Concealed carry/gun costs

[SteveR]

Inflation and scarcity of some models will drive up the local price of a firearm. I have a couple of pistols I bought more than 25 years ago that could be sold for more than twice what I paid for them new. This is mostly due to the rarity of those particular pistols and the demand for older USA made pistols of that size and caliber.

I looked at buying my newest pistol from an internet site but decided that buying local has some value beyond the $$ saved by buying from a shop without a store front. I am not a collector but I have purchased firearms over the past 40 years or so; not counting what I inherited from my dad. I would say overall the value of good quality firearms has actually risen a bit slower than inflation over this time. The biggest increase seems to still be in ammunition; even if you reload your own. Brass seems to just go up and up.

 

[devans0]

With the economy of joblessness and my feeling that I could appear to be a target for easy pickings as I get older, I feel more secure with a means to protect myself at home and when I travel. LBYM lets me blend in safely during hard times..

I see that the big price increases occur when a ban of some kind takes place and their is scurrying to acquire the soon to-become-contraband before the selling ban goes into effect. Some ammunition was scarce and expensive for a while during the Mideast conflicts. When my state became a shall issue from a may issue concealed carry state, there was little price changes, but gun dealers saw large increases in sales from pent up demand suddenly being met.

 

[grasshopper]

I wanted to comment about the price of guns and ammo, but it had a political slant.

Never mind.

Davidson's (Gallery of Guns) is a great place to shop. If I find something I want on sale I call my local pusher and he orders it at the sale price for me.

 

[HFWR]

From recent national sporting goods chain flyer:

9mm, 115-gr., FMJ, 50, $10.99
.45, 230-gr., FMJ, 350, $159.99, with "free" Mil-spec ammo case

 

[braumeister]

Those are good (not great) ammo prices. You can do much better with mail order, for example. But ammo cost is only a consideration if you do a lot of shooting. The OP asked about gun prices.

 

[haha]

I think the prices are really no problem. The gun with normal care is going to last 4 generations anyway, and by then the government will have picked them all up.

The main thing is that if you do have to use it, you really really want it to work. Also you want to practice a lot, and you want to go to a good range/gun store and shoot shoot shoot before you decide what to buy. Then buy it, as long as it is a Glock. Who cares if it costs $100 more, this isn't a restaurant tab that may be a monthly or weekly expense. Another thing I would say, is that "gun experts" often run down the 9mm, saying it isn't powerful enough, blah blah blah. The best gun is the one that you will shoot shoot shoot, and the 9 fits that bill better than most. If you think the bullet isn't heavy enough, shoot twice. Or better yet, 4x. Not much short of a cannonball weighs more than 4 x 115gr.

Ha

 

[Avalon]

Another thing I would say, is that "gun experts" often run down the 9mm, saying it isn't powerful enough, blah blah blah. The best gun is the one that you will shoot shoot shoot, and the 9 fits that bill better than most. If you think the bullet isn't heavy enough, shoot twice. Or better yet, 4x. Not much short of a cannonball weighs more than 4 x 115gr.

I agree Ha. A 9mm hollow point is a pretty tough round. I personally use a Belgium Browning that was given to me many years ago.

 

[aaronc879]

I think the prices are really no problem. The gun with normal care is going to last 4 generations anyway, and by then the government will have picked them all up.

The main thing is that if you do have to use it, you really really want it to work. Also you want to practice a lot, and you want to go to a good range/gun store and shoot shoot shoot before you decide what to buy. Then buy it, as long as it is a Glock. Who cares if it costs $100 more, this isn't a restaurant tab that may be a monthly or weekly expense. Another thing I would say, is that "gun experts" often run down the 9mm, saying it isn't powerful enough, blah blah blah. The best gun is the one that you will shoot shoot shoot, and the 9 fits that bill better than most. If you think the bullet isn't heavy enough, shoot twice. Or better yet, 4x. Not much short of a cannonball weighs more than 4 x 115gr.

Ha

Interesting that you mention the Glock 9mm. After doing some research online i've concluded that a Glock 9mm will likely be what I purchase. I still have to go and see it in person but unless it's too small for my rather large hands i'll be buying one. It has a 17-round clip.

It seems like the consensis is that the price won't change much either way when the law changes. I'll be spending $500 for the gun. Adding in the cost of ammunition, target practice, and a permit(when available) won't make it cheap for someone who has a toal annual budget of $12K but it'll be worth it.

 

[haha]

I agree Ha. A 9mm hollow point is a pretty tough round. I personally use a Belgium Browning that was given to me many years ago.

Beautiful gun.

Ha

 

[brewer12345]

I think the prices are really no problem. The gun with normal care is going to last 4 generations anyway, and by then the government will have picked them all up.

