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View Full Version : How Many Lowers?



FortTom
14 October 2013, 17:25
I understand competition keeps price and quality in line. I'm going to be re-couping for approx. 3mos. due to a surgery OCT 15, so to kill my last day of freedom for a while, I went down to my favorite LGS. In one display case they had 9 or 10 differenct stripped lowers, most brands I've never heard of. Prices ranged from about $89 to $269, and I could hardly see any difference in them except ambi-safeties and creative markings. I'd guess there are probably another 20 or more companies that sell stripped lowers.

I'm curious, just how many (insert expletive here) more Lowers, Parts companies, etc., the market can really absorb before it becomes so over saturated, it collapses. On the walls I recognized most of the manufacturers selling complete rifles, but there were quite a few that I'd never heard of.

Being a Harley owner/rider I've seen this, then the market folds in on itself, the strong survive, and I guess this may be the same, but I swear that it seems that anybody with a well appointed CNC machine shop, and the ability to outsource parts kits has a weapon or major components.

It really is hard to separate the wheat from the chaff when there are 1000 different companies making the latest and greatest, same part, every single day.

I've chosen to (with my personal builds) to stay with known products such as LMT/BCM etc....

Oh well, just wondered if anyone else is a little bewildered by all of this?

FT

UWone77
15 October 2013, 16:29
There was a great "purge" in the market after the 2008 rush. I'm sure many of the small manufacturers you see now will not be here within a year. The market is so dead right now, I don't see how manufacturers that are charging $200+ for an 80% lower and $350+ for a complete billet lower will stick around much longer. Even established companies are having a difficult time with sales, just look at the blow out sales you're seeing. People are hurting for cash flow.

Computalotapus
15 October 2013, 18:03
Hopefully some of these sales stick around till Jan-Feb. I got some builds I want to knock out

UWone77
15 October 2013, 18:12
Hopefully some of these sales stick around till Jan-Feb. I got some builds I want to knock out

I ended up picking up 2 PSA blem lowers for $67 shipped each for future loaner gun builds. Even if a few go out of business, I have no doubt there will be plenty of new companies to take their place.

Computalotapus
15 October 2013, 18:17
I ended up picking up 2 PSA blem lowers for $67 shipped each for future loaner gun builds. Even if a few go out of business, I have no doubt there will be plenty of new companies to take their place.

The wife said my limit is 5...I was hoping AP would have some blemished back in stock by then