I think Shields are aimed at both first-time buyers and at experienced users who want a good, cheap carry pistol. In both cases, S&W has hopes they will buy more guns - more S&Ws. The first-time buyers generally aren't collectors, and don't even shoot that much: if the gun doesn't get shot much, it isn't going back to the factory for repair/customer service -- which must be very expensive for S&W when it happens.

Experienced gun owners aren't "collecting" plastic guns, but buy and sell them like tools, and generally shoot them a lot. IF (when) a new Shield 2.0 comes out, the experienced shooters (and some of the first-time buyers will become experienced shooters if they maintain interest) may just want that new version, particularly if it has some improved features. Win/Win for S&W.

The price Sig-Sauer is charging the Army for P320's is $208 per gun. That's with three magazines. The cost to make these things must be very low, and for the Army contract, there is no marketing needed! Think about what S&W is doing with the Shield -- the cost of the marketing per unit sold is at an all time low when they drop the price and everyone goes out and buys one or two!

And if people like them, and talk about them, they will sell even more of them later -- they kinda create their own demand, like VW Beetles in the 1960's, or iPhones today. Lots of gun people have more than one gun!

I just bought a Shield (for $240, counting the rebate). I would not have considered it at the old price point.

The real trend I see is more and more specialist guns, with specific desirable features - rather than one or two lines of pistols all the same. I think CNC machining, plastic frames, and modern production techniques diminished some of the economies of scale that used to make high production numbers of a given model very desirable. Maybe modern gun people like change, new ideas, and specific capabilities (think sleek single-stacks, RMR-ready full size pistols, colors, flat triggers, fiber optic sights, 9mm 1911's, new takes on the old snubby revolver such as the K6 and the Cobra, suppressors, etc.). There are definitely "fashions" in guns, too: .40 S&W and AR's are out for the moment; revolvers and single-stacks are back in; and the P320 and Shields are on fire.

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S&W Rover