Why are AR-15's so expensive?

[Euclidean]

A more accurate statement would be that in the world of AR15s the same people that make Part A for Brand X, also make Part A for Brand Y; but to a different standard and tolerance - this is why Brand Y can sell it cheaper.

Another thing that happens a lot is Brand Y buys the Part A that Brand X rejected because Brand Y has lower standards and most of the time it doesn't make a difference. This is particularly prevalent where the standard has some military purpose (like being able to function in -60F weather) that 99% of Brand Y shooters will never know about or use.

And that is fine; because the whole reason Brand Y exists is that not everybody needs what Brand X offers, so why pay extra for features you don't need? Just don't think you are getting Brand X at Brand Y prices.

But that's exactly what's happening. It's like buying LEDs. The supposedly higher quality ones come out of the same bin as the rest of them, the only difference is you're paying someone to sort through them for you and say "I think this one is marginally better" based on whatever arbitrary criteria. In the case of LEDs it's normally "Well I think this one looks better when I test it so it costs more..."

Pick any part of the AR15, let's say the trigger. Let's take a box of 1000 triggers from the plant and dump them out on your desk. There is someone out there who feels they must absolutely have the best trigger out of those 1000. You can make money by playing on their demand. Now maybe they have a good reason for that or maybe they don't, it doesn't matter, you're here to make some money.

But you've got to make it sound good to the buyer, so you say "Well you see this particular batch of five triggers, I just did a test and I can guarantee you they all have a minimum Rockwell hardness of 58." You talk it up somehow.

It's nothing dishonest, that person was willing to pay you to say that 5 out of 1000 should cost more for some arbitrary reason. The buyer is not paying for a better quality part, the buyer is paying for scrutiny and reassurance.

The truth is in reality, those triggers all came from the same assembly line on the same tooling made by the same people. While there is no guarantee the rest of them meet that same spec, the likelihood they do not is quite poor.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The truth is in reality, those triggers all came from the same assembly line on the same tooling made by the same people. While there is no guarantee the rest of them meet that same spec, the likelihood they do not is quite poor.

Well, you'd be surprised. Particularly on areas like 1913 rails. As I mentioned earlier, the first place manufacturers will cut costs is by reducing standards that most of their customers don't need. The military might specify a certain item be made out of a particular steel and subject to certain specifications because it determined that using a cheaper steel meant a 10% increase in failures over the lifespan of the part and that the cost of replacing the amount of parts they planned to buy amounted to more than the cost of machining it out of the more expensive steel.

However, the average joe has no way to even recognize that problem since they don't buy in quantities, test or do statistical analysis over a significant sample size. In a market where cost is a major consideration and the warranty liability can be limited by limiting warranty to one year or so, a manufacturer can use the cheaper steel and cut costs to make his product more competitive.

If I have to replace a $50 part 10% more often, chances are good I won't recognize a difference to begin with - and even if I did, it probably doesn't make much sense to pay $60 for that extra 10% chance unless I am buying that part by the thousands. It is these kind of tiny differences that let manufacturers undercut price on a rifle that meets the military acceptance standards by several hundred dollars usually.

 

[>SHOCK<^>WAVE<]

Euclidean
But that's exactly what's happening. It's like buying LEDs. The supposedly higher quality ones come out of the same bin as the rest of them, the only difference is you're paying someone to sort through them for you and say "I think this one is marginally better" based on whatever arbitrary criteria. In the case of LEDs it's normally "Well I think this one looks better when I test it so it costs more..."

We had a very accurate machine that measured wavelength
brightness and voltage of every one of the 13000 dies we got
out of one 2 inch sapphire wafer. I can't image some one doing
by hand or eye considering there the size of a grain of sand.


http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/5/8/2/1

 

[mrmeval]

Colt Ar-15 magazine

It depends on the capacity and the state. The Federal ban is over so you can legally sell them in any state that hasn't banned them.

GYPSY51RIDER
I have quite a few of these are they legal to sell? 5.56

 

[GYPSY51RIDER]

colt ar-15 magazines

I have 20's and 30's where would a good place to sell them be?
thanks

 

[mrmeval]

colt ar-15 magazines

Um, how about here?
http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=23

You might look around online for prices. I can get factory new colt 30 rounders for under $25
some of the 20 rounders bring more but I have no idea why.

GYPSY51RIDER

I have 20's and 30's where would a good place to sell them be?
thanks

 

[Kaylee]

Even when I was making a hair above minimum wage as a just-out-of-college kid, a basic AR was still only two weeks pay,give or take. Now even after absolutely insane confiscatory taxes, a good AR and optic is still about two weeks pay. That's well within the normal range of a quality arm through history - considerably cheaper than many of our ancestors would have paid actually! So I don't consider them expensive at all in the grand scheme of things.

Compared to imported AKs and such, the're expensive sure. But you're looking at a product manufactured by American labor, typically in expensive areas (northeast, Illinois,etc) and comparing it to imported military leftovers and newer products manufactured by much much cheaper labor in the old Combloc countries.

Apples and oranges. A new production AK with similar QC from Vector or the like easily reaches into the same pricerange as ARs, and that's with a fair amount of imported parts.

and oh yes - Onmilo? You said..

With todays dollar and basing the manufacturing cost on a basic rifle with no frills, the cost of production of a single M16 is about $425.00 US
The AR15 cost runs slightly less because there are fewer parts involved and a few less machining steps, about $400.00.

Can I ask where that info is from? I'm presuming it's referring to the 3-shot burst models, yes? The safe/semi/full mechanism should be if anything cheaper to manufacture than the ARs I would think.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

8 SKS rifles = the price of one AR-15. In a harsh environment with sand, snow, rain, mud, I'd bet my life on the SKS, as it will continue to fire. I'm not sure the AR could handle very harsh conditions without jamming up.

The soldiers in Iraq clean their M-16's 3 times a day, regardless of whether they fire them or not!

 

[TechBrute]

It never ceases to amaze me when people ask why something costs "so much" the answers they get.

First, what are you comparing an AR against that you consider it "expensive?"

Second, do a little research:
1) Look into the price of machining something.
2) Look into the price of assemblers. Don't forget to include benefits, and don't forget that they are american workers.
3) Look into the price of high quality materials.
4) Hire some lawyers to defend you against every junk lawsuit that doesn't involve doctors.
5) Look into the price of advertising.
6) Look into the price of insurance.
7) Look into the price of facilities.
8) Don't forget to contribute: PACs, Lobbyists, etc.

Any questions left?

 

[Remander]

Thanks for all the answers. Some took my question as a complaint, but it was just curiousity about the price of AR's relative to other guns.

I'm pretty rich, so I buy whatever I want and don't worry about the price.