Shotguns cost too much!

S

Super-Dave

New member
I was wondering if you took the curent prices of shotguns and adjusted the cost for inflation do shotguns cost more now or less than in the past?

I am talking 30 years 50 year and maybe 100 years ago.
 
Everything

Don't think there is anything special about shotguns, I was reading old posts on another board yesterday 3.25 per box for target loads, I wish!!! Those posts were from 03.

Everything is too expensive, with the possible exception of computers and electronics.
 
Paid about $300 for a Remington 870 Magnum Express back in 1997. You can still purchase them (13 years later) at that same price. So either I paid way too much back then, or inflation hasn't affected this long-gun.
 
Considering a Mossberg 500 costs about the same as it did about 25 years ago or so when I bought mine, I'd say they are a fantastic buy for your inexpensive ones. Higher quality guns tend to go up in price more often, so they are most likely in line with inflation costs
 
Consider this. In 1974 I bought my first gun. I was in high school working at minimum wage. ($1.90/hour). It took me 93 hours of work to save up the $175 I paid for my 1st rifle.

At todays minimum wage ($7.25), 100 hours of work would give me a budget of $725. I think guns are cheaper now than they have ever been.
 
In 1963 the 1100 was introduced at $144.95 plain barrel or $169.95 ventalted rib. By 1972 they were around $179.95 plain barrel list , I bought one that year for $149.00. Today that's about $725.
I have a Beretta BL3 that went for $239 in 1970 , with inflation today that’s around $$1310 from what I find , I just bought a Beretta 686 White Onyx for $1450 so not to far off.
 
You can get a Browning BPS 28" Hunter 12G for $489.99 or a Grade 1 Citori White Hunter 12 G for $1399.00

A Remington 870 Wingmaster 12G 28" for $649.00 or a 1100 28" Premium Sporting $1,099.00

Alot of money, but all are worthy of keeping for a lifetime...save your pennies!!!
 
My grandfather once told me that when he was about 20 years old in Texas if you started a bank account they would give you the choice of a free shotgun or rifle. He also told me that he started a bank account about 6 months ago and told them I will take a shotgun and got a very crazy look from the teller. He explained what he was talking about and he said he left with all sorts of pens and pencils, and things of that nature. Sure doesn't compare to the good old days. To address the question at hand IMO I would say some shotguns are about the same price if you take inflation into consideration. I am referring to reasonably priced shotguns not a Ceaser Guerini or anything like that.
 
a brand new remington 870 is way cheaper than a comparable brand/model firearm,

a remy 870 new is 270, which is an accurate reliable, utilitarian shotgun

and a 9mm glock is 519 new, which is an accurate reliable utilitarian handgun

also, 3 boxes of target loads ($5 a box = $15) and a box of 90 clays (6.99) = ~$23 with tax, is INFINITELY more fun than 2 boxes of 9mm ($9.50 a box) = $21 with tax
 
I have the paper work from Sept. 1965 when my dad and my grandfather each bought a Belgian made A-5 at the Rockville Trading Post. $185.00

WOW!

Ouch!

Yes, I still have both of them!!!!!
 
huh?

Greyson:
a brand new remington 870 is way cheaper than a comparable brand/model firearm,
Click to expand...
What brand is comparable to an 870 and is more expensive? What model firearm? ( not meant to be critical at all - maybe not enough coffee yet but I'm unsure of the comparison.). To which 870 are you referring, Express....Wingmaster?
Pete
 
I remember buying a pair of Benelli M1 Super 90's 20 years ago for $500 each in a two gun deal. Otherwise I would have spent about $625 for them. I considered myself fortunate to buy a pair of Remington 870 P's from Jensen Arms a year or two ago at $600 each. Now, because Remington is building nearly all their "combat" shotguns on the Express platform, they feel justified in asking upwards (so I'm told) of $600 for Express guns. The Marine Magnum story is similar. Same gun as it was 15 years ago, but they're more popular now and the price reflects it. I'm not complaining...it's free enterprise and I'm glad we can still buy those guns albeit at a premium. It keeps folks at Remington working and raising their families......Zebulon
 
no. i was making a statement if you take an inexpensive yet reliable rugged durable utility shotgun, like the remington 870 express, and compare the price of the shotgun to the price of an inexpensive reliable rugged durable utility handgun, such as a glock 19 which sells for $500, you will see that the handgun is $230 more.

and that you can have more fun with the shotgun compared to a handgun
 
Lesseee.....

Back in the early 50s, Pop bought a used 870 from a co worker for about $25. He made not much over $1/hr at the time. So, that was about a week's take home pay.

This was the base line model, no checkering or pad, corncob forend, 30" Full barrel. List price new was about $60 in 1950.

Sometime since 2000 I bought a used 870 from that time period (1955) in great shape, also with a 30" Full barrel. This one had the ADL wood and a decent pad. Price out the door was $178. That breaks down to a bit less than 2 days take home pay.

I've been lucky but I doubt any of my shotguns other than the Beretta O/U here cost more than $300 in present day dollars. Some, way less.

Just for fun, let's do a cost per use analysis.

Buy a used 870 for $250. Spend money on ammo, say a case per month at $60. That's about 2 rounds of trap or skeet, or one round of Sporting Clays per week. Not a serious ammo jones, IMO.

After a year or so, you've spent close to 3X as much on ammo as the shotgun. And the shotgun cost less than say, 3 days pay.

And if 870s really do last about 250,000 rounds before the receivers start cracking, that cost per use (shot) is about $0.01.

If you pick a nice used 1100, 390, 3901, etc, for $500, it's less than a week's pay, similar working life and a cost per use of $0.02.

Compare that to a K frame S&W, that will need shop time and repairs every 5 K rounds, Or a centerfire rifle for a hot cartridge like the 25-06,300 Maggie numb,etc. Less than 5 K rounds through it and the barrel will need replacement. And the scope on that rifle, even if of top quality, will be history also.

OTOH, few of us will outlive our shotguns. Few original owners wear out any shotgun, from Western Field to Westley Richards.

A decent shotgun is an incredible deal, mechanical immortality, versatility and reliability for a pittance......
 
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