Author Topic: How do they compare? (Read 630 times)

longwinters · « **on:** January 19, 2006, 12:14:15 PM »

With the thread on Winchesters situation I got to wondering about some of the conversations on that thread concerning rifle prices.

Yep, prices of many rifles have gone up (I know some have come down also) but do any of you know how much a rifle would have cost . . . say 40 years ago as compared to a working man's pay at that time vs. todays average cost rifle compared to a working guys pay?

I have my Dad's Marlin 30-30 that he purchased back in the mid 50's. He died a long time ago so I do not know what he paid, but he was a dairy farmer and made little money . . . had to drive school bus to get insurance. Just wondering how long it probably took him to save up for that Marlin. And what percentage of his income it would have been.

I am under the impression that we have a lot more discretionary income than they did back then but just wondering . . .

Long

Gregory · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2006, 12:26:14 PM »

My son inherited a Marlin 1893 from his great-grandfather's estate and I was told that he paid $18 for it the 1930's. I don't know how much of his salary that was but he was a factory worker.

Omaha-BeenGlockin · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2006, 12:44:58 PM »

Not positive----but I would venture a guess that a gun today--on average---is one weeks pay---while back then it was a month to 2 months pay.

A new black and white TV was $500+ in the 50's---now they don't even make black and white TV's anymore----and you can get a color one for less than $100.

Autos have gotten out of hand---recall seeing an ad in a 1979 magazine for a new Mazda RX-7 for $9999 ----ten years later they were pushing 30 grand.

A Buck 110 in the '70's was around $25-----now if you shop around you can still pick one up for that or even less----if it was like a car---you'd be paying $120.

Slamfire · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2006, 05:36:34 PM »

I believe a dollar a day was a pretty good wage during the depression.

Idaho_Hick · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2006, 04:29:36 AM »

According to a 1902 Sears-Roebuck Sporting Catalogue reprint:

Winchester single shot, (I assume Hi-Wall) $10.69,
Winchester '94 in 30-30, $14.75
Winchester '95 in 30-40 $21.35

And you mil-surp fans will love this, surplus spencer rifles, $3.65

I was guessing a dollar a day was good wages during this period for a laborer, if anybody has a better guess, pitch in.

If I am right, it would cost the better part of a months pay for a "Modern" high power rifle, but you could get something that would work well for little more than a weeks pay.

Wouldn't it be great if we could currently buy a quality single-shot for less than the price of a 30-30?

Idaho_Hick · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2006, 04:35:58 AM »

According to a 1902 Sears-Roebuck Sporting Catalogue reprint:

Winchester single shot, (I assume Hi-Wall) $10.69,
Winchester '94 in 30-30, $14.75
Winchester '95 in 30-40 $21.35

And you mil-surp fans will love this, surplus Spencer rifles, $3.65

I was guessing a dollar a day was good wages during this period for a laborer, if anybody has a better guess, pitch in.

If I am right, it would cost the better part of a months pay for a "Modern" high power rifle, but you could get something that would work well for little more than a weeks pay.

Wouldn't it be great if we could currently buy a quality single-shot for less than the price of a 30-30?

lilabner · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2006, 07:12:00 AM »

I have an October, 1922 issue of Outdoor Life. Fun to look through it once in a while. Some interesting rifle prices: Waffenfabrik commercial Mausers with Mannlicher stocks - $30 each in 7x57, $21.50 in 8mm. Mannlicher -Schoenauer rifles, full stocked $45.00. For pistoleros, a Navy model Luger in 9mm Parabellum with holster, detachable butt stock, tools and case for $45.00. These are new firearms. The rifles have beautiful wood and checkering but comb drop looks like it is for iron sights. Of course, that was back when a dollar was worth something. Bear in mind that this was before the Depression. After 1929, the same guns could probably be had at much lower prices!

Idaho_Hick · « **Reply #7 on:** January 20, 2006, 09:00:42 AM »

I was trying to "prove" that men 104 years ago were spending a lot more for their firearms, but am beginning to think maybe I was mistaken. I was uncomfortable with my wild-haired guess of a dollar a day and so I recalled that my old econ teacher claimed inflation has remained at a fairly standard 3-3.5 percent in this country. So I plugged those numbers from the sears catalog into the excel financial function at a rate of 3.25% (a nice middle of the road number for average inflation) and a period number of 104 years, to come up with the following present day values for those arms.

$410.54    94
$317.19    Hi-wall
$594.24    95
$101.59    spencer

With the obvious exception of the Hi-Wall, I find the remaining prices reasonable. I can find surplus mausers and enfields locally for 100- 150 dollars, the model '94 in various configurations can go higher than 400, but economy grades can be found for around 300, and I would bet that if the '95 was again mass-produced it could be sold profitably for around $600. Which makes me wonder, Just how high is the profit margin on those Browning, Winchester, and Ruger single shots today?

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2006, 06:24:39 AM »

mountainview · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2006, 08:32:27 AM »

L-Winters, you are overall correct in that the % of discretionary income has gone up quite a bit for much of population. There are numerous economic studies documenting this. It is also not that difficult to do and you could actually calculate amd adjust the prices to see how firearms prices compare then and now for a given model.

jvs · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2006, 01:17:07 PM »

I agree that one weeks gross wages would be average price one would be paying for a new rifle.

I believe I paid $69 on sale after hunting season for a brand new Marlin 336 35 Rem. Whenever it was, I paid $69 for it. Which was basically discretionary income. It took me months to save up for that rifle, and I think it is still the same today. Just more money involved.

In todays economy, it no longer is supply and demand that dictates prices, but what the market will bear. In some cases if supply and demand would set prices for goods, some manufacturers would have been bankrupt a long time ago.

What might be even more alarming is the amount of people who insist on owning more than one rifle... Something that your Grandparents would have never thought of. And when it comes down to it, I never needed more than that Marlin .35 Rem.

I think most of our Fore-Fathers would think we are Nuts. We are spoiled rotten.