Here's the thing: Your wedding isn't about YOU. It's about everyone else. Think not about what YOU want, but from the perspective of your groomsmen and what, as they used to say, will be a blessing to them. That's really what this gesture is for. A generous gift, or a cheap one? A useful something that will be nicer than what they'd get themselves, or something junky that they'll have to find a corner of a drawer or safe to stick it into? For heaven's sake if you get a cheap gun, don't get it engraved. That will literally halve whatever meager value it might have had as trade fodder down the road.
(Brings to mind a scene from a sitcom years ago where the main character's parents were caught returning his gift to the store, unopened. When confronted his mother finally laid it out for him, "
Well, honey, we're the ones that have to GET these presents!"!
A lot of awkward truth in that!)
You want to present them with a token of your esteem. How much do you esteem them? A crappy pot-metal gun's worth? Or a very nice knife's worth? (Not that it has to be a knife. Just a handy example.) The cost is not the point. The symbolism here is in the above-and-beyond value. Something out of the ordinary, above (not far below) run-of-the-mill clutter.
While I agree with much of what you posted here, I've gotta disagree with you about your statement:
"Your wedding isn't about YOU. It's about everyone else."
It IS about him...and his bride. His groomsmen are there for HIM. Her bridesmaids are there for HER. Family and friends are there to support the COUPLE. The officiating authority (priest, pastor, rabi, JP, whomever) is there for the COUPLE.
Yeah, prideful parents are there, and I suppose it could be said that it's about them, too...but if any parent dared to shift the limelight away from the couple, I'd call them exceedingly rude.
I'm going to make an assumption that the aforementioned budget was established based on his means, and that is to be both expected and respected. He has an idea of what he'd LIKE to get his groomsmen...the only issue is whether or not he can get something close to his desires for the budget he has to work with.
I've been a groomsman in a few weddings myself. I take whatever gift may be offered as just that...a gift. It may not be original, it may not be expensive, it may not be the most practical, but it IS a gift. I've got a box somewhere full of little penknives, engraved pens, even an etched shot glass which I've received as such gifts. Even some gag gifts. Each one has a fond memory attached to it, and not once was I ever concerned about the quality or utility of the gift. I would have happily served as groomsman for ANY of the weddings I attended, solely for the honor of the role.
If I were to receive a cheap .22LR revolver as a gift...it's STILL a gift that I would value and I would understand both the intent behind it and respect whatever financial decisions were made which limited the purchase. It's not as if I'll ever think badly of a friend or relative for it.
In fact, the first word that would go through my mind on seeing such a gift would be "COOL!" because of it's uniqueness.
Yeah, for $150 he could get everybody a Gerber Mark II knife. Yeah, he could get any of the other things we suggested here as well. And I'm sure they'd all be appreciated.
But we do a disservice to think that his close friends and family serving in the role of groomsmen would look down on him just because he wanted to get them each a gun but couldn't afford to shell out $3000-plus dollars for six people.
