Quickdraw Limpsalot
New member
Yup. As the former owner of a USP45f, I can agree with that.
What is the most overpriced or overrated semi-auto pistol?
- Thread starter Saab1911
- Start date
Yup. As the former owner of a USP45f, I can agree with that.
Dr. Strangelove
New member
Here's why firearms are so expensive:
The retail price of a firearm, or any product, has very little to do with actual manufacturing costs. Here's what you pay for:
1.Production costs
2.Advertising/marketing costs - the more well known a company/product is, the more often you see it, costs more money
3.Warranty costs - products with excellent warranties aren't necessarily better made products, the manufacturer has calculated the failure rate, multiplied by repair costs, and added that to the cost.
4.R&D costs - buying a newly designed product? You'll be paying for it's design cost.
5.Legal costs - Firearms are one product where every unit made exposes manufactures to huge liability. Insurance policies are taken out and paid for through the purchase price.
6. Shareholders in the company demand high financial performance numbers from the company, causing prices to rise.
7. Shipping/costs to comply with regulation, taxes etc.
8.Retailer mark-up - they charge what the market will bear.
So yeah, I do think firearms cost too much, but it's a wonder they don't cost many times more than they do. Overpriced / overrated? That's more of a personal values decision.
The retail price of a firearm, or any product, has very little to do with actual manufacturing costs. Here's what you pay for:
1.Production costs
2.Advertising/marketing costs - the more well known a company/product is, the more often you see it, costs more money
3.Warranty costs - products with excellent warranties aren't necessarily better made products, the manufacturer has calculated the failure rate, multiplied by repair costs, and added that to the cost.
4.R&D costs - buying a newly designed product? You'll be paying for it's design cost.
5.Legal costs - Firearms are one product where every unit made exposes manufactures to huge liability. Insurance policies are taken out and paid for through the purchase price.
6. Shareholders in the company demand high financial performance numbers from the company, causing prices to rise.
7. Shipping/costs to comply with regulation, taxes etc.
8.Retailer mark-up - they charge what the market will bear.
So yeah, I do think firearms cost too much, but it's a wonder they don't cost many times more than they do. Overpriced / overrated? That's more of a personal values decision.
PBP Quote/Comment:He probably has never even shot one. You have to remember that this is the internet and people tend to make things up. If what he said was true he would have surely contacted Larry and he would have made it right for him. You hear stories all the time on here about how guys bought a really expensive gun and then it was such crap they just gave it away or tossed it in the back of their safe and will never buy another one. What sense would it make to buy an expensive gun and then just discard it because you say it was a lemon? It doesn't make any sense.
That would be like me saying all Colt's are crap after I received that lemon a short while back. Instead I did what anyone that really had such an experience would do and contacted the manufacturer and they took care of it right away.
__________________
I own and have owned alot of hand guns. I have put alot of rounds down range w/ all of them, including the Seecamp. Some of them I have not liked, so I sell them or trade them. The Seecamp may have been a lemon and repairable, but I wasn't going to waste my time and more money sending it to and from the manufacturer. I got a trade in value for the Seecamp that I was comfortable w/ on a Glock G26. I love the Glock and haven't turned back. If I recall this thread was opinion based. PBP as a collector and poster on this board, some of your threads have been instrumental in purchases I have made. So from one firearm enthusiast to another, please quit flaming me about my opinions and my knowledge about firearms. It just doesn't make any sense.
That would be like me saying all Colt's are crap after I received that lemon a short while back. Instead I did what anyone that really had such an experience would do and contacted the manufacturer and they took care of it right away.
__________________
I own and have owned alot of hand guns. I have put alot of rounds down range w/ all of them, including the Seecamp. Some of them I have not liked, so I sell them or trade them. The Seecamp may have been a lemon and repairable, but I wasn't going to waste my time and more money sending it to and from the manufacturer. I got a trade in value for the Seecamp that I was comfortable w/ on a Glock G26. I love the Glock and haven't turned back. If I recall this thread was opinion based. PBP as a collector and poster on this board, some of your threads have been instrumental in purchases I have made. So from one firearm enthusiast to another, please quit flaming me about my opinions and my knowledge about firearms. It just doesn't make any sense.
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I'll entertain the $500 range when looking for a new semiauto pistol (9mm). More than that, and the gun needs to be really special to justify the extra hundreds.
H&K ~ I don't understand the allure. I've fired two different 9mm models, and they were OK.
Kahr ~ I do understand the allure, but both of my test subjects failed to go into battery more than once.
Sig ~ I bought a West German 226 a few years ago for $389, and it has been flawless. All other Sigs I've fired have been a dream. I would NOT buy a one, however, because they're way too expensive.
In the $500 range, there are a bunch of compelling options ~ M&P, Glock, CZ, XD. I just bought a 5" XD, and it is a great gun.
H&K ~ I don't understand the allure. I've fired two different 9mm models, and they were OK.
Kahr ~ I do understand the allure, but both of my test subjects failed to go into battery more than once.
Sig ~ I bought a West German 226 a few years ago for $389, and it has been flawless. All other Sigs I've fired have been a dream. I would NOT buy a one, however, because they're way too expensive.
In the $500 range, there are a bunch of compelling options ~ M&P, Glock, CZ, XD. I just bought a 5" XD, and it is a great gun.
