Would you pay these prices for a handgun???

[17poundr]

HI THERE! I was ogling and drooling at the great looking SVI Infinity gun in a finnish gun mag, and also the great looking STI Legend, with those possibly best looking cerrations in any handgun going, and thinking, whoa! Who pay's the usually about 1200usd+ prices for a handgun! I mean, one can get Sigarms handguns for about 750usd new, and they are sanctioned by the British SAS, That's saying 'we think this is the best quality-price combo out there, and the source cannot be ignored! Yes?

Anyway, I know that always mr Rich has had his toy's that employ other people, so I'm not complaining, actually the Infinity arms gun in the Finnish mag, was sooo cool, it was a .40cal, and it had a ceramic barrel, also the threading didnt start straight away, but the first mm's were smooth, then the grooves came in straight at first, then slowly turning, and getting more and more intence in their ratio of turn per inch.

Why?

Because this has been proven to improve accuracy and speed, you see if the usual 'welcome to our eight turns in a so and so', straight after the bullet has gone through the violent trauma of being launched by a huge explosion behind it, and immediately it not only has to push itself through this tight tunnel, but it's being to spin at the same time, well, it's stressfull to the bullet. Right?

Anyway, so the simple solution is to first introduce the barrel bare, or with the threads straight, then slowly make the twist happen, and intencify it at the very end to a great degree, thus you get the same turn rate, but the bullet isnt as 'tramatized' by it, and has more velocity and is in better shape!

Well, this was only one of the fine things that the ceramic barrelled, very cool looking steel SVI infinity gun, that had been made for order, and cost the shooting club which ordered it to Finland, 4000usd! Yep, I mean that is getting to be kind of a rich mans toy, huh?

I bet it's good, apparently five thousand rounds had been fired without cleaning, and still going strong, but imagine using it for self defence? I hear that one looses the gun used for self defence as it goes to evidence (a somewhat irrational thing, but hey, better than the finnsish laws,where if you dont want to go to jail, you take the bullets of some A*****e trying to rob you! If you shoot and hit your attacker, it's almost certainly called 'exaggeration of self defence', and slam goes that jail door for a couple of years, more of the assailant dies!

Only (I was going to say very rarely somebody get's away with let's say, answering an attackers fire with fire, is awarded so that the guy attacked is let free, but I cant think of one case, ah well)...

Aside for that, I wanted this as a kind of debate where the yay's give their explanation of why they have got great but expencive arms, fully knowing that if they use them in self defence, they might very well loose them to the law. And pic's are welcome ofcourse, also an education of 'Luxury firearms' would be great, as I know of no gunsmiths who make great variants of existing guns...

And I wish the 'nays' to put worward their arguments why that second hand 'Zing arms', piece of flaking chrome revolver, was or is just as good at stopping the intruder with a silenced gun in his hands... Also, stories and pictures are wanted.

I can tell one, the champion of the practical shooting division for 'off the shelf factory guns', was a guy shooting a CZ-75!!! And all the people with their 1700 dollar special guns, with all the greatest sights, didnt win to this very simple (almost a) Eurpean clone of the Browning hi power!

So, I thought I'd cap off with a way to make people think, first I'll put up revolvers that are arround one thousand a piece, where I have seen advertisements in Guns and Ammo magazine for similar revolvers for two and a half hundred dollars, in 38+special or .44magnum...
Then, the pistols, well, I must profess that I would love to have a good STI double stack five incher in .40cal, but with my budget, I would accept any of the 400-700usd models, which include most of the standard, very good handguns, even a sig arms, just about fit's there...

Then I'll post examples of carbines, rifles and target rifles in varying calibers from 223.rem to 308, and behold, they cost the same as one of the handguns above! I know from my army times, that if an intruder came to my home, I would rather engage him with a say, 14,5inch 6.8mm carbine than any 1500$ handgun! (sights aside, let's pretend that only iron sights exist for the moment, and get onto the subject of lazers and holograms later ok)?

So, I'll stop gabbering, and put up the first category of pictures (and belive me it was difficult, there being so many great guns out there, I left the 'cowboy' style guns out, although, a great six shooter firing say, 357 is a perfectly fine manstopper if used with practiced hands), the expencive, about 1000+ dollar category of Revolvers! (ok, a couple of cheaper than thousand there, but hey, let's get the game going eh)?

