With the rebound years never exceeding 2002.

If it weren't for places like eBay, everything I purchase now costs more than 2002. I will admit I tend to never go to WalMart, so I am out of touch with their pricing.
 
It sucks, but it may be that owning a gun in certain locales is becoming a luxury. $75 Lifetime License to Carry, $100/yr range fees here in Indiana (if you don't shoot on your own property) and yes, we're working to get the need to pay for a Carry License abolished.

But firearms, ammunition, safes, training fees and any licensing fees ought to be eligible for tax credits against income taxes, in my mind. :)
 
CoalTrain49 said:
Is gun ownership becoming a luxury?
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It's gotten so everything "costs". Going to a movie has become a luxury @ $9 a pop for ticket, $7.50 for popcorn and $4.50 for a drink. Used to be takin' your kids to a ball game was a common thing.....now if you have more than one kid, for the average blue collar worker, he's lucky if he can afford it once a year. Hunting used to be a cheap sport.......now you need to own land, pay lease fees or go to pay to shoot ranch for reasonable success. Used to be the rich didn't hunt, now it's the rich that do. Try to go fishin'. Have you priced musky baits lately? $25 is average. Musky suckers are $5 a piece, nightcrawlers for your grand-kids are $4 a dozen. While the internet is rampant with conspiracy theories that the government is making guns and ammo expensive as a orm of gun control, fact is, guns and the ammo to feed them is still comparatively inexpensive.
 
"Gun Ownership" on its own, does not seem expensive to the point of being a luxury to me, even if that includes a box or two of ammo for sighting in a deer rifle or a box of defensive ammo for a handgun. Sport/fun shooting is most certainly a luxury.

But that said, I dont see it being any more of a luxury than racing or restoring cars, drinking alcohol, golf, etc - all of which in my mind are luxuries as they cost money to enjoy and do not offer a tangible return. We participate in said activities because we enjoy them - they do not satisfy any needs.
 
MtnCreek said:
Not gun ownership. Now putting a lot of ammo down range, maybe.
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If you aren't going to shoot it what's the point of owning a gun? I suppose there are people who buy guns that never shoot them just like there are people who have boats that never go in the water. But where's the satisfaction in that?
 
Shooting and shooting a lot are different things. I'd don't have the time or money for it right now, but a year ago I was shooting in excess of 500 rds center fire / week. Not doing that now, but I still aint going to give you my rifle / pistol. :)
 
Hey, I just got my Comcast bill this morning and they raised me 40 bucks a month, when I questioned it, they said my complementary price ended. I responded , "we have been with you for 20 years, what complimentary price?", $250 a month for TV and Internet, is robbery, so it ain't just guns, it's cars, $46,000 for a Ford Explorer, $69,000 for a SRT Charger, they are nuts with these prices, and then they expect us to pay more taxes.
I have about had it, we went car shopping yesterday , and every lease wants 3-5 thousand down, why lease if you have to lay out money.
The whole idea was that you got a more expensive car for a lower payment. They killed that also. Guns are going to just keep costing more and more to own maintain and use, just like every other dam thing, unless you are here illegally and get free housing , food , and medical care. $700.00 for a co-pay on a prescription the Dr gave me, who can afford that?
 
they are nuts with these prices, and then they expect us to pay more taxes.
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You DO have a choice - you do NOT have to pay comcast or anyone prices you think are out of line, and that includes for guns and ammo. Besides, they need to raise their prices because our dollar's value is collapsing every day the Fed prints more money. Wait until O'care goes into full effect - costs to employers are going to skyrocket
 
gym, Threaten to cancel. Every time the wife's sat radio comes due to renew she tells them it's too much and to cancel it; they knock a good bit off the price. Unfortunately for me, Midway has never fallen for that trick. :)
 
I understand your feelings as I too live in WA. However, I disagree that we don't have access to public lands. If you look hard enough at the maps there are some pretty good spots with shots to 620 yards and beyond. PM me if you'd like to know where they are..unless you want to shoot at old technology and then leave it there, then don't ;)

I have somehow managed to be an avid shooter with minimal income. I'm only 20, so my expenses are relatively low, but because I am a student I don't have much time for a job. Armslist has been a great resource for me and if checked regularly yields some GREAT deals on lots of shootin' stuff. Sometimes I'll spend a Saturday making kydex gear for the locals which can net a surprising profit..

Good luck, and be sure to call your reps!
 
Not everyone has a family income of 100K+. There are many that do. Affording all of the luxury and hobby items is becoming more difficult. You don't need to quit shooting, but maybe you should not buy that next shiny gun that catches your eye and keep the round count down at the range. Shoot more 22LR.... it would be nice if the average person could actually find some at your local big box store and not pay $50 for a $22 item via someones trunk. (Yeah, trunks are outdated, it's the internet baby.)

The government is going to keep digging deeper into your pocket until you cough and shut down. Vote to blood suckers out of office.

Comcast.... I've about had it with them. I am looking at some of the streaming options or cafateria type plans that are developing. Still not there yet, but they will be.

Prices keep going up but what I charge stays the same..... sounds about right.
 
Guns are far more plentiful and cheaper to own that any other time in history if you account for inflation. Lets look at some prices of some guns and other stuff factored for inflation using this source.

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Ruger American rifle, $350 today About $80 in 1975 money
Glock pistol, $500 today, About $115 in 1975 money
Winchester 70, $750 today. About $175 in 1975
Remington 870 Wingmaster, $650 today. About $150 in 1975.
Kimber rifle, $1100 today. About $250 in 1975
New 4X4 truck, $35,000 today, About $8000 in 1975 money
Box of 30-06 ammo @ Walmart, $21 today. About $4.75 in 1975 money
Leupold VX-2 scope, $300 today, About $70 in 1975 money.

People gripe and complain about the prices today, but our parents and grandparents found a way to spend an even greater percentage of their incomes on guns and ammo. It is about choices and how we spend our money. Anyone who can afford a computer and pay for internet access can afford a few really nice guns if they want to.

Considering the much better guns and ammo, we've never had it better.
 
No. I may not understand the question. But owning a gun is not considered a luxury. Guns are not luxury goods.
 
Thats correct. They are not essential. Guns are normal goods, albeit becoming more expensive. It is no more a luxury good then a set of golf clubs.
 
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