20 Guns That Are Getting Too Expensive to Ignore

Photo credit: Browning Europe EN/GunBroker

There is a point where price stops being a minor part of the decision and becomes the decision. A rifle you would happily recommend at $900 deserves a much harder look when the price starts pushing $1,500 or $2,000.

That does not mean these guns are bad. Several are among the nicest firearms you can buy. The issue is that current pricing has pushed them into territory where buyers have to decide whether the quality, history, or specialized features really justify the money. These 20 guns have become expensive enough that the price itself is impossible to overlook.

Winchester Model 1873

A Model 1873 is one of those rifles that almost every lever-gun fan wants eventually. The problem is that buying a new one has become a serious purchase. Winchester currently lists the basic Short Rifle at $1,499.99, while some upgraded 1873 configurations run beyond $2,000.

That is a lot of money for a pistol-caliber lever action, especially when the rifle’s appeal is largely historical and recreational. The 1873 is beautifully traditional and has one of the slickest actions ever designed, but at these prices you are paying heavily for the experience. It has moved well beyond the category of an inexpensive lever gun you buy simply because you want something fun.

Browning BLR Lightweight Stainless Takedown

The BLR remains one of the most useful lever actions because its box magazine and locking system allow it to handle cartridges such as .308 Winchester and other modern hunting rounds. The takedown version adds another useful feature for storage and travel.

The price has become harder to ignore. Browning currently lists Stainless Takedown versions between roughly $1,230 and $1,630 depending on configuration. At the upper end, you are deep into premium bolt-action territory. The BLR gives you something most bolt rifles cannot, but buyers now need to specifically want the lever-action system. Purely as a hunting tool, a less expensive bolt gun can deliver excellent accuracy and lighter weight for substantially less money.

Smith & Wesson Model 57 Classic

The Model 57 is one of the great Smith & Wesson N-frame revolvers, and .41 Magnum gives it plenty of appeal to shooters who want something between .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum.

Smith & Wesson currently lists the 6-inch Classic at $1,239. That puts an old-school six-shot revolver into the same price range as premium optics-ready semiautomatics and some very good rifles. The Model 57 is absolutely worth owning if you love .41 Magnum, but the days when a traditional Smith revolver felt like an ordinary working handgun are fading. At more than $1,200, nostalgia and craftsmanship have become a significant part of what you are paying for.

Benelli Super Black Eagle 3

The Super Black Eagle earned its reputation by surviving waterfowl seasons where shotguns are expected to deal with cold, mud, water, and heavy magnum loads. It remains one of the guns serious duck hunters naturally consider.

You pay for that reputation now. Benelli’s current SBE3 lineup starts around $1,949 to $2,099 for standard configurations, while newer A.I. versions can run from roughly $2,849 to $3,099.

Once a hunting semiautomatic approaches $3,000, the conversation changes. The SBE3 may be excellent, but plenty of reliable semiautomatic shotguns kill ducks for substantially less. Buyers at this level are paying for Benelli’s operating system, weight, finish, reputation, and confidence as much as basic function.

Browning Citori 825 Field

A Browning over-under has never been the cheapest way to go hunting, but the Citori 825 shows just how far quality double guns have moved above ordinary shotgun pricing.

The current 825 Field carries an MSRP of $3,389.99, and upgraded versions quickly move higher. Browning gives you an updated mechanical trigger, quality walnut, proven locking system, and the kind of shotgun that could realistically stay in a family for generations.

Still, $3,400 buys an awful lot of firearm. A hunter who shoots a few boxes of shells each season may have difficulty receiving $3,400 worth of practical advantage. The Citori becomes easier to justify when shooting itself is a major part of your life.

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0

The Backcountry 2.0 is built around something mountain hunters genuinely care about: removing weight without turning the rifle into a flimsy-feeling ultralight.

Weatherby currently starts the Mark V Backcountry 2.0 around $2,649, with more exotic Backcountry configurations climbing beyond $3,000. The titanium version reaches roughly $3,499.

For somebody carrying a rifle vertically through rough country all day, shedding pounds can absolutely be worth money. For an ordinary whitetail hunter walking a few hundred yards to a stand, the calculation looks very different. The Mark V is a premium hunting rifle, but its specialized advantages increasingly come with specialized-rifle pricing.

