New S&W Revolver Prices Going Way Up

steamloco76

steamloco76

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I was talking to my friend and stocking S&W dealer yesterday as he was working on firearms orders for 2014. S&W is raising the price on J frames $80 to $100 each. The Governor is going up nearly 25% as are most of the large revolvers. Availability of many revolvers is to be limited also due to S&W 'Changing production priorities'. Seems to fit in with the news we heard about the layoffs at the Houlton plant.

My friend figures this will put S&W back where they were price-wise vs. Taurus in the 1990's. Now a new 642 costs only $30 or so more than a Taurus Ultra-Lite, after the increases it will be $100 to $125 more just like the old days. He prefers to sell the S&W's, but is going to order more Ruger LCR's and Tuarus 85's knowing people will balk at a $535 S&W 642.

Apparently the prices on the M&P line will only be going up a few percent, if any, on most. The 1911's are to join the revolvers with significant price increases and lower production numbers.

I haven't received bogus info from my friend yet, so if your dealer has a new S&W revolver or 1911 that you want, buy it now or pay much more in 2014.
 
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They are trying to bring revolver margins up to a comparable percentage or the margins made on polymer guns.

The fact that poly guns require no fitting or finesse to manufacture, and can be thrown together by unskilled workers makes them a very profitable center.

Revolvers on the other hand, require a lot of finesse and expertise, which doesn't come cheap. Besides that, they don't pay on piecework (haven't for years) and therefore production rates have suffered for quite some time.

I wondering if the same isn't happening at the drunk buzzard place too, as their availability of cataloged product is disappointing to say the least. Plastic guns- both long and short seem to be the bean counter's dream. :(:mad::(

The secondary problem that they have failed to realize, that the fact that unless something changes, 2014 is likely going to be a challenging year, and raising prices when demand is slowing is a very bad thing- should have done it during the "scare" and no one would have been the wiser. The competition would be wise to capitalize.

Good time to move on to other interests/hobbies or brands temporarily.
I've been meaning to get a good turning lathe...great time to do it.
 
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You can't have an out of control spending government without serious inflation - time to pay the piper! (The press may report it differently of course.)

ward
 
This means a quick jump in prices at the lgs on the used guns they have in stock. But I suspect they make 80% of the profit on new guns. How long do you think it will be before the prices on our own forum for gun sales starts going up.

I wonder if they cut the dealer margin on MSRP? I was told a few months ago what dealers pay for an average Glock and I think is was about $325.00 Anyone know for sure?

Anyone have an idea of what the markup is or was on a new 642? The webpage still shows a price of $459.00 but I think that is way out of date.

For me this would mean I will look at my wish list and buy sooner rather than later.

Of course you oldtimers had seen this before countless times. :mad:
 
MrTrolleyguy said:
I wonder if they cut the dealer margin on MSRP? I was told a few months ago what dealers pay for an average Glock and I think is was about $325.00 Anyone know for sure?

Anyone have an idea of what the markup is or was on a new 642? The webpage still shows a price of $459.00 but I think that is way out of date.


Of course you oldtimers had seen this before countless times. :mad:
Click to expand...

Your Glock price is fairly close. The LGS I got my info from ordered 100 Glocks and he had to shell out a bit over $35,000 up front to pre-pay regardless of when they finally deliver. Just one of the "perks" of being a stocking Glock dealer.

As for the 642's, he sells them for $439 because of local competition from a "I'll order anything for you store". Pretty sure cost is around $375 or so without shipping factored in.
Definitely does not make his mortgage payment selling new S&W's.
 
RE: post #6. Tell me about it. When I retired 11-years ago, gasoline was close to a buck-a-gallon. Katrina hit and the price escalated to close to $3 and the rest is history as soon as they determined we'd eat gas a 3X the price. They "exclude" certain items from the CPI to arrive at a favorable inflation rate of close to zero, which is the same rate at which my retirement savings are growing.

Okay....off the soap-box now. The price of used hand guns is drifting up as well. I work all the local shows around here and it's hard to keep a used Smith small or medium frame on the table. People suck them up. EVERYBODY still wants a gun to go in his/her purse :). A good used 686 was selling regularly last year for around $550-$600. Now....they have $750 price tags on them. Tighten your seat-belts boys-n-girls!
 
Considering what's available on the used market, lots of LNIB, I can't imagine buying anything new because I'm a sucker for wood grips.
 
I'm working very hard at shooting the guns I own now. Why would I want a new revolver with a canted barrel and a safety lock? MIM parts are not a problem, but I can't get past the port hole.

Steel is real, and stainless is real steel so there won't be any tupperware in my future. We bought a S&W Walther P22 because she thought it was "cute", and I found out it shot accurately without any problems out to 50 yards. Ours maybe the only accurate, trouble free one that was made.

If I win the Unertl scope auction on GB, my guns, optics, accessories, components list is finished, and I can get the boat ready for fishing this winter on Clarks Hill reservoir north of Augusta.

Retirement takes a lot of preparation to be able to play with all the toys in the correct rotation.
 
