I'm just starting to get set up for CAS, and the cost is really staggering - too bad, as it must keep a lot of those with interest from getting involved, but I guess it's just the nature of the beast.
If you want to play, you need at least a pair of single action handguns and a holster rig - figure something in the $1200 range (and up . . . way, way up) for that. Then you need a period-correct lever action rifle. Around $1000 or more there. And a period-correct shotgun, perhaps $500 or more, and a shotgun cartridge belt for maybe $100 or so. And of course you need boots, hat, and other assorted period-correct clothing, another few hundred. And a cart to drag all this around in, maybe another couple hundred. And so it goes, with a long list of various assorted doo-dads, none of which are cheap. On top of that, to really be competitive all those guns have to go on a short vacation at the gunsmith's place, at about $300 or more a gun. And if you want to really do it up right in competition categories like Classic Cowboy or B-Western, you're looking at potentially another few to several hundred dollars worth of specialty clothing and accessories. And you'll be burning through ammo like never before, so if you don't reload already you're going to need to start.
It looks to be a great deal of fun, and I'm really looking forward to getting up to speed, but the financial hit is significant.