Price of shotguns

[Sean Richo]

Have recently picked up a Browning  B525 that was like new for £650 off a private sale. Have also seen a nearly new MK70 for £800 but today I have seen a B525 a bit tatty but for a bargain price of £450!! Been looking at a lot of private sales lately and there are some real top quality guns like new for half the new price. Seen some unbelievable cheap guns private sales. Is this a sign of the times or is it just prices have always been this low but have never noticed? A lot of gun shops must be feeling they pinch when they same gun can be bought for half the price and also in better condition privately. Is this due to the cost of living crisis or is it because the market is just flooded with used shotguns? Just find it interesting the difference in price between private and trade prices.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

It is a sign of the times, first the bottom dropped out of the SxS market and now the O/U's are going the same way.

Lots of bargains to be had out there.

Most of us probably have enough guns and will not part with stuff when it will only fetch a fraction of what they used to.

It is the exact opposite of what is happening in the used car market!

[DUNKS]

Also with the rising prices of clays  cartridges and fuel I can only see it getting worse. As you say, some real bargains out there.

[Sean Richo]

Yes I was thinking about that the other day. 100 clays is £40 at the closest clay ground to me add your carts and fuel on top plus a bacon butty it’s an expensive doo for an hour or two on a sat/sun morning. Also the messing with renewals can see a lot of people packing in and also cost of DIY shoots etc increasing. Suppose hobbies are first things to go. I know a few lads who have tried selling guns decent stuff to no avail not even any offers! I had a nearly new Lincoln on here for sale couple of years old 3” hp steel couldn’t sell it and that was £300 luckily enough a mate took it!!! 

[Wylye]

Sad to say that a lot of people are baling out of shooting which is reflected in the gun prices mentioned. Some dealers are feeling the pinch and are not interested in buying guns at any price.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, sign of the times now in UK, there must be 1000s of good side by sides stored in RFDs and O/Us and semi autos are getting that way, now with the cost of cartridges, pigeon shooting, clay shooting and a lot of game shoots not on this year it going to be a lean time for us country folk, well me a townie folk 🤔😁

Edited July 1, 2022 by oldypigeonpopper

[Ultrastu]

The Writings on the wall for most shooting sports I guess and people will react accordingly  .

Ie. selling that which they don't need while they still can .

[Gerry78]

2 hours ago, Sean Richo said:

Have recently picked up a Browning  B525 that was like new for £650 off a private sale. Have also seen a nearly new MK70 for £800 but today I have seen a B525 a bit tatty but for a bargain price of £450!! Been looking at a lot of private sales lately and there are some real top quality guns like new for half the new price. Seen some unbelievable cheap guns private sales. Is this a sign of the times or is it just prices have always been this low but have never noticed? A lot of gun shops must be feeling they pinch when they same gun can be bought for half the price and also in better condition privately. Is this due to the cost of living crisis or is it because the market is just flooded with used shotguns? Just find it interesting the difference in price between private and trade prices.

There is some great bargains out there my friend sold he’s blaser He bought a near new casear gurinni dealer told him not many people buying new guns at the moment good 2nd hand guns better investments 

[Poor Shot]

Who would have thought that having been almost continuously gouged with price rises over the last year (cartridges, clays, equipment, driven days etc all shot up) that those who could just barely make it work in the good times are now finding that they can't make it work and are leaving the sport?

Will we ever see price decreases and cartridge costs coming back down to a sensible level? I doubt it. Too much money to made.

I can only hope that we'll start to see a return to normal over the next few years when avian flu, brexit, Ukraine, covid all start to become history and not the current reality.

[mossy835]

my rfd wont part exchange guns at the moment,not done for some time, cant get rid of them.

[ditchman]

31 minutes ago, Ultrastu said:

The Writings on the wall for most shooting sports I guess and people will react accordingly  .

Ie. selling that which they don't need while they still can .

thats the way i see it too..........the govt' are making ownership more and more difficult ..this has been happening for a while...you only have to watch the posts on here..the number and stuff that is being off loaded......i think soon apart from TRUE liecenced pest control and clay pigeon shooting...........recreational shooting is going to be immposible to persue,,,,,,,,

[Fellside]

Sorry I don’t subscribe to all this doom and gloom. Hobbies and sports pursuits have always expanded/contracted over time relative to the economy. That’s perfectly normal. It doesn’t mean that shooting is terminally effected. Having said that, I do feel for people on or below the breadline who have to make tough decisions. High inflation always hits lower incomes harder. 

[old'un]

don't know what the cheapest steel cartridges are but I recently bought a 1000, 28g, 7.5 lead cartridges (mainly for pigeon) at £220 per thousand, which is bearable, but when the lead ban comes in it will put more pressure on those that are just keeping their heads above the water, think the higher price for steel will see a lot of them throwing in the towel.

so what's the cheapest steel cartridge per 1000?

[TOPGUN749]

7 minutes ago, old'un said:

don't know what the cheapest steel cartridges are but I recently bought a 1000, 28g, 7.5 lead cartridges (mainly for pigeon) at £220 per thousand, which is bearable, but when the lead ban comes in it will put more pressure on those that are just keeping their heads above the water, think the higher price for steel will see a lot of them throwing in the towel.

so what's the cheapest steel cartridge per 1000?

Gamebore Supersteel 21 grams plastic are £252 a thousand,but nothing in lead under £240 now.

[discobob]

14 minutes ago, old'un said:

don't know what the cheapest steel cartridges are but I recently bought a 1000, 28g, 7.5 lead cartridges (mainly for pigeon) at £220 per thousand, which is bearable, but when the lead ban comes in it will put more pressure on those that are just keeping their heads above the water, think the higher price for steel will see a lot of them throwing in the towel.

so what's the cheapest steel cartridge per 1000?

