why do shotguns cost less than rifles?

Answer 1

Shotguns only cost less if you are shopping at Wal-Mart. We could argue all day what are the best rifles, shotguns and pistols.

But lets just use Ruger for example. A Mark77 target grade rifle goes for about $800-$900. Now lets look at a Ruger Red Label O/U .12 Gauge. They go for about $1700-$1800. Both of these examples are basic off the shelf models.

I chose Ruger for an example because they make Rifles, Shotgunss and Pistols.

But if you wanted to compare A beautiful Weatherby .340 WBY Mag. fully loaded for about $3000 to a new fully engraved skeet Perazzi Shotgun for about $100,000.00 you will see that shotguns are a hell of a lot more than centerfire rifles.

Also take a weatherby rifle compared to a weatherby shotgun. You will pay more than double for the scattergun.

Answer 2

Im sure you mean typical rifles vs shotguns. If you do mean that the reason is because the lack of machine work involved in a standard shotgun. The shotgun requires no rifling to begin with and has alot less over all metal work mass. Once you cross the line into slug shotguns you begin to see the price reach up to the rifles. These slug gun require a small amount of rifling compared to the rifle itself, but the machine work is still there.

The shotguns everyone else is speaking of are collector and hand made firearms. There are rifles in this class aswell, Merkel comes to mind, as you can pay nearly $50,000.00 for some of the basic models without the engraving that they are so known for. There are several models that have a $450,000.00 price tag on them. For your answer its a result of time in manufacturing and machine work involved.

Good Luck & Happy Shooting !!!!!

Answer 3

You haven't priced a Purdey lately, have you? British best shotguns can cost as much as a house.
On the lower end, shotguns shoot at relatively low chamber pressures, so the action doesn't have to be as strong, and the shotgun barrels are smooth and thin-walled, compared to the thicker, rifled barrel that gives a rifle its name.There is also a lot of attention paid to careful fit of rifle components to assure accuracy that is not needed to the same degree with a scattergun, and even the sighting system is more expensive to make on the rifle.

Answer 4

That is not necissarily true. Depends on the shotgun compared to the rifle. Of course, a custom made double Express rifle is going to cost more than a double barrel shotgun bought at Wal-Mart, but a Beretta Over n Under will cost you more than a bolt action rifle also purchased at Wal-Mart.

Depends on what you are buying.

H

Answer 5

Rifle manufacturing requires more exact technology than shotguns. The lands and grooves in the barrel of a rifle have to be precision cut. The steel is very high grade to take the chamber pressures.

Answer 6

They don't.

I'm looking at a $30,000 Kolar Trap combo shotgun for when I hit the lottery. There are shotguns that go for even more, and rifles that can go for just as much (and by more, I mean in the arena of $100,000).

It all depends what you are looking at, but I can tell you for a fact that an engraved, fitted, and precision made shotgun isn't cheap, and that many shotgun clay shooters make up a quite a market for expensive shotguns (trapshooters especially).

Answer 7

I'm sure you are referring to common everyday guns.

The shotgun is usually less to produce because they have a smooth barrel, unless it is a rifled slug barrel, which is not the same rifling as in rifles which is the main reason they cost more on the average.

Answer 8

My preliminary hit on it fairly is that fifty yards is iron attractions handgun selection. yet in certainly ANSWERING your question, i think which you will grow to be a rifled barrel as in the present day as you get used to its features. whilst that happens, you is often confronted with picking between those neato diamond-based shotgun scopes for rifled-barrel use, and purple dot attractions. additionally, you is often casting your very own slugs with a one million in 20 alloy or so, for extra helpful overall performance out of your handloads. i'm getting jazzed by the opportunities purely talking approximately it, and that i'm not a shotgun individual. Regards, Larry.

Answer 9

Shotguns don't have to contain as much pressure as rifles do, and don't have to stabilise a high velocity projectile at nearly a high a pressure. This means they can be made from cheaper metals, with looser tolerances. This is why you can make a potato gun out of junk, but not a howitzer!

Answer 10

Only some do.

This is a pure guess, but I would say most mass produced "economy" shotguns have less maching work and less raw materials involved in their manufacturing. Therefore less work and materials equals a lower production cost so they can sell cheaper.