what make a firearm high quality ?

Question

I've seen some 9mm's for around $300 to $900+ whats the difference?

Answer 1

Probably everybody is a bit correct.
To get a high quality piece it has to be "tuned". This requires hand fitting of parts. Take a 1911 for example:
1. If it has an internal extractor the extractor has to be tuned to fit around the case well. If you have seen a kimber fail to eject it was probably due to an untuned extractor
2. To get accuracy the barrel has to be cut so it locks up tight when the gun is in battery
3. also to get more accuracy the rails have to be cut to fit the slide very tightly.
4. The sear and trigger assembly have to be fitted with a particular angle and size to get a good trigger. Also a good trigger is fit to the preferences of the shooter. I like a quick engage and quick break with a long overtravel (I know I am weird)
5. The ejector has to be tuned so that the case goes in an acceptable direction.
You were talking about factory guns but really nice fits still require hand fitting. So how much the company is willing to hand fit (tune) before it leaves the factory is one part of it.

Also quality of parts is another aspect. For instance are the parts forged or cast. Cast parts have problems but are cheaper. Air guaged cryo treated barells with titanium coatings are going to cost more. Quality affects durability and accuracy. For instance cast parts are sometimes fine except if you have a weak part you will never know.

Another thing is the complexity of the part. Look at something as simple as a front sight. Is it just a piece of metal welded to the end? Does it have fiber optics that require special cuts? Or is it a fiber optic "sight tracker" that requires a special cut in the slide and special cuts in the sight.

Then there is reputation. For instance many people look at HK's as top of the line. They believe (mistakenly) that if you want the best you go HK. Other's believe (probably mistakenly) wilson combat pistols are the best. Thus Wilson can demand more for his gun than a les baer. People feel confident they got the best so they are willing to pay more to know there is none better.

So what do you get when you pay more?
A better trigger
more dependability
more accuracy
better ergonomics
durability
asthetics
consistency from one gun to the next (you know what you are getting)
better resale (A used wilson sells for the same price as a new)
bragging rights
That is unless you buy an HK then all you get is to post stupid answers and spend too much money HA HA HA suckers

Answer 2

fit and finish is a big part. How well do the parts fit together, will give you a higher level of quality. How good does the gun look. Does it have a nice finish and a nice grip. These are fit and finish issues that make a gun look better and possibly perform better. The design of the gun will have something to do with the cost too, not all 9mm work the same. Some will have a different action that discharges the spent shell and indexes the next one into the chamber. How that works and how reliable that is will have some impact on the cost. Same thing with the trigger group.

Answer 3

Here's a list of factors:

1. Time-honored manufacture (forged/machined steel from barstock)
2. Fit and finish
3. barrrel quality
4. tariffs (for imports)
5. volume of manufacture

Volume of manufacture is the most critical factor. The less you make the more you charge to receive financial benefit. And usually the less manufcatured guns are of high quality. This is why Glocks can be had for $499 now (for the most part). They were $400(!) in 1990. If you follow the history of price increases, the Glock has gotten cheaper in a sense due to such a small increase in price over 17 years. Why? Because the initial manufacturing equipment has been paid for and there are so many manufactured year after year. 1911 guns keep going up every year because steel products keep going up and there is a ceiling as to how economically you can make a steel-framed pistol.

Answer 4

You can get a decent 9mm for $400-$500. The really cheap ones are prone to jam. Glock, Ruger, Sig Sauer, and H&K are all good brands. Of those, Ruger is the cheapest. Taurus makes some decent models and does Smith and Wesson, but I would avoid the Sigma series.

Go to www.handgunreview.com to review some models before buying. The Ruger P89 or other P series Ruger is a good intro model for a 9mm at a reasonable cost.

Answer 5

The expertise in that field of manufacturing, the materials used in the construction,
The attention to the smallest of detail.
And the time invested in the weapon, a weapon that took 1 hour to manufacture in mass production will not compare to weapon that took 2 to 3 times as long to insure it was right the first time.

D58

Answer 6

Rarity of the firearm, the overall quality of the firearm and the historical accuracy of the firearm, the historical jam rate of a semi-auto and the lasting quality.

Jewlery, wood type and accessories can increase the price too.

Answer 7

name also has abit to do with it too, some componies can get away with a larger profit than others becasue thir names sells better.

Answer 8

Reliability and accuracy, everything else is just "bells and whistles."

Answer 9

I would assume its reliability and durability