I know it is hard to swallow the prices, but actually I don't see how they make them so cheap. A few years back I was discussing the price of rifles with a co-worker (We were working as machinists) and if you look at all the different operations involved and everybody getting a cut it is amazing they are that cheap. The price of high quality steel is at an all time high, quality walnut is getting harder to come by, and the government regulations for pollution makes heat treating and bluing more expensive. The gun goes to a wholesaler, to a factory representitve dealer to a dealer. Everybody gets a cut. It probably cost s more to ship a gun than other products. I think the thing that put the large companies in trouble was lack of Government contracts for guns and parts.