SSE cost?

[Cyc Wid It]

The problem is you need one kit for every 10 day waiting period. For popular guns, you're looking at 3 kits +.

[Merc1138]

Yea and they gave me a price tag of $700 for a XDm ($600 seems to be the going rate elsewhere) and it skyrocketed to $800 for a OD frame model. Of course they didnt have any so it doesnt really matter, if you dont buy through them it is $50 for SSE $50 Transfer + DROS +Tax.

Like I said, it works out to $100 extra either way you skin it.

It is a bit of a shame if you ask me, personally if I owned a shop that did them I would just charge normal rates and be happy that I was getting so much more business by offering non roster pistols to everyone but maybe that is just me. Hey maybe $25-50 but $100 is a rip off if you ask me. Really the expense is minimal to do them on popular guns, a barrel and a single shot sled that might cost $500 (generous) but over the course of many many transactions the upfront cost becomes very minimal.

You do realize that the shop has to pay for the barrels, labor if they have to weld an extension onto the barrels, figuring out some kind of block to make it single shot, make those blocks, and so on. That's not free, it costs money for them to do that. You'd need one for every gun you sell SSE. If you do 15 SSE guns a week, that's 15 barrels and blocks and that's not counting the stuff you need for different models that may get sold the next week. There's no reason for a gun shop to just eat the cost on that. Then once a new model comes out you have to get another set of parts together to do an SSE. Even if you just looked at the most popular guns on the market and had 1 set of parts for each, you'd be looking at 15+(easily) sets of barrels, blocks, etc. to keep track of and that's not including duplicates.

Then you need to take into account that not every shop does SSE(for a variety of reasons), so the ones that do are likely to charge a few bucks on top of the parts and labor you're already paying for. $100 to do an SE on a $600 gun you wouldn't be getting otherwise is perfectly reasonable.

[Renaissance Redneck]

The shops I use in the Fresno area simply charge MSRP for handguns that they SSE.

[Big Ben]

+1^

The shop in my area that does SSE only sells certain pistols that they have the barrels/etc to do it. They sell those pistols at a price similar to what you can find them in retail stores in Nevada or CA shops with "LEO only" sections.

[B16]

Most of the shops I've visited that do SSE have been charging around or above MSRP.

Gen4's have been 600-625+
XDm 676-700+
Sig Off Roster 1000-1200

Only place I've seen Sigs below msrp was EBR, if only they lived in the Central Valley area.

When I get a response from a shop that says "we don't charge to do sse" and I look at the price tag, it's already been added to the cost of the gun. This usually makes it pretty close to msrp.

[SMR510]

You do realize that the shop has to pay for the barrels, labor if they have to weld an extension onto the barrels, figuring out some kind of block to make it single shot, make those blocks, and so on. That's not free, it costs money for them to do that. You'd need one for every gun you sell SSE. If you do 15 SSE guns a week, that's 15 barrels and blocks and that's not counting the stuff you need for different models that may get sold the next week. There's no reason for a gun shop to just eat the cost on that. Then once a new model comes out you have to get another set of parts together to do an SSE. Even if you just looked at the most popular guns on the market and had 1 set of parts for each, you'd be looking at 15+(easily) sets of barrels, blocks, etc. to keep track of and that's not including duplicates.

Then you need to take into account that not every shop does SSE(for a variety of reasons), so the ones that do are likely to charge a few bucks on top of the parts and labor you're already paying for. $100 to do an SE on a $600 gun you wouldn't be getting otherwise is perfectly reasonable.

Yea and they make money on every sale...Most have limited models that they do, there is no need to do pistols that you wont sell a ton of. Also most have a limited number of kits and if they are in use you simply come back in 10 days to start your DROS, people are willing to wait to get something that they can not just go to the LGS and buy.

My point is that these shops are getting business simply because other shops cant/wont sell you the stuff they are able to. That is already a huge advantage. If the SSE kit costs them $500 (this is very generous) and they charge $100 to do it then they make it back in 5 pistols, then its just an extra $100 profit on every pistol they sell.

