Not-quite-that-much-of-a-rip-off Britain?

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone.

There have been a few mentions in various threads about how much more expensive rifles are in the UK than in the US. The US is for just about everything a pretty unique market just by its' size which makes economies of scale possible, and the fact that generally, VAT is very low. It strikes me that a more relevant comparison is with the rest of Europe. With that in mind, and having just taken delivery of the latest edition of Le Chasseur Francais's excellent equipment and guns supplement, which lists all available guns and their prices, I picked three random rifles and compared prices. Seems we don't really get that harsh a deal, considering:

Steyr-Mannlicher Classic fullstock:
  • UK: £1643.99 (SGC)
  • Germany: €2231/£1769.64 (AKAH)
  • France: a shade under €3000

Blaser K8 Professional:
  • UK: £2395
  • Germany: €3649/£2894.70 (Frankonia)

Browning X-bolt hunter:
  • UK: £841.99 (SGC)
  • Germany: €1185/£940

Now I realise that's just a random selection, but maybe other SD members from abroad could tell me whether in their experience, rifles are more expensive in the rest of Europe than on the UK. It doesn't appear that we have such a raw deal after all based on this.
 
Well some one has to pay for the complete f**k up they have made of the economy .............................................. hence the high prices now.
 
Well some one has to pay for the complete f**k up they have made of the economy .............................................. hence the high prices now.

they, you mean those who decided not to regulate the b(w)ankers properly, or Bill Clinton for promising every unemployed african american woman in their 60's with 8 children that they should be allowed to have a mortgage?

...or those consumers who thought that there would be no repercussions of stripping out equity from their homes or borrowing loads on credit cards and unsecured debt, borrowing for new furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, holidays, computers, big cars, etc.

we're all at fault here imho...I actually think a lot of consumers should have asked themselves "is all this borrowing power we have not a little too good to be true!" and maybe lived in a bit more moderation. The banks were willing to lend because there was a market, or was there a market because the banks were willing to lend.

chicken/egg..or the regulators fault for allowing banks to do as they please, then in turn ruin the economy, and then require a bailout that will never be repaid...

anyone heard of this before? LOL..
 
Well some one has to pay for the complete f**k up they have made of the economy .............................................. hence the high prices now.

But the prices are much higher in Germany than here, and their economy is comparatively peachy. And they actually make rifles in large numbers.
 
But the prices are much higher in Germany than here, and their economy is comparatively peachy. And they actually make rifles in large numbers.


And who was responsible for the single currency etc ............................................. Germany.

In fact when Germany got east Germany back they should ahve been booted out and made to re apply as it was not a totally different country instead they got more control and influence than Hitler ever dreamed of.
 
I think that European geopolitics may be slightly beyond the scope of this topic. The point is that rifles appear to actually be cheaper here than in France and Germany. Is that also true for other countries both within and outside the Eurozone. Anyone here from Scandinavia, where many of the most popular rifles in the UK come from?
 
I see vee are knocking the Jarmans again. Zey are only trying to protekt zee euro zone veetch zer grosse britain ist not yet der member of. bitte kom und join uns und have zee same beetching rights vat every jarmain ist saying.
Vee make hier zer gut Mauser und Sauer waffen und alzo krappy blaser fur beginnerz.
Martin von greyest jarmany
 
Oh come on, someone must have something to contribute that isn't based on worn-out national stereotypes and is actually grounded in fact.

Bavarianbrit, du hast Heym, Merkel und Krieghoff vergessen!
 
Oh come on, someone must have something to contribute that isn't based on worn-out national stereotypes and is actually grounded in fact.

Bavarianbrit, du hast Heym, Merkel und Krieghoff vergessen!

Oh very sorry but I do recall the hoops that we i.e the UK was made to jump through to get membership of the Common Market and that we had to pay extra into it for the privilege of joining so how exactly is it worn out to expect a country that has suddenly double in size and brought in a huge debt to have to go through the same proceedure?

Like the adoption of the Euro .................................. oh it won't effect prices they said .............................................. balls. Until then we used to pop across1 shopping at least every other month but after the Euro came in it was just no longer worth it. The simple fact is that those in the Euro zone are paying more just to have the Euro before the Euro it was a lot cheaper certainly in France.

Oh yes I did not mention the war only that Germany now has more influence than Hitler dreamed of having.
 
I vas only making zee joking. I not a shite giving as whole welt ist fecked oop sinz qveen viktoria she die on u.
Martin
 
Oh yes I did not mention the war only that Germany now has more influence than Hitler dreamed of having.

Godwin's law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies or Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP]) is an argument made by Mike Godwin in 1990[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][non-primary source needed][/SUP] that has become an Internet adage. It states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP] In other words, Godwin observed that, given enough time, in any online discussion—regardless of topic or scope—someone inevitably makes a comparison to Hitler and the Nazis.
 
I vill not bringk dat sheetkopf in mein diskussion.
I know not anyvon hier in neu born vaterland dat like or vant again vas happened in old times.
Ho Humz.
Martin
 
Godwin's law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies or Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][2][/SUP]) is an argument made by Mike Godwin in 1990[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][non-primary source needed][/SUP] that has become an Internet adage. It states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."[SUP][2][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP] In other words, Godwin observed that, given enough time, in any online discussion—regardless of topic or scope—someone inevitably makes a comparison to Hitler and the Nazis.

As we are talking about Germany and seeing as how the Nazi party and Hitler were just a little bit involved with it's history that is hardly surprising.

What is surprising is that Hitler and the Nazis are brought up when oppression and genocide is mentioned yet Stalin and other communists who have been responsible for far more acts of genocide and oppression than The Nazis ever managed. In fact one could realistically say that the Nazi's were amertuers compared to just Stalin not to mention others such as Mao or Pol Pot.
 
Steyr-Mannlicher Classic fullstock:
  • UK: £1643.99 (SGC)
  • Germany: €2231/£1769.64 (AKAH)
  • France: a shade under €3000

Blaser K8 Professional:
  • UK: £2395
  • Germany: €3649/£2894.70 (Frankonia)

Browning X-bolt hunter:
  • UK: £841.99 (SGC)
  • Germany: €1185/£940

The euro is weak against the pound at the moment. Simple.
 
Thanks for giving an answer that's actually relevant! I wonder why the prices are so much higher in France though, where the exchange rate thing doesn't play.
 
I'd guess that a lot comes down to different tax schedules.

In fact, thinking about that, does anyone know how firearms are taxed here? Is it different to normal consumer goods? I'm fairly certain there are places where they have their own quite punitive tax category.
 
Thanks for giving an answer that's actually relevant! I wonder why the prices are so much higher in France though, where the exchange rate thing doesn't play.


Then I suggest you read the posts. Exchange rates and the Euro have been give as the reason is several posts.
 
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