How Much Do Typical Guns Cost? (Rifle, handgun, shotgun)

Most firearms sold today cost between $400 and $800. Many concealed carry pistols cost around $500. The most popular hunting rifles cost around $700, and the highest-selling shotguns cost around $600. Many AR-15 rifles are sold for around $750.

Obviously, purchasers can spend as much as many thousands or as little as only a few hundred dollars on a firearm, but hopefully those prices give a ballpark. I have more information and tables for each firearm type later in in this post.

Hunting Rifle Average Prices

FirearmPriceAction TypeComments
Savage Axis$350Bolt-ActionLooks and feels cheap. The base model has a poor trigger.
TC Compass$370Bolt-ActionLooks and Feels Cheap. Seems to function. Nothing special.
RugerAmerican$425Bolt-ActionHighly accurate, good trigger. Cheap stock
Browning AB3 Hunter$600Bolt actionPretty Wood Stock. Accurate and slick.
Savage10/110 Storm$750Bot-ActionAdjustable comb height and length of pull. Shoots good.
Tika T3X$780Bolt-ActionSmooth action, lightweight, accurate.
Kimber Hunter$800Bolt-ActionDurable, accurate, and lightweight.
Ruger Scout$1000Bolt-ActionStrong, durable utility.
Ruger Hawkeye$1100Bolt-ActionWood stock, all stainless steel
Springfield 2020 Waypoint$2100Bolt-ActionTop of the Line. Carbon stock and barrel.

What Should You Expect to Pay for a Hunting Rifle?

If you’re looking for some recommendations for the best hunting rifles, here’s what I’d tell a friend or family member if they asked me which hunting rifle to buy.

Under $500 – Ruger American Predator (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – I picked the Ruger American because it has reliable build quality and a decent feature set. My Ruger American averages 0.8″ groups at 100 yards.
Under $600 – CVA Cascade (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – This version of the CVA Cascade offers a cerakoted barrel, super smooth action, and a better stock than a Ruger American. It feels like a big step up for just another $100.
Under $800 – Bergara B-14 Ridge (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) – This rifle is starting to hit a sweet spot where everything more expensive will begin having diminishing returns. It feeds perfectly, has an extremely rigid stock, has a black cerakoted barrel, and it looks great. Oh, and yes, it’s accurate. Very accurate. I think it beats out the Tikka T3x for the top spot.
Under $1,600 – Sig Cross (Order it online at Sportsman’s Warehouse) The Sig Cross is a revolutionary platform with a folding stock, requires no bedding, and is lightweight. Watch my Sig Cross review here.

$500 is the average price most people spend on a hunting rifle. The most common price range is $350 to $450, then an additional $50 to $100 on optics. $350 to $500 is the cheaper range. $750 is when quality starts to dramatically improve. Rifles $1200 and above are all high quality and very well made.

The vast majority of hunters are fine with basic, lower end options like the Savage Axis (I actually like it in 350 Legend) and the TC Compass. they tend to shoot alright, but due to their fast production speed, they do have more variance between guns. Some shoot good, Some do not.

My dad bought 2 Savage axis rifles in 350 Legend for deer hunting, one youth and one full-sized. One shoots 2-inch groups at 100 yards, the other shoots 6 inch groups at best. The youth rifle has a noticeably stiffer, gritty feeling trigger, making it impossible for even a good shooter to make good shots.

Now, that is the exception, but it’s vastly more common with low-end guns. To give Savage credit, they do have a better trigger (the Accu-Trigger) on the upgrade model Axis for a slight increase in price.

The most common hunting rifle today is the Ruger American Rifle. It’s the absolute best rifle in its price range. If you want to spend under $600 on a rifle, seriously consider the Ruger American.

If your budget is closer to $1000, you really have to look for options you want. everything at that level is a good shooter. Don’t forget to include optics in your budget.a $500 rifle with a $500 scope will outperform a $900 rifle with a $100 scope.

AR-15 Average Prices

ModelPriceComments
Anderson AM-15$550Cheapest out there. It shoots.
M&P Sport III$750Decent and dependable. I don’t mind it
Ruger AR556$750Decent finish, fairly tight, well designed.
PSA PA-15$750Decent quality, fairly durable. Considered reliable.
Advanced Armament Corporation AR15$950Highly reliable, fairly accurate
Springfield Saint$1000Accurate, durable, feels nice.
Colt CR6920$1100Best-made basic AR. Law enforcement quality
Desert Tec MDR$2500Highly accurate, compact design, powerful.
Colt M16A1 Retro Reissue$2500Very well made. Collectable, original style configuration.

