Price vs quality

[sailor723]

And it is human nature that some guys who spend a sh*te load on guns, can't accept the same performance could have been had at half the cost.

Anyway I've spent a lot on guns and I don't buy into the performance angle after a point. Historical rareness / exclusivity, complex engineering, highly skilled labour leading to a beautifully fit and finished unique end product, costs money. I can 100% appreciate that product and the experience of using it, without being under any delusions that it will be an objectively better 'performer' than some less expensive guns.

^ Quoted for truth.....Best post of the thread!

 

[Cameron SS]

Not a good comparason unless you are talking super-premium pistol vs. pot metal saturday night special POS.

Maybe a John Deer tractor compared to a Landini Tractor would be a more apt comparason. The John Deer will cost thousands more, but lots of farmers are farming profitably world wide with Landini tractors.

Is a SIG 1911 better than a Norinco; fit and finish is, no question. Quality of steel? doubtful. Functionality and accuracy possibly slightly better, trigger sure. Lifetime warranty? Sig has that... but fire one homeload, and it is void.

Are the Sigs $1000 to 1500 better than a Norinco? The answer is no.

My Norinco 226 cost me $400. My Sig 226 cost me $1100. SO the Sig is only $700 more.

Is the SIg better. Without doubt. $700 better?

My two biggest complaints with the Norc is the sights, and the worst DA/SA trigger I have ever felt. My Sig, with beautiful Sig Nite Sights and SRT, is literally night and day.

How much would it cost me to upgrade the Norc to an SRT and professionally installed set of Sig Night Sights and SRT trigger kit, probably half the difference, or maybe less if you really bargain hunt. Would the few hundred dollars more to have a complete Sig, rather than a Norc/Sig Frankengun be better, and sufficiently better to be worth the extra few hundred. I think yes, absolutely.

Some of the biggest mark ups in any manufacturing industry in on parts. Whole guns don't usually fetch much in profit margin compared after market parts. Labour is a sunk cost, that you pay over and over again when you go the custom route, with zero residual value in the labour itself, and is rarely reflected in the finished work.

Your point about tractors and is well taken, and what the OP, or anyone, needs to consider whether considering "for a few hundred more", is whether or not this gun is a tool, a means to an end, where added investment will yield an added return, or if this firearm is just an indulgence and any added cost is just an investment into your own emotional attachment to the experience of ownership. Do you like owning pretty things?

You will know when your firearm is actually a means to an end, because there is usually someone else willing to pay for it, directly or indirectly.

This question may be a little vague, but as i am fairly new to restricteds i would like some opinions. This year i have bought a late 80's s&w 586 and a ruger 1911 from ee sellers. Both are really nice guns and in the 6-800$ range. I see 357 revolvers and 1911's of different makers for thousands of dollars.My question is this, would the average shooter notice a huge difference in quality, fit, appearance, and accuracy with the more expensive pieces, or is it more of a collector, prestige thing.Thanks in advance for any insight.

Do yourself a favour and don't concern yourself at all with the average shooter. Its your gun, your collection, your experience. You should only concern yourself with whether YOU will notice a difference.

There is no straight line between price and value. Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Quality is a vague descriptor that gets thrown around a lot, and I'd rather not really use it.

In your case, lets substitute quality with Durability (service life). You have listed four variables. Durability, fit(of parts, ie functionality), appearance, and accuracy.

You should note that spending more money will almost NEVER result in an improvement in all four. IN many cases you will be improving one and actually reducing another.

The value of a gun comes from a variety of factors.

Material cost.
Manufacturing cost, including individual attention paid to each firearm during assembly, and QC checks. This includes simple assembly as well as any artistic or stylistic work such as engraving, finishing, etc.
Design/IP costs.
Packaging costs.
And warranty costs.

Additional factors come into play when talking used guns, because you typically don't get the warranty, and often not the packaging either, but you have to deal with rd count, maintenance history, whether the gun is intact or has been butchered.

If you want to know if the added price of any gun is worth it compared to any other gun, ask yourself what is the actual difference. Does the lockable plastic case that came with my SIG explain the difference in price when compared to the cardboard box my Norinco came in. Some, but not all. Do I need the lockable carry case? Etc.

Some people fuss about the value of unlimited life time warrantys and then balk at the cost of shipping, and will likely never use the warranty anyways. etc etc.

Many of the super expensive guns out there are simply customized or artistically enhanced versions of base model guns that are just as accurate and reliable as the base model, and all you are getting is something prettier to look at.

But there are just as many expensive guns out there that were hand built by makers with decades of experience that hand select each component and painstakingly fit each piece for perfect performance, and are worth every penny.

Bottom line is there is no straight line between price and value. Like beauty, value is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[TheTooner]

You may see it this way, it's your prerogative, when i buy an expensive item it solely to please my family or i.

Would it please or diplease the others is not a big concern of mine.

I don't know you personally so I can't know whether my remarks describe your reasons for your purchases. Your assertion about your reasons is the best information I have about you, and in your case, good enough for me, but my orginal statement is applicable to many people.

 

[Bart68]

I have an old ROHM RG-63 22 revolver, my first handgun, paid $125.00 a year and a half ago. Then I picked up a Colt 1911 22 cal for $500.00 and then a S&W 617 22 cal for just under $1,000.00
and yes every upgrade made me a better shooter but my wife has a S&W 22A-1 that she bought for $300.00 and it shoots every bit as good as my $1,000.00 S&W. They both make me a better shot than I am.

I'm a "budget for fun shooter" so I mostly shoot my 22's but I have a Norinco 1911 9mm and a S&W model 14-2 38 special and I have fun with all of them.

 

[Twisted Canuck]

If you're buying a Porsche for the quarter mile performance (I doubt that you have, but I don't doubt that you own a Porsche) you have more money than brains. But if you really did buy a Porsche for the quarter I'd take your opinion about performance and spending money with a grain of salt!

One does not buy a Porshe to race a quarter mile. Maybe not to race at all. But once you've driven them, especially on a track, you certainly appreciate what the money and engineering are about.

Many people buy more expensive things because it increases other people's awareness of how much money the buyer has.

Some people just buy nice things because they enjoy them and appreciate quality. I can't see spending $175K on a new 911 4S (992)...that is going to be parked six months of the year. But I sure enjoy my ten year old Cayman that I spent $45K on. It's for me, and it certainly isn't about the price because a new VW Tiguan costs about that...and it's the same reason I'm content shooting my P226, even though I could afford a P210.

Because both the Cayman and the P226 far exceed my abilities. But I appreciate nice things, and you certainly can tell the difference. I could go on about great whisky, but I'm starting to ramble.

Spend once, cry once, and enjoy a few fine things, instead of a lot of mediocrity.