Glock mags, why so inexpensive?

[stchman]

I have wondered why Glock magazines are usually on the inexpensive side. You can buy factory new Glock mags for $20 a good deal of the time.

I guess my question is, WHY on earth are other manufacturer's mags so expensive compared to Glock. Are the other makers just soaking us for as much money as possible?

Also, who makes Glock's mags.

Thanks.

 

[Skribs]

Probably has something to do with them being so proprietary. It's why you can find magazines for AR-15s and AKs so cheap, but specialized ones are going to be more expensive.

 

[yugorpk]

Glock makes Glock mags. They have automated lines that squeeze those things out by the billions. If it costs you $20 you can probably expect the actual cost to manufacture in the pennies range once the machinery is amortized.

You get soaked for more than you realize but thats part of the capitalism thing. Some stuff makes money and some stuff doesnt.

 

[stonecutter2]

Glock mags use their patented proprietary polymer in construction for the base plate, outside of the mag, and the follower (possibly different polymers, who knows). The spring and interior lining of the mag are metal. Since the mag is polymer coated, I'm guessing they get to skip steps that other magazine manufacturers would have to take, to prep the mag for finishing, and final steps to make their metal look good.

I'm willing to bet that the polymer they use is relatively inexpensive to produce. That can save some cash, as well as the lack of detailed finish work necessary.

My Sig P238 mags are gorgeously finished and polished. It probably took some effort to get them perfect. That isn't cheap when it comes to labor.

And as was already said, Glock makes Glock mags.

 

[stchman]

My Sig P238 mags are gorgeously finished and polished. It probably took some effort to get them perfect. That isn't cheap when it comes to labor.

I wish Sig would have made the SP2022 mags look good, that crummy looking phosphate coating looks terrible.

 

[stonecutter2]

I wish Sig would have made the SP2022 mags look good, that crummy looking phosphate coating looks terrible.

Bummer. I believe the 2022 line was designed to be a lower price point, so they must have cut corners like in mag finishing.

My P238 mags are like ultra smooth, shiny stainless steel.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Magazines are expendable items, its foolish to spend a lot of money on them if you don't have to.

 

[SEDurbin]

I'm fairly certain that volume has a lot to do with their price. The more you make the lower the cost.

 

[ATLDave]

1. Glocks were designed from the ground up to be cheap to manufacture; that includes their magazines.
2. Economies of scale. Glock makes a TON of mags. They get to spread R&D, overhead, and other fixed costs over HUGE numbers of mags.
3. Many, many, many retailers carry them, so price competition exists. If a particular seller tries to raise the price of a mag by $1, then they won't sell very many, because the competitors will just get their customers.

 

[giggitygiggity]

A Glock rep told me that the Glock handgun lowers cost about $5 to make. Not sure how much the slide and barrel assembly cost, but I'm sure it's like $25-50. i have no doubt that Glock pistols as they are sold in the stores cost no more than $100 between materials and labor.

 

[MechAg94]

Also, Magpul is starting to make their own mags for Glock pistols which may be reliable. I am sure Glock is doing their best to keep the wholesale price just low enough to discourage aftermarket copies.

Much better than FN. The FNX mags are $49.

 

[X-Rap]

It's funny how some guns require premium magazines for the gun to properly function and others just cost a lot for the standard issue like the FN guns.

 

[SwampWolf]

QUOTE: Glock mags, why so inexpensive?

I think the bigger question might be: Why are the magazines for other makes of pistols so expensive? We're talking about stamped, welded or molded devices that aren't that hard to make right, once everything is in spec and up and running. I think you answered your own question with a question when you asked: "Are the other makers just soaking us for as much money as possible"?

 

[stchman]

QUOTE: Glock mags, why so inexpensive?

I think the bigger question might be: Why are the magazines for other makes of pistols so expensive? We're talking about stamped, welded or molded devices that aren't that hard to make right, once everything is in spec and up and running. I think you answered your own question with a question when you asked: "Are the other makers just soaking us for as much money as possible"?

I guess my question was rhetorical.

 

[stchman]

Magazines are expendable items, its foolish to spend a lot of money on them if you don't have to.

I 100% agree, but when some makers want $35-$45 per magazine. IMO, expendable items are less expensive.

 

[nipprdog]

A Glock rep told me that the Glock handgun lowers cost about $5 to make. Not sure how much the slide and barrel assembly cost, but I'm sure it's like $25-50. i have no doubt that Glock pistols as they are sold in the stores cost no more than $100 between materials and labor.

 

[TruthTellers]

I figure Glock mags are less compared to others because of the mass production and huge market of Glock pistols. Glock must turn out 50 million of mags every year and the more you produce, the cheaper it is; it's just like buying 5000 primers vs only 500.

Others above said competition and they're right. Every online gun retailer carries Glock mags and when one sells a mag for $20 while another sells the same magazine for $35, you know who's selling more of them.

 

[481]

The material costs are likely much of the reason. There's about 35 cents worth of polymer and a dime's worth of formed sheet steel. The rest is metal forming and molding equipment, which averaged over several hundreds of thousands of magazines, contribute to the cost as well. I'd bet that at this point, the average unit production value is at most a couple of bucks.

 

[Candyman87]

Economies of scale for sure. Glock makes the most common and prevalent new semi auto handguns in the world.

That and they produce their own. No transportation, no markup.

Now my Walther PPQ magazines... They've only ever made a fraction of what Glock makes. Meaning the amortization of R&D costs is higher per magazine.

That and Walther mags are contract manufactured by Mec-Gar. Awesome magazines but made in Europe in smaller quantities out of more expensive materials, shipped across the country, marked up, and resold.

 

[CDW4ME]

They are cheap now, not so much during the asinine AWB of 1994-2004, or if another one is anticipated or enacted.

 

[stiab]

I have wondered why Glock magazines are usually on the inexpensive side.

Plastic is relatively cheap.

 

[JTQ]

Plastic is relatively cheap.

That is correct.

stchman wrote,
I wish Sig would have made the SP2022 mags look good, that crummy looking phosphate coating looks terrible.

No matter how crummy you may think the phosphate finish is on SIG's SP2022 mags, it is still a step, and expense Glock doesn't have to do to their plastic mag tubes.

 

[pharmer]

They are cheap now, not so much during the asinine AWB of 1994-2004, or if another one is anticipated or enacted.

They were $150 each during the AWB. Probably will be again in our lifetime depending on outcomes. Joe

 

[Dan-O]

Post #3 sums it up. If i can make 10 million widgets at $5 fixed cost to me, and 3 million widgets at $10 fixed cost to me.....well, you get the point.

 

[CNobbe]

FWIW, I just picked up a PMAG for my 19. Was $14.99. I took it to the range, and used it for all 250 rounds fired that session. No problems at all, really like the PMAG, and the standard Glock mag loader device will work with it.

It sticks out the bottom a tad further than the OEM mags, but I have no complaints.