How recently was that??

 

[old'un]

11 minutes ago, TOPGUN749 said:

Gamebore Supersteel 21 grams plastic are £252 a thousand,but nothing in lead under £240 now.

does make you wonder if the cartridge manufactures are deliberately bringing the cost of lead closer to steel to make people move onto it?

5 minutes ago, discobob said:

How recently was that??

 

about 3 months ago

[Scully]

I don’t think the days of shooting are numbered; a lot will have to happen before that. 
I think the uncertainty many people feel regarding steel shot is bound to have an effect on buying and selling trends; being stuck with something they’re afraid they won’t be able to sell is certainly the main reason dealers are reluctant to PX ( unless they’re exchanging like for like, as in both guns are steel proofed ) none SP guns unless they can get them for a pittance. 
There’s never been a better time to buy that once expensive sxs or OU, in my opinion, because I strongly believe that once all the doom and gloom merchants and naysayers have been proved wrong, those once dubious items will increase in value again. 
 

[chesterse]

There are obvious ways to cut costs, if it’s a practice clay shoot then only shoot say 50 instead of a hundred. That’s what us old fogies do on a Wednesday - one or two pairs on a stand. We still have a good time.

As regards pigeon shooting again only take a certain amount of cartridges if you are lucky enough to have shot them then go home and leave the pigeons for another day. That what I used to do years ago - take 100 shells and that’s it.

[old'un]

5 minutes ago, chesterse said:

There are obvious ways to cut costs, if it’s a practice clay shoot then only shoot say 50 instead of a hundred. That’s what us old fogies do on a Wednesday - one or two pairs on a stand. We still have a good time.

As regards pigeon shooting again only take a certain amount of cartridges if you are lucky enough to have shot them then go home and leave the pigeons for another day. That what I used to do years ago - take 100 shells and that’s it.

that does not work with a lot of these young farmers.

[TOPGUN749]

I think we are all rather shocked by recent price rises and inflation in general because cartridge prices didn’t move a lot from about 2005- 2020 probably went from £140 a thousand to £190 at the budget end.Now it’s moved on so fast to £240 ish in 2 years. Hard to believe maybe,but even at today’s prices we can buy more than 30-50 years ago,as wages are so much higher and income tax lower. In 1973 I used to pay £9 for 250 basic shells,when a man took home £20 a week.Today it’s maybe £400 a week and £75 for the 250 slab.In real spending power we have it far better today.

[chesterse]

11 minutes ago, old'un said:

that does not work with a lot of these young farmers.

Then young farmers will need to contribute cartridges like they did years ago. You don’t see farmers riding a bike😂

[Fellside]

10 minutes ago, TOPGUN749 said:

I think we are all rather shocked by recent price rises and inflation in general because cartridge prices didn’t move a lot from about 2005- 2020 probably went from £140 a thousand to £190 at the budget end.Now it’s moved on so fast to £240 ish in 2 years. Hard to believe maybe,but even at today’s prices we can buy more than 30-50 years ago,as wages are so much higher and income tax lower. In 1973 I used to pay £9 for 250 basic shells,when a man took home £20 a week.Today it’s maybe £400 a week and £75 for the 250 slab.In real spending power we have it far better today.

Yes agree - even at the current prices cartridges are more affordable relative to income than in the 70’s for example. 

What is likely however, is that manufacturers will hike the lead cart’s price in advance of the change to steel. This will increase their margins when selling mainly steel if/when we change. In fact I have heard from a very reliable source that this is a planned strategy. 

[old'un]

28 minutes ago, chesterse said:

Then young farmers will need to contribute cartridges like they did years ago. You don’t see farmers riding a bike😂

I will tell them that next time I am shooting one of their fields, think I know what they may say.

mind you on saying that about young farmers and cartridges/payment, when the first rape fields started appearing on some of the farms I shot back in the early 70s some farmers did offer me a few boxes of cartridges, even had a couple wanting to pay me.

remember calling in on a farm I did not shoot, offering to cover his rape during the winter he asked how much it would cost him, when I told him it was free he nearly bit my hand off, how things have changed.

Edited July 1, 2022 by old'un

[enfieldspares]

52 minutes ago, Scully said:

There’s never been a better time to buy that once expensive sxs or OU, in my opinion, because I strongly believe that once all the doom and gloom merchants and naysayers have been proved wrong, those once dubious items will increase in value again. 
 

It's a brave man that makes that punt SCULLY! I've sold my Boss, as often repeated, but when I did I also took a punt on an AYA No4 .410" side by side boxlock ejector. I think that the .410" may...just....squeak through the proposals unmolested. Perhaps?

[old'un]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

I don’t think the days of shooting are numbered; a lot will have to happen before that. 
I think the uncertainty many people feel regarding steel shot is bound to have an effect on buying and selling trends; being stuck with something they’re afraid they won’t be able to sell is certainly the main reason dealers are reluctant to PX ( unless they’re exchanging like for like, as in both guns are steel proofed ) none SP guns unless they can get them for a pittance. 
There’s never been a better time to buy that once expensive sxs or OU, in my opinion, because I strongly believe that once all the doom and gloom merchants and naysayers have been proved wrong, those once dubious items will increase in value again. 
 

don't you think some of the older English guns may suffer damage from steel?, I only ask this as not long ago I sold a nice Joseph Lang sidelock ejector, it was a lovely light weight gun of just under 61/2 pounds, the thing that would have worried me about putting steel through this gun was the thinness of the barrel walls, the wall thickness at the muzzle measured about 30 thou, 0.76mm

Edited July 1, 2022 by old'un