What's with the Sig 556 price drop?

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nwilliams

nwilliams

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I had a question that connects to this thread which has been running for a few weeks now. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=544880&highlight=556

I picked up a Sig 556 from Bud's when they went on sale and I ended up getting a Classic with the red dot and diopter sight for about $1k.

It seems like all over the internet online dealers are advertising Sig 556's for hundreds less than they were selling for at the end of August. What's going on and shouldn't people who spent $1,500 or more for a Sig 556 in August be up in arms (no pun intended) because now that same gun is selling for around a $1,000?

Also it seems like this is going to be detrimental to gun shops. For example my local gun shop still has Sig 556's for $1,500 - $1,700. I asked the shop manager if he realized that those same Sigs are being sold online for about $1,000. He was very upset because he said that was less than his cost in them. Before I ordered my Sig 556 from Bud's I went into my local shop and asked the manager if he could match the price I got from Bud's and other online dealers and he said that he couldn't even come close and that I might as well order from Bud's. He was upset because he felt that the Sig 556's he had on the wall priced at what they were selling for normally in August would never sell now and that he would loose money on them.

What I also can't figure out is why on Sig's website they still have the Sig 556 Classic listed with a $2,200 MSRP, the Sig Patrol has a $2,000 MSRP and the Classic SWAT has an MSRP of $2,400. So if Sig is still telling us that these guns still have an MSRP of $2,000 or more then why are the selling for half that all over the internet now?

I'm not complaining that the price has dropped on them and I'm very happy with my Sig 556 Classic and even more happy that I paid half of what Sig is saying the MSRP is on it. However I can imagine that there are a lot of very unhappy Sig 556 owners out there that purchased their rifles in August only to find out that they paid hundreds more than someone else did for the same exact rifle a couple weeks later.

Is anyone else as perplexed by all this as me? Of course companies have a right to change the price of their products whenever they choose to, I'm just curious if anyone has any idea why Sig 556's so suddenly dropped in price. Also if Sig decided to start selling the 556 for less then why haven't they dropped the MSRP for these guns on their website?
 
I don't know but perhaps simple supply and demand. Talking to one FFL friend I got the impression that he was not moving a lot of guns.

The MSAR AUG clone dropped about $600 in price too. Although I believe the demand issue there was closely related to the new AR mag version of that weapon.
 
A year or so if you could find an AR type rifle they wanted ridiculous prices. Now every gun shop has racks full. Manufactures ramped up production past what they should have.
The same dealers that charged $1500. for $800. guns are now comlpaining.
 
Badlander:
Considering how many gun shop staff and sellers in shows continued to feed peoples' anxieties (in '08-'09) by stating that "Obama is after our guns", I don't feel sorry for them.

The ARs, SKS etc were always available down here at shows.
 
Considering how many gun shop staff and sellers in shows continued to feed peoples' anxieties (in '08-'09) by stating that "Obama is after our guns", I don't feel sorry for them.
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I just went to a local range I'd never been to (a friend prefers it) and while we were paying I asked my buddy about when he plans on buying an AR. The employee heard me ask and started hard-selling the Sig 556.

He told us it they were selling it at cost ($1500) marked down from $2000 and we should buy it because it was an investment that would go up in value.

His reasoning: it was an import that was going to be banned from entering the US so we should grab the Sig 556 and FN Five-seveN :rolleyes:

I guess this place, like so many others, preys on the ignorant. I let him talk up a storm and just let it go because it's my buddy's range, but jeez.:banghead:
 
I feel bad for the dealers that had to sell$10K in Sig pistols to get the right to sell the 556.
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Your right, it is a despicable disgrace that well to do distributors such as SIG forces retailers, and even the distributors to 'buy in' to be able to sell that product line.

I know we did that, what a pain in the butt! Yeah SIG says, "we'll change out what you don't sell", but having to go through all the paper work, wait on reps to stop in, A&D requirements....nonsense!

If customer 'A' want a SIG, just order the darn thing for him....done! No 'extra' steps, at the shops cost to keep SIG in a certain persona!

SIG did the 'buy in' thing years ago and they lost their azz on it, sales faltered(while doing the Buy-in program) and they dropped the nightmare, sales picked up(while NOT doing the buy-in program), and back to the nightmare they went.

We have several of the 'bought them high, give them away' 556's, so I imagine management feels the pain also, which, inevitably will trickle down upon the heads of the customer!
 
Its a shame, I paid $2k for mine last year with tax at the height. Sig should reduce production to at least give the prices a bit of stability.

This is why I'm waiting to buy a Scar, I have a feeling once the Scar's been out for awhile the same thing will happen.
 
Hatterasguy said:
Its a shame, I paid $2k for mine last year with tax at the height. Sig should reduce production to at least give the prices a bit of stability.

This is why I'm waiting to buy a Scar, I have a feeling once the Scar's been out for awhile the same thing will happen.
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Nope--FN will just "reduce production to at least give the prices a bit of stability." :neener:
 
I've just never got the whole SIG thing. A few buddys and shop keepers really push them and even knock the AR but I'm not buying, even at 1K.
 
