$10.00 rifles, what happened?

[petew]

Dating myself here but I remember you could buy a surplus rifle for about ten bucks in the 60's. What has happened to gun prices, and what has driven them thru the roof.
A Parker Hale 303 with great Walnut stock, and a new barrel sold for $75.00. As issued Enfields were anywhere from ten bucks to twenty five. Now look what a 303 sells for, or a surplus metric caliber.
Take inflation into account and there is no parallel, wages have not kept up with the surplus gun prices, but factory guns are in line with the wages then and now , like a Rem 700, Win 70 etc , walnut stocked and blued.. {Not counting plastic and sandblasted painted }
So what has driven the cheap gun prices thru the roof.

[Hawkeye]

Supply and demand??

[Matt L.]

Inflation. Compare the price of just about anything between the 60's and today. Hell, even 10 years ago.

[Bushrat]

They don't make them anymore, there is only so many of them, many were disposed of or thrown in the dump as not worth keeping etc. People want them for whatever reason and will pay good money to get a good one. Personally I'm surprised Norinco isn't making a clone of them....yet.

[Dick284]

Average wage in the mid to early 1960's was $2.15/hr.
Take a $25.00 surplus firearm, in that day, and it would take 9.3 hours of labour to afford said firearm. (before taxes)

Todays average wage is close to $29.00/hr.
$29x9.3=$270.00(+ or -)
Now what is the going price for a SKS, or a Nagant?
SKS ~ $220
Nagant ~ $200-$250


Same old same old......

[petew]

In 68 a new Remington 1100 , 20 ga 2 3/4" vent rib , skeet barrel cost $315.00. At $2.15 / hour it would take 142 hours to pay for it. At the today $29.00 rate x 142 hours that should cost $4 ,248 .00 . We all know that isn't the today cost.

[Unregistered user]

Back in the mid sixties a new Chevy cost $3500. Gas was 35c/gallon, beer nuts were a dime a bag and deer nuts were still under a buck.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by petew

Dating myself here but I remember you could buy a surplus rifle for about ten bucks in the 60's. What has happened to gun prices, and what has driven them thru the roof.
A Parker Hale 303 with great Walnut stock, and a new barrel sold for $75.00. As issued Enfields were anywhere from ten bucks to twenty five. Now look what a 303 sells for, or a surplus metric caliber.
Take inflation into account and there is no parallel, wages have not kept up with the surplus gun prices, but factory guns are in line with the wages then and now , like a Rem 700, Win 70 etc , walnut stocked and blued.. {Not counting plastic and sandblasted painted }
So what has driven the cheap gun prices thru the roof.

Guns can't be cheaper than the ammo they shoot Pete. Price of ammo driving gun prices up

[Scotty454]

I would think that 55 years happened...?

[deanmc]

You got old buddy. As have we all.

[oldgutpile]

So many of those old surplus guns were being dumped after the latest world conflicts. Supply and demand reflected the price.
I bet there are a good many of those old actions that have been resurrected into custom guns (98's, P17's, etc) and eventually absorbed by the populace. I am sure I have at least two or three in my safe right now with new barrels and nice wood. Hard to beat a proven action for a custom job.