Is a $3,000 custom gun worth it?

[tpcdvc]

Double post. Sorry.

Edited May 12, 2009 by tpcdvc

[tpcdvc]

I was on another forum and this question came up and I thought it would be interesting to see how this group would answer this question. Please elaborate on your reason/reasons for your answer.

Edited May 12, 2009 by tpcdvc

[steel1212]

I was on another forum and this question came up and I thought it would be interesting to see how this group would answer this question. Please elaborate on your reason/reasons for your answer.

Ummm a 3,000 glock, no. A 3,000 open gun that runs 100%, is soft and flat, if I had the funds maybe. Need to know what your calling a 3,000 gun.

[badassmcgraff]

ummmm they're cooler.

[outerlimits]

I was on another forum and this question came up and I thought it would be interesting to see how this group would answer this question. Please elaborate on your reason/reasons for your answer.

Ummm a 3,000 glock, no. A 3,000 open gun that runs 100%, is soft and flat, if I had the funds maybe. Need to know what your calling a 3,000 gun.

$3K for a custom open gun? better check again-we're talking up to $5K for the fancy ones.

[tpcdvc]

Sorry guys, I never did a poll before and screwed this all up.

[Calmwater]

Cost is relative. I know plenty of people who would think my 800 dollar production rig is to expensive. For the c class recreational shooter I am, they may be right. If you have the money and enjoy it then 3 grand is money well spent. If the kids are doing without maybe it is a bad idea.

[j1b]

I would say yes, but of course I would, I have several.

Now, a $3K limited gun is a different beast than a $3K open gun. You can get either, but they wouldn't be the same.

I guess my comments would be focus less on the dollars and more on the work. Get done what you need to get done by who you need to do it. Get a quote, and go from there.

For me there are some core things that are necessary on a gun. Barrel, fit, sights, checkering, slide to frame, trigger etc. etc. that all are components of what I expect in a heater.

For $3K I believe I can get most of what I want in a limited gun. Doubtful in an open gun, if I ever shot open.

Anyhow, I have several custom guns and wouldn't trade any of them for their original stock version. They are all easily worth what I paid for them, probably more.

Jack

[al503]

Cost is relative.

Yup. I go out to a nice steak dinner with a bud every once in a while who has no issue spending $500-$1000 on a bottle of wine. It seems to be worth it to him.

I just make sure that he pays for all of the gratuity on the wine. We do get great service though.

[scirocco38s]

yes

[SA Friday]

It depends on what the gun is going to be used for. So, I answer: maybe.

I don't need a 3k gun in combat or to carry as an LE officer, but 3k for a BHFF was well worth it for a sweet Limited gun.

[kevin c]

In production, no.

In Limited/L10/SS maybe - depends on the platform.

In Open I'd say yes, and probably not enough (don't shoot Open, so's this is my best guess).

[Rather-B-Huntin]

I'm with the concensus on this one: Maybe.

A $3K single stack? Not on your life! I have too many $1K single stacks that I can shoot just as well as one costing 3x more (may not be as smooth, but I can shoot them just a good). A $3K Limited gun? Big Maybe. Limited isn't my main thing, and I'm only a B in Limited. So $3K is stretching in that category. But I'm preparing to happily pay $2,100.00 for one as soon as I can muster a couple hundred more bucks! A $3K Open gun? You ain't gettin' much more than stock for $3K in an Open gun. But for me personally, I hate shooting Open so I wouldn't give you a plug nickle for any of them.

Of course if money isn't an option and you have the ability then by all means, go all out. As I said, I'm a B in Limited. Will a $3K gun make me a Master? I doubt it. But it sure as heck fire would look good on my belt and I'd drop the $$$ in a heartbeat if it were not a factor.

[rupie]

it depends on what 3000 dollars means to you! If it is something that you would have to scrimp, starve, pinch, borrow, or get a second job to pay for them absolutly not. The reason I say no is because then you cant afford to practice as much as you need to. If you are financially challanged and still had the urge to compete then thats why they have a production class and you can spend the extra for practice and maybe a class or two.

If 3000 is possible by saving up for a few months, heck yea it is worth it, but you could buy a 10,000 dollar open gun and if you don't practice you wont inprove.

[CJDOUBLETAP]

Ya, I would get something that will be good for you, but not spend much more money than what you have to, to get what you want.

All I want in a gun is: 1.) accurate enough to hit a plate at 50 yards 2.) runs 100% of the time 3.) good sights 4.) good trigger.

[tpcdvc]

I'm talking about a gun that is comprised of the best parts put together by an awesome gunsmith. And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

Would you be able to put more rounds through it with less trouble?

Will it last longer?

Because of the better fit will it not beat itself up?

[Will Abrahams]

I'm talking about a gun that is comprised of the best parts put together by an awesome gunsmith. And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

Would you be able to put more rounds through it with less trouble?

Will it last longer?

Because of the better fit will it not beat itself up?

I think we all still need to know what will the gun be used for: competition? if so, what division? self defense at home? carry gun?

answers to your questions in the above post depend on too many variables. In a perfect world the more expensive/custom built gun should be more accurate and more reliable than a cheaper "off the line" gun. however, this is not always the case. i have seen many custom built guns and "off the line" guns jam/fail for one reason or another. On the other hand i have seen custom built guns and "off the line" guns run flawlessly for many many years.

below is a thread exploring the justification of expensive guns in competition compared to glocks. It might not be what you are after here, but it brings up some interesting points.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...c=59740&hl=

Edited May 13, 2009 by Will Abrahams

[Bear23]

I think that after 2500$ for a limited gun and 3K for an open gun, you are merely paying for 'the little things'. Tool marks are gone, the finish is uber superb, 'gunsmith work' is notable. I've got double stacks that i paid 1500 for that run just as well as my 3K+ guns, they just aren't truly custom.

