"Wyizzat 22 so expensive?"

[Riomouse911]

Blame the cheapo mass produced trash guns. Think about the cheapest gun in every category.

Rifle- it’s a 22 of some sort and a bunch are in the $129 ballpark for a semiauto.

semiauto pistol- Phoenix hp22 for $149

SA revolver- Heritage or Chiappa

DA Revolver... hmmmmm... Taurus or Charter most likely, maybe EAA gonna run similar price to a 642 smith or Taurus 856 and there is definitely an economy of scale situation going on there.

So, the cheap and functional 22 guns are out there. 22 ammo is $30 a brick (occasionally less) and they truly are cheap. BUT we are seeing the same thing creep into other guns. Complete AR for $400 is easy now. Budget bolt rifles for $300 or less are really common. Shotguns are dirt cheap. Same prices I remember in the late 90s. It’s not your average person who will look seriously at a Ruger Single Six when a Chiappa is next to it for 1/3 the price. And with that mindset, why would a person not expect a 22 to be cheaper because a lot of them are. Just not the really nice ones.

Right now is pretty much the golden era for gun prices in many styles; AR, functional and accurate budget bolt guns, good scopes, etc.

Sure one pays more for the extra touches; nice wood, high polished steel, etc. but we always have had premium guns, quality guns and budget guns to choose from. One may not work any better than the other, but the pride of ownership does go up when you save up to buy and the nicer stuff, IMHO.

Stay safe.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Rifle- it’s a 22 of some sort and a bunch are in the $129 ballpark for a semiauto.

I wish I had such reasonable taste. My problem was that I fell in love with the Anschutz Sporter. It took me over 40 years to be able justify/afford one...and then the cost had risen to close to $1500

 

[94045]

I wanted a S&W 351c or whatever their .22 mag J frame snubby is, but the cost was too high so I went with the LCR .327 Fed Mag. why isn't the 351 in the same ball park as the 442?

I think your being sarcastic but just for others....

Just make that .22 WMR a top 10 selling handgun like the 442/642 for the next 10 years. All tooling and design cost fully amortized. At that point with S&W just paying for materials and labor they can cut the price. With economies of scale they will make lots more money. Why do you think a Shield M1.0 is $199.99 with rebate at times. It was at least double that (Especially with inflation) originally.

 

[Trashyshoots]

I thought that my first year, in the box K22 was expensive. But I remember shooting one as a youngster and I wanted one, so I bit the bullet and bought one. Then... I started looking at Korth 22s. Yeah, I couldn't resist. Now if I can just convince the K22 and the Korth to get going and reproduce so I can have a new line of quality 22 revolvers!

Dont look at janz 22s my man, trust me.

 

[.38 Special]

I wish I had such reasonable taste. My problem was that I fell in love with the Anschutz Sporter. It took me over 40 years to be able justify/afford one...and then the cost had risen to close to $1500

I got pretty lucky in that my first .22 rifle was a Remington bolt gun with a heavy barrel that, with the right ammo, is very nearly competitive with the BR-50 guns. While I have been tilting at windmills with nearly every other kind of gun there is, I have never felt the need for another .22 rifle. It was a well-spent 350 dollars!

<edit> A moment's retroflection made me realize what a liar I am. I may not have "needed" any more .22 rifles, but that didn't stop me from buying all those other ones I have laying around...

 

[Spats McGee]

Reading @Riomouse911 's thread about his scoring a great .22 Mag revolver and the cost thereof made me remember a couple of conversations I've had in the shop with a few customers who seem to think that quality .22's, mag or LR, should sell super cheap.
A quality firearm has a lot of engineering that went into it before it ever hit the prototype stage, then the raw materials have to be quality, the manufacture process precise.
What do they think goes into a center fire handgun that somehow can be left out of a quality double deuce?
People....

Part of the problem might be that there have been some pretty darn good .22s available at very reasonable prices for a long time. 10/22s, Savages, Marlins, etc. That doesn't mean that a really nice .22 shouldn't be more expensive, but it does color the public perception of what a .22 should cost.

.... I think people figure the ammo is 1\4 the cost of centerfire so the gun should be too

I'd have a lot more double deuces if that were the case.

You and me, both! The expensive part might be the extra safe that I'd need.

 

[FlSwampRat]

I would blame part of it on the price of 22 rifles. You can get a good quality 22 rifle for $200 but a quality 22 pistol that isn’t mostly plastic is going to run you at least double that and even more so if you want a double action revolver that isn’t a pocket gun. I have to admit that I am in the camp that would not pay for a quality 22 revolver. If I can get a 357 for the same price I’ll take the 357 every time.

I agree, and think that has a lot to do with the general idea that .22's are all cheap guns.
However I disagree with the .22 vs .357 choice. I have multiples of both calibers and I spent equal money on some of them, but range time with a .22 costs way less per round than the .357 so it quickly makes the .22 more attractive to me.

 

[FlSwampRat]

The expensive part might be the extra safe that I'd need.

That's a serious factor. That and where the heck do I put the safe? Running out of room in the house with all the other crapola my varied interests has had me collect over the years.

 

[Riomouse911]

^ Yup. A crapola collector here, too. Between tripping over the kids' razor scooters, bicycles, wrangling around two motorcycles etc., I can hardly maneuver around the man cave, er...garage/workshop anymore. As it is now I have to move a couple of spare propane tanks just to open the door to the gun safe.

Stay safe.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

Two of the most enjoyable guns I have ever owned were my S&W 63 and my Super Single Six. They were well worth the money even though they were pricy.

Sadly I had to sell the Single Six and I'll probably never afford to replace it. Maybe a Wrangler some day or a HRR if I want an inexpensive 22 mag.

Luckily I held into the 63 and I'll NEVER sell it.

 

[94045]

I agree, and think that has a lot to do with the general idea that .22's are all cheap guns.
However I disagree with the .22 vs .357 choice. I have multiples of both calibers and I spent equal money on some of them, but range time with a .22 costs way less per round than the .357 so it quickly makes the .22 more attractive to me.

I have Rimfire Rifles of several levels.
Have always wanted an Anschutz.

"Good Quality"
Remington 552
Marlin Model 39A
CZ 452


"Good quality for a .22"
Remington Model 33
Glenfield Model 60
Ruger 10/22

To me "Good Quality" without the .22 qualifier isn't all that cheap.