Kel-Tec Raises KSG Price To It's Distributors
Kel-Tec has sent a letter to it’s distributors informing them that because they have learned that the Kel-Tec KSG will be specifically named as a banned gun in Feinstein’s proposed bill they have to raise prices to try and recoup R&D costs in the event that the gun is banned.
Kel-Tec has raised the distributor price out of self preservation as have a number of other companies in similar situations. With millions in R&D cost for the development of the KSG the timing couldn’t have been worse. I know we all hope that the current situation will not come to pass and businesses will be able to lower prices and get back to normal business.
This mades me incredibly sad. The political situation is going to set firearm innovation back a decade.
Thanks to the reader who tipped us off.
I founded TFB in 2007 and over 10 years worked tirelessly, with the help of my team, to build it up into the largest gun blog online. I retired as Editor in Chief in 2017. During my decade at TFB I was fortunate to work with the most amazing talented writers and genuinely good people!
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Here is the thing. If these were being sold for $1k before this, but the MSRP was only $600 and something, Keltec was not profiting on the ones being sold for $1k... that all went to the sellers/middlemen. This is one of very few MFG who have had to raise prices on anything, and in this case, I can completely understand and agree to it, and would pay the slightly increased price to get one... however, the unjustifiable price gouging in general is not on the manufacturers... take a look around, most MSRPs have not changed more than material costs+10%(of material costs) the largest contributor to price increases is the fact that many wholesale distributors, and end sellers are trying to reap maximum profit (supply and demand anyone?) from people willing to pay such high prices. I mean I can find AR15 stripped lowers all day, and buy them at any time... just would cost $300+ for the exact same lower I bought a year ago for $79.99. I can order, and wait for magazines for no more than $15 each (Pmags for $10 each) all day long... but it would take 2-3 months to get them in. If I wanted them today would run $30 for a PMAG, and $250 for a surefire 60 round mag. The manufacturers are not really increasing prices, take a look at their websites. The very few instances where they have, it is to offset potential losses should any bill go into effect... which is understandable, as there is also chatter of excluding firearms manufacturers from some bankruptcy codes/proceedings, which would in turn put owners financially liable, and able to be sued for debt. This is why people should never buy anything for more than MSRP... then people wouldn't try this profiteering and price gouging that is going on (such as the asshat who bought a stores entire stock of PMAGs for $12 a pop, and turned around selling them at $30 a pop... over 120 magazines). Some wholesale distributors went out of business trying/doing this back in '93/'94 because many shops stopped purchasing from them.
Also if you shopped around you could find a new KSG (or order one) for under $800 even today. Hell I ordered one a short while ago for $675... just gotta wait till probably Apr-May before I will see it, let alone it get produced...
I have the bill sitting on my desk, and it does not mention the KSG or
any pump shotgun, infact, it specifically states on page 14 Line 19,
that the bill shall not apply to any pump shotgun.
13 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the possession,
14 sale, or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon oth-
15 erwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date
16 of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.
17 ‘‘(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any firearm
18 that—
19 ‘‘(A) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever,
20 or slide action;
Kind of shady Kel tech