N/A Why PCP airguns are so expensive?

I have crossbows, too. If it comes to a silent kill I'll take a crossbow any day. It is by the way more precise and consistent, too.
I hate.to.say it but pcp s are much more durable than crossbows. Ill take my Airsaber over any crossbow made in the accuracy and reliability department. I have thrown 3 crossbows in the trash...They don't last that long and parts not available. Even the new Ravins break, at a $3500.00 price point...
 
I hate.to.say it but pcp s are much more durable than crossbows. Ill take my Airsaber over any crossbow made in the accuracy and reliability department. I have thrown 3 crossbows in the trash...They don't last that long and parts not available. Even the new Ravins break, at a $3500.00 price point...
I have a Centerpoint Sniper for 4 years. Using it year round, including in freezing temps. Only replaced a string once. Not sure what can break there besides the limbs, it is a very sturdy and simple design. It's not pushing power over the roof, but is very accurate up to 70 yards and still does some penetration. I shot over 100 yards, too - it gets the bolt where I aimed, but has no power left.
 
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As long as there are people with more dollars than sense, the prices will stay high. And that doesn't necessarily mean they are getting a better airgun.

But they feel better because it costs more.

Reminds me of an encounter I had at the local fishing tackle shop many years ago.

True story.

I was friends with the proprietor and went there often even when I wasn't in need of fishing tackle.

One day, I walked into the shop and here was a guy talking to the owner and showing off his $3000 fly rod.

The fly rod wasn't an heirloom nor an old collectors item. It was a "custom" rod which he had recently purchased.

I listened to him touting how fantastic it was before I went out and got my home-made fly-rod that I made from a cane pole using masking tape and paper clips for guides and fly line I got at a thrift store which I had caught 1000s of Bream and a few Trout with... Cost me about $5 total.

Anyway, I took that home-made fly rod inside and asked the sap how many fish he had caught with his $3000 rod...

Well, to make a long story short, he left in a huff and the tackle shop owner and I had a good laugh.

All my best!

Kerry
 
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Some unregulated air guns can be as easy to make as PBs - the AEA kind of layout where everything is attached to a receiver block in the middle, which also contains the trigger parts and the hammer and the probe.
But it's still a much smaller market and the running costs of all the sales people alone would add up very fast for low volumes.

(I have never owned or shot a PB; this take is partially theoretical in my case)
 
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As long as there are people with more dollars than sense, the prices will stay high. And that doesn't necessarily mean they are getting a better airgun.

But they feel better because it costs more.

Reminds me of an encounter I had at the local fishing tackle shop many years ago.

True story.

I was friends with the proprietor and went there often even when I wasn't in need of fishing tackle.

One day, I walked into the shop and here was a guy talking to the owner and showing off his $3000 fly rod.

The fly rod wasn't an heirloom nor an old collectors item. It was a "custom" rod which he had recently purchased.

I listened to him touting how fantastic it was before I went out and got my home-made fly-rod that I made from a cane pole using masking tape and paper clips for guides and fly line I got at a thrift store which I had caught 1000s of Bream and a few Trout with... Cost me about $5 total.

Anyway, I took that home-made fly rod inside and asked the sap how many fish he had caught with his $3000 rod...

Well, to make a long story short, he left in a huff and the tackle shop owner and I had a good laugh.

All my best!

Kerry
If you think the new market is nuts, then just check out the vintage and collectible markets. There are 3 JW80s that I have seen advertised recently for $7500, (and one on the classifieds here for $5500). Now I am sure that Whiscombes are some damn fine shooting rifles and the stocks on all 4 of them are real things of beauty, but I'd also bet that a tuned Avenger would outperform a Whiscombe in nearly every way and I'd bet that Steve Corcoran or some other stock maker could make a similarly gorgeous stock for $1000 or so.

The Whiscombes are at least very high quality guns however. Double barrel Daisy's also go for crazy prices and they're really just cheap children's toys.
 
I hate.to.say it but pcp s are much more durable than crossbows. Ill take my Airsaber over any crossbow made in the accuracy and reliability department. I have thrown 3 crossbows in the trash...They don't last that long and parts not available. Even the new Ravins break, at a $3500.00 price point...
Not too mention when some asshat dry fires your Xbow or compound. Watched a buddy of mine pull his brand new bow out of the case, his BNL asked to see it. He handed it to him and was in the middle of saying "you do know how to..." as the moron pulled it back and let it go.

