What's the primary driving force behind gun companies producing problematic guns?

[tn1911]

The Glock brass to face issue is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Why don't they fix it?

Is it just not possible without a complete redesign of the existing gun?

Or do they not care because people are still buying it by the boat loads?

[Slater]

I've heard it said on more than one occasion that "Colt is producing the best 1911's they ever have". I'm not sure what justifies that, or if it's even accurate since I'm not a 1911 guy (yet).

[Ned Christiansen]

This in my opinion is spot on:

"due to cost or a desire to push a product out the door before it's ready?

Is this purely money driven?"

All of those things. Guns should be better than ever but as in all other industries you will see new design and manufacturing methods and new materials that are far superior to anything prior being applied to make it not better, but at a lower manufacturing cost. I believe the lower cost part is doabl;e while creating better quality products but it's like the "cheaper" part snowballs until it gains such momentum that "better" or even "almost as good as before" is pushed to a second place so distant they can't even see it any more.

[T2C]

For some manufacturers, I believe quality control is better than it was 30 years ago. Anyone who served with a large agency and was issued a second or third generation S&W service pistol in the 1980's or 1990's would agree.

[Rockyriver]

Money and as always putting out a product as cheaply as you can to maximize profits.
However I think that the Internet also plays a role in blowing things out of proportion and making mountains out of mole hills on small issues with guns. Now everyone can communicate and connect with other gun owners to tell of their experiences with models.
In return people love to gripe and make things seem worse than they are.

[BBossman]

Products designed on computers by focus groups, refined by bean counters, assembled from mass produced parts by semi-skilled labor for gullible end users looking for "style" at a price point.

We are seeing the gun industry turning into the auto industry.

[Aries144]

The top end in business are focused on the bottom line and having ego parties at clubs during off hours. The engineers are more motivated to pass blame than to acknowledge and address problems that could damage their careers or complicate their day to day working lives, and the laborers doing QC are hourly workers who don't know anything about the product other than what's on their checklist who have daily quotas to meet to avoid the threat of job loss.

No one really cares about a problem with the product unless it affects the prestige of the company, the individual careers of those designing the products, or the wages of the laborers. When the brand is threatened, it's far cheaper and easier to ignore the problem, blame the end user for being incompetent or pedantic, and/or wait for the fanboys to come out of the woodwork to downplay the issue.

The lacking ingredient is personal interest in the product.

[ralph]

The Glock brass to face issue is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Why don't they fix it?

Is it just not possible without a complete redesign of the existing gun?

Or do they not care because people are still buying it by the boat loads?

I'd guess they don't care because they sell boatloads of them.. Out of 4 Glocks I own or have owned, (3g19's, (1gen3, bought and sold a few months later, worst pistol I've ever owned) 2 gen