Why are Suppressors so insanely OVERPRICED????

Scarab · Jul 11, 2016

A little piece of aluminum or titanium should not cost $700 - $1,400 (of course then you have to pay the $200 "tax stamp").

Can someone explain how this is NOT outright GOUGING of consumers? I know you don't have to buy one and it's a "luxury" item but come on! It's just outrageous what this companies charge for little of nothing.

Scarab

Kman · Jul 11, 2016

Maybe the prices are high to offset the fact that not many are sold?

Mike · Jul 11, 2016

Because many are willing to pay that price. We have the option to build one with the information on threads like this:
https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=184193

DC-W · Jul 11, 2016

It's not gouging. It's capitalism.

The prices reflect what the market will bear.

Scarab · Jul 11, 2016

Seems like they'd sell more if they weren't so insanely overpriced though. But I'm speaking common sense of course.

Scarab

DutchV · Jul 11, 2016

There's also a fair amount of R&D that goes into a decent suppressor. Plus short-run precision manufacturing and a low sales quantity means the price is higher.

If the tax stamp was eliminated you'd see more sales, and more competition, and prices would come down.

ironpony · Jul 11, 2016

I'm guessing the manufacturers that rely more on suppressor sales and don't produce rifles are the ones keeping the prices/mark up high and the others do it because they can. I wish the firearm manufacturing community was more friendly to the customer but 'Merica! woo hoo ffft ffft ffft or however you spell that silenced sound.

clandestine · Jul 11, 2016

If you think you can do it better, start your own company and find out about BATFE, Taxes, R&D, Legal Costs, Advertising, and Regulations.

Oh and tooling and machinery cost too. Thoss costs alone are INSANE.

Make sure you price them so only you and your employees make minimum wage too. After all capitalism is "gouging", so dont ask too much for your hard work.

DC-W · Jul 11, 2016

clandestine said:
If you think you can do ot better, start your own company and find out about BATFE, Taxes, R&D, Legal Costs, Advertising, and Regulations.

Make sure you price them so only you and your employees make minimum wage too. After all capitalism is "gouging", so dont ask too much for your hard work.

HappyCamper · Jul 11, 2016

Scarab said:
A little piece of aluminum or titanium should not cost $700 - $1,400 (of course then you have to pay the $200 "tax stamp").

Can someone explain how this is NOT outright GOUGING of consumers? I know you don't have to buy one and it's a "luxury" item but come on! It's just outrageous what this companies charge for little of nothing.

Scarab

How much do you think they should cost? As others have pointed out, there are many, many other factors besides the raw materials that go into the price tag.

Try and come up with a business model and cost plan that sells suppressors (or any other gun related thing) and I bet you will quickly find out more of those expenses that come into play - quite a bit more than "little of nothing".

Just curious, have you ever run a business or been on the production to market side of things?

zoostation · Jul 11, 2016

Simply put, because people are willing to pay it so that's what the market demands. While they cost more than you may think to make, for the reasons Chad already gave, there is a huge margin in them for makers who can successfully sell them. Just like with AR lowers, that's why you see every swinging dick with a drill press and an erector set getting their license and trying to build and market them. And just like the AR market, that's also why you see a lot of poorly made low-end junk and stupid shit that serves no real purpose other than to be a gimmick also being put out and marketed as the next greatest thing.

Alphabrew · Jul 11, 2016

You can form 1 a good suppressor for $100 plus the $200 tax.

jawn · Jul 11, 2016

There are a number of entry-level suppressor manufacturers that are in the sub-$600 range for just about everything. They don't sell as well as you'd think. A lot of them just aren't as quiet or lack the feature set of the more expensive cans.

There's also not much of a secondary market for suppressors, so people will opt to buy the nicer, more expensive suppressor, because they intend on keeping it and using it for a long time.

Why do people pay more to buy an iPhone 6 when the iPhone 4 is made of the same materials? It's just silicon, glass, and metal!!!

You're paying for the engineering. You're paying for features. Quietness. Anybody with a mill and a lathe can drill some holes into bar stock. Very few houses have the expertise in material science, fluid dynamics, and acoustical engineering to make a good sounding suppressor.

iH8DemLibz · Jul 11, 2016

DutchV said:
There's also a fair amount of R&D that goes into a decent suppressor. Plus short-run precision manufacturing and a low sales quantity means the price is higher.

If the tax stamp was eliminated you'd see more sales, and more competition, and prices would come down.

If the tax stamp was eliminated, we could all build our own fer fiddy to a hunert dolla.

Just think of all the nationwide hearing health and quiet hunting we'd enjoy.

Can't have that. :rolleyes:

Threeband · Jul 11, 2016

Buy online and save.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/exhaust_-and-_mufflers~pop.html

Alea Jacta Est · Jul 11, 2016

Supply. Demand. Price.

outrider58 · Jul 11, 2016

DC-W said:
It's not gouging. It's capitalism.

The prices reflect what the market will bear.

smdub · Jul 11, 2016

Alphabrew said:
You can form 1 a good suppressor for $100 plus the $200 tax.

Sure but apples to oranges. No one sells commercial freeze plug suppressors

There ARE low end simple suppressors that are inexpensive though. Neither are equivalent to something like a SDN6/Saker in sound or longevity. Just buying raw inconel (or titanium) is going to cost you more than that. The machining time adds a good bit of cost. You could get SDN6s for $500 when on sale (I have two.) I have a full cnc machine shop and figured I can't get the raw materials and machine for much less than that. Can run full auto though them and no appreciable wear yet. I would destroy a freeze plug suppressor in those applications. I've formed 1 a couple suppressors but limit myself to mostly pistol calibers. They have their applications but comparing a $100 DIY to a high $ commercial version isn't necessarily a fair comparison.

What Chad said in all the additional costs to be in business are also spot on.

Mike OTDP · Jul 11, 2016

DutchV said:
There's also a fair amount of R&D that goes into a decent suppressor. Plus short-run precision manufacturing and a low sales quantity means the price is higher.

This. Big time.

The suppressor market these days has gone way beyond the "washers in a piece of pipe" stage. Tolerances are tighter, shapes are getting more complex, and the customers are demanding higher performance from a lighter can - and titanium, Inconel, etc., are not cheap. Throw in the limited market and you have a recipe for relatively high prices.

trickg · Jul 11, 2016

Alphabrew said:
You can form 1 a good suppressor for $100 plus the $200 tax.

Flashlight + parts kit + tax stamp. Suppressors aren't rocket science, and are fundamentally a pretty basic concept. If I ever decide I just have to have one, that's what I'm going to do. Is it the best money can buy? Nope - not even close, but it will get the job done.

Why are Suppressors so insanely OVERPRICED????

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