Why are revolvers so expensive ? - Page 3

BillSussman · August 18, 2019, 12:14 PM

"Old guy final rant: “kids pay a thousand dollars for a stinking cell phone that lasts 2 years but balk at paying $700 for a firearm that will last 100 years”"

This is exactly why I don't own a cell phone! I'd rather buy an extra gun every 2 years! hah

**44 AMP** · August 18, 2019, 12:34 PM

30 some odd years ago, I bought a dot-matrix printer (at the time state of the art) for about $200, and a Remington 870 Express for $189.

Which one of those do you think is still working? Which one of those is still worth $200 (or more?)

Hint: It ISN'T the printer!!

SIGSHR · August 18, 2019, 02:33 PM

IIRC it was Ruger's introduction of investment casting that lowered the costs of manufacturing revolvers significantly.

briandg · August 18, 2019, 04:34 PM

Colt crucible in the sixties may have pioneered it as well. Now we take investment casting as de rigeur, and have gone a long step forward in it by making sintered parts. When these things were starting off, they gathered a whole lot of hate, just as aluminum parts and plastic frames. but now? No big deal. All of the people who care about forged and machined parts are either dead or senile. Right?

A thing that just came to me was the contender. He brought the pistol out with investment cast frame. That big flat chunk of steel was often slightly flawed and cleaning it up was impractical. So they designed the Puma engraving. If there was a bubble they could engrave it to remove the bubble, and if it was in an odd place they could weld the spot.

In the past it was quite difficult to get a blank contender to engrave. You really had to go through TC itself to get one, as the weren't really sent to the market. The perfect ones were saved for the professionals.

Forty years ago, budweiser quietly started to add rice to their beer's recipe. Oh, boy, what a scandal that innovation caused. Such hate and revulsion. Of course, it gained ground in Mississippi, because the rice came from mississippi farms. Now coors has brought in a new innovation by using corn sugar (from natural corn). Budwieser has proudly announced that they make their beer from nothing but (chemically treated) rice, barley, hops and water. Something that they denied for months.

Innovation scares americans. Not the country as a whole, but that dumb, panicky mass that doesn't want to lose their solid grasp of life.

August 18, 2019, 12:34 PM	#52
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,814	30 some odd years ago, I bought a dot-matrix printer (at the time state of the art) for about $200, and a Remington 870 Express for $189. Which one of those do you think is still working? Which one of those is still worth $200 (or more?) Hint: It ISN'T the printer!! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

August 18, 2019, 04:34 PM	#54
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Colt crucible in the sixties may have pioneered it as well. Now we take investment casting as de rigeur, and have gone a long step forward in it by making sintered parts. When these things were starting off, they gathered a whole lot of hate, just as aluminum parts and plastic frames. but now? No big deal. All of the people who care about forged and machined parts are either dead or senile. Right? A thing that just came to me was the contender. He brought the pistol out with investment cast frame. That big flat chunk of steel was often slightly flawed and cleaning it up was impractical. So they designed the Puma engraving. If there was a bubble they could engrave it to remove the bubble, and if it was in an odd place they could weld the spot. In the past it was quite difficult to get a blank contender to engrave. You really had to go through TC itself to get one, as the weren't really sent to the market. The perfect ones were saved for the professionals. Forty years ago, budweiser quietly started to add rice to their beer's recipe. Oh, boy, what a scandal that innovation caused. Such hate and revulsion. Of course, it gained ground in Mississippi, because the rice came from mississippi farms. Now coors has brought in a new innovation by using corn sugar (from natural corn). Budwieser has proudly announced that they make their beer from nothing but (chemically treated) rice, barley, hops and water. Something that they denied for months. Innovation scares americans. Not the country as a whole, but that dumb, panicky mass that doesn't want to lose their solid grasp of life. __________________ None.

August 18, 2019, 12:14 PM	#51
BillSussman Member Join Date: August 8, 2019 Posts: 34	"Old guy final rant: “kids pay a thousand dollars for a stinking cell phone that lasts 2 years but balk at paying $700 for a firearm that will last 100 years”" This is exactly why I don't own a cell phone! I'd rather buy an extra gun every 2 years! hah

August 18, 2019, 02:33 PM	#53
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	IIRC it was Ruger's introduction of investment casting that lowered the costs of manufacturing revolvers significantly.