Most overrated? Glocks by far. They are indeed fine weapons but the claims made by the fans are just ridiculous. One guy claiming to be a Glock armorer even got furious with me because I challenged his claim that a Glock only has "35 parts and that makes it better than all the other guns because they are overly complicated. " the old simpler=better arguement. (The Glock has 35 part #s but many of those "parts" are sold assembled from smaller parts and are actually "parts GROUPS" If simpler=better carry a Makarov. It really does only have about 35 parts. I would rate the 1911 as the most over rated but they are great weapons. They don't suit me but tey are the bees knees for many.
Most Underrated? Keltecs. The design of the weapons is really quite ingenious and while there are horror stories they sell GOO-GOBs of those things and the number of people who are satisfied with them is vast. I've owned two. A P32 that was a fantastic shooter and was 100% reliable as long as I owned it and a P-11 that was my carry gun for about 2 years. I put a lot of lead down range in it and it worked just fine. The lack of good sights and a heavy trigger (and more funds on my part) lead me to buy an M&P. Otherwise I would still carry it confidently.
Most Underrated? Keltecs. The design of the weapons is really quite ingenious and while there are horror stories they sell GOO-GOBs of those things and the number of people who are satisfied with them is vast. I've owned two. A P32 that was a fantastic shooter and was 100% reliable as long as I owned it and a P-11 that was my carry gun for about 2 years. I put a lot of lead down range in it and it worked just fine. The lack of good sights and a heavy trigger (and more funds on my part) lead me to buy an M&P. Otherwise I would still carry it confidently.
To me Glocks are only over-rated by the obnoxious fan boys who won't own or shoot anything else. The ones who praise Glocks and rag on all others even though they have no experience with anything but that one Glock they so covet. They aren't over-priced though. Even with how cheap they are to make.
Sigs and HK I think are a tad over-priced. If I had to think of one gun that fits both though I'd go with the Taurus Judge. Yes I know this is the semiauto forum. If I had to name a semi that was over hyped and maybe failed to meet expectations I'd go with the PX4 subcompact. Maybe that's just because Beretta kept BS'ing about the release date. I would have said the XDm until I took a few shots with my dad's. It's worth the extra money.
To the guy who said Rugers are over-rated...thanks. I laughed for a solid 3 mins at least. LCP and SR9 aside they make the best value autos on the market and are probably the most overlooked. They lack flash and people assume you have to over spend to get a great gun. That's not always true.
Sigs and HK I think are a tad over-priced. If I had to think of one gun that fits both though I'd go with the Taurus Judge. Yes I know this is the semiauto forum. If I had to name a semi that was over hyped and maybe failed to meet expectations I'd go with the PX4 subcompact. Maybe that's just because Beretta kept BS'ing about the release date. I would have said the XDm until I took a few shots with my dad's. It's worth the extra money.
To the guy who said Rugers are over-rated...thanks. I laughed for a solid 3 mins at least. LCP and SR9 aside they make the best value autos on the market and are probably the most overlooked. They lack flash and people assume you have to over spend to get a great gun. That's not always true.
do you think that a mercedes-bends is overpriced/rated???
how about BMW's??? VW??? Toyotas???
How about Corona??? Heineken??? etc.
whether you like them or not, can afford them or not, etc. you can't deny their quality. They cost more because they are imported.
Just thought someone should stick-up for the HK's around here. If they were an American based company, they would be a lot cheaper. It is the price you pay for having an imported quality gun.
+1 for German engineering!
how about BMW's??? VW??? Toyotas???
How about Corona??? Heineken??? etc.
whether you like them or not, can afford them or not, etc. you can't deny their quality. They cost more because they are imported.
Just thought someone should stick-up for the HK's around here. If they were an American based company, they would be a lot cheaper. It is the price you pay for having an imported quality gun.
+1 for German engineering!
You don't really have to stick up for them. They're great guns. The importation process is a tiny, very tiny, part of that. They are priced that high because people still buy them at that price. Same with Sigs. If they were an American company they'd probably lose half or more of the market share they hold now. When it comes to firearms, being German is a good thing....at least in the US market. Heineken is nasty btw 
Spend your money on Rogue Brewery products. Better beer made right here in the states.
Spend your money on Rogue Brewery products. Better beer made right here in the states.Overrated: Glocks
While I think Glocks are good performance for money spent, IMHO they are way overrated.
Overpriced: HK
I bought my first USP in 1999 in Sports Authority on Oahu and the sticker price was $679. I thought that was a good price, but today's USP's are around $900, which I think is completely ridiculous.
One question warrants asking: In the year 2000 the dollar to euro was .8:1, but today it's about 1.3:1. So, did HK raise prices, or has the weak dollar caused the USP price inflation? Does anyone have similar numbers on Glocks?
While I think Glocks are good performance for money spent, IMHO they are way overrated.
Overpriced: HK
I bought my first USP in 1999 in Sports Authority on Oahu and the sticker price was $679. I thought that was a good price, but today's USP's are around $900, which I think is completely ridiculous.
One question warrants asking: In the year 2000 the dollar to euro was .8:1, but today it's about 1.3:1. So, did HK raise prices, or has the weak dollar caused the USP price inflation? Does anyone have similar numbers on Glocks?
Firepower!
New member
Every pistol is over priced in PK. Except Taurus nothin costs less than 3000.
Overrated award goes to Sigs. They are damn good. My 226 is a good weapon, however, there other fancier and better options.
Overrated award goes to Sigs. They are damn good. My 226 is a good weapon, however, there other fancier and better options.
Quickdraw Limpsalot
New member
Three years ago I paid $300 for a used HK USP45f in good shape. I used it for nearly a year and sold it to my brother for the same price. He later sold it too. Good firearm, no doubt. Really didn't have any significant issues with it... but no FRIGGIN' WAY would I even consider paying more than I did for one again.