[j1b]

And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

Will it last longer? Maybe. What will you use it for? If you'll shoot 5000 rounds through the gun over the course of it's life then no. A custom gun will last just as long as an off the shelf one. If you're going to shoot 40,000 rounds a year? Different story. I don't know - I'd never shoot a box stock gun 40,000 rounds a year -

Less trouble? Yes, probably. The gun would function properly. And it'd hit what you aimed at assuming you did your job.

The question in quotes has me scratching my head. If it isn't worth it to you, who would it be worth it to? A customer gun shoots better. Period. It's more accurate, it fits better, it's more comfortable to shoot, it functions better and more consistently. It was fitted by hand and has features that you want. It's a better gun in general, and it's a better gun for you.

Is the gun itself worth it? Well . . . fair market value would indicate yes. If not more. The fact that people are willing to pay it indicates that the gun itself is worth the value. When people stop paying it - then no. Reference the housing market over the past year or two.

Jack

[smokshwn]

I'm talking about a gun that is comprised of the best parts put together by an awesome gunsmith. And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

Would you be able to put more rounds through it with less trouble?

Will it last longer?

Because of the better fit will it not beat itself up?

Yes, Yes, and Yes

What you are getting with a custom gun is just that...custom to you. From a pure function standpoint as you gain a broader skillset you "see" more and can utilize more custom features. There are many custom guns on this forum that see a couple of barrels before they are worn out.

All in all if you plan on participating with quite a bit of regularity (weekend matches and 3-4 big matches and a practice session or two every week) then the 3k pales in comparison to the $$$$ you will spend on ammo.

[tpcdvc]

And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

Will it last longer? Maybe. What will you use it for? If you'll shoot 5000 rounds through the gun over the course of it's life then no. A custom gun will last just as long as an off the shelf one. If you're going to shoot 40,000 rounds a year? Different story. I don't know - I'd never shoot a box stock gun 40,000 rounds a year -

Less trouble? Yes, probably. The gun would function properly. And it'd hit what you aimed at assuming you did your job.

The question in quotes has me scratching my head. If it isn't worth it to you, who would it be worth it to? A customer gun shoots better. Period. It's more accurate, it fits better, it's more comfortable to shoot, it functions better and more consistently. It was fitted by hand and has features that you want. It's a better gun in general, and it's a better gun for you.

Is the gun itself worth it? Well . . . fair market value would indicate yes. If not more. The fact that people are willing to pay it indicates that the gun itself is worth the value. When people stop paying it - then no. Reference the housing market over the past year or two.

Jack

Sorry about the scratching the head bit. I guess what I'm asking is if you pay 1000 bucks for a Kimber or the like, is a full blown custom with all the best parts etc worth 3 times the amount. Will it last 3 times longer? Will you have 3 times fewer troubles if you put 100K rounds through it?

I'm just curios of what the BE community has to say about this. For me, I have a Bedell Spitfire that I have put 60-70K rounds down range without a hiccup and I have trouble thinking any box stock Kimber, Springer etc could do that without parts breaking and just falling apart. But I don't know.

[bbbean]

And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

That makes no sense. Is a diamond worth $10,000? Not to me. Ask my wife or a jewelry dealer and you'll get a different answer. Worth is always subjective.

I read your thread on the other board, and on both boards you seem to be seeking something that doesn't exist. There is no absolute worth. There is only the worth you place on an item.

The continued existence of a high end 1911/2011 market tells you that there are people who can justify the expense and think they are getting their money's worth. The fact that a lot of base models and cheaper guns are sold tells you that plenty of people are happy with less. c'est la vie.

[HSMITH]

If you pick up my Limited gun or my buddy's Open gun or another friends Limited gun or I could go on and on, YES there is a difference and the super expensive gun built by a select few guys is head and shoulders better than even other expensive full custom guns. These are guns with 50-100K PLUS rounds on them and you will immediately notice a difference in the fit and finish of the guns. The guns I am thinking of, I built one, Berquist built one, Krebs built one and they are different than other guns. Krebs guns in particular are impressive to me, I've handled and worked on quite a few. Fit and finish like nothing else you can buy today for any amount of money and get in a year. He really understands barrel fit and timing, too bad he won't build a pistol anymore....

The amount spent doesn't impress me nearly as much as the product, and there is a big difference between a lot of the $3000 and up 1911/2011 guns out there. Just because you spent a lot doesn't mean it is a good deal better than something else that didn't cost as much. I've seen some $3000 guns that were WORSE than anything I have seen from Kimber or Springfield. Caveat emptor.

[tpcdvc]

And I'm not really asking if it is worth it to you but is the gun itself worth it.

That makes no sense. Is a diamond worth $10,000? Not to me. Ask my wife or a jewelry dealer and you'll get a different answer. Worth is always subjective.

I read your thread on the other board, and on both boards you seem to be seeking something that doesn't exist. There is no absolute worth. There is only the worth you place on an item.

The continued existence of a high end 1911/2011 market tells you that there are people who can justify the expense and think they are getting their money's worth. The fact that a lot of base models and cheaper guns are sold tells you that plenty of people are happy with less. c'est la vie.

It wasn't my thread.

That thread just got me wondering if other USPSA shooters who shoot a ton of rounds with custom guns feel the same as me.

Edited May 13, 2009 by tpcdvc

[Putty]

I was given advice by my gunsmith that an Edge with a little work will do the job and there is no sense in dropping 3k on a custom. He said buy the edge and shoot the piss out of it. It is a TOOL.