CPS Firearms Extended Warranty Program
By Albert Heffez
Executive one-pager · Prepared for CPS leadership · May 28, 2026
1. Direct Competitors — The Only Two With Published T&C
The firearms extended-warranty space is small. There are really only two direct competitors selling a comparable product to the public with standardized pricing, an underwriter, and a published terms-and-conditions document. Everything else (Davidson's, Bud's, manufacturer warranties) is bundled with a specific purchase channel or limited to defects — not a competing extended warranty product. These are the two to beat.
Underwritten · Published T&C
Firearm Protection Plan · Lockton Affinity Insurance Services · sold through GunBroker.com
$14.99 / $19.99 / $29.99 / $49.99
4 flat-rate tiers · 3-year term · price set by firearm purchase price band
- Payout capped at $250–$1,500 lifetime depending on tier
- $50–$100 deductible per claim
- Mechanical / electrical failure only — no accidental damage
- Not available in Rhode Island or U.S. territories
- Mandatory arbitration clause in T&C
Retailer-backed · Published T&C
Firearm Service Plan · Sportsman's Warehouse · sold in-store and online
$39.99 / $59.99 / $79.99
1-yr / 3-yr / 5-yr terms · flat rate, any firearm value
- 2 field-strip & cleanings per year
- Unlimited scope mounting & bore sighting
- Parts & labor for warranty-type repairs only at Sportsman's Utah service center
- Free outbound shipping to authorized service center; 15% gunsmith discount on outside work
- Concurrent with mfr warranty — does NOT cover accidental damage or outside gunsmith work
How CPS wins against both: Lockton's lifetime payout cap of $1,500 doesn't cover a single trigger group or barrel replacement on a $2,000+ firearm. Sportsman's FSP forces the customer to ship the gun to a Utah service hub and does nothing for accidental damage. CPS pays parts & labor up to MSRP at a national gunsmith network, covers accidental damage on Plus/Premium, and pays round-trip FFL shipping — for $39.95–$79.95 retail (matching Sportsman's price point) with double for accidental damage coverage.
2. Most Common Firearm Problems & Repair Costs
Most common failures (across handguns, rifles, shotguns)
| Problem |
Where it happens |
Typical Repair Cost |
| Extractor / extractor spring failure |
Semi-auto pistols, AR-15s, shotguns |
$35–$75 + parts |
| Recoil spring fatigue |
Semi-auto pistols (~every 3,000–5,000 rds) |
$35–$60 + $10–$40 part |
| Magazine spring / feed-lip issues |
All semi-autos |
$25–$60 (replace mag) |
| Trigger / firing-pin issues, light strikes |
All firearms |
$75–$150 + parts |
| Bolt or carrier-key failure |
AR-15 / modern sporting rifles |
$100–$250 + parts |
| Revolver timing / lock-up wear |
Revolvers |
$125–$300+ |
| Barrel throat erosion / re-crown |
High-round-count rifles |
$60–$100 (crown); $250+ (replace) |
| Stock cracks / bedding |
Wood-stocked rifles & shotguns |
$35–$200 |
| Optic mount loosening / zero loss |
Scoped rifles |
$35–$120 |
| Red-dot battery/electronics failure |
Pistol & rifle optics |
$50–$200 (or replace) |
Cost reality the consumer doesn't see coming
$75–$105/hr
Gunsmith labor rate (2025–26)
1,2
$150–$250
Round-trip FFL-to-FFL shipping per claim
3
$225–$300
Average all-in repair cost
Why this matters: Post-2021/2022, UPS and FedEx require firearms to ship FFL-to-FFL only.
4,5 Even a "free" manufacturer warranty repair now costs the customer $50–$150 in shipping plus FFL transfer fees.
That's the gap CPS fills.
