Crossword Genius

Weapons for some in a rut said costly instruments (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

deerhorns

'weapons for some in a rut' is the definition.
(deer can be in rut)

'said costly instruments' is the wordplay.
'said' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'costly' becomes 'dear' (synonyms).
'instruments' becomes 'horns' (horn is a kind of instrument).
'dear' sounds like 'deer'.
'deer'+'horns'='DEERHORNS'

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.