Why are Revolvers More Expensive Than Autos?

[James K]

Just one difference. S&W revolvers are all forged, even the alloy frames. Then they must be machined to accept the parts.

Those S&W .22 autos (except the Model 41) are neither forged nor cast. They are made from an aluminum extrusion in the shape of a frame, then sliced like a loaf of bread to make the basic frame. There is machining, of course, but aluminum is a lot easier on machine tools than steel.

Jim

 

[#18indycolts]

Some auto's are more expensive than revolvers.

 

[woad_yurt]

Armscor?

There are some cheap-o revolvers out there. My friend has an Armscor .38; I shot it and it shoots just fine. It was dirt cheap brand new, the revolver equivalent of a Hi Point.

I think revolvers, now, in general, cost more because most of the "affordable" revolver makers are gone such (H&R, Iver Johnson, etc.) There are a lot of cheaper semi makers, though, like Kel-Tec and Hi Point. Revolvers are a little trickier, mechanically, too.

 

[L_Killkenny]

"IF" revolvers are more expensive it comes down to 2 simple matters:

Take a part most semis and check out the finish and quality of the gun and parts. Lots of machining marks and stamped parts. Generally people who buy semi's are less concerned about finish and more about price and function. Revolver guys generally worry about finish and function.

Also, many revolver guys are older and therefor better off financially. Manufactures can generally spend more time on QC and get more for a revolver in return. I'll bet that "most "manufacturers make more $$ for each revolver than the semis but sell more semis to make up the difference. Many people get into semi's when young for the cool factor. As they get older they learn that "life is too short to spend with an ugly gun" and that brass chuckers aren't all they are cracked up to be. They also learn that you don't need five 15 round mags to have fun or for SD/HD. You won't find many old farts posting pics of Glocks and you won't see many young folks showing off family picks of finely finished revolvers. I'm betting the average age of Semi-auto buyers is much lower than that of revolver buyers. The 1911 is one of the few guns that have bridged the gap.

 

[B.L.E.]

Being "low tech" does not mean it's inexpensive to manufacture.

 

[Buzzcook]

Government indirectly subsidizes R&D for Semis, that helps to lower production costs.

If there was a government order for 2 million M 27's I bet S&W could afford to design lots of cool CAM bots to lower expenses.