I just think some are taking advantage of buyers, as you have seen there are shops that are charging much less for the SSE's. I would be ok with $25-$50 extra but $100 is crazy. Lets look at the XDm, one of the most popular SSE pistols...

Depending on flavor you can find them online for lets say $650 because that is in the middle. Add $100 to that and you are talking almost a 16% markup, that is too much! Your right, on a custom 1911 that is $2k adding $100 isnt that much extra but on the factory stuff it gets very expensive very fast.


Of course this is only my opinion, I actually did buy a SSE gun from Valkyrie...Everyone is welcome to pay whatever they like but if I get another SSE gun I will find the least expensive vendor to go through.

[jonzer77]

You do realize that the shop has to pay for the barrels, labor if they have to weld an extension onto the barrels, figuring out some kind of block to make it single shot, make those blocks, and so on. That's not free, it costs money for them to do that. You'd need one for every gun you sell SSE. If you do 15 SSE guns a week, that's 15 barrels and blocks and that's not counting the stuff you need for different models that may get sold the next week. There's no reason for a gun shop to just eat the cost on that. Then once a new model comes out you have to get another set of parts together to do an SSE. Even if you just looked at the most popular guns on the market and had 1 set of parts for each, you'd be looking at 15+(easily) sets of barrels, blocks, etc. to keep track of and that's not including duplicates.

Then you need to take into account that not every shop does SSE(for a variety of reasons), so the ones that do are likely to charge a few bucks on top of the parts and labor you're already paying for. $100 to do an SE on a $600 gun you wouldn't be getting otherwise is perfectly reasonable.

$100 is reasonable but $250-300 for a 1911 in .45 which is one of the most common guns they SSE?

[dfens]

Some people are confused about MSRP, the manufacturer sets a price or MSRP that do not sale for more than this price or no one will buy one. Guns any gun for the most part this has been going on as long as I've been alive never sale for at that price or above but below it.

Now the prices we are use to is what the gun sales for in a free state outside of CA as a reference point to see at the lowest it can it be sold for. But usually no matter the price out of state it's going to be above that price, it's pretty much guaranteed.

Now SSE shops sale tons of off roster pistols because you want a off roster gun it's them or you can't have one and yes now they have to tie up 1 kit per gun per every 10 day waiting period, that still is 3 sales per kit per month. If they have a big back log and if demand is high enough they can make more kits for that gun. Within in a small number of units moved their out of pocket costs are covered and each additional sale is pure profit.

I'm not going to fault a shop in trying to make a extra buck but don't expect everyone banging down their door unless they are desperate to pay hundreds more when we know it doesn't cost that much more to get them.

I can understand charging a premium for a gun that they have to make it kit for one gun that probably won't be used again since it's so rare or not popular, but to charge a extra 250-300 hell even 350-450 more than the going rate I don't think so.

Hell another shop I saw advertised Gen 4 Glocks only 75 dollars more than a 3rd Gen, now that's a deal and more than fair. I hope he does more SSE in the future.

[Merc1138]

$100 is reasonable but $250-300 for a 1911 in .45 which is one of the most common guns they SSE?

So find another shop if you aren't willing to pay what one is charging. The same thing applies to FFL transfer fees. One shop might charge $25, another might charge $100. As long as they're being up front about how much you're going to be paying them, it's up to you to decide whether or not to open your wallet.

The fact is that you're paying for the SSE parts, and you're paying more because it's not like you can just buy it elsewhere. If you could just buy it at any shop, then they wouldn't have any reason to charge more just because it's an SSE.

The other option would be to find something you don't need an SSE for and avoid that altogether if you want.

[jonzer77]

So find another shop if you aren't willing to pay what one is charging. The same thing applies to FFL transfer fees. One shop might charge $25, another might charge $100. As long as they're being up front about how much you're going to be paying them, it's up to you to decide whether or not to open your wallet.

The fact is that you're paying for the SSE parts, and you're paying more because it's not like you can just buy it elsewhere. If you could just buy it at any shop, then they wouldn't have any reason to charge more just because it's an SSE.

The other option would be to find something you don't need an SSE for and avoid that altogether if you want.

I already have and I am choosing to vote with my wallet.