Simple: Sig wasn't getting enough inventory turns and had a huge wholesale price drop. MSRPs mean nothing in the firearms world, and I bet that little local dealer's cost dropped too, it's just that he bought his display models when the price was higher.
 
Hatterasguy said:
Its a shame, I paid $2k for mine last year with tax at the height. Sig should reduce production to at least give the prices a bit of stability.

This is why I'm waiting to buy a Scar, I have a feeling once the Scar's been out for awhile the same thing will happen.
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So let me get this straight: you want prices to stay high, because why, exactly?
 
Ignition Override said:
Badlander:
Considering how many gun shop staff and sellers in shows continued to feed peoples' anxieties (in '08-'09) by stating that "Obama is after our guns", I don't feel sorry for them.

The ARs, SKS etc were always available down here at shows.
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Perhaps like me, they read on the White House policy page that President Obama supported re-upping the Assault Weapons Ban, which indeed would have banned sales of rifles like this.

His lack of success at gun grabbing should not be mistaken for a lack of desire.
 
Just remember the dealers who wanted to gouge you when there was a demand and they held you up on price. They are NOT your friends. In fact, those types have no friends.
 
So let me get this straight: you want prices to stay high, because why, exactly?
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Cause I paid a lot for it, and now its cheap, and if I ever wanted to sell it for some reason its worth nothing. If they were still $2k I might be able to get $1,500 for it.
 
From what I've ready they're actually pretty good rifles and have proven quite reliable when run through with high round counts. I wouldn't mind a 556 Classic at all. The ubiquity of the AR platform does make it tough on competing designs in the market though.
 
Like the MSAR the SIG556 is a nice rifle that didn't quite live up to what it could have been. Both have been dogged by various problem (reliability and wobbly actions in stocks among other things for the MSAR and canted sight rails and lousy accuracy for the SIG) which really prevent both from being viable competitors to guns like the ACR and SCAR.

My SIG556 is a great gun and extremely reliable but my ARs will shoot a tighter pattern all day long which is disappointing for such an otherwise outstanding rifle. That heavy tri-rail monstrosity that SIG stuck on the front end didn't help much either, nor have all the reports of sub standard butt stocks.

Acera said:
I don't know the cost, but on page 10 of CDNNs catalog they advertise you get a free .22 version with the purchase of one of the 5 different models of 556 they offer.
http://p2.hostingprod.com/@cdnninvestments.com/CDNN2010-4/
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They are selling them in the $1500 range though... It's a slightly better deal than buying them both individually.
 
Cause I paid a lot for it, and now its cheap, and if I ever wanted to sell it for some reason its worth nothing. If they were still $2k I might be able to get $1,500 for it.
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This is happening as we speak poor guy trying to sell his Sig for 1140 when you can get one at Bud's for 971. I won't link or name, I don't want to hurt his slim chances, because like mentioned earlier he probably has more in it than 971.
 
Quote:
So let me get this straight: you want prices to stay high, because why, exactly?
Cause I paid a lot for it, and now its cheap, and if I ever wanted to sell it for some reason its worth nothing. If they were still $2k I might be able to get $1,500 for it.
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Not exactly one to "take one for the team",eh? More along the lines of the "Semper Me" types I suppose?:rolleyes: I too have bought high and realized later on if I was patient I could have gotten a better deal but I don't recall ever wishing prices would stay high for the other guy just so I wouldn't feel bad about my decisions.
 
Its a shame, I paid $2k for mine last year with tax at the height
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That's your first mistake. This wasn't the first panic buy. Same thing years back and many got burnt. Everyone knew the prices would come back down but still bought thinking that it would be a windfall investment....NOT.

Yesterday at a local gun show prices were still ridiculous. $175 and higher for a stripped upper? No wonder the place was a ghost town.
 
Yeah, I remember about 2 years ago, I went into my local gun shop and wanted to put a 556 SWAT in layaway. I had just spent 6 months over seas, and wasn't aware of the HUGE price increases at the time. I was told in a rather RUDE manor that there are NO layaway's being done on "Auto Rifles" because there is a ban on the way, and anyone that wants a rifle is paying cash. this shop was selling standard bushmasters for 1600-1800, that's when I realized there was something going on with prices. Anyways, I figured I would let capitalism run it's course, and who am I to dictate what a shop owner wants to sell his merch for? I figured I will get one eventually...

I've never walked into that store, and walked out having spent less than 200.00 dollars. I have bought several guns from this shop, and countless amounts of ammunition. I don't think I'm special, but I'm also not a window shopper that never spends money. I was rather insulted by being told I couldn't do a layaway, but it's his shop, his rules, I'm fine with that. I was also fine with taking my business else where, which I happily did.

Well anyways, I was in that same shop last month (window shopping LOL), and they had racks & racks & racks of AR's, 556's AK's etc... Now all the prices are considerably LOWER. Shop owner recognized me, and asked if I was still wanting to put something in layaway, because they were doing them again... I politely declined and chatted small talk for a few minutes, and got on my way. I'm sure he made some fast money during the AWB2 scare, but I know he lost a lot of customers in the long run... I know several people who will not purchase guns from this shop again. I will go and look for a deal and jump on something used, or some good ammo bargains. But I will not do new purchases or the amount of business I did before...
 
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