The tumble of the US dollar has a big impact on gun values/prices.
The math is simple – and to keep it simple I’m not adjusting for inflation and I’m using average historic currency rates converted to Euros. e.g. typical averages for Spain, France, Italy, etc., (but not for UK Stg£s.)
For an American shooter to buy a Continental import:
In Summer 1997 to buy a Euro1,000 gun it took USD1,100.
In Summer 2001 the same Euro1,000 gun cost USD 900.
In Winter 2002 the Euro1,000 gun cost USD 1,000.
Today, the same Euro1,000 gun costs USD 1,578.
It is not entirely reliable to use these figures for today’s values because many European gun exporters “swallowed” – at the expense of their margin – some of the currency hit.
Conversely, for a European shooter who wants to buy a gun in the USA
In Summer 1997 to buy a USD1,000 gun in the USA cost Euro909
In Summer 2001 the USD1,000 gun cost Euro1,111.
In Winter 2002 USD1,000 gun cost Euro1,000
Today, the same USD1,000 gun costs Euro634.
So will fine guns in the US now start to return home to Europe??
Will we see US dealers advertising in Shooting Gazette?
Km.