The main thing is that if you do have to use it, you really really want it to work. Also you want to practice a lot, and you want to go to a good range/gun store and shoot shoot shoot before you decide what to buy. Then buy it, as long as it is a Glock. Who cares if it costs $100 more, this isn't a restaurant tab that may be a monthly or weekly expense. Another thing I would say, is that "gun experts" often run down the 9mm, saying it isn't powerful enough, blah blah blah. The best gun is the one that you will shoot shoot shoot, and the 9 fits that bill better than most. If you think the bullet isn't heavy enough, shoot twice. Or better yet, 4x. Not much short of a cannonball weighs more than 4 x 115gr.

Ha

Just curious: I was under the impression that a revolver was more likely to fire reliably and woud probably be safer/less prone to accidental discharge. Disagree? Why?

 

[haha]

Just curious: I was under the impression that a revolver was more likely to fire reliably and woud probably be safer/less prone to accidental discharge. Disagree? Why?

Revolvers are harder to shoot straight, particularly more than once. The trigger pull is heavy, and it takes a lot of experience to not pull your aim off.

I still have the first handgun I ever bought, a S&W Model 10 .38 spcl, from the '30s. Very slick gun, but much harder to shoot accurately than the Sig Sauer that I also own. The reason I favor Glocks is that they are really safe and highly reliable, and you don't need to fool with safeties and they are very robust and the 9mm is a better round than the .38spl and if you were to buy a .357 magnum it would scare the heck out of you with it's kick and noise and be hard to shoot well and ruin your hearing.

In your training you will learn to clear jams which with a Glock 9mm and the right ammo should be few. A modern revolver should not be at all likely to discharge accidentally, but then the same is true of a Glock and I would guess many other handguns

Ha

 

[M Paquette]

Just a suggestion for a concealed carry revolver. Look at the Taurus "Public Defender", a .45 Colt/.410 shotshell revolver specially set up for concealed carry (short barrel, bobbed hammer, fairly light weight).

As with any firearm, practice, practice, practice...

 

[haha]

Just a suggestion for a concealed carry revolver. Look at the Taurus "Public Defender", a .45 Colt/.410 shotshell revolver specially set up for concealed carry (short barrel, bobbed hammer, fairly light weight).

As with any firearm, practice, practice, practice...

That would kill the bad guy twice, but whoa, I bet it is fun to shoot! I shot a big N frame S&W or a heavy Colt (can't remember which, I think it was a Smith) once in .45 Colt. Nice big bullet, but even in that heavy gun you knew it!

Ha

 

[M Paquette]

That would kill the bad guy twice, but whoa, I bet it is fun to shoot! I shot a big N frame S&W or a heavy Colt (can't remember which, I think it was a Smith) once in .45 Colt. Nice big bullet, but even in that heavy gun you knew it!

It also has a very important property for a personal defensive weapon. The business end is fairly scary looking. That may make firing it unnecessary. (Just don't order it with the pink grip...)

 

[check6]

Very slick gun, but much harder to shoot accurately than the Sig Sauer that I also own.

Ha

HaHa what is your opinion of the Sig Sauer? Brother sent me his P226 thru a FFL dealer which cost $30 to process.

It's currently locked up until I can obtain some training.

 

[haha]

HaHa what is your opinion of the Sig Sauer? Brother sent me his P226 thru a FFL dealer which cost $30 to process.

It's currently locked up until I can obtain some training.

It's a really excellent gun. Needs a bit more familiarity and training than a Glock, but a really good gun. I don't remember which ones, but the Sig is an issue gun with some agencies.

See how little muzzle jump this shooter has to deal with? Firing Sig Sauer P226 9mm Pistol - Bing Videos

Ha

 

[devans0]

HaHa, interestingly, I also have a Sig 226, a Glock 19 and 23. (9mm all). I guess we think alike on arms. I liked the smooth action so much on the Sig that I had the Glock 19 trigger replaced to be a lighter, smoother action, yesterday. The heavy trigger pulled my aim slightly and I like hitting exactly what I am aiming at. At least now, there's now excuse.

I really like shooting the SigSauer. It is a very nice gun IMO. Excellent choice!

 

[samclem]

Just curious: I was under the impression that a revolver was more likely to fire reliably and woud probably be safer/less prone to accidental discharge. Disagree? Why?

Reliability: In general, revolvers are more reliable. That's just a by-product of the design. If a revolver fails to fire for any reason, you just squeeze the trigger again and a fresh round is chambered and ready to fire. With autoloaders, there's lots more to go wrong: failure to feed, failure to extract, etc. In real-world situations, the slide can get blocked by clothing, etc and then a new round may not be picked up. The actions needed to clear the weapon and get it ready to fire again are fairly simple and quick (in most cases), but it's not as simple as simply squeezing the trigger again. Still, a well maintained auto with ammunition it "likes" can often fire hundreds of rounds without a single problem.

