When you consider the cost of materials these days and that you are using considerably more with a siphon gun it doesn't take long to recover the cost of a gun. I routinely see some basecoats @ $180 a quart and mid-tier single stages @ $ 350-400 and up a gallon +all the ancillary components. If I can paint it with a pint or a single stage allover with 3 quarts and have left overs a $100 gun was basically free. Nevermind the amount of overspray a siphon gun puts in the air that you're exposing yourself to. More paint typically requires more reducer, activator, etc. so the cost differences are exponential.