MSRP vs Reality for Guns: What’s the Difference?

Guns aren’t cheap. Ammo isn’t cheap. This hobby and lifestyle are not cheap.

When you start shopping for guns, a lot of numbers are going to be thrown at you. One of the most common sales tactics you’ll see across gun sales is an MSRP price being slashed with a deal price below.

How can gun stores, websites, and more afford to do that?

Today, we are going to explore the difference between the MSRP of firearms and the street price of firearms. The price difference between the two can often seem vast.

Beyond that, we are going to dive into a few ways you can save money while shopping for firearms. With so many different terms and prices out there, you might feel lost in your shopping.

Let’s define terms, define needs, and dig into how to save a little cash.

Definitions

MSRP

MSRP stands for manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

This is what the manufacturer thinks a store can sell the gun for. The gun world is a bit like the car world in the fact that MSRP is rarely the price you’ll pay, and if you do, it’s likely due to demand.

Street Price

The term street price and guns always seem odd. My first impression of the term ‘street price’ had my teenage self-thinking that it was the price you paid buying from a sketchy guy selling guns out of a trunk. Free yourself from that worry.

Street price refers to what the gun typically sells for online and in gun shops. It’s often below MSRP, but at certain times, the street price might exceed MSRP due to high demand.

MAP Price

Oh, we should bring up MAP pricing. Some companies set a minimum advertised price point on their firearms.

If Company A says you can’t advertise this firearm for less than $500, you can’t, unless you want them to stop selling you guns.

MAP pricing is how brands help control how their products are perceived and help prevent a race to the bottom pricewise.

There is some argument that MAP helps smaller dealers who can’t keep up with making slim margins. MAP doesn’t apply to used firearms and will often be lifted for blemished products.

MSRP vs. Street Price: Retailers

I’d love to say there’s an industry standard, but there isn’t. Sadly, it’s tough to gauge the margin between MSRP and street price. It will depend on who makes the gun and who sells it.

So, let’s talk about the different types of retailers you’ll see and how that impacts pricing.

Big Box Retailers

Places like Bass Pro and Cabela’s are MSRP machines.

They price their guns at MSRP, with the occasional sale that still keeps the price tag higher than most other retailers. They still seem to move guns, but don’t expect a deal.

Other stores like Academy sell for below MSRP but are still a little pricier than most gun stores and websites.

Local Gun Stores

Mom and Pop gun stores can be a mixed bag. If you find a good one, be loyal to it!

Some local gun stores sell for a fair bit below MSRP, with some selling for 10% over cost. Others sell for more than MSRP at times.

Gun Shows

Let’s be honest…modern gun shows are a joke. Most are not aimed at the gun-owning community. They are designed to move guns to casual owners and first-time buyers who wander in off the streets.

Shows might have deals, but they wouldn’t be the first place I hit when looking for a bargain.

Online Retailers

Shopping online can often be the best way to get deals on firearms.

That said, you still have to work with an FFL holder to organize the delivery. The deal can get costlier once factor in shipping and transfer fees.

A Word of Caution…

None of this is set in stone. It can implode in times of high sales and demand.

In 2020, the COVID pandemic made gun purchases spike. Supply and demand can greatly affect the cost of firearms.

If there is a massive demand, then prices online and at local shops tend to skyrocket. Big box stores like Bass Pro, Academy, and Walmart can usually maintain MSRP or near it. Don’t even get me started on gun shows and high-demand times. They are traps that take years to recover from.

How To Find the Best Gun Deals

We established that MSRP and street price can vary based on where you buy and even the time (high demand vs. slow demand), but how can you save a bit of money while gun shopping?

Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best gun pricing.

Price It Out

This might be a big duh to some experienced gun buyers, but for new buyers, it’s smart to shop around. Luckily, we can do that without leaving the couch.

First stop, a big box retailer. Search up your desired gun and use that as your base price moving forward.

For example, let’s use the Glock 19 Gen 5. It’s listed at $560 on Bass Pro at the time of this writing. That’s the price I will use as my baseline while I shop around.

Next, I might head over to Palmetto State Armory or Midway USA — online retailers known for decent deals. The Glock 19 MOS Gen 5 is listed at $539.

Now, I have a price range, $539-$560.

If I head to a local gun store or do some online shopping, and the price is less than $560 – that’s a pretty good deal. If it’s less than $539, that’s a great deal!

This process can be time-consuming, but it prevents you from getting ripped off and paying too much.

Deal Aggregators

Here at Pew Pew Tactical, we post all sorts of deals hand-picked by our editor, Wyatt and CEO/Founder, Eric. (Seriously, they scour the internet to find the best deals for our Daily Deals page and email subscribers.)

This might be a bit biased, but we suggest signing up for Pew Pew Tactical emails and also taking a look at our Deals page. We update it every single day with the best gun, gear, and ammo sales around the web.  

While we do our best to bring you the best deals, we aren’t real-time deals aggregators. We’re just real gun guys/gals who like spreading good prices when we find them.

Dedicated deal aggregators exist for guns and often give you real-time feedback on pricing around the internet. My two favorites are Gun.Deals and the sub-Reddit Gun Deals.

Both gather deals from across the internet and provide quick and easy links to shop. These aggregators are super useful tools and saved me so much money on guns, ammo, and accessories.

Make a Dedicated Deals Email

With deals in mind, I suggest creating an email address dedicated to just deals.

My main inbox gets so many emails that I often miss the good stuff, so a dedicated email just for deals allows me to sign up for various retailers. This makes it easy to keep my email separate and never to miss a deal. PSA’s Daily Deals get me every time.

Also, small PPT plug, remember, to sign up for our emails as we drop deals in there too! (Just scroll to the very bottom of this page to see the newsletter opt-in!)

Store Cards Can Be Great

If you can responsibly use a credit card, a store card from a big-box retailer can be great.

I never use these credit cards for anything but store purchases and never treat them as short-term loans. They are set up for auto-pay monthly to make sure I don’t get in any trouble financially.

I have a store card which gets me 5% off, sometimes more for sales. That 5% can add up a lot, especially when it comes to ammo.

Several stores offer these cards, and savings can be had. Just be responsible!

Used Guns

Much like cars, guns lose value as soon as they leave the store.

But that can mean good prices for you, the shopper. Used guns often go hand-in-hand with deals.

If you prefer online shopping, Guns America, Gun Broker, and Guns.com all stock used guns.

Shopping for police trade-ins is another great way to start. A lot of police trade-in guns can look rough but have awesome internals. Police trade-ins are often a great value proposition. Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore frequently offers police trade-ins at amazing prices!

If you’re more of an in-person shopper, pawn shops are a great place to look for used guns. But like mom-and-pop gun stores, they’re dependent on the owner in terms of pricing.

One of my favorite sources of affordable in-person firearms and ammo is local auctions and estate sales.

In these situations, the people shopping and bidding aren’t usually gun people. This can lead to some great deals! My most recent acquisition was 500 rounds of .38 Special and 450 rounds of .45 ACP for $120.

We have more tips & tricks on buying used guns in our How-To Buy Used Guns guide!

Final Thoughts

We’ve discussed MSRP vs street price, talked about MAP, and then dug into a few ways to save some bread when it comes to firearm purchases. At this point, we’ve equipped you to be an eagle-eyed shopper ready to hunt down those great deals!

With that in mind, our greatest strength is community. What tips do you have for new shooters looking to save a buck? Drop them in the comments below. For our favorite retailers, check out the Best Places to Buy Guns Online and the Best Places to Buy Ammo Online.

Latest Updates

August 2025: Complete re-write with all new information.