Aside from what everyone else said. The exchange rate and labor rate has A LOT to do with pistol pricing if the gun (or any good) is manufactured outside of this country. If the USD is strong against the country the manufacturers factory is in such as the case with CZ, the gun will be cheaper......and vice versa. Some of it is supply and demand as well. If a manufacturer can keep a machine busy for days manufacturing one pistol then it's cheaper, than having to keep stopping the machine to change the tooling around.

It depends on the purchaser too, like in this example of a 1911. For 96% of all Wilson Combat owners, will there $3500 1911 shoot that much better than a $800 Colt to justify the price. In most all self defense situations, they both will do the same exact job. The Colt is plenty accurate enough to handle any combat or self defense situation that you'd be using it in. Also are most owners of both pistols, aren't good enough shooters to maximize the accuracy advantage the Wilson has. But, a WC with a nice trigger, bells and whistles, and accuracy does add to the ownership experience, but the point I'm making is, is it really enough to justify $2700 difference when you could buy 3 more colts with that and ammo.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x,

A lot of good, valid points here.

Simply put,handguns command a premium; some more than others (deservedly or not).

I will say this:

I was at a pistol clinic conducted at a local range. The instructors were doing a block on malfunction drills. He had the students induce a double feed. Most of the guns in the class were polymer, striker fired pistols from the various manufacturers. I was using my old, trusty P226 (it is 15 years old).

Every single time we set up the drill (dropping a live round with the slide partially pulled back), my P226 would somehow "correct" the issue (chamber a round and go into battery). I told the instructor "I can't set up the gun to do the drill..." He replied "you got a superior designed pistol, don't worry 'bout it."

So, yes, sometimes you do get what you pay for.

There was a time at Sig where one-in-four pistols was pulled for QC checks (I was doing a factory tour in 2001).

Back then, "To hell and back reliability" really meant something.

Good stuff!

I felt that way the second I pulled the trigger on my new P-210... I thought "Ah that's what all the hype was about" for me the 3 lb 7.9 oz trigger on the P-210 and the action itself made me happy to spend $1100 on it. Now I get that people love Glock 19's and all that, they are all just tools. Each one has a purpose, a reason, and an audience that loves them. I try not to be that guy on the range who sneers at "that brand" unless its a jennings, hi point or lorcin. sorry I have limits

I'm with Q on this one. I buy what I like. The juice is either worth the squeeze or it isn't. I think this is a value vs price question. That's subjective.

IF a Sig, Beretta, Glock ,Ruger ,Hk and Cz were all the same price which one would you buy.
I buy used when I can. $500 for a used P226 in good condition I don't think you can go wrong. If I don't like it I aint gonna buy it reguardless of the price.

For me, it comes down to how the pistol feels in my hand. Years ago when I first started looking into pistol purchases I handled a P220. It was like "Hey, this is how a pistol is suppose to feel". So IMHO, it is worth a little more just to get that feel.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Man, this horse has been beaten to death many times over. My bottom line is, I buy whatever the heck I like and do not pay attention to the herd.

Thread killer. Q is right. There is a difference if you have an eye for it. A Hipoint will get the job done but there is simply no comparison to an HK or SIG relative to build quality, form and function. Again, you either have an eye for it or you don't.

Guns are "expensive" for those of us that buy a lot of them. I think of it this way as a SIG fan and a HUGE HK fanboy.

If you buy a USP or 226 for $1000 dollars, is it expensive? Well, if you buy that gun and treat it right and carry it, use it for home defense, shoot a couple hundred rounds a month and take care of it that gun will out last you and you can leave it to your kids, and likely they will leave it to theirs. So is $1000 a lot for a quality pistol that will last for decades? No, of course not. But, if you buy 6-8 guns a year like a lot of us do and they spend a lot of time in the safe, then yes, they are expensive. But in reality a good gun that you learn to shoot and take care of is not "expensive". What is expensive is having a cheap gun not work when you need it to.

quote:

Originally posted by JonFrost:
Guns are "expensive" for those of us that buy a lot of them. I think of it this way as a SIG fan and a HUGE HK fanboy.

If you buy a USP or 226 for $1000 dollars, is it expensive? Well, if you buy that gun and treat it right and carry it, use it for home defense, shoot a couple hundred rounds a month and take care of it that gun will out last you and you can leave it to your kids, and likely they will leave it to theirs. So is $1000 a lot for a quality pistol that will last for decades? No, of course not. But, if you buy 6-8 guns a year like a lot of us do and they spend a lot of time in the safe, then yes, they are expensive. But in reality a good gun that you learn to shoot and take care of is not "expensive". What is expensive is having a cheap gun not work when you need it to.

Very well put.

I paid $500 shipped for a new HK P30 DA/SA over a year ago. A P30Sk for even less ($475 shipped). That old HK is expensive as hell is mostly over. The company came to their senses and realized they could sell more product by not overcharging.

What a great thread. I have a pretty good collection from Rugers to a Guncrafter. Love 1911's and SA/DA's and revolvers. Own some strikers that I am very fond of. My favorite brands are CZ, Sig and Beretta. I feel a great gun is worth the price no question.

320 seems fair, everything else is overpriced.

I feel the same way. The only current production SIG that interests me at all is the MK25. But I don't think it's a $1050 gun. IMO, it should be about $800 anywhere you shop.