The True Cost of Cheap Guns: Scrutinizing the Influx of Turkish Firearms

The right to bear arms is enshrined in the American fabric, a principle many citizens hold dear for reasons ranging from self-protection in an uncertain world to the continuation of cherished family hunting traditions. There’s an understandable desire, especially in economically trying times, for any product—firearms included—to be affordable. But when “affordable” potentially means compromised safety, questionable legality in how weapons reach our streets, and a disproportionate appearance in crime statistics, we must ask a hard question: Do we truly need a flood of cheap guns, particularly from international sources like Turkey, and what is their real cost to American society?

The rise of Turkish firearms in the U.S. market has been nothing short of a “revolution,” as one Wyoming gun dealer recently described the scene at the massive SHOT Show. Driven by price points that can be a mere fraction of their American or European counterparts—a Turkish clone of a high-end Staccato pistol for $749 versus nearly $3,000 for the original, for example—these guns are increasingly finding their way into the hands of budget-conscious American shooters. Companies like Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS), maker of the popular Canik brand, have seen their sales surge even as the overall U.S. gun market has cooled from its pandemic peak. Turkey has, since 2021, become the United States’ top gun exporter.

This market penetration is fueled by several factors: aggressive pricing, designs often reverse-engineered from popular models once patents expire, and features like lighter frames and easier-to-use triggers that appeal to a growing and diverse customer base, including new or less experienced shooters. As Jason Crotteau of Wyoming Tactical noted, “(Turkish) guns shoot just as well” for many purposes, and “people are looking at more budget-friendly guns.”

However, this affordability comes with significant concerns that cannot be ignored.

Problem Point 1: From Budget Buy to Crime Scene Regular

The very characteristics that make these firearms accessible also make them prevalent in a more disturbing context. An investigative piece highlighted that many Turkish companies have pivoted to producing semi-automatic 9mm pistols—a type of gun frequently linked to gun violence, which disproportionately ravages already struggling communities. According to 2023 ATF data, 74% of guns traced to crime scenes were pistols, nearly half of those being 9mm. A recent Everytown for Gun Safety study of 34 cities found that four of the ten most commonly traced gun brands in 2023 were foreign, including those imported by Century Arms, the U.S. importer for Canik. As Sarah Burd-Sharps, former research director at Everytown, starkly put it: “More access to very cheap guns equals more potential for harm.”

Problem Point 2: Navigating—Or Bypassing—The Rules

The U.S. has had general prohibitions on gun imports since 1968, with carve-outs for “sporting purposes” that importers have become adept at expanding or manipulating. But as the second source detailed, when even those pliable rules become an obstacle, there are other “questionably legal onshoring plays.” Foreign gun makers can import parts and assemble them locally with a minimum number of U.S.-made components to bypass import tests.

Alternatively, they can establish U.S. factories, as Canik USA (a subsidiary of SYS) did in Florida when a new pistol model failed import tests, and as Derya Arms has recently done in Jacksonville. While Derya Arms has commendably joined the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) and committed to U.S. safety standards for its American-made products, this broader onshoring trend allows foreign companies easier access to the U.S. market for military-style models often less controlled here than in their home countries. It also obscures a troubling economic irony: American gun purchases can end up funding the defense industries of foreign nations, like Turkey, even when U.S. foreign policy might be at odds with that nation (as seen with U.S. sanctions on Turkey over its S-400 missile system purchase from Russia).

Problem Point 3: Endangering the User? Questions of Quality and Reliability

Beyond their role in crime or the methods of their entry into the market, serious questions linger about the quality and long-term reliability of some of these budget firearms, potentially making “the gun IS the trouble” for the owner. While the general consensus is that quality has improved from the days when Turkish guns were regarded as “absolute junk” that might “explode after shooting one mag,” as Wyoming gun dealer Scott Weber recalled, concerns persist.

Weber noted that while fine for casual hunters or recreational shooters, Turkish shotguns often “don’t hold up” to the strain of serious competitive use, “shoot[ing] loose pretty quickly.” He also highlighted a persistent issue: “it’s still difficult to get replacement parts for Turkish firearms in the U.S.,” and “They’re very hard to get work done on stateside.” For someone relying on a firearm for self-defense, particularly individuals from marginalized communities who are arming themselves out of necessity, as we’ve discussed in other contexts, an unreliable weapon or one that cannot be easily serviced is not a tool of empowerment; it’s a dangerous liability. I know I wouldn’t want my own partner, who carries for protection, to rely on such a firearm.

The True Price of a “Bargain” Firearm

The influx of cheap Turkish firearms into the U.S. market presents a complex challenge. On one hand, it offers affordability and access for budget-conscious consumers, and some U.S. companies are even partnering on collaborative, lower-cost lines. On the other, it raises serious questions about public safety due to their prevalence in crime, the methods used to bring them to market, their long-term reliability for users, and even geopolitical financial flows.

While the Second Amendment affirms a right, responsible gun ownership surely implies a firearm that is safe, reliable, and obtained through transparent and fully legal channels. The allure of a low price tag cannot be allowed to overshadow the potential for these “cheap shots” to inflict a much higher cost on American communities and individual gun owners alike. A harder look is urgently needed to ensure that the pursuit of a bargain doesn’t leave us all paying a far steeper price.