Manufacturers discontinue handgun models for a variety of reasons, all of which are based in the market. It’s as plain as the laws of supply and demand, to which I was once exposed in Economics 101, many years ago. I hope that long ago professor will excuse my clumsy summary of how it works, but here goes. A handgun is a product just like a box of matches or an exotic silk scarf. The handgun, match or scarf maker produces these things at some expense, in the hopes that he or she will sell them for more than it cost to make them. He’s free to ask any price, but is well advised to set the price with care. Too high and the product won’t sell; too low and he’s literally giving his profit away. If enough people want the handgun, matches or scarf, and he prices accurately, he will prosper. He has to consider many other factors, such as the cost of selling the product, a mercurial market and politicians messing around with the conditions under which he is allowed to sell his wares. Let’s take a look at a couple of guns that were discontinued, and then later revived.
March 12, 2013
