How Much Do Guns Cost?

Guns have never been cheap, but they are more affordable than ever in many ways.

I know that doesn’t make much sense, but look at a Guns Digest from the 1980s. Guns have gotten cheaper when you account for inflation.

Today, we aim to tackle the question of “How much do guns cost?” while looking at what you can expect for your money. What features at what price points are you getting?

We had to tackle the article by category of firearm, and we’re covering the big three: shotguns, rifles, and handguns.

Keep in mind that these are generalized costs. There will always be weapons that skew the results. Exotic weapons, NFA items, and custom guns often demand high prices.

Quality Control

We’ll discuss how certain features are included at certain price points, but one constant cost increase is quality control. I don’t want to mention it over and over, so let’s get it out of the way now.

More expensive firearms will often have better quality control — and extra quality control costs. If you only read a spec sheet, it might be tough to separate why a DPMS costs so much less than a SOLGW rifle.

As we get into higher tiers of firearms, keep the quality control factor in mind.

Pistols

Handguns tend to be the most mass-produced and widely imported firearms on the market.

They likely sell the best because most gun owners are average folks looking for something small, compact, and easy to handle. A handgun fits the bill.

Tons of supply often means lower prices and more competitive feature sets. This makes handguns the most budget-friendly firearms in most cases.

Budget – $400 and Below

These days, it’s crazy what $400 can get you in the handgun world. There used to be a time when budget handguns were crapshoots from Saturday Night Special brands like Raven.

These days, the Gen 3 Glock clone world is sending the budget gun market into a flurry. Guns like the PSA Dagger offer a modern, double stack, striker-fired, polymer frame pistol with an optics cut for less than $400.

Other great options under $400 exist, too, such as the CZ P10 series, Arex Delta, and Canik TP9 series of handguns.

Even at $250, you can get a Taurus G3C, which is a solid gun for the money. Don’t expect optics cuts, revolutionary ergonomics, or match-grade triggers, but you are definitely getting a solid, reliable gun.

If you are into revolvers, the standard and Defender series Taurus 856 guns are tough to beat at this price point.

Mid Tier – $400-900

At the Mid-tier level, we are getting into duty-grade guns. You can get a Glock, S&W M&P, or Walther PDP at this level.

This price range can cover anything from base models to models with additional features like optics-ready slides or other upgrades.

These guns are typically well-proven and can be trusted to be used for years under heavy abuse.

We can also get into some DA/SA guns at this price point, and who doesn’t love a good hammer-fired pistolero?

Revolvers in this price range start to get a little more appealing with options like the LCR, S&W 686, and Ruger GP100 and SP101s. These guns have better stock triggers and have a reputation for reliability.

American-made 1911s also make an appearance in this price bracket if that is your jam.

We also start to see more powerful calibers like magnum revolver cartridges and 10mm automatics. These more powerful cartridges require a high-quality gun for safety and reliability.

Oddball calibers like 5.7x28mm also pop up in the mid-tier price points. These aren’t exactly common cartridges, so they tend to stay out of the budget category.

Reliability and longevity will be the biggest difference in quality between budget and mid-tier. You are getting a well-proven firearm from a reputable company at this price point.

High Tier – $900-2000

At this tier, we have a diverse group of guns.

You have access to high-level duty guns like the HK USP, SIG P22X series, and entry-level Staccato pistols. These guns are built to high standards and typically demand a higher price.

We also see competition guns like the CZ Shadow 2 series begin appearing at this price point. Good features, such as rails, optics-ready slides, excellent triggers, and enhanced ergonomics, are fairly standard here.

Really nice revolvers start making their way into the fold. Guns from Colt and S&W, like the Pythons and the Performance Center guns, are in this range.

We even get into the semi-custom world of polymer frame guns like the Taran Tactical Combat Master Package. A lot of attention and time is spent on these guns, and it often shows.

Many of the guns in this tier can be traced back to all manner of international special operations groups and high-level police tactical teams.

Premium Tier – $2,000 and Up

The premium tier of handguns gets you into the small batch of custom guns from high-level shops.

This is where your Atlas Gunworks, Wilson Combat, and Korth guns come in. These guns are typically harder to acquire, and the price reflects the fact that fewer are made.

We also get oddballs and oddities, like the Laugo Alien and FK BRNO pistols, which can also be extremely expensive. Anytime new technology or designs are implemented, the cost comes with it.

In the premium tier, not only are the fancy features available, but you often get to pick which features you want and how you want them implemented.

Shotguns

Shotguns are another mass-produced and mass-imported genre of firearms. They tend to be the cheapest firearms overall, but the cheapest guns are typically not suited for self-defense.

Budget – $300 and Below

Shotguns might be the only genre of firearms where you can still get a working example for less than $100. It’s not always easy, but a used single-shot 12 gauge can often cost less than Benjamin.

Shotguns can also be tricky in terms of quality control. There is a huge swath of Turkish imports being brought into the country. Some are fine, but many suck. These guns will fall apart and break within a hundred rounds.

At the same price point as many of these shotguns sits the Mossberg Maverick 88. It’s a basic pump shotgun, but it can withstand abuse and last thousands of rounds. It’s rugged, reliable, and has a strong aftermarket.

At the budget price point, your best hope is pump actions and single shots. I wouldn’t trust a semi-auto shotgun that costs less than $300 dollars to be reliable.

Mid-Tier – $300-800

Shotguns in the mid-tier are, interestingly enough, pretty darn good if you keep your expectations in line.

