Thread: Aus vs NZ firearms prices

Back in the motherland at the moment.
Checked out at gun shop in Gympie last week and man I got a shock. Rifles were wayyyyy cheaper in Aus than back over the ditch. I'm talking x bolts for about $800-900
Howas for $650 Tikka a smidge over $1100, just a few examples I can remember. Anyone else noticed the difference in their travels. I expected there to be some variance but not quite as big a gap as I noticed. Considering current exchange rates. Middleman is making bank!!!

Sent from my RNE-L22 using Tapatalk

So are you bringing a plane load back with you ?

Is that aus dollars or the equivalent nz dollars

Maybe its applicable for their modern guns but when I was at Rebel Gunworks in Brissie a couple months back, their pricing of military surplus firearms was astronomical compared to NZ prices.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

So are you bringing a plane load back with you ?

When are you bringing a planeload back with you.

Same thing with optics aussie prices are about 15-20% less

Yes, they are a lot cheaper in Aus. I got a shock when I came back to NZ. Luckily I brought my stash of Aussie bought rifles with me.

My T3s cost me $1100 (stainless laminate) and $1500 (Super Varmint). Ok it was a while ago but still. Nothing had a bloody 2 in front of it.
@ChrisW... why? Can you explain this?

We’re just back from the Gold Coast. Can’t believe how cheap some things were compared to home.

I thought Aussie's weren't allowed to own guns anymore ... maybe why they're cheap ?

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Same thing with optics aussie prices are about 15-20% less

out of curiosity, I just looked up price for Leupold VX5 HD 3-15x44 CDS ZL2 Fire Dot, seeing it is one of the more popular scopes in the forum.

NZ:
https://www.huntingandfishing.co.nz/...ot-duplex.html - $1899
https://outdoorshop.nz/products/leup...ire-dot-duplex - $1849
https://www.guncity.com/leupold-vx5-...-duplex-333271 - $1999

AUS
https://www.claytonfirearms.com.au/p...8-3029-clayton - 1689
https://magnumsports.com.au/255/278/...d-3-15x44.html - 1620
https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Prod...ld%20VX-5%20HD - 1659

when you go with 1:1.1 average exchange rate, there is only a minor price difference.

I bought a compound bow from Aussie, the bow+shipping+customs fees still worked out to be way cheaper than buying local.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the cheapest USA stores, like midway USA, amazon, etc, the VX5HD 3-15x44 firedot is 999 USD. At current exchange rate that is 1520NZD before tax. USA shops do not display after tax price because there are all sorts of rules of what state has what tax and when tax applies when it does not etc.

If you apply NZ tax rate of 15%, you get $1748. Given that the scope was made in USA (so it is a local product for the American buyers), we are not really paying that much more.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Yes, they are a lot cheaper in Aus. I got a shock when I came back to NZ. Luckily I brought my stash of Aussie bought rifles with me.

My T3s cost me $1100 (stainless laminate) and $1500 (Super Varmint). Ok it was a while ago but still. Nothing had a bloody 2 in front of it.
@ChrisW... why? Can you explain this?

I would think they would save on the rifle's unit cost from the factory due to volume they move compared to NZ.
Then I think they would save substantially on shipping costs. Probably using Sea freight more then in NZ.
There is generally a 6 month lead time on rifles from the factory. Rifles are made to order and are not held in a warehouse or anything like that. An order is placed and it goes into the queue for manufacture, then is shipped once production of the whole order is complete. Problem then is if the order was shipped to NZ via sea, it would add months and months onto an already very long lead time.

Pretty much in my opinion its economies of scale (the more you buy the lower the cost per unit, the more you ship the lower cost per unit), our remoteness (increased shipping costs irrespective of shipping method), and long lead times compounding even further when cheaper/slower shipping methods are used which often necessities the need for air freight which again is very pricey due to our remoteness.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

So are you bringing a plane load back with you ?

That would have been Nice. But no, unfortunately new rifles aren't in the latest budget. Was first time I'd been into a gun shop in oz. Bit different to Hunting and Fishing that's for sure.

Sent from my RNE-L22 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Is that aus dollars or the equivalent nz dollars

That was Aussie dollars.

Sent from my RNE-L22 using Tapatalk