Unfair suppressor cost

[steelfingers]

That's ok. I support an array of different causes including the GOA. I try to encourage everyone that owns a gun or rifle for sport, home defence or hunting to support with your wallet these causes to protect our rights. Thanks for pointing out the GOA and I hope everyone cites membership in, and support of, the NRA and our constitutional rights.
Thanks again farmerbryan

 

[Rod Snell]

Really not trying to dogpile here but the NRA supported the NFA in 1934.

Well, yes and no. The original intent of the US Congress was to BAN OUTRIGHT machine guns and silencers for private ownership, but the NRA convinced them that would be completely unconstitutional, so Congress passed a bill to TAX and REGULATE them. Even the best of the SCOTUS opinions do not touch Congress's power to TAX and REGULATE. Look at the decision on Obamacare, which upheld the penalty as a TAX.

The really dirty deal came as an amendment to the 1986 FOPA, which, by controversial VOICE VOTE, stopped registration of new machine guns. The bill, with the poison pill thus inserted, became a "take it or leave it" dilemma for Presidential signature. Since at the time hunters were being arrested and sentenced to PRISON for merely driving through the wrong state with a hunting rifle, the consensus was to take it for the greater good, much to the disadvantage of NFA buyers.

 

[Skiluvr03]

I wouldn't mind buying the stamp, but the prices of the suppressors seem outrageous to me. Maybe it's a lot more involved than I know to make one???? Isn't it like 500 bucks for the cheapest ones?

 

[bsmith918]

it depends, rimfire cans are less than $500, but most high end rifle and pistol cans are $500 to over $1000. Lots of R&D, expensive tooling/machines, limited market, taxes/fees, wages for workers, margins for retailer & dealer, etc.

 

[tRidiot]

it depends, rimfire cans are less than $500, but most high end rifle and pistol cans are $500 to over $1000. Lots of R&D, expensive tooling/machines, limited market, taxes/fees, wages for workers, margins for retailer & dealer, etc.

And the fact that they know that anyone who's willing to spend $200 just for the privilege of buying their product, AND willing to wait 6 months for delivery is willing to pay alot more for said product. Lots of tech, yes, but not enough to justify what they (or at least some of them) charge. Let's face it, it's not f***ing nuclear engineering if some dude with a drill press can build an equally effective one in his garage for under $100.

 

[bsmith918]

And the fact that they know that anyone who's willing to spend $200 just for the privilege of buying their product, AND willing to wait 6 months for delivery is willing to pay alot more for said product. Lots of tech, yes, but not enough to justify what they (or at least some of them) charge. Let's face it, it's not f***ing nuclear engineering if some dude with a drill press can build an equally effective one in his garage for under $100.

I agree to some extent, but I have yet to see a homemade suppressor that is on par with the top performing rifle cans. Also, the exotic metals used in some of the higher end rifle cans are pretty pricey. For the most part, suppressors are still a niche boutique item and people that buy them aren't as price sensitive as those buying some other items. I doubt there is as much profit, after the bills are paid, as we think there is. They make money, but that industry could go bottom up very easily.

 

[Shadowrider]

If you build a .30 caliber can out of 6AL4V titanium the cost of materials is well under $100. I posted some numbers here some time back.

It's the limited market. Pure and simple. How many does a company sell per year? Could you pay your employees, lease/mortgage payments on your CNC machines, utilities, material, R&D, marketing, packaging, shipping, and still make money to live on with a small market? That's why these companies have other product lines. Hell, most average people don't even know they're legal to own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Skiluvr03]

it depends, rimfire cans are less than $500, but most high end rifle and pistol cans are $500 to over $1000. Lots of R&D, expensive tooling/machines, limited market, taxes/fees, wages for workers, margins for retailer & dealer, etc.

Yeah, I agree. I saw on, "American Rifleman" recently when they were discussing suppressors and they showed the schematics of one and it was more involved than I thought. I thought it was just a thick pipe with a hole in it, but it had chambers for the gasses to go and I'm sure they are pretty specific to weapon and ammo types. I'm sure they still make a good profit because it is still in the novelty stage, but, it's a growing requirement at many gun ranges for safety reasons, as well as for noise requirements of some neighborhoods where these ranges are located. In fact, I think they are coming out with new lines of guns that have suppressors that come with them, if I'm not mistaken, but, you would still need the stamp. They are working update that law as they say it is outdated.

 

[tRidiot]

They're NOT that hard - to make a VERY effective one. Recently there was a long thread with a how-to on ARFCOM... and the homemade can performed just as well and even better than some very expensive ones. I don't believe for a half-second that there is any justification for the cost of suppressors other than... they can. Yes, it IS a niche market. Which is why it is expensive, and the .gov tax helps keep it that way, too.

No... they're not rocket science.

 

[bsmith918]

I have been around a ton of homemade cans over the last several years and have yet to see one in person that is better than the mid level cans. Maybe there are some out there, but I haven't been around one. I have seen some that would meter well, but they end up as bigger/heavier cans due to needing additional volume to make up for marginal designs. You can buy a nice rifle can in the $500 dollar range, which isn't that bad once you realize the manufacturer/distributor/dealer all have to make their margin. I agree that the $1000 suppressors are pushing it, but nobody has to buy one. Anyone that thinks the prices are too crazy can buy a mill, lathe, tooling, material, etc. and start machining. I still don't think the prices on the mid level suppressors are that out of line.