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Whats up with cost of lever actions and revolvers....

kro77

kro77

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I have been looking for a 22 S&W revolver, honestly not the most practicle self defense weapon. However, searching the market place a S&W 617 goes for more than a 686, seriously what is up with this market? Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
 
kro77 said:
I have been looking for a 22 S&W revolver, honestly not the most practicle self defense weapon. However, searching the market place a S&W 617 goes for more than a 686, seriously what is up with this market? Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
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Not gonna speculate on lever action (though I am gonna guess they are both more expensive to make and have lower sales volume than bolt actions or semi-autos, thus necessitating higher margins for the manufacturer), but I will speculate on revolvers. It must be much more expensive and labor intensive (both relatively speaking) to make a revolver cylinder than any single part in a pistol. Recent production cost increases would thus likely have more of an impact on higher quality items, ones that require more labor, maybe like revolvers. Again, just speculating.
 
This is why I don't own a 22 revolver. Good ones have always been more expensive than a semi-auto. I got a Ruger Mk III a few years ago for $280. My friend bought a S&W 617 at the same time for more than double the price. Revolvers (other than stuff like the Heritage ones or Charter Arms, etc.) require more work than something like a simple striker fired semi-auto.
 
Just a theory, but when ammo went nuts in early 2020 and continued to be hard to get and expensive for 2 years, a lot of people still had racks of .22lr/.22mag sitting around given that it was so damn dirt cheap up until that point. So a renewed interest in rimfire came about with people who still wanted range time and couldn't afford or find centerfire in the numbers they like to shoot. At least, that was my own experience.

I bought a 317-2 this year for far more than I should have paid. It's one of my most expensive handgun purchases, but I'm a fool with money I guess. Definitely wanted a hammer, which is why I passed on the S&W 43C's. I only mention this because when I started on this forum, I saw one for somewhere in the $300 range. They regularly sell now on Gun Broker for $900. (I didn't spend that much myself).
 
ReluctantDecoy said:
Just a theory, but when ammo went nuts in early 2020 and continued to be hard to get and expensive for 2 years, a lot of people still had racks of .22lr/.22mag sitting around given that it was so damn dirt cheap up until that point. So a renewed interest in rimfire came about with people who still wanted range time and couldn't afford or find centerfire in the numbers they like to shoot. At least, that was my own experience.

I bought a 317-2 this year for far more than I should have paid. It's one of my most expensive handgun purchases, but I'm a fool with money I guess. Definitely wanted a hammer, which is why I passed on the S&W 43C's. I only mention this because when I started on this forum, I saw one for somewhere in the $300 range. They regularly sell now on Gun Broker for $900. (I didn't spend that much myself).
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On top of this (really all the above) 38/357 have been about as common as hen's teeth the last year or so, and whenever we have shortages all the youtube instructors recommend revolvers (and other manual actions) to slow down your shooting. It's not surprising that demand for 22 is higher than 38 on a revolver right now.

And yeah, lever and wheel guns are often more expensive than semis. They're complicated to make and less popular. Cost has to be made up somewhere.
 
I sold my 617 4" a bunch of years ago, kicking my self in the ass for selling it. I have sold a bunch of ARs, and semi auto pistols and never really felt anything for them, but man i miss that 617. Just picked up a Ruger New Single Six to scratch the itch but will be looking for a 617 still..
 
Mesatchornug said:
On top of this (really all the above) 38/357 have been about as common as hen's teeth the last year or so, and whenever we have shortages all the youtube instructors recommend revolvers (and other manual actions) to slow down your shooting. It's not surprising that demand for 22 is higher than 38 on a revolver right now.

And yeah, lever and wheel guns are often more expensive than semis. They're complicated to make and less popular. Cost has to be made up somewhere.
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Agree with your point that retro guns are all metal that needs to be worked, versus todays plastic fantastic guns...
 
kro77 said:
I have been looking for a 22 S&W revolver, honestly not the most practicle self defense weapon. However, searching the market place a S&W 617 goes for more than a 686, seriously what is up with this market? Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
Click to expand...
Remember when you used to look up MSRP and figure it would be $100 less? Now its at least $100 more.
 
Wonder if the influx of all the new gun owners also played a part into the rimfire revolver demand. We added millions of new gun owners in recent years amid all the chaos. I could see many of those people liking the idea of a .22 revolver. Particularly if they went into it over all the wrong panic reasons and weren't really comfortable with the notion of a scary Glock in the house.
 
kro77 said:
Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
Click to expand...
Northeast Arms in Peabody just got in some Henry 22 and 357 lever guns. No idea on price. You'd have to call the shop.
 
