keylargo

I guess it is like most other things. Profit is all that matters and most things are imported. I agree with avid about On Time though boy has that company fallen down on there reputation. Wonder how long the rep will carry them. So far I have not had any gun problems and hope it stays that way.

JeffS

We're lucky here. We have a couple of gun stores where I can go in and the employees will spend all the time you want showing you different guns and explaining the advantags and disadvantages of each one. Also the archery shop will repair your bow and add on any accesories you want for free. So whenever I want a new gun or anything I go to these stores.

Briman

One of my biggest beefs is synthetic stocks.
Gun companies tout these as being 'all weather' or will hold a more consistant zero than a wood stock, but istead of giving you a quality stock, you get a $15 flimsy piece of injection molded tupperware made from recycled milk jugs, worse yet, there is nothing useful you can do with these stocks if you replace them. You can't even burn them in your fireplace.They then slap on a coat of black krylon spraypaint as an 'all-weather' finish instead of doing a nice blueing job and charge you the same price as if you bought a nicely blued walnut stocked rifle. [:'(]

Another pet peave of mine is called 'MIM' or Metal Injection Molding. Its a shortcut used in making pistol parts to avoid precise machining and fitting. Sure they work great but they are nowhere near as strong as a forged and machined piece. You buy a mid priced pistol and end up spending hundreds of dollars replacing all of the MIM parts with hand fitted parts so that the pistol becomes nearly 100% reliable and is less likely to break a slide stop or extractor when you least expect it.

oldelkhunter

Kimber uses a lot of MIM. parts

KBacon

For the most part... we are partly to blame... everyone wants the best equipment.. but they also want it as cheap as possible.

Some is better.. some is not.. just like everything in this world. The price of labor and raw materials is sky rocketing. All CEOs/stock holders are screaming for higher profits... so they raise the price and try to make it as cheap as possible. NO Way should a decent set of camo cost $300+.. or "long underwear" $100+... ect... Decent tree stands are all $250+...

Hell all a bow is made from is a couple chunks of machined aluminum, and couple sticks of fiberglass w/ a some strings thrown in... and one of the first things you have to do is buy a new set of strings becausethe cheap stock ones stretch soo bad.... and one of the first things you have to do is buy a new set of strings becausethe cheap stock ones stretch soo bad....

Buy a pair of "quality" $150 Rocky hunting boots.. and have the soles disentegrate in 2yrs w/ very little use. Will never own another pair.

As far as firearms are concerned... good wood is getting harder and harder to find = more $$$... And a good blue job requires extensive polishing... = more $$$

So in general I think prices are higher and quality is degrading as fast as the companies can get away with.

ChuckS

I have met the enemy and he is us.

IMO, we have a lot more choices now at the lower end of the quality scale. I believe that is true all across the board, gun, sporting goods, bicycles, clothing...it's the Walmartization of America. Buy cheap. The "normal" gun sold is of lower quality in my opinion because we've accepted (slightly) lower quality for a cheaper price.

At the other end of the scale the technology has improved but who can afford it? The price is very high for the top-of-the-line stuff. Maybe this is just a reflection of our societ economies? The gap between the very rich and the middle class is growing.

ChuckS

early

there's a hudge desparity in products of different manufacture. as a consumer if i don't do my homework i may andhave gottin burned.

early

Vapodog

Only a very few and then of small companies ever asked me what I wanted in new products.....so they don't do their customer research very well.....

Mostly however I'd say we get what we deserve.....we buy Savages in droves because they're cheap.......we buy Handi rifles because they're cheap.....we buy at Walmart because they cost less.....and by the same token good custom rifles are higher priced than ever in my life......and by a long ways.....and the number of excellent custom smiths is increasing IMO....The quality of the hi-end stuff is out of this world.....

Your question really has no answer. The best I can say is that better quality guns are more available than ever in history.....but unbelievably expensive.......For the rest of us we can learn to do the custom work ourselves or be happy with stuff that really don't work and sit at our keyboards and say how accurate it is even though it feeds like junk.

avid hunter

A lot of good points have been put on the table and I have to say I agree pretty much with all of them. I guess my main beef isn't when I buy something at a lower price and it is not as good. I should expect that. My problem is when I purchase something that is supposed to be a top of the line item and still get burned by a dropping standard of quality(thats what the on time feeders brought to mind). I atleast still hope for the pay more-get more,pay less-get less standard.
I do have to take a small issue with the lower price of Savage rifles though. May not be a work of art but anything that accurate and durable is quality to me. As much as I hate to see the model 70 go the savage sure killed them just as dead!

eldeguello

Materials used are as good or better than ever. But workmanship has generally gone south!! This is not only true of mass-produced US and European firearms, but also automobiles. Even Mercedes is having QC problems!