3. Proposed CPS Warranty Program
Three-tier structure, 2 / 3 / 5-year terms
| Feature |
Essentials |
Plus |
Premium |
| Mechanical / electrical failure |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Parts & labor at CPS gunsmith network |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Round-trip FFL-to-FFL shipping paid |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Accidental damage from handling |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
| Cosmetic wear (holster wear, finish dulling) |
— |
Option |
✓ |
| Annual cleanings included |
2 |
2 |
Yearly |
| Deductible per claim |
$50 |
$50 |
$0 |
| Replacement if repair > 60% of MSRP |
— |
Option |
✓ |
| Optics & accessories bundled |
Add-on |
Add-on |
✓ |
What's covered vs. excluded
✓ Covered
- Mechanical & electrical failure
- Defects in materials and workmanship
- Accidental damage from handling (Plus/Premium)
- Cosmetic wear — holster wear, finish dulling (Premium; option on Plus)
- All factory-original components
- Round-trip FFL shipping & transfer fees
- Labor and parts at authorized gunsmith
- Annual cleanings & function checks
- Replacement if uneconomical to repair
✗ Not Covered
- Theft or loss (not insurance)
- Intentional damage, neglect, criminal use
- Unauthorized modifications
- Damage from squib loads or overpressure handloads
- NFA items (suppressors, full-autos, SBRs)
- Antiques (pre-1899) and C&R firearms
- Commercial / rental fleet use
4. CPS Pricing vs. Competitors (Full Landscape)
Proposed CPS pricing (3-year term)
| Firearm MSRP |
Essentials |
Plus (w/ AD) |
Premium |
| Handgun · $300 |
$39 |
$59 |
$89 |
| Handgun · $500 |
$59 |
$89 |
$129 |
| Handgun · $800 |
$79 |
$119 |
$179 |
| Handgun · $1,200 |
$109 |
$159 |
$239 |
| Long gun · $1,000 |
$99 |
$139 |
$209 |
| Long gun · $1,500 |
$139 |
$199 |
$299 |
| Long gun · $2,500 |
$199 |
$289 |
$429 |
Pricing benchmark: ~8–13% of MSRP for 3-year Essentials. Targets ~45–55% loss ratio with 35–45% dealer commission.
Collectibles Insurance Services — collection coverage pricing
Reference pricing from collectinsure.com/guns — note this is collection-value insurance (theft, fire, accidental loss), not a repair warranty. Useful as a price anchor for collector-focused dealers.
| Tier |
Collection Value |
Annual Premium |
| Tier 1 — Standard |
Collections valued ≤ $5,000
(flat rate — applies to $250, $500, and $5,000 collection values) |
$66.88 / year |
| Tier 2 — Higher-value collections |
$10,000 collection |
$82.44 / year |
| $24,000 collection |
$185.81 / year |
Competitor landscape
| Provider |
Term |
Price |
Key Limits |
| Davidson's GuaranteeD6 |
Lifetime |
Free |
Davidson's-distributed guns only; customer pays return shipping; no optics or NFA |
| Bud's Lifetime Warranty7 |
Lifetime |
~$21–$48 |
Original owner only; defects only; voided by any outside gunsmith work |
| Lockton / GunBroker8 |
3 yr |
$14.99 / $19.99 / $29.99 / $49.99 |
4 flat-rate tiers regardless of firearm value; payout capped at $250–$1,500 lifetime; $50–$100 deductible; mechanical only; not in RI or U.S. territories |
| Sportsman's Warehouse FSP9 |
1, 3, 5 yr |
$39.99 / $59.99 / $79.99
flat rate · any firearm value |
2 field-strip & cleanings per year; unlimited scope mounting & bore sighting; parts & labor for warranty-type repairs at Sportsman's service center; free outbound shipping to authorized service center; 15% gunsmith discount; concurrent with mfr warranty — does NOT cover accidental damage or outside gunsmith work · Safeguard Terms |
| Mfr warranties (Glock, S&W, Sig, Ruger)11,12,13 |
Limited lifetime |
Free |
Original purchaser only; customer pays shipping; no accidental damage |
| CPS (proposed) |
2, 3, 5 yr |
$39–$429 |
FFL shipping paid both ways · accidental damage option · national gunsmith network · pays parts & labor up to MSRP |
Strategic read: Sportsman's FSP is flat-priced at $39.99 / $59.99 / $79.99 regardless of firearm value — designed to funnel customers back to Sportsman's gunsmith hub in Utah. It does cover parts & labor for warranty-type repairs, but only at Sportsman's service center, only during the manufacturer-warranty window, and does not cover accidental damage, cosmetic wear, or outside gunsmith work. CPS pays parts and labor at any authorized gunsmith in our national network, covers accidental damage on Plus/Premium, and pays round-trip FFL shipping. Independent dealers using CPS get a $0-deductible Premium offering at higher commission margins without losing customers to a big-box ecosystem.
