2018 predictions: Which gun companies will go bust?

[rbstern]

It's a great time to be a gun enthusiast. But a manufacturer? Not so much. The market is flooded with a ton of models and heavy inventory. Competition in every category of firearm is intense, with numerous quality products, certainly more than the marketplace can support.

I'll go out on a limb and say several gun brands will give up the ghost in 2018.

My prediction: Taurus. No way to know how deep their pockets are, but the class action lawsuit over drop firing hit many of their models and the cost of replacing all of those pistols is steep. Customer service issues, never a strong point, have gotten worse with the volume of work involving the class action pistols. Downward pricing pressure is enormous. They have a heavy US presence, which is costly to maintain. The Rossi lineup continues to shrink.

Hope I'm wrong.

 

[BNB]

Smith & Wesson ain’t lookin too hot

 

[CBH13]

keltec may have some hard times, lots of smaller ar companies are gonna go belly up, taurus i dont think is going anywhere with the success of the g2 but i could be totally wrong on that. honestly dont know how hot kimber has been lately

 

[wsbrown]

The market is good for innovation at least. It forces companies to make a better or newer product, rather than rape the fearful masses with vanilla black rifles.

 

[MRH]

As much as I like Springfield firearms, I despise the company. I don't think they will go down, but it would not hurt my feelings if they did.

 

[medium187mph]

Colt went under how many times now...?

 

[medium187mph]

I have to disagree rbstern about Taurus....

Firearms under the $500 mark fly off the shelves. I think it's the big dogs charging the average 4-6 paychecks that are gonna get hit the hardest.

Ones that don't have LEO/Mil Contracts or some form of mass purchase agreements in place.

You can get a Ruger AR for around $400-500

You can get a DD for around $1100-1600

Think about it.

 

[Piglatinhater]

Taurus will not go under. They are a Brazilian company and have a huge market presence in South American and the Middle East. They may shrink back US operation which will basically be them giving huge discounts for their standard firearms line (aka their money makers). Their G2 probably costs about $40 to get parts sourced, manufactured, assembled, shipped, then sent to a LGS doorstep so selling at $100-$150 is profit (especially since $100 dollars is about $400 Reals). Keep in mind Brazil is on the brink of an economic melt down so any profit is a good profit.

 

[MRH]

I don't think Taurus is going anywhere, either. They are at a price point where people will buy them, and in regards to the gun buying masses, the majority are not nearly as well informed as members of this site. Not that I always agree with opinions on here, because I have owned some Taurus guns that I liked. I have also owned some I disliked...Strongly.

I'll bet more accessory companies go belly up than gun manufacturers.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I’ll guess Colt.
The gun biz hasn’t been very profitable for them since the end of the Vietnam war.
Do they even make any small arms in the USA anymore?
They could just license the use of their name and horsey logo to the highest bidder and let some manufacturer in the Philippines or Spain or Croatia start making “genuine” Colts.