Editorial: Budget Guns and Price Changes

Affordable. For many, guns have become less so. Built into the price is the cost of manufacturing, overhead, materials, labor and, of course, profit. Other influences include consumer demand and the effects of increased inflation, just as they always have.

Fifty years ago, the average U.S. household income was $13,720. In 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that it was $75,580 for a two-income household, an increase of 81.85 percent. According to the 1975 Guns & Ammo Annual, the average price of a double-action revolver was $109.77, and $207.52 for a semiautomatic pistol. In 2025, the retail price of a new revolver averages $918.54, and semiautomatic pistols average $839...

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