The whole cam system and string grenaded! Luckily my friend isn't his 20 year younger self, because he BNL would've been in the hospital and my buddy would've been in jail. Thankfully the BNL bought him ANOTHER new bow.
 
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485 squat, deadlift 565, still ain't handpumping 500cc to 5000 psi!
That doesn't mean you're in shape to do high reps my friend, power lifting is about low reps' high weight, 470 squat,550 dead, and bench 400 in my powerlifting days at 181 class, since then I'm high rep med weight and I'm in much better shape now days and a lot less aches and pains,lol
 
That doesn't mean you're in shape to do high reps my friend, power lifting is about low reps' high weight, 470 squat,550 dead, and bench 400 in my powerlifting days at 181 class, since then I'm high rep med weight and I'm in much better shape now days and a lot less aches and pains,lol
This is true... I hate cardio! I usually don't rep much past 15 reps on accessory lifts.
 
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Is like everything else.. does coach use a special cow hide than LV .. nop both bags will last exactly the same..But LV is the brand to have... same with pcp ..there will be a point that spending more does not necessarily get you a better pcp . But is the brand every one wants, because of publicity.. in my case here you can't shoot PB , if is not in a range.. but pcp no matter what you are shooting you could do it in private land.. ranges usually end at 200y..no reason for me for a PB..
 
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If you think the new market is nuts, then just check out the vintage and collectible markets. There are 3 JW80s that I have seen advertised recently for $7500, (and one on the classifieds here for $5500). Now I am sure that Whiscombes are some damn fine shooting rifles and the stocks on all 4 of them are real things of beauty, but I'd also bet that a tuned Avenger would outperform a Whiscombe in nearly every way and I'd bet that Steve Corcoran or some other stock maker could make a similarly gorgeous stock for $1000 or so.

The Whiscombes are at least very high quality guns however. Double barrel Daisy's also go for crazy prices and they're really just cheap children's toys.
Still, it all equates to folks with more dollars than sense in most cases. (grin)

Of course, to each their own! (chuckle)

All my best!

Kerry
 
I bought a Umarex Notos recently for chipmunks control and had to RMA it right away without making a single shot. The barrel moves and wiggles in any direction it wants. That would translate to, I don't know, 10x10 feet groups at 50 yards? If the barrel does not fly away, of course. I partially took it apart in a hope to find something obvious, like was found and fixed in AEA Challenger, but nothing. It is either a defect in manufacturing or missing part.

Anyways. This thing costs almost exactly the same money like Ruger 10/22 does. But Ruger is made in America, with high labor cost, it uses more expensive materials, and the design is better.

AEA Challenger .510 is more expensive, since it is more complex, uses more material, have to deal with greater pressures and energies, wooden stock is more nice, etc. At least I was able to shoot it out of the box and see a dirt splash approximately in the direction I aimed. But, again, it costs as much as a .308 Ruger American Gen 2, which is better designed, uses better materials, has nicer finish, got more R&D, used American labor, etc.

I get it when a hand-assembled and tuned precision machine costs a few grands. It's all about highly skilled labor cost and prestige margin after some point, I get it. But those cheapest guns? Is it PCP demand so hot that airgun vendors mark everything up shamelessly? Or there's a huge hidden cost in the PCP production that I don't see?
My first Notos from Pyramid was defective as well. Had to turn right around and ship it back for replacement. The second one arrived 10 days later and it was fine. Somebody made our first ones on a Monday!
 
People tend to base thier opionions on cost on the sum of the parts it is made up of and not all of the steps and costs in getting it to a sellable product.
With high volume products, the initial costs can be recovered in a reasonable ammount of time. PCP air guns are not high volume products.
This is especially true when you consider a low volume product with a lot of precision parts and an undeveloped design.

The basic design elements of PCP's are pretty well established these days, but not so much for semi-autos. Those are still in their infancy.
 
This is especially true when you consider a low volume product with a lot of precision parts and an undeveloped design.

The basic design elements of PCP's are pretty well established these days, but not so much for semi-autos. Those are still in their infancy.
The basic elements yes, but the implimentation of them into a new product, not so much.