ReluctantDecoy said:
Wonder if the influx of all the new gun owners also played a part into the rimfire revolver demand. We added millions of new gun owners in recent years amid all the chaos. I could see many of those people liking the idea of a .22 revolver. Particularly if they went into it over all the wrong panic reasons and weren't really comfortable with the notion of a scary Glock in the house.
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It's all Paul's fault:

View: https://youtu.be/N1tfsASA4Ps?t=100
 
Happy feet said:
Production wise they make fewer revolvers and lever action guns which makes them less avalaible which then contributes to higher prices.
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They make less of them because there is less demand for them vs others. Because they make less of them does not contribute to higher prices.
 
GOOD 22lr revolvers have always been expensive
Lever guns?
Seems to be a push or rush on the old lever guns?
Anyway whats not expensive right now?
Its the if you like it and want it , dig deep
 
Because they make less of them certainly contributes to higher prices! 2 examples would be the S&W 929 and the ruger GP super GP 100 in 9mm they make very few of them and their is a big demand, no retailer is going to discount them when the'res a line of people waiting for them. Because they make so few of them it also contributes to high prices in the used market. Genrally they sell for over list price I,m sure it applies to many other revolvers but those are ones I,ve been keeping an eye out for.
 
kro77 said:
I have been looking for a 22 S&W revolver, honestly not the most practicle self defense weapon. However, searching the market place a S&W 617 goes for more than a 686, seriously what is up with this market? Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
Click to expand...
Companies are not shipping.

Marlin hasn't been producing.

Henry is not producing enough.

Ruger is not shipping many of their revolvers (over 1.5 years without shipping some models).

Smith and Wesson just s*cks. They probably can't keep up with the 100 different models they sell in 3 calibers.

Magnum Research is shipping, plenty of nice revolvers and the prices haven't changed much in the past 2 years.
 
If you're looking for a lever .22, Cabela's has the Henry Classic model on sale for $300 right now, and they show up as available in Hudson and can also be ordered online.

I picked one up during quarantine, and it came along to the range for every visit for almost a year. It's lots of fun to shoot, and everyone who's tried it ends up with a big old smile on their face!
 
MSant said:
I don't know. I just got a lever action 12 ga for 400 rds of 5.56 a few weeks ago. it was unfired
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Cheap shotguns are inexpensive because the barrels don't need to be particularly strong, hence cheaper to make. So would be cheaper than an otherwise similar rifle.
 
kro77 said:
Will need to check those magnum revolvers.
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I would. Ruger Single Six comes with .22LR and .22 Magnum cylinders. Heritage makes a cheap .22 revolving rifle which is not only fun to look at and fondle, but for $30 you can buy a magnum cylinder for it, too. There's a Single Six in the classifieds now, although his price is higher than I paid at a gun store for a new one.

The only reason I own a .22LR-only Wrangler is because the price was too good to pass up on a barely-shot revolver, and I thought (correctly, it turns out) that the missus would prefer the shorter 4-1/2" barrel.
 
kro77 said:
I have been looking for a 22 S&W revolver, honestly not the most practicle self defense weapon. However, searching the market place a S&W 617 goes for more than a 686, seriously what is up with this market? Similarly Henry lever actions are bananas... Is this a wheel gun revolution or the continued firearm bubble.

Just wondering what other people are seeing, thanks K
Click to expand...

It's mostly inflation and price increases catching up. And a lack of supply as well on new stuff. Henrys arent much more expensive than 2 yrs ago, problem is stock is bad so people are flipping, scalping and raping along the way apparently.
 
I said this in another thread, lever action pistol carbines are what seem to be selling, not the 35 Remingtons, 444 Marlins, or 32 winSpl. I would like to find another 1892 or clone in 44WCF, I'm not holding my breath. Also been looking for a revolver in the same....no-go.
 
It isn't related to manufacturing cost like you all suggest. You can see this because your run-of-the-mill 357 Smith was selling for $5-600 on here and wouldn't sell. Now that gun is 8-900 and sells quickly. More for pre-lock and early versions that have collectible value.

It's renewed interest and demand that is driving them way up. Sure rising tide raises all boats too the market is a factor but the market is very strong for them now
 

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