Mid-priced shotguns get you into the Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590, and Benelli SuperNova territory.

These are all duty-grade and proven pump action shotguns that often cost less than $500. Fancier versions like the Mossberg 590A1 can go for a bit more, but a bare-bones 590 isn’t too expensive.

Hunting variations of these same shotguns are quite nice, can last you practically forever, and can take everything from bird to bear.

We start getting into budget-level double barrels for sporting use that aren’t bad. They are no Berettas but will be very functional and often feature-rich. The CZ Drake series and Yildiz HPS-12 are standouts.

In the semi-auto world, you can get into sporting shotguns, hunting shotguns, and even some light competition. Guns like the Stoeger M3000 series punch well above their price range here.

High Tier – $800-1,500

When we get into the high-tier world of shotguns, we start getting into the duty-ready and home-defense semi-auto shotguns.

Guns like the Benelli M2, the Beretta 1301, the A300 Ultima Patrol, and the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical sit in this tier. These are modern and very reliable options for home defense and duty use.

You can step into higher-end sporting shotguns like the Remington 870 Wingmaster with its fancy finish and beautiful wood. The same goes for numerous Benelli sporting shotguns.

We also start to see guns that feature improved sighting systems, optics mounting capability, interchangeable chokes, and enlarged controls. These guns also typically have improved operating systems that increase cycling speed and reliability.

Premium Tier – $1,500 and Up

When I say $1,500 and up, I mean it. Some fancy double-barrel guns from places like Beretta can hit the tens of thousands of dollars. What you pay for here is outstanding craftsmanship.

We are talking about hand-assembled and finished heirloom quality sporting guns and some uber-tactical weapons.

The Benelli M4 is king here, and unique guns like the M127 Kriger and Dissident Arms custom mag-fed shotguns are also at this price level.

Anything at this price point is going to be very high-level and built for a very specific purpose. It’s for champion 3-gunners, skeet shooting, or maybe LARPing as a Marine.

Rifles

Rifle tends to be the priciest category. It’s a very diverse category, and when you say rifle to a dozen different people, they each have a different picture in their head.

Budget – $600 and Below

If you want a simple rimfire gun, you can spend less than $300 and get a great gun, like the Ruger 10/22. For even less, you can get a bolt action or single shot that’s plenty reliable.

With a budget of $600 or less, you can get a competent hunting/target rifle. Bolt actions like the Ruger American and offerings from Savage provide very accurate and reliable platforms.

Many budget-level PCCs, like the KelTec SUB 2000 and even the S&W FPC, can be found around this price point. They are very competent defensive firearms for reasonable amounts of money.

When we get into semi-auto rifles, you can even get into entry-level AR-15s. PSA is the absolute champion of this price range, but other manufacturers like AndroCorp and Radical also offer solid guns.

Mid Tier – $600-1,200

Mid-tier rifles are a great spot to start.

At this price point, you can get a fantastic bolt action rifle. We are talking sub-MOA with a basic stock configuration. It won’t look high speed, but you’ll get a great trigger, excellent reliability, tons of caliber options, and outstanding accuracy.

This tier opens up some solid semi-auto rifle options, like Aero Precision ARs and even some base-level BCMs and POF rifles. These rifles might not be the fanciest and latest in tech, but they will be functional and very reliable.

We also tend to get good AK rifles like the PSAK GF3, Zastava ZPAP, and KUSA KR-103 at this price point.

Other designs that typically cost more to produce, such as lever-action guns, also start

High Tier – $1,200-2,000

At the high-tier level, we get into some very interesting rifle setups.

Stuff like chassis systems to enhance accuracy and ergonomics and carbon fiber barrels start to show up here.

Not only are we getting excellent accuracy, but exotic and handy features.

We see more powerful and exotic cartridges become more common at this price point. Rounds like .338 Lapua and .375 H&H start to pop up.

In the semi-auto market, we also break into some different designs like short-stroke gas piston guns and other nonstandard designs that are great alternatives to standard ARs and AKs.

We also see some of the cream of the crop of production ARs in this category. Features like ambidextrous lowers, monolithic uppers, premium barrels, and fancy furniture are standard. It’s the realm of your Daniel Defense, LWRC, and Geissele rifles.

Premium Tier – $2,000 and Up

Do you want to shoot a mile? That’s about where we are getting with the premium tier.

It’s a lot of custom work to make rifles powerful, extremely accurate, and even extra lightweight. This tier provides expensive but well-made chassis systems, highly precise semi-auto rifles, and uber-powerful rifles.

If you want a .50 BMG or a .416 Barrett, this is where you are looking at — those massive rifles aren’t cheap.

We also get into the premium tier of ARs with guns from companies like Knight’s Armory, Radian, and HK. Many of these guns have proven to be America’s best warfighters, and the companies are certainly proud of them.

If you want the best of the best that will last forever, this is the route to take.

This is not a tier for beginners but for those who know exactly what they want and why they want it.

Final Thoughts

Guns aren’t cheap and never will be. However, there does tend to be something for everyone at every price point.

You can get a bare-bone, competent gun for a great price, but as you spend more, you’ll start to appreciate the extra features, time, and craftsmanship it takes to elevate a gun.

What do you think about my tier breakdown? Are they on the money, or do I owe some change? Let us know in the comments below! Trying to squeeze some extra quality in without spending more by buying second-hand? Check out our article on the Best Places to Buy Used Guns Online!