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.
Luxury
: a condition or situation of great comfort, ease, and wealth
: something that is expensive and not necessary
: something that is helpful or welcome and that is not usually or always available
By the 2nd definition yes and it has always been with perhaps the exception of frontier settlers. Now don't get mad something can be a luxury and a right at the same time. The modern weapon of the day has always been expensive.
Yes, the fees for basic firearm ownership and use is more than it was in the past. Some here call it a poll tax, not sure if I'd be willing to go that far in every circumstance
At the same time manufacturing has greatly improved to the point where simply buying a gun in a state without an arduous registration system is actually quite cheap. Some so not so rich people have safes crammed full of guns.
There are several serviceable weapons at a very low cost out there, those on the lower rungs of society would have to budget, but hi points and some reliable shotguns are frequently priced under $200.
Your title only mentioned ownership, the really big fees you mentioned are about use. Which imo is a totally different conversation than the one we're having about keeping weapons out of the hands of the poor in the first place.
Use is only as expensive as you make it, plenty of calibers are still cheap enough, and you're always going to pay a bit more for range use in an urban area. Sidenote: I actually shoot at a public (state operated) range for the very reasonable price of $3 per/hr, if there isn't a line I get to shoot for longer than the hr.
One final point. Can you really say its any more a luxury now than before when many people of modest income own mutiple safes overflowing with guns?
Bottom line, the fees and restrictions (those that increase costs and otherwise) are annoying, but gun ownership is as cheap as its ever been.