Magazine prices

Polinese · November 22, 2013, 04:42 PM

I've always wondered why magazines for bolt action rifles... the AI mags in particular (granted I've never used one maybe it's Jesus in magazine form) seem overly expensive for a spring and some sheet metal. But even the mags for say a Savage DBM seems awful expensive to me when compared to how cheap things like AR mags and and pistol mags that don't say Wilson on them.

BillM · November 22, 2013, 07:15 PM

A lot of it is basic supply and demand. If you set up and knock out a bajillion
AR mags, it offsets the tooling and setup expenses and the cost per unit is
relatively low. Do the tooling and setup for a short run of specialty mags,
and the cost per unit is higher. A high reject rate can also jack the price.

You want to see a REALLY expensive ((or maybe dirt cheap) magazine?
Buy yourself a cheap chunk of sheetmetal and some spring wire and make
one. Cheap or expensive depends on what you think your time is worth.

jmr40 · November 23, 2013, 05:30 AM

Right. A company can have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in machinery, R&D, buildings etc just to set up to make a product. The actual materials to produce it may only cost pennies each. If they sell a million of them for $1 they are making a profit. If they are only going to sell a couple thousand, then they have to charge far more just to break even.

November 22, 2013, 04:42 PM	#1
Polinese Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2010 Posts: 949	Magazine prices I've always wondered why magazines for bolt action rifles... the AI mags in particular (granted I've never used one maybe it's Jesus in magazine form) seem overly expensive for a spring and some sheet metal. But even the mags for say a Savage DBM seems awful expensive to me when compared to how cheap things like AR mags and and pistol mags that don't say Wilson on them.

November 22, 2013, 07:15 PM	#2
BillM Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Amity Oregon Posts: 791	A lot of it is basic supply and demand. If you set up and knock out a bajillion AR mags, it offsets the tooling and setup expenses and the cost per unit is relatively low. Do the tooling and setup for a short run of specialty mags, and the cost per unit is higher. A high reject rate can also jack the price. You want to see a REALLY expensive ((or maybe dirt cheap) magazine? Buy yourself a cheap chunk of sheetmetal and some spring wire and make one. Cheap or expensive depends on what you think your time is worth.

November 23, 2013, 05:30 AM	#3
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	Right. A company can have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in machinery, R&D, buildings etc just to set up to make a product. The actual materials to produce it may only cost pennies each. If they sell a million of them for $1 they are making a profit. If they are only going to sell a couple thousand, then they have to charge far more just to break even.