CPS competitive edges
- Pays parts AND labor at any authorized gunsmith — Sportsman's FSP only pays at their Utah service hub and only for warranty-type repairs; outside gunsmith work gets only a 15% discount
- Pays round-trip FFL shipping — no one else does this for the full term (Sportsman's covers outbound to their service center only; independents face $150–$250 round-trip)
- Covers accidental damage (Plus/Premium) — manufacturers and Sportsman's FSP do not
- Covers cosmetic wear (Premium; option on Plus) — holster wear and finish dulling not addressed by any competitor
- Transferable to subsequent owners — most mfr warranties are original-owner-only
- National gunsmith network — faster turnaround than single-depot competitors (Sportsman's routes everything through one Utah facility)
- Higher payout cap (up to MSRP) vs. Lockton's $250–$1,500 lifetime ceiling
Sources & References
Gunsmith Labor Rates & Repair Pricing
- Accuracy Gun Shop, published labor rate sheet: $75/hr man-hour, $100/hr machine-time. accuracygunshop.com/labor-prices
- Missouri Gun Smith, published labor rates: $80/hr with half-hour minimum. missourigunsmith.com/labor-rates
Shipping Costs & FFL Carrier Rules
- Real-world FFL-to-FFL shipping cost data aggregated from Smith & Wesson Forum, Glock Talk, Northwest Firearms, and Accurate Shooter forums (handgun USPS Priority $50–$75; long gun UPS Next Day $80–$150). S&W Forum · Glock Talk
- Accurate Shooter Daily Bulletin, "Shipping Guns via FedEx Now Limited to FFLs & Gov't Agencies" (Jan 2022, confirming Q3 2021 effective date). bulletin.accurateshooter.com
- The Firearm Firm, "Shipping Firearms Without UPS? You're Not Compliant" (Aug 2022, UPS effective date Aug 29, 2022). thefirearmfirm.com
Competitor Warranty Programs
- Davidson's GuaranteeD Program terms. galleryofguns.com/about/terms
- Bud's Gun Shop Supplemental Lifetime Warranty. budsgunshop.com/warranties
- Lockton Affinity / GunBroker Firearm Protection Plan — 3-yr / $1,500 LOL / $100 deductible reference T&C (PDF, 2023.09.26). assets.gunbroker.com — Lockton Affinity PDF · 4-tier pricing ($14.99 / $19.99 / $29.99 / $49.99) verified Q1 2026 at gunbroker.com/c/p/gun-service-agreement
- Sportsman's Warehouse Firearm Service Plan (FSP) terms. sportsmans.com/firearm-service-plan · Safeguard Terms (sportsmans.com/safeguard-terms)
- Collectibles Insurance Services — gun collection coverage pricing. collectinsure.com/guns (Tier 1 ≤ $5,000 collections: $66.88/yr flat; $10,000: $82.44/yr; $24,000: $185.81/yr)
Manufacturer Warranties
- Glock warranty terms and de facto repair practice. glocktalk.com discussion
- SIG SAUER warranty information. sigsauer.com/support/warranty
- Taurus Limited Lifetime Warranty. taurususa.com/support/limited-lifetime-warranty
Common Firearm Failures (Failure Mode Data)
- Gritr Sports, "Handgun Malfunctions: Common Types & How to Fix Them." range.gritrsports.com
- Athlon Outdoors, "Identifying & Clearing Pistol Malfunctions." athlonoutdoors.com
- Minuteman Review, "What Parts Are Most Likely to Fail on an AR-15?" minutemanreview.com
- Ronin's Grips, "AR-15 Component Service Life: An Analytical Report on Wear & Replacement Trends." blog.roninsgrips.com
- RailScales, "Which AR-15 Parts Fail First?" railscales.us
- 2A United Arms, "Troubleshooting Common Firearm Malfunctions: A Gunsmith's Handbook." 2aunitedarms.com
Industry & Market Data
- NSSF, "Update: Make That 26.2 Million New First-Time Gun Owners Since 2020." nssf.org
- NSSF, "NSSF-Adjusted Background Checks Top 15.2 Million in 2024." nssf.org
- NSSF, 2025 Firearm & Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report ($91.7B industry, 379% growth since 2008). nssf.org/government-relations/impact
Regulatory & Compliance Context
- Duke Center for Firearms Law, "An Update on Challenges to State Assault Weapon and Magazine Bans" (state AW/magazine ban tracker). firearmslaw.duke.edu
- USPS firearm shipping rules summary. govfacts.org
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act service contract provisions, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq. Journal of Texas Consumer Law (PDF)