Quote:
Originally Posted by 18DAI
S&W charged the WVSP $750 for those very nice melonite 4566TSW's. That was within the last two years.
As of today, S&W still makes 3rd gen pistols at their Houlton plant, but limit the sales to LE. Afterall, who would buy an M&P if you could have a 3914 instead?  For only $150 more MSRP too.
The m&p doesn't compare well to the 3rd gen pistols. On build quality, trigger, accuracy, reliability or resale value. If you want a second opinion, its ugly too.
I personally think the m&p pistols are the 2nd most overhyped, overated guns on the market. Next to Kimbers. I've shot many different model m&ps in different calibers over the last 5 years. You couldn't give me one as a gift. If I were to carry striker fired plastic, I'd get a new Glock 30S. Good trigger. Very accurate gun.
Evidently there are also other gun guys out in LE who DON'T want m&p's. They want 3rd gen pistols. S&W initially told the WVSP that they wouldn't make or sell any more 4566TSW's for them. They said they would trade them m&p pistols for their inventory of older 4566TSW's. WVSP told S&W to go pound sand with their m&p. They would buy the Glock 21 instead. S&W decided they could make and sell some more 4566TSW's after all. Imagine that. Regards 18DAI |
Not to toot our own horns ,but those of us on this website are enthusiasts:and enthusiasm by definition is not a common trait.
LE typically gets a discount compared to us ordinary folk:as much as I'd love a 1006 re-issue (keep the rabbit ear sights please) ,the business case just isn't there.I'm an economics major,and statistics show one of the primary reasons products fail in the marketplace is because the company offering it never understood their customer base.
A re-released 3rd gen makes sense for us fringe enthusiasts;but we aren't representative of the marketplace.The typical gun shopper compares everything to Glock and goes from there.That's the ugly reality of the modern day gun market.
All S&W would gain with a new 3rd Gen is a reduced profit margin.It would be the modern day equivalent of the Bren Ten debacle.As Dornaus and Dixon alongside Jeff Cooper found out the hard way,just because a product is compelling doesn't equate to it being commercially successful.