Musings, black rifle prices then and now

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wecsoger
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Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by wecsoger »

Back in '78 I was a not-so-well employed disk jockey. Saved my bucks, had three guns, S&W 916 shotgun, '70 series Gov't model and a Ruger security six. Still have the last two, BTW.

Really wanted an AR-15 at the time and got to look closely at one, Colt, slick side, M16A1 config, triangle hand guards.

As I recall at time, the Colts were going for about $1300

Checking an online inflation calculator, that's approx. $4800 today. (looking at those numbers I really grieve for my 401k!)

Anyhoo.

$500 AR's in the M4 configuration are everywhere. A little less, a little more depending on how they're tricked out. (CAR's back then were pretty rare)

But let's say today I want a black rifle in the M16A2 config, looking around a good price to start is...about $1300.

$1300 in 2017 dollars adjusted for inflation is about $350.

Talk about a crazy market bubble.
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Blaine
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by Blaine »

I saw an Armalite in .308 yesterday on sale for a tick over a grand....that's about a thou off from last year, more or less....
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jeepnik
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by jeepnik »

Then again, the price drop might just be something other than a saturated market. Maybe folks are catching on that the AR configuration is iffy at best.
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Sixgun
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by Sixgun »

Remember one thing...this country is Capitalist......so that means it's a free market....so......when some company sees another company making money, they too, want a piece of the action. Today, the AR market is the place to be. In my time, 60's and 70's...AR's were dependable, but accuracy was nasty.

Things have come a long way.

The market is glutted.

You can buy a decent 500 meter accuracy AR today for 5-6, especially if you use 69 gr. Sierra Matchkings.

I shunned off anything AR until 5 years ago, remembering the reviews. My son got me into it. Today's AR's will easily bust beer cans at 500 meters.

Pop on a $100 scope and your good to go when the Zombies come knocking

Just like cars,,it's easy to spend 3X what the gun is worth for accessories. Any decent Colt or Bushmaster with a Nikon .223 scope will put you in the game.

Everyone should have one.....the numbers will keep us free.-----6
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Old Savage
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by Old Savage »

And just why are you guys shooting 500 yds?
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arjunky
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by arjunky »

Old Savage wrote:And just why are you guys shooting 500 yds?
Because I haven't got the targets up at 1000 and 1500 yet. :lol:
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by Sixgun »

Old Savage wrote:And just why are you guys shooting 500 yds?
Why my good friend OS.....because we can. :D

On a serious note anyone who has been shooting a long time gets bored with shooting 100 meters...or even 200 meters. Really, you know it's a joke to hit things at 200 meters with today's guns. But......at the famous Pennsylvania gunclub.......Atglen Sportsmens Club....in Atglen, Pa. we regularly put clay birds on the berms out to 500 meters. Out to 300 meters its child's play to bust a bird. Out to 500 it gets a tiny bit more difficult.....with regular scoped guns......still very easy with quality guns.

We will put up a few dozen clay birds on the 500 meter bank and shoot em with AR's.....nothing professional....just playing off the bench......I guess it's just another way of wasting 300 rounds of ammo on an afternoon. We get the barrels smokin' hot, argue who has the best Ar..., brass is flying all over, laughing, telling lies, stealing other guys stuff while they are concentrating on their shooting.....You know, fun with the good ole boys. :D ----6
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by OldWin »

I bought a used EA car15 20 years ago. Never used it, so I sold it to a buddy and bought my first M1A, then the scout version too when those came out.
On a whim, last year I bought a brand new Colt 6920 Magpul edition. Paid less than I did for the used EA all those years ago. And, it's a much better rifle. Shot it more the first month I had it than I did my old one the whole time I owned it.
For better or worse, the AR is the 94 carbine of these times. The cheaper and more mainstream it gets, the better for us all, regardless of whether you have one or not. I believe it's popularity has stifled attempts at gun bans.
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GunnyMack
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by GunnyMack »

Some of us don't prairie dog towns so we have to shoot at small stuff way out there to make up for it. Boy do I miss blasting those pasture poodles!

I was never a real big fan of ARs, then I got to trade around for an AR10T, bunch of mags, Leupold 4.5-14 and some cash. Very accurate rifle. That started my bug, now I have 3 more AR15s. A varmint rig that shoots better than any of my bolt guns( except maybe my 22-250) a dedicated 450 bushmaster and a carbine with bells & whistles.

Either ya love em or hate em, I suspect if ya hate em you haven't tried on or you are a left leaning reporter!
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AJMD429
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by AJMD429 »

arjunky wrote:
Old Savage wrote:And just why are you guys shooting 500 yds?
Because I haven't got the targets up at 1000 and 1500 yet. :lol:
Byron
Yeah - I wish I had a longer range set up. Not that I can hit everything every time at 100 yards, but with a good gun rested on the bench, you have to try for half-inch groups to make it really difficult, and that still lacks the challenge of a 2.5" target at 500 yards. My problem is I need a 40x scope to even SEE stuff my rifle is capable of hitting...!
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pshort
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by pshort »

Howdy,
Here's a good price: A new low.... Good company, as far as I know......

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... utomatic+2
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mohavesam
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by mohavesam »

One factor often overlooked, is that anyone could pony up a few grand or so and have parts procured from any number of sources. This is why the little "near-MIL-spec" 16" carbines are so prolific. Whenever I see a mil-spec barrel - one with the seven contours and "bayonet-ready profile" - I see a surplus, dime-a-dozen part. Back in the 90s I had dozen or so anodize/coating suppliers who always had bins full of such parts for obscure non-military customers I'd never heard of.

One gun store (probably more if I think about it) I know of did just that - even had lowers etched with their logo and other parts too.

The cost comes in when you're talking about precision barrels, flutes or other calibers. Bushmaster for one, makes some of the best target-grade barrels and sells them to assemblers you'll probably never have reveal their source.

There are still AR barrels out there that drive the resale of a complete gun up over 1000 bucks. Personally I'd rather have one or two good 22-24" match-quality barrels that put a pill into a coffee-cup target at 400 yards, than a box full of shorty "burn-em-up" barrelled-guns that make me say "meh". :roll: I don't play Army much anymore...
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draperjojo
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Re: Musings, black rifle prices then and now

Post by draperjojo »

Dang it, my buddy and I had to go order one for each of us today...lol

pshort wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:44 am Howdy,
Here's a good price: A new low.... Good company, as far as I know......

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... utomatic+2
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