What to pay for an AR-15

Between $500 and $750 is the cost of a basic AR. Offerings below $500 usually have plastic lowers and should be avoided. A more expensive AR may have a better fit and finish, more expensive hardware, and usually has better quality control of materials and workmanship.

When you get to the $1000 range, you generally have a more durable, more reliable gun, with better overall features. As the prices go up, the quality goes up for he most part. Some companies, like Colt, seem to charge more just for the sake of name recognition. I think they are often a bit over-priced.

Once you get past the $2000 mark, you really have to do your research. Some of those manufacturers charge more simply because they are “custom”. Though, a number of AR manufacturers really do spend extra hours fine-tuning the rifle to be more accurate, more rugged, and more reliable.

Desert Tec is an example of a custom company that really customizes for function and accuracy. you will be hard pressed to beat the precision of a Desert Tec rifle. They are a great example of when you pay for a real upgrade. Desert Tec makes really nice guns and they charge accordingly.

All that being said, I have no qualms about using a lower-end AR-15. The Ruger, the M&P, The PSA, heck even the Anderson would suffice for most people. Although I personally think the Ruger is best at this price range. these all have a non free-floated barrel, and accuracy of around 3 MOA. A free floated barrel will generally get you 1 MOA.

You can pay a bit more for that in the beginning, or you can easily do the upgrade work yourself at some point. That’s why AR rifles are so handy. It’s a cinch to modify them.

A $600 AR is fine, a $1000 AR is nice, and a $2000 AR is a dream.

Shotgun Average Prices

Model PriceActionComments
Mossberg Maverik 88$240Pump-ActionLight-duty and very cheap.
Winchester SXP$360Pump-ActionA bit light-duty. Functional basic shotgun
Mossberg 500$360Pump-ActionMilitary Spec, cheap and durable.
Charles Daly AR12S$390Semi-AutoAR style
Mossberg Shockwave 590$450Pump-ActionHighly compact
Howa Boss 25$500Semi-AutoReliable AR design.
Henry Single Shot$530Break-ActionBest made single shot shotgun. Very pretty
Mossberg Silver Reserve$670Double-BarrelVery pretty, and a well made sporting shotgun
Tavor IWI ts12$1400Semi-AutoTactical Bullpup design. Well made.
Beretta M4$2000Semi-AutoHigh-end. very reliable.

The Average Cost of Shotguns

$500 is what most hunters spend on a shotgun. $700 to $1000 is a common price range for hunters as well. Sport shooters usually spend more on a pretty shotgun than hunters, while hunters want a rugged one. Since people seldom put optics on a shotgun, they generally spend more than they would on a rifle.

If you are looking for a hunting shotgun for other than slug use, $450 and below is a fine bet. if you want a good slug gun, I’d be more inclined to spend at least another $100. When shooting shot, you don’t need the same level of accuracy that you do when shooting slugs. Generally, cheap shotguns are quite unimpressive with slugs.

If you’re thinking of just having a shotgun that you’ll use once in a while, a bottom-tier one will do. that being said, the Mossberg 500 is both cheap and durable. It’s one that will pass down through generations. We used to prefer the Remington 870, but Remington is crap now. I’m sorry but it’s just the truth. If they get better, I’ll edit that out.

$1200 buys you a fine shotgun for sporting clays. I wouldn’t want to be one of those pretty walnut stocks in a duck swamp though. I prefer rugged and dependable over pretty myself.

Handgun Average Prices

ModelPriceActionComments
Hi Point C9$180Semi-AutoUltra reliable, but awkward and heavy.
M&P Shield$460Semi-AutoMaybe best at this price. Good gun.
`Glock G43$490Semi-AutoFairly small, popular concealed gun.
Springfield Hellcat$570Semi-AutoVery ergonomic, good trigger, shoots well.
Glock G19$590Semi-AutoRugged. Good for smaller hands.
Ruger SP100$670RevolverGood hand grips, short barrel. Available in .357 magnum.
Ruger 57$700Semi-AutoReliable, affordable, shoots a high-speed round. High capacity
Ruger AR556 Pistol$800Semi-AutoAR-15 Pistol in some nice rifle calibers.
Ruger GP100$900RevolverHeavy, stout revolver. Accurate and dependable
Colt Python$2000RevolverMabey the finest revolver you can buy. Precision made.

