Limited-Edition ???

[Pahoo]

What makes a firearm, a "Limited-Edition"?

Now then, I have seen firearms that are clearly made and advertised/labeled as such. ….

Then there are firearms that are no longer produced and some folks refer to them as Limited-Edition. ……

Be Safe !!!

[RickB]

Sometimes, it's a gun that's made in limited numbers, say, 1-of-500, or, a gun that would be marked a certain way for only one year (all guns made in 1976 marked for the U.S. Centennial, for instance) while it could also mean a gun that just never sold very well, but I'd say it should be applied to guns with a pre-set limit on how many were going to be made, or some other pre-set end to the run.

There's a certain type of car I see on the road that has Limited Edition on the back of virtually every one, so there are clearly different ideas concerning what is "limited".

[FrankenMauser]

What makes one a "Limited Edition"?
The $250 upgrade for the brass medallion in the stock.
To me, "Limited Edition" just means the manufacturer wanted to charge people another $50 (or much more), and slapped that label on it for profit.

There's a guy here that's constantly trying to sell his K98k as a "rare, limited edition, Nazi rifle" at a ridiculous price.
I asked him what made it so special. He replied that there weren't very many made. I don't think he really understood the level of sarcasm when I quipped, "Yea... only about 12 million of them."

And look at the Marlin 'Centennial' rifles. People call them 'Limited Edition'. ...There were only several hundred thousand made.


Anyway...
For firearms produced in low numbers, I try to use a more fitting description, such as:
Made in limited numbers
Limited production
Unpopular and quickly discontinued
Short run
Etc.

For example, I owned a Kimber Classic Stainless LE.
It fits both categories. There were only 600 made; hence, 'limited production' or 'short production run'. But, the "LE" also stands for 'Limited Edition'.

[Armed_Chicagoan]

Limited to how many they can sell.

[4V50 Gary]

I like that Armed_Chicagoan. Winchester used to be the master of special edition Model 94s with medallions inletted into the stock.

[jmr40]

It can be anything the manufacturer wants it to be. In many cases it is a common rifle with a medallion on the stock. Winchester made a bunch of 94's with that done. Only a handful of each, but you see them all the time. At various times I've seen special editions made to give as prizes by DU, and others. There is even a Dale Earnhart Remington 700 out there. Most aren't actually worth any more than a standard gun and can be harder to sell.

But at other times they are truly collectable. Marlin made a run of 500 blue 336 rifles in 35 Remington configured like a guide gun with a straight stock, 1/2 mag tube and 18" barrel. They sold so well they made 500 more in SS. Those rifles bring a premium. I have one of the SS rifles made in 2005 and could triple my money if I wanted to sell it.

[Charlie98]

Limited Edition is a marketing label, limited production is a fact (or not a fact.)

JMR40 made a good example... the Marlin CCL's. Very limited production on certain models and are not a regular catalog item, but I don't consider them a Limited Edition.

[Sevens]

I'm fortunate to own a slick S&W Performance Center pistol of which only 161 were built (I think 161 is the number... it's 160-something anyway...) It is a SD-9, aka "Stocking Dealer" pistol. It was never called "Limited Edition" or advertised with such a name. They almost certainly called it limited or warned of the short window of opportunity when it was offered in 1993.

Unlike a regular production model with only some added badge or enhanced lettering, this pistol was hand-built and sublime.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Technically, every item ever manufactured that is no longer made is a "limited edition". Naturally, the term had an actual meaning at some point, I suspect before the advent of Infomercials. Remember the Elvis (and god-knows how many other) plates? Or the coins sold as "strict limit of 5 per caller, only 10,000 will be made and the dies will be destroyed!"

[CajunBass]

I always figured it meant "All we can make, plus one."

[44 AMP]

the way I understand it, "limited edition" means the maker states how many units will be made, period. After the limit is reached, no more will be made, no matter what.

This is not the same as an item that is no longer in production due to market factors ending an "open ended" production series.

Every model year car could be considered a limited edition, since they are only made for one year. However its not the same as a fixed number "limited edition".

A "one of 1,000" (or 100, or 5,000) is a limited edition. Something made as many as they can, or want to in a set time frame is "limited production" but I wouldn't call it limited edition.

But that's just my opinion, and worth what you paid for it, limited tine offer, order before midnight and I'll give you a second opinion free, just pay separate shipping and handling.....

[Pahoo]

the way I understand it, "limited edition" means the maker states how many units will be made, period. After the limit is reached, no more will be made, no matter what.

In a recent "conversation", the dealer stated that an item in question, had become a limited edition as it was no longer manufactured. I disagreed in front of other potential buyers and conversation ended before it turned into a spitting contest. ….

Be Safe !!!

[44 AMP]

the dealer stated that an item in question, had become a limited edition as it was no longer manufactured.

Limited supply (because an item is out of production) is not the same as "limited edition". A publisher can print 5,000 copies of a book with a special, distinctive cover (a limited edition), then print a million copies of the standard edition. Then stop printing all editions of that book. Now, that book is "out of print" but does that make those million copies "limited editions"? It does not.

Of course, some people don't understand the difference. They also often think engine and motor are the same thing, too...

[gw44]

It mean we will keep making them as long as people keep paying the extra $200-$300 for them !!!

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

print a million copies of the standard edition. Then stop printing all editions of that book. Now, that book is "out of print" but does that make those million copies "limited editions"? It does not.

I think there's different meanings...

First, traditionally speaking, it means that some (relatively) small number was made and typically there is some distinguishing feature that identifies the "special" limited production version.

Second, while a million copies of something would not traditionally be consider "limited edition", unless there were an infinite number produced, it could be said that every version of every item which has ceased production is "limited", i.e. it is an "edition" and there is a "limit" to how many were made. Is that the common understanding or even the implied meaning? Hell no, but it's used that way in all sort of commercials.

I also have to ask myself, who exactly gets to define a "limited edition"? Does it actually require manufacturer intent and designation, or is it sufficient that some "small" number was made?

If it does require manufacturer designation, is there then some number where the phrase becomes deceptive and an "edition" is no longer genuinely considered "limited"? If so, is that 5,000? 10,000? 500, 50,000 and why? Whatever that "magic" number is... what if they made 10 more? Is it no longer "limited", and why?

Some cars are called LE... Toyota says it means Luxury Edition but others makers have called it Limited Edition... and then they made as many as they could sell... so what about it was "limited" and how is that any different than if they HADN'T labeled it LE and made the exact same number of some other designation? Would not that other designation... that other "edition"... be exactly as "limited" as the "limited edition"? Why would it be different?

In other words... if they made 10,000 GTXs and 10,000 LE "Limited Editions"... why is one of them a "Limited Edition" and the other not? Just because they said so? What if then there was an unpopular version that sold 1/2 as many as the LE... is it "Limited Edition", or not?