Deal Score Methodology

Every product on Valley Firearms has a Deal Score — a 0–100 number that answers one question: is this a good price right now? This page shows you the full formula, every weight, and what the data inputs are.

The short answer

Deal Score is a weighted sum of six signals, capped at 100:

40 pts — how the current price compares to the 30-day average
20 pts — how the current price compares to MSRP
10 pts — whether the product is in stock right now
10 pts — retailer reputation (fulfillment reliability, return policy, shipping)
10 pts — how many retailers currently carry the product (signal of legitimacy)
10 pts — category demand (higher for historically competitive categories)

What each tier means

90–100: Steal. The combination of current price, availability, and retailer reputation is exceptional. These are rare and often don't last a day.
80–89: Great deal. Meaningfully below the 30-day average from a trustworthy retailer with stock on hand. Buy with confidence.
70–79: Good deal. Better than average. Worth it if you were already planning to buy, but not necessarily worth abandoning a wishlist for.
Below 70: Average or above average price. Not a deal. Wait for a drop unless you need the product today.

The full formula

1. Price vs. 30-day average (40 pts max)

We compute the mean of the product's lowest daily price across our retailer network for the last 30 days, then compare the current lowest price to that mean:

≥ 25% below 30-day avg → 40 pts
15–25% below → 30 pts
8–15% below → 22 pts
3–8% below → 12 pts
Within ±3% → 4 pts
Above 30-day avg → 0 pts

2. Price vs. MSRP (20 pts max)

For products with a published MSRP, we compare the current lowest price to MSRP:

≥ 30% below MSRP → 20 pts
20–30% below → 14 pts
10–20% below → 8 pts
0–10% below → 3 pts
At or above MSRP → 0 pts

3. In-stock status (10 pts)

If at least one retailer in our network has the product listed as in stock right now, the product gets the full 10 points. A great price you can't actually buy is not a deal.

4. Retailer reputation (10 pts max)

Each retailer in our network has a reputation score based on fulfillment speed, return policy, FFL handling quality, and customer-service responsiveness. The deal's score uses the reputation of the retailer offering the lowest price:

Tier 1 retailer (best): 10 pts
Tier 2: 7 pts
Tier 3: 4 pts

We review retailer tiers quarterly based on reader-reported issues and our own test orders.

5. Multi-retailer availability (10 pts max)

Products carried by multiple retailers in our network are less likely to be bait-and-switch listings:

3+ retailers: 10 pts
2 retailers: 6 pts
1 retailer: 2 pts

6. Category demand (10 pts max)

Some categories are historically more competitive than others, so a given discount carries more signal:

Rifles, pistols, optics: 10 pts
Ammo, parts: 7 pts
Accessories, gear: 5 pts

What Deal Score is not

It is not a product quality score.A "Steal" Deal Score means the price is exceptional — not that we think the product itself is best-in-class.
It is not influenced by affiliate rates. The formula has no commission input. A retailer that pays us 2% is evaluated on the same reputation scale as one that pays 10%.
It is not a guarantee. Prices go stale between refreshes. Always verify at checkout.

Price data sources

We poll retailer listings throughout the day and snapshot the lowest advertised price plus stock status for each product on our catalog. Snapshots go into a price history table that we use to compute the 30-day average, the 60-day and 90-day comparisons on review pages, and the price-drop detection that feeds the Price Drops page.

If you spot a price that looks stale or wrong, email editors@valleyfirearms.com and we'll fix it.

Changes to the formula

When we change a weight or add a signal, we note it here with the date and a short explanation. We avoid changing the formula retroactively — historical Deal Scores on published reviews stay at the score computed when the review ran.

Last updated: April 16, 2026