Browning BAR MK 3

The BAR is one of the few traditional semiautomatic hunting rifles that has survived while the rest of the market moved heavily toward bolt actions and AR-pattern rifles.

Browning currently lists MK 3 versions from about $1,440 to $1,700. The rifle offers walnut, familiar hunting-rifle ergonomics, and fast follow-up shots without looking remotely like a tactical semiautomatic.

That combination still has value, but $1,700 puts the BAR into a very competitive section of the rifle market. A hunter can buy an extremely accurate bolt gun and quality glass for similar money. The BAR makes sense when you specifically value the semiautomatic action and traditional appearance rather than simply wanting the most hunting performance per dollar.

FN SCAR 20S

There was never going to be anything inexpensive about a precision-oriented SCAR. The current 20S makes that very clear with an MSRP of $4,499.

You get a 20-inch rifle available in 7.62x51mm or 6.5 Creedmoor, a short-stroke piston system, upgraded bolt carrier, and a platform with legitimate military lineage. Those are real features.

Four and a half thousand dollars is still difficult to ignore. The precision semiautomatic market now includes excellent AR-10-pattern rifles that can deliver superb accuracy for dramatically less. A SCAR 20S makes sense because you specifically want a SCAR 20S. Once price becomes part of the comparison, its competition becomes much harder to dismiss.

Colt Single Action Army

The Single Action Army is one firearm where history carries almost as much weight as steel. If you want the actual Colt rather than a reproduction, there really is no substitute for the rollmark.

Colt currently lists standard Single Action Army revolvers at $2,299. That is extraordinary money for a fixed-capacity single-action design whose basic layout dates to the 19th century.

Nobody buying one is confused about that. The appeal is history, craftsmanship, and owning a real Colt SAA. But the price has pushed it firmly out of ordinary shooter territory. Excellent reproductions allow someone to enjoy the same general shooting experience for far less, making the genuine Colt increasingly a collector purchase first.

Smith & Wesson Model 460XVR

The 460XVR is an enormous revolver with enormous capability. Smith & Wesson currently prices the standard model at $1,699, while Performance Center versions can cross $2,000.

You are getting a serious hunting handgun capable of using .460 S&W Magnum along with compatible shorter cartridges. For the shooter who genuinely hunts with a revolver, that flexibility has value.

The problem is that most buyers are not taking full advantage of what the XVR can do. Once you approach $2,000, this becomes a highly specialized purchase. Add the cost of an optic and serious amounts of .460 ammunition, and owning one can become substantially more expensive than the sticker price suggests.

Browning SA-22 Grade I

The SA-22 is a gorgeous little rimfire and one of John Browning’s most recognizable .22 designs. The bottom-ejecting takedown action gives it a character that inexpensive modern semiautomatics cannot duplicate.

The basic Grade I now carries an MSRP of $869.99. That is where the practical argument becomes harder. You can buy multiple perfectly dependable .22 rifles for that amount, including guns that are much easier to mount optics on and customize.

The SA-22 is not competing purely on utility anymore. You are paying for machining, walnut, traditional styling, and the experience of owning the design. It is a beautiful rifle, but nearly $900 is a lot of money for a basic rimfire semiautomatic.

Winchester Model 1886 Deluxe

Few lever actions look more appropriate chambered for a big cartridge than a Winchester 1886. It is a massive traditional rifle designed around cartridges that require a much stronger action than an 1873.

The current Deluxe Case Hardened version is listed at $2,099.99. Even the standard Short Rifle sits around $1,599.99.

At more than $2,000, you have to really want an 1886. That money buys excellent modern hunting rifles with optics already included in the budget. The Winchester wins on history, appearance, and sheer mechanical appeal. It does not win because it is the cheapest route to putting a large bullet through a deer or hog.

Wilson Combat EDC X9 2.0

Wilson Combat’s EDC X9 2.0 offers the refinement buyers expect from the company with a double-stack 9mm format, excellent accuracy, and 15- or 18-round capacity.

The current base price is $3,799. That number completely changes how you have to evaluate the pistol.

For nearly $4,000, it needs to be more than reliable and accurate. Plenty of $600 to $1,000 pistols already accomplish those jobs extremely well. What Wilson sells is the final level of fitting, trigger quality, machining, accuracy, and ownership experience. Those things have value, but the EDC X9 demonstrates how expensive the final improvements in handgun performance can become.