Safety: Both types of sidearms have different safety considerations. In a modern weapon with good design (e.g a firing pin block, etc) both styles are very safe. I was taught to keep an empty chamber in the firing position in a revolver, which is a very safe way to carry it (the only way it can go "bang" is if the trigger is pulled ), and most modern autoloaders are nearly as safe.

Since this thread is about concealed carry: There are a lot of very good options now for very concealable weapons, and those who haven't stepped into a gun store in a few years will likely be pleasantly surprised. The Ruger LCP and similar .380 caliber autoloaders are well made, reliable, and appear very easy to "live with" on a daily basis. There are also a lot of fans of the lightweight .38 caliber revolvers and they pack more punch than the .380 autos, but they are heavier and fatter. Because all of these weapons are light, the shooter experiences more recoil. Again, that's just physics. Haha's point about shooting a gun a lot before purchasing is a good one: Most folks don't like to go to the range and fire a lot of rounds through these smaller weapons--the hand begins to sting/ache after awhile. If it is bothersome enough to discourage regular practice, or cause the shooter to aim poorly due to anticipation of the recoil, then a heavier gun/lighter round, different grips, or different technique should be considered.

 

[JakeBrake]

A word of warning. When I retired from Megacorp in 2007, company policy was that anyone who was discovered with a gun on his person while on the company clock would be terminated immmediately. If you were discovered with a gun in your personal car in a company owned parking lot, likewise. Employees were encouraged to rat on each other. Most Megacorps have the same policy.

When I began work at Megacorp in the 1960's we often brought guns to the office to show and to buy/sell/trade. There was a world-class gunstore in the next block and we would bring our treasures from the store to the office to show to our co-workers.

Times have certainly changed.

 

[haha]

A word of warning. When I retired from Megacorp in 2007, company policy was that anyone who was discovered with a gun on his person while on the company clock would be terminated immmediately. If you were discovered with a gun in your personal car in a company owned parking lot, likewise. Employees were encouraged to rat on each other. Most Megacorps have the same policy.

When I began work at Megacorp in the 1960's we often brought guns to the office to show and to buy/sell/trade. There was a world-class gunstore in the next block and we would bring our treasures from the store to the office to show to our co-workers.

Times have certainly changed.

Likewise, when I was in high school we brought our .22s to class so we could get out into the squirrel woods after last bell.

There weren't so many crazies around then. We were crazy all right, but in a predictable traditional way.

Ha

 

[REWahoo]

Since this thread is about concealed carry:

Is it Sam? I thought it was about gun prices.

From the OP:

It looks like it will soon become legal to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin. I'm not interested in debating whether it should be legal or not. I'm just wondering if the economics majors in the forum could give their opinion on whether or not the new law will increase or decrease the cost of a handgun.

Looks like the hog-calling contestants might be warming up in the wings...

 

[harley]

Why are you mods (and ex-mods) so worried about the word "gun"? This is one of the most civil threads I've read on this forum in a fairly long time? Cost, concealed carry, recommendations, it's all in the OP as well as the conversation. And it's been presented in a very educational and non-threatening way. Thanks, commenters, I've been enoying it.

 

[REWahoo]

Why are you mods (and ex-mods) so worried about the word "gun"?

Because we don't want to see anyone "shoot their eye out"?

This is one of the most civil threads I've read on this forum in a fairly long time? Cost, concealed carry, recommendations, it's all in the OP as well as the conversation. And it's been presented in a very educational and non-threatening way. Thanks, commenters, I've been enoying it.

I wonder if you'd be able to say that - if this thread would have become another "gun rights" debate - had the mods remained silent each time the conversation started drifting away from the thread topic?

 

[HFWR]

Those are good (not great) ammo prices. You can do much better with mail order, for example. But ammo cost is only a consideration if you do a lot of shooting. The OP asked about gun prices.

Unless planning to buy multiple "guns", I would think ammo prices would be more pertinent to future costs. Shooting two boxes of 9mm ammo would cost maybe $20-$25, plus range fees, so not a budget killer. And if you don't plan on shooting regularly, do us all a favor and don't purchase a firearm...

 

[calmloki]

"guns"?
My nephew, at the age of two, made my sister crazy - she was raising him in a no guns/no culture of violence way and he would make "guns" out of anything, including diagonally sliced sandwiches. "Poom poom" he'd say. Cheapest "gun" I've ever seen.

I reload .45 and the lead is spendy, but finding an appropriate spot for shooting is more difficult - fewer and fewer deserted rock quarries that are both far enough out and close enough in