Ditto....ditto....ditto....and ditto. I do not purchase new guns....from anybody. I prefer a fired (enough to be able to tell that it shoots) solid pre-lock any day of the week, warranty risk and all. At nowadays waiting times for service....the manufacturer could well have your gun in the shop for longer than you've owned it anyway. I mean weeks...and....weeks...and weeks. I'll take my chances with those "older rags".:)
 
I've know three gun shop owners over the years. Each of them said they make the majority of their money in the used gun business. They told me the standard practice is to offer, for a clean used handgun, 50% of the retail price and sell it for 75% of retail. And that's street retail, not MSRP.

Of course rarity for some models/calibers and condition can change the above one way or the other.

Dave
 
I guess I should grab a 325 TR and 625 PC :/ my wife is going to neuter me
 
Already been said a few times, but as soon as word of this gets out it will immediately filter down to EVERY S&W being sold, used or new. The prices on USED S&W revolvers is already insane enough when a 65 with a 3 inch used is going for over $600 and banged up 4 inch M28's are over $500.
I was wanting a J Frame and had been looking at prices yesterday on the 640 and 649 just for kicks. They are already priced at almost $800 and for the PRO, almost $1,000. S&W has some revolvers I'd really like to have, but I ain't paying that kind of money for them, EVER! I'll buy a Ruger LCR and then enjoy the other RUGER and TAURUS revolvers. I guess a $650 M638 is right around the bend then. YEAH, FAT CHANCE TOO. Anyone willing to pay almost $1,300 for a 340PD? See how INSANE that gets?

They can say what they want to about the reasoning behind it, they ain't foolin' me one bit. The suits are sitting around a big conference table and getting reports about how every one of their dealers and distributors have been BEGGING for every S&W revolver they can get and then they see what dealers are selling them for and noticing that there isn't one bit of inventory sitting on dealers shelves because they are priced too high. They figure, we need to take advantage of this ignorance out there and they apparently are.

What a shame. All this does is pretty much insure that every S&W revolver from here on out will be priced way out of my comfort zone.

Good luck to you fellas though.

Nalajr
 
Nalapombu said:
Already been said a few times, but as soon as word of this gets out it will immediately filter down to EVERY S&W being sold, used or new. The prices on USED S&W revolvers is already insane enough when a 65 with a 3 inch used is going for over $600 and banged up 4 inch M28's are over $500.
Click to expand...
It isn't insane if the market will bear it, and it wouldn't happen if the market won't.

They can say what they want to about the reasoning behind it, they ain't foolin' me one bit. The suits are sitting around a big conference table and getting reports about how every one of their dealers and distributors have been BEGGING for every S&W revolver they can get and then they see what dealers are selling them for and noticing that there isn't one bit of inventory sitting on dealers shelves because they are priced too high. They figure, we need to take advantage of this ignorance out there and they apparently are.
Click to expand...
Whether intended to be or not, that's an excellent description of simple supply-and-demand economics -- no foolin'. ;)
 
You guys panic before you think.
I understand what you want---but---that is a pipe dream.
It is what it is. I want a new Mustang at 1964 prices but I can't even get a 1964 Mustang for what it sold for then---and then there is serious $'s to restore it.
Its gonna be OK---and we will all adjust.
Blessings
 
Comrad said:
Considering what's available on the used market, lots of LNIB, I can't imagine buying anything new because I'm a sucker for wood grips.
Click to expand...

^^This .Last month I bought a NIB 686-4 for $630.00 .
 
Well, c'est la vive, along the same lines, they make so many models that you can't get, it's ridiculous. Far as I see, they make a lot of J frames and M&P's, darned little else. It's discouraging when you are willing to pay $1000 for a new 24, 3", and can't find one. There aren't many used ones around, either, at least I've never seen one in WV! Kinda like the Bigfoot of revolvers, same with new Colt SAA's or New Frontiers, none to be had.
 
Well, damn am I lucky. I've had four MIM guns, two newer and one with the lock. Two were purchased during the dark ages of the late 90's. According to the interwebs they should've all been junk and failed by now and/or been back to the factory multiple times.

On the prices, I imagine that'll happen industry wide as demand drops.
 
Hmm..... The days of the $1000 model 19 may be closer than I thought.

At least in the case of the model 19 you are getting a revolver that may be worth the asking price. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
I'm with the "not gonna buy a new gun" crowd. The last new gun I bought was in 1998 (Md. 649). Not because I can't afford the new ones or that I can't live with MIM or IL, it's because there are usually a few to several really nice used guns in my area that are available at fair prices. Just last week I found a like-new 681 at a really decent price. As long as guns like this are available on the used market, then that's where I'm going. I don't know how long they'll be there or if the price will spike, but as long as they are, then that's where my gun dollars are going.

With that being said, a significant price increase across the board from S&W will certainly put upward price pressures on the used/collectible ones.

I think I'm going to make the LGS Pawn shop rounds..........RIGHT NOW!

I actually did make a couple of stops this morning. One LGS has/had a bunch of Md 10-10s (maybe 10 or so) with a CDC mark (CA Dept. of Corrections). Several had already been sold and the ones that were left were really nice. They had excellent finish, light turn lines and very little muzzle/holster wear. All were 4 inch barrels with Uncle Mike's stocks. They looked like they had been in storage for years. $329.00.
 
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Budspolicesupply has no lock 442's for $340 shipped. Last week they had NL 642's for the same price.
 
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