Freedom Arms Model 83

The Model 83 has a reputation for precision and strength that few production single-action revolvers can touch. Freedom Arms builds it for shooters who take powerful revolver cartridges seriously.

The current Field Grade starts around $3,360, while the Premier Grade pushes roughly $3,660 to $3,770.

Those prices place the Model 83 in a completely different universe from ordinary Ruger single actions. The Freedom Arms gun is more carefully built, but the difference in price is enormous. For a dedicated handgun hunter who demands excellent tolerances and accuracy, the Model 83 can be worth it. For casual magnum shooting, it is difficult to overlook how many other guns $3,500 buys.

Springfield Armory Model 2020 Waypoint

The Waypoint entered the hunting market with a premium carbon-fiber stock, strong accuracy guarantee, and configurations using either steel or carbon-fiber barrels. Springfield guarantees .75 MOA accuracy with appropriate ammunition.

Current models range from roughly $1,995 to $2,355 depending on configuration. That makes it a serious purchase when basic hunting rifles have become remarkably accurate for well under $1,000.

The Waypoint is clearly nicer than a bargain rifle. The question is whether your hunting actually needs that difference. A hunter shooting whitetails at 120 yards may never exploit the precision they’re paying for. A western hunter stretching distances has a much stronger argument.

Browning Maxus II Ultimate Maple

The Maxus II is already a premium gas-operated semiautomatic shotgun. Once Browning starts adding highly figured wood and upscale finishes, the price climbs substantially.

The current Ultimate Maple is listed around $2,369.99. That puts it above plenty of extremely capable waterfowl and sporting semiautomatics.

There is nothing wrong with buying a shotgun partly because it looks good. The maple furniture gives this version an appearance most synthetic hunting guns cannot approach. But it also means you are paying well beyond what basic function requires. If the shotgun is going to spend every season getting rained on and knocked around in a blind, that extra money may become difficult to justify.

Browning X-Bolt 2 Medallion Maple

The X-Bolt 2 has become a serious modern hunting platform, but the Medallion Maple version takes it well beyond ordinary hunting-rifle pricing.

Browning currently lists the Medallion Maple at $1,949.99. That gets you premium wood and finish along with the updated X-Bolt 2 action and features.

The rifle is attractive enough that some buyers will happily pay the difference. Pure hunting capability is another matter. Nearly $2,000 puts it against rifles with carbon stocks, specialized long-range features, or significantly lighter construction. The Medallion makes sense for someone who wants a beautiful traditional rifle that also performs well, not someone trying to maximize performance per dollar.

Colt Bright Cobra

The Cobra is supposed to be Colt’s relatively compact .38 Special revolver, but certain versions show how quickly finish and presentation can drive the price upward.

Colt currently lists the Bright Cobra at $1,499, compared with $899 for the basic matte Cobra. That is a $600 jump while the fundamental revolver underneath remains a six-shot .38 Special.

The bright finish is the reason to want this specific model, and it certainly looks more special than the standard gun. But $1,500 pushes a compact .38 into serious premium territory. At that point, you are buying appearance and collectibility almost as much as practical handgun performance.

Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon III

A Silver Pigeon has long been one of the gateways into nicer Italian over-unders. The 687 Silver Pigeon III now starts around $3,469.

Beretta gives you upgraded walnut, extensive engraving, proven 680-series mechanics, and a shotgun that looks appropriate at a serious sporting-clays course or bird hunt. The quality is real.

So is the price. More than $3,400 is difficult to justify for somebody who fires a few boxes of hunting shells each year. The Silver Pigeon III makes considerably more sense for someone who shoots frequently and intends to keep the gun for decades. This is no longer an impulse-purchase field shotgun.

Henry Lever Action Supreme

Henry’s Supreme is a major departure from the company’s traditional pistol-caliber and big-bore lever guns. It uses a modern locking system and detachable magazines to handle cartridges such as .223/5.56 and .300 Blackout.

The standard Supreme currently carries a $1,360 MSRP. That is not outrageous for an unusual new design, but it becomes hard to ignore when excellent AR-15s chambered for the same ammunition can cost considerably less.

The Supreme gives you something the AR cannot: modern cartridge capability inside a genuinely different lever-action shooting experience. Whether that is worth the premium depends entirely on why you want it. At $1,360, novelty alone is becoming an expensive reason.