For aftermarket manufacturers chasing the modular pistol market there’s only one place to be at SHOT Show if you want to speed your time to market, and that’s on the fifth floor. Photo: Jim Shepherd
The aftermarket feeds, and often can drive, the primary market. Aftermarket manufacturers have certainly helped sell a lot of the most widely supported firearms over the years, like the 1911, the AR-15, the Ruger 10/22 and the Glock model pistols.
All these platforms have thrived with the support of customized options available through the aftermarket. And this all occurred organically. Though, once they grew in size and popularity, many aftermarket upgrades became factory installed features.
That’s the brass ring for small manufacturers on the aftermarket carousel.
The organic approach takes time…a lot of time. But, that all may be changing as companies embrace and partner with the aftermarket. Especially with the rise in modular pistols.
The introduction of the Sig Sauer P320 in 2014, followed by the company’s P365 in 2018, ushered in the age of modular firearms. And instead of taking the wait and see approach to aftermarket support, Sig actively engaged companies from the start in order to supercharge the growth of the aftermarket for those products.
Modularity of the P320 and P365 allows Sig Sauer to offer customers an avenue to customize their pistol directly from the factory with Sig factory upgrades. Aftermarket parts from third party companies gives users even more upgrade and customization options. Photo: Sig Sauer website
Glock’s is still the largest aftermarket – certainly by sheer volume – for any pistol platform, but that took years as Glock took a hands-off approach to aftermarket companies. By comparison, Sig is expediting growth of its aftermarket for the P320 and P365.
The popularity of the two Sig pistol models, and their staggering sales numbers, were sure to have other gunmakers looking to bring their own modular pistols to market. And that’s exactly what happened as Springfield Armory introduced the Echelon in July 2023. And just this past December Ruger released the RXM.
While Sig engaged the aftermarket for the P320 from the very beginning, Springfield Armory seems to have taken a somewhat arms-length approach, thus far, opting instead to allow the Echelon’s aftermarket to grow organically. Many expect Springfield to eventually follow in Sig’s footsteps when it comes to working with outside companies. We’ll have to wait and see.
Springer Precision is the leading aftermarket parts manufacturer for Springfield Armory products. Despite no direct technical support from the company, Scott Springer was able to adapt and quickly release Echelon upgrades, like a comp, magwell and magazine base pads. Photo courtesy of Yamil Sued
Ruger, who has long enjoyed the support of a vast aftermarket for the 10/22, as well as its Mark IV pistol, is very likely to have planned for rapid growth in aftermarket support for the RXM. The best indication of this is that the ‘M’ in RXM stands for Magpul, who Ruger worked with on development of the polymer grip for the new pistol. And Magpul is already selling spare grip modules to consumers.
So, how can small parts makers take advantage of these new opportunities that come from the design of modular pistols? For those companies looking to support the P320, P365, Echelon and RXM the answers to shortening your time to market can be found at SHOT Show.
But don’t look for those answers one the main floor, or the lower level’s maze of booths. The help you need, the experts you can call on, and the vendors you engage are all going to be found in the Venetian’s fifth floor Palazzo Ballroom. That’s where the SHOT Show Supplier Showcase is hosted.
What you cannot accomplish in-house can be accomplished finding the right supplier Monday and Tuesday, January 20 and 21. The 600-plus exhibitors displaying on the fifth floor can rapidly cut your time to market with their insights and expertise…and, of course, their products and services.
The new RXM has only been out for a few weeks but with a number of companies already familiar with Ruger products, and making upgrades for the Ruger 10/22 rifle and Mark IV pistol, you can expect RXM upgrades to hit the market sooner rather than later. Photo: Ruger website
If you have issues with material selection, parts machining, proper tooling, parts holding, heat treating, finishing, deburring, retail packaging and more, you’ll find answers in the Supplier Showcase.
And if you lack engineering know-how, it’s pretty hard to swing a dead cat in the Supplier Showcase and not hit an engineer.
The SHOT Show Supplier Showcase is the single best addition the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has made to SHOT. NSSF has hand delivered the resources SHOT Show exhibitors and NSSF member companies need. And the Supplier Showcase keeps growing in size.
After visiting the Supplier Showcase last year I wrote that you could walk in one door, go up and down the aisles, and exit the other door, and if you had your checkbook in-hand, you’d be able to return to SHOT the next year launching your own gun. There’s just that much engineering, manufacturing and materials support available to you on the fifth floor.
If your company is looking to jump on board the aftermarket train to support the P320, P365, Echelon or RXM, the time is now and the place to be next Monday and Tuesday is the Supplier Showcase.
The aftermarket drives the primary market, so start driving.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
