S&W joins the bandwagon...

[M92FS]

for AR-15 type rifles.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...=10001&catalogId=11101&categoryId=33803&top=Y

 

[Optical Serenity]

Looks good, I guess these are shipping already? I'm glad to see another maker of AR-15s, more competition

 

[larry starling]

Yes and they look pretty nice also.....Might go and pre order one today...

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I'm curious about what justifies the astronomical cost of this gun. Does it shoot around corners? For the price of the S&W I could build a nice AR and have enough cash left over to buy a Benelli SBE 2 or the new Sig 556. Or I could just build three nice ARs.

Am I missing something here?

Edited to add: I originally only saw the $1,700 tacticool model. The versions selling for $1,200-$1,300 are a bit more reasonable. I'd still get the Sig for the same amount of money.

 

[vanfunk]

I'd imagine those MSRP's are $3-400 more than the market will reflect. MSRP on a basic S&W 1911 is about $975 IIRC; they sell locally for about $675.

I'd say the basic S&W AR will show up at around $950.

vanfunk

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

For under a grand that looks like a pretty nice rifle with a lot of worthy features.

You're right about the pricing--I've never paid anywhere near retail price for any gun I own. I find the inflated retail prices of guns as idiotic as the inflated retail prices of American-made cars. Only half wits pay retail for guns or U.S. made cars. My 2004 F150 Supercrew listed for $34,000, and I bought it new for $24,000. Yet when magazines like Consumer Reports compare vehicles, they have to judge them by the suggested retail prices. Hence a $34,000 Ford F150 might lose out to a $33,000 Nissan Titan on value. But if the real sale price was considered, the Ford might kick the Nissan's hiney on value.

The same with guns. I saw the SHOT show reports, with the $1,700 S&W AR and the $1,200 Sig 556 and dismissed the AR out of hand.

I still plan to pick up a Sig, but first I'm going to let Sig scam as much money from the early customers as possible. They have a scheme where a dealer can only get 2 556s if they buy 20 Sig handguns, but that won't last. They'll be swamped with so many orders for the 556 that it will be economically unfeasable to try to use them to extort dealers into buying more exoensive handguns that they are not selling. They will realize that they are killing a cash cow. Until Sig starts supplying the 556 in the quantities the market demands, dealers will be marking them up, selling them for over list price. I'll let other people take it in the shorts on that deal and wait until they start shipping quantities of the rifles without the pistol-extortion scheme.

 

[yorec]

It's a good move on their part. Wonder what would've happened had Winchester show such a desire for life, say ten years ago?

 

[stevelyn]

Except for Stag's left-handers and gas-piston uppers from DSA et al, it doesn't seem to be any different from what the other little monkeys are cobbling together.

 

[model 649]

I looked at one at the SHOT show. Kinda rough for an S&W branded gun, I thought. I wonder who's making it for them? Definitely NOT Rock River. They wouldn't discuss the maker with me or anyone else I heard ask about it. I suppose it will leak out in time. I'm still curious why they would get into such a crowded field where other makers are doing a better job around the same money, very curious, indeed. Is there THAT much volume in AR's?
Josh

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

Smith may be getting into the AR business because of law-enforcement contracts. I think they are trying to get a big chunk of the LE market.

 

[whm1974]

m still curious why they would get into such a crowded field where other makers are doing a better job around the same money, very curious, indeed. Is there THAT much volume in AR's?
Josh

Everyone wants one. But every AR I've seen is always priced higher then I'm willing to pay, or for that matter even able to afford.

Is it that hard to build a basic rifle that will sell for $500?

-Bill

 

[Optical Serenity]

WHM1974:

Buy a DPMS Lo-Pro rifle if you want a $600-$700 AR-15 type rifle. They look pretty decent but IMO they are a piece of junk. I had one, and

I now have a Rock River, and its gorgeous...Totally amazing gun.

 

[whm1974]

Buy a DPMS Lo-Pro rifle if you want a $600-$700 AR-15 type rifle. They look pretty decent but IMO they are a piece of junk. I had one, and

I've seen some AR's that were reasonable priced(I can afford) but I also heard horror storys about cheap AR's.

-Bill