Here goes!

 

[17poundr]

Second! The semi auto's, yep, some of the handguns, like any SVI infinity,l can vouch that it has cost arround 2000-4000usd! And there is nothing wrong with that if that is what you can afford, only think that if you do engage an attacker who is trying to use leathal or grave force on you, it will probably remain in the vaults of justice for ever after...

And, there are some other major cool and expencive ones there too!

 

[wooderson]

Most handguns aren't meant to be carried daily or used primarily in a defensive manner.

They are, roughly speaking, toys for most of the owners. Very serious toys, of course, but meant as a source of enjoyment. Whether it's range fun, competition shooting, plinking in the country, etc..

And if you're lucky enough to have the money and you can have an object that is fun and especially aesthetically pleasing - why not?

 

[17poundr]

And now, look what you could get in carbines and rifles from some of the best manufacturers on the planet, for the same price!!!

Make's you think, yes???

It was exeedingly difficult to choose favourites here, and I couldnt find a proper picture of the new Ruger Mini-14 target rifle, in .223rem. It apparently out shot every ar-15 design in the same 'nato 5.56calibre'!!! And, it looks wicked!

I would choose it for my army's light sniper gun, with a ten round clip ofcourse...

Anyway, it costs just under a thousand! And so do the ww2 m1carbine modelled Ruger All Weather Mini *Thirty, and the Ruger Ranch Rifle mini 14, which are about 800usd both!!! And, the most popular ar-15 variants, and the germans, like Sig coming out with an incredibly cheap NATO 5.56 variant Carbine, I mean, it's almost cheaper than any of their over 22cal handguns, crazy if you ask me, has the handgun market gone
'price crazy', I think so when I see what one can get for the same, or less money...

(I didnt even have to include the exellent AK variants, as they wrere so cheap, from 300usd to 500! And, for example the Vulcan arms, new one, is a clear copy of not the old ak-47, or even the better ak-74, but the new Nikonov designed AK-103! And it was something arround 450$ !!! I couldnt get any Kimber one stacker for that price, even twice the price, and I know which I would want to bring to a firefight!!!

Anyway, here are some guns from some of the best manufacturers going...

 

[Chris Rhines]

Um, yes, some shooters, in the U.S. and elsewhere, own very expensive guns. I'm one of them, although my modest collection isn't at the top of the heap by any means.

What was your point, exactly?

- Chris

 

[BullfrogKen]

I carry custom guns valued in excess of $2500. If you want to see them, do a search on my name here; you'll find them.

After a fight, the cost of losing the gun, which I'm not convinced will happen in a justifiable shooting, with be the least expensive financial cost.

I wanted something that had a service life of a hundred thousand rounds. I will shoot that much in a decade. Factory guns really have a hard time doing that. I'll tell you right now, a Sig won't do that. I know of a professional trainer that carries a 228, and he's on his third.


Some of us have our reasons. I doubt they'll be of much value to you. I agree, what exactly is your point? You lost me in all that commentary.

 

[obxned]

I pay for performance! My gun buying dollar is hard earned and spent with care. Most of my guns are less than $500. Some a lot less. All give very good value for the money. Some I would not sell at any price if I could not replace them with another exactly like it.

 

[BADUNAME13]

I paid just over $1100 for my Kimber Desert Warrior.
It was worthit.

By buddy who carries a Glock 17 said it was worthit... and he wants one...

As have others...

 

[MachIVshooter]

Anyway, so the simple solution is to first introduce the barrel bare, or with the threads straight, then slowly make the twist happen, and intencify it at the very end to a great degree, thus you get the same turn rate, but the bullet isnt as 'tramatized' by it, and has more velocity and is in better shape!

That is known as "gain twist" rifling, and it has generally proven to have a disproportionate cost-benefit ratio; The only production gun in the US that uses gain-twist is the S&W 460 XVR, which approaches rifle velocities.

As far as the price of a gun, it all comes down to the intended purpose and what it's worth to the buyer. If all you do is informal target shooting to maintain a minimum level of proficiency, you probably don't need a $3k race gun. But if you want to place in an IPSC competition, a stock G17 or Sig 226 ain't gonna cut it. Same goes for rifles. A $600 Elk rifle won't win a 1,000 meter match, and the 19 bound benchrest rifle that does win that match is not one you'd want to carry through the woods while stalking game animals.