EAA Witness 10 MM, 4.5" Barrel, Polymer Frame, 15 Rd, Fixed Sights - $438.85

I am not a FFL, I do not manufacture or sell guns or ammo, but I am an Economists - I specialize in "The Austrian School of Economic Thought". Von Mises Institute in Alabama. The reasons why the 10MM version of the TANFOGLIO WITNESS LINE of pistols when compared to the 9MM LINE of pistols are primarily Trifold & are related to #1 The Supply & Demand Curve #2 The cost of production & #3 The level / amount of free market competition in each caliber line.
FACTS...
- 9MM & 22LR are the two most popular & best selling calibers in the semi-auto handgun market & both Caliber lines have extremely stiff & relentless competition based on a multitude of factors, some of which are obvious & others are not so obvious. The supply of both 9MM & 22LR are robust & not scarce currently on Labor Day Weekend 2018 - EXCELLENT SALES occurred all weekend long & the manufacturers are producing substantial product & little scarcity (Supply) currently exists.
- Demand is level, no panic buying is occurring presently, demand is less than after a crisis & perceived threats to 2A viability & public fear of more liberty curtailing gun control threats & proposals.
- 9MM semi-auto pistol supply is plentiful & supply is much greater than demand... This is why so many Manufacturer promotions & rebates exist in the 9MM marketplace for both pistols / accessories & for 9MM ammo. NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY IN BULK & STOCK UP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN REASONABLY AFFORD TO DO SO... When supply outpaces demand prices go down & promotions & rebates rise. When demand outpaces supply prices go up & promotions & rebates are not needed to sell all the Supply that can be produced.
- 10MM semi-auto pistol Manufacturers are quite small, they are scarce indeed & not much competition exists between manufacturers, but it is a market segment that is now growing at a steady pace as opposed to say my favorite caliber which is 32ACP - which is a declining market as only a handful of Manufacturers are producing new 32ACP pistols or carbines. This is a good example of contrasting market caliber dynamics. 10MM demand is steadily rising & more competition is entering the 10MM marketplace where as 32ACP is dying at a slow & steady pace & prices have fallen for 32ACP firearms quite substantially vs. 10 years ago & even 5 years ago. Since demand has fallen due to the rise in small & concealable 9MM & 380ACP (which is 1/2 of a 9MM) firearms & some call the present day the Golden-Age of firearms technology & availability here in The United States of America.
- 10MM semi-auto ammo is the most powerful commercial ammo available to the consumer & every 10MM firearm must be manufactured to withstand the high pressure of the 10MM round. More robust barrels, springs, slides, & frames are necessary or hardware failure will occur. It is considerably more expensive to manufacture a 10MM firearm vs. 9MM, the specs & pressures are so far apart it's absolutely statistically significant. Combine that with the current lack of competition in a space where every year more Manufacturers are entering the Market & that creates a window of time where maximum profit can occur in a non-panic buying environment. When panic buying occurs demand far outpaces supply & prices skyrocket which is actually quite unhealthy for the industry as a whole. An ideal market would be a steady increase in demand & supply that matches each other closely creating a stable & healthy Economic Marketplace for all.
- P.S. In specific reference to your comment about the EAA TANFOGLIO WITNESS LINE OF PISTOLS your price differential is exaggerated & not representative of actual pricing. Tanfoglio of Italy is a very well known & well respected firearms manufacturer & EAA is the US importer. Together they made the decision several years ago to reduce manufacturing costs & reduce product lines & share as much of the parts as possible between all caliber lines. The end result is a compromise where costs are reduced to manufacture their entire line of WITNESS SEMI-AUTO PISTOLS, but the size of all their pistol models are the same for every caliber in the line. Which means you can interchange parts & be able to have one frame (FFL PISTOL) & many sets of different calibers by buying a new barrel, magazine, slide, & associated recoil rod & spring assembly - & that's a worse case scenario... Related calibers require significantly less investment if the more powerful related caliber was purchased as the 1st pistol. A popular option is to buy the whole assembly in 22LR to practice with at the range & to swap back to the original assembly of parts for EDC or Home Defense. EAA even sells the 45ACP / 22LR COMBO as it's own unique UPC#. That is a popular trend enabling one to obtain familiarity with the operation of your pistol & to more affordably master the shooting craft in the least expensive way possible.
- 10MM pistols will always be more expensive than a 9MM pistol. If 10MM continues it's trend toward greater popularity & more Manufacturers enter the marketplace, especially if the largest & most popular brands do so, the price differentials will grow closer together as competition will force down pricing. Tis the beauty a free market Capitalist system.

Tanfoglio Witness Line - 10mm Auto
High Quality CZ Clone in 10mm Auto
For $400 it give you the most quality available ~$400
Definitely the best value in the sub $500 semi-auto 10mm market & it is a 15+1 ... IN 10mm

And the fascination is what?
So this same pistol in 9mm is <$250, nobody believes in .40 SW at all - ever, but because is in 10mm its $400?