How Much Does a Handgun Cost?

For under $200, you can buy a dependable HiPoint pistol. $500 will buy a pistol that’s both nice and reliable for concealed carry. A duty pistol costs upwards of $590, and a good competition pistol is usually over $1000.

I won’t beat on HiPoint. They make a cheap, tough gun. Ugly and heavy, but indestructible and unstoppable. a gunmaker I will rag on just a bit is Glock. Glock pistols are just a bit overpriced for how basic they are. That being said, I carry a 10mm Glock every day, so I guess I still find them acceptable.

Honestly, all of them on this list are dependable, safe pistols. You won’t get a horrible pistol from any name brand (except maybe Remington), so don’t fret. What you need to do is know your budget and what you want to do with your pistol. If you have both of those down, it will be simple to find our best option and any decent gun store clerk can help you find exactly what you’ll like best.

I will say that if you’re going to be relying on a pistol for protection, don’t cheat yourself. A defensive pistol is a life-saving device, just like a parachute or a life jacket. would you want to jump out of a plane with the cheapest parachute on your back? Buy the best you can and don’t kid yourself.

I know I just said that a $180 HiPoint is reliable, and it is. But a more expensive pistol will have better features, that allow it to function more proficiently. My biggest word of caution is to stick with a name-brand pistol. If you’re not sure, ask someone who is familiar with guns.

22 Rimfire Average Prices

ModelPriceActionComments
Heritage Rough Rider$170RevolverPretty but cheap. Accurate, but light duty. Poor blueing.
Marlin 60$200Semi-AutoCheap, reliable rifle.
Ruger Wrangler$230RevolverThe best cheap 22 revolver. Good coating on meatal.
Ruger 10/22$300Semi-AutoMost Popular 22. Very reliable and easily upgraded.
Ruger American Rimfire$350Bolt-ActionFair quaility rifle. Shoots well
Glock G44$400Semi-AutoExact dimensions as a Glock 19, use for training. lightweight. Geat kids pistol
M&P15/22$460Semi-AutoAR-15 in 22lr. Great for kids.
Ruger Precision Rimfire$460Bolt-ActionGreat feeling rifle. Good for marksmanship training.
Ruger Mark IV$475Semi-AutoSweet shooting! An affordable target 22 pistol.
Henry Golden Boy$550Lever-ActionClassic-looking beautiful gun. Shoots good too!

Prices of Common 22 Rimfire Rifles and Pistols

Most 22lr guns cost under $350. $300 will buy a nice 22lr carbine. The Ruger 10/22 and Marlin 60 are the most popular and are cheap. $170 buys the Heritage Rough Rider, the most common 22lr revolver. At $460, the Ruger Precision Rimfire is the cheapest precision 22lr on the market.

As a general rule, 22lr guns are cheaply made. That’s mainly because the round is very low-pressure and low-power. Firing a 22 bullet is not hard on a barrel like a hotter caliber is. 22 rimfires don’t need to be built beefy and strong. Less material is necessary. That makes the gun cheaper to build.

A real high-end competition 22lr rifle may cost $1000 to 2000 just because of the time it takes to really work over a rifle for custom-grade precision. Most 22lr are bought for under $400. I’ve never paid over $300 for one. If you need a workhorse of a 22 rifle, check out the Ruger 10/22. It’s hard to beat the utility of that gun.

I do have the Rough Rider and I like it. It’s accurate to shoot raccoons in my traps, but not overly heavy duty. The Ruger Wrangler is king in that department. Glock, once again just seems over priced for what it is. I played with one for a while and did like it. I shot it pretty well too. It’s just nothing fancy.

If you’re looking for a real dependable 22lr to pack out with, look at the Ruger 10/22 and Ruger Wrangler. Ruger American Rimfire has become the most popular 22lr bolt action for kids. It’s a great affordable option. Ruger has become the king of 22lr.

The M&P 15/22 is a popular AR-15 styled 22lr. It looks and feels like a standard A-15, but it’s a bit different inside. I will note that there was an issue with the Smith and Wesson M&P 15/22, but that’s been corrected.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a nice 22lr pistol or rifle. between that, and the cheaper price of the ammo, it’s no wonder why 22lr is the most commonly shot cartridge n the US. It’s good for young and old alike. Come to think of it, my daughter is getting one for her birthday this year. She’s gonna be ecstatic when she sees it!