Over the all the years I have been alive, 62, I have been some what astounded by the COSTS of some items. And I know full well the relationship between supply and demand.
Funny/curious -- Is how I can buy a very high end desktop computer with a LOT of capability in the $300 to $700 range but a simple Smart phone with partial capability and limited service life can easily cost $700~$900
Just an example of something... in my example, the bill of materials, total parts count, and great life span of the Exponentially larger desk top vs the ubiquitous Smart phone..
Say an Apple I-8 or Samsung Galaxy S8 in these cases the total sales volumes ... now ranging in the millions of units per release... vs hundreds of thousands for the desk top
So back to the mufflers/suppressors/silencers
While setting up a Rem 700 R-5 308 and getting stuff at my LGS I saw several "CANS" in the display case for $680~$2300 most in 9mm, 308, 10mm.
I am retired Army
My weapons are all acquired over my life time. Though during Obama, I did set out to learn reloading and acquire a few Might be never to be had again items...like a AR-15 copy of my issued AR-16 A-3....never did think nor desire 3 rnd burst selector--- but did know I could get a legal version with the proper ATF hoop jump and cost... more to the point, I do not keep up with all the NFA stuff
So curiosity on suppressors got me to learn that for a few hundred and about a year wait I could put a muffler on a weapon...cool
BUT I am seriously head scratching about the COST of the item itself...
NONE are rocket science
None are any special unobtainable material
None require and massive hours on a CNC or forged/machined labor process
None have any moving parts
IMO Are you out of your mind paying $600 or up to 5 times more for an easy to manufacture passive part that has a total cost of under $50 in materiel, near zero in R&D, and obviously some (but unknown to me) cost in licensing with ATF
Where is the competition?
Perhaps I am naive and the XZY $600 308 suppressor unit in my LGS is $600 because the MFG has to pay $500 per unit to ATF to produce IT.... my common sense sez that is false
I guess I do not understand why ....given a legal way to have something that should generate a LOT of sales... there are so few producers and such outlandishly high costs.....IMO relative to the complexity of a functioning firearm with many moving parts assembled, warranted, for a lot less cost
What I really mean is..
Why can I not go into any gun store anywhere and NOT SEE 10 brands of this particular item for $89.99 to $999.99 just like a functioning fire arm
For what it is worth I supervised/ran a machine shop NOT new modern CNC that made much more complex items and with very few stations (7) we put out several hundreds of units per day
BTW I get it about diameter, length weight baffle design, advertised Db reduction and a lot on the marketing end
I do not get the extreme cost and marketing plan...
Opinion as a frugal guy who usually likes to get the best stuff
The 308 7 inch light weight smaller diameter anodized black suppressor at my LGS is $1700
For that amount I want full concierge service, a lawyer, forms filed for me and the damned thing hand delivered and installed
OK guys lots of hours crewing Army helicopters...off to the trunk to break out my Nomex flight suit...I accept the flames
Funny/curious -- Is how I can buy a very high end desktop computer with a LOT of capability in the $300 to $700 range but a simple Smart phone with partial capability and limited service life can easily cost $700~$900
Just an example of something... in my example, the bill of materials, total parts count, and great life span of the Exponentially larger desk top vs the ubiquitous Smart phone..
Say an Apple I-8 or Samsung Galaxy S8 in these cases the total sales volumes ... now ranging in the millions of units per release... vs hundreds of thousands for the desk top
So back to the mufflers/suppressors/silencers
While setting up a Rem 700 R-5 308 and getting stuff at my LGS I saw several "CANS" in the display case for $680~$2300 most in 9mm, 308, 10mm.
I am retired Army
My weapons are all acquired over my life time. Though during Obama, I did set out to learn reloading and acquire a few Might be never to be had again items...like a AR-15 copy of my issued AR-16 A-3....never did think nor desire 3 rnd burst selector--- but did know I could get a legal version with the proper ATF hoop jump and cost... more to the point, I do not keep up with all the NFA stuff
So curiosity on suppressors got me to learn that for a few hundred and about a year wait I could put a muffler on a weapon...cool
BUT I am seriously head scratching about the COST of the item itself...
NONE are rocket science
None are any special unobtainable material
None require and massive hours on a CNC or forged/machined labor process
None have any moving parts
IMO Are you out of your mind paying $600 or up to 5 times more for an easy to manufacture passive part that has a total cost of under $50 in materiel, near zero in R&D, and obviously some (but unknown to me) cost in licensing with ATF
Where is the competition?
Perhaps I am naive and the XZY $600 308 suppressor unit in my LGS is $600 because the MFG has to pay $500 per unit to ATF to produce IT.... my common sense sez that is false
I guess I do not understand why ....given a legal way to have something that should generate a LOT of sales... there are so few producers and such outlandishly high costs.....IMO relative to the complexity of a functioning firearm with many moving parts assembled, warranted, for a lot less cost
What I really mean is..
Why can I not go into any gun store anywhere and NOT SEE 10 brands of this particular item for $89.99 to $999.99 just like a functioning fire arm
For what it is worth I supervised/ran a machine shop NOT new modern CNC that made much more complex items and with very few stations (7) we put out several hundreds of units per day
BTW I get it about diameter, length weight baffle design, advertised Db reduction and a lot on the marketing end
I do not get the extreme cost and marketing plan...
Opinion as a frugal guy who usually likes to get the best stuff
The 308 7 inch light weight smaller diameter anodized black suppressor at my LGS is $1700
For that amount I want full concierge service, a lawyer, forms filed for me and the damned thing hand delivered and installed
OK guys lots of hours crewing Army helicopters...off to the trunk to break out my Nomex flight suit...I accept the flames