So I got to thinking this morning (save the comments, I know...), and realized that there just aren't very many options for off-the-shelf center fire pistols with threaded barrels. There are a couple of options from HK and FN, but they're $1k+ options for the most part, and only in .45. There are a couple of options from not-very-well-known (to the general public at large) manufacturers in 9mm (CZ P-09 Suppressor Ready (which no one seems to have), and a version of the Walther PPQ), and a couple of 1911s (Sig Tac Ops TB, and Remington R1 Enhanced Threaded Barrel); the drawback to these is that they're single stack (ya think?) and .45 only.
I'm sure I've missed a few, but really what I am getting at is, when are the "big 3" polymer pistols (Glock, XD, M&P) going to be available with threaded barrels? While buying and installing an aftermarket threaded barrel for any of those three is a no-brainer, it's $150-$300 on top of the cost of the pistol (and you now have a factory, non-threaded barrel sitting around doing nothing). It seems to me that with the way suppressor sales have been over the last couple of years, that there is a fantastic opportunity for the manufacturers to offer a threaded barrel on a few of their off-the-shelf polymer guns. Call it maybe a $50 premium over the non-threaded models, and they'd sell like hotcakes.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that in the overall scheme of things, the suppressor crowd is pretty small compared to the LEO market (which I would think is the target market for the types of guns that I'm talking about), but it seems like there would be minimal R&D, minimal design changes, and a relatively insignificant cost increase (if buying barrels in bulk) in exchange for having the new hotness available on the (non-LEO) market. Then again, the pistol competition market is also pretty small (by comparison to the LEO market), and all three manufacturers offer competition-oriented models.
Honestly, I don't see Glock doing it because they have already come out with a few new products this decade, so I think they're tapped for creativity... but it really seems like a great opportunity for Smith or Springfield...
I'm sure I've missed a few, but really what I am getting at is, when are the "big 3" polymer pistols (Glock, XD, M&P) going to be available with threaded barrels? While buying and installing an aftermarket threaded barrel for any of those three is a no-brainer, it's $150-$300 on top of the cost of the pistol (and you now have a factory, non-threaded barrel sitting around doing nothing). It seems to me that with the way suppressor sales have been over the last couple of years, that there is a fantastic opportunity for the manufacturers to offer a threaded barrel on a few of their off-the-shelf polymer guns. Call it maybe a $50 premium over the non-threaded models, and they'd sell like hotcakes.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that in the overall scheme of things, the suppressor crowd is pretty small compared to the LEO market (which I would think is the target market for the types of guns that I'm talking about), but it seems like there would be minimal R&D, minimal design changes, and a relatively insignificant cost increase (if buying barrels in bulk) in exchange for having the new hotness available on the (non-LEO) market. Then again, the pistol competition market is also pretty small (by comparison to the LEO market), and all three manufacturers offer competition-oriented models.
Honestly, I don't see Glock doing it because they have already come out with a few new products this decade, so I think they're tapped for creativity... but it really seems like a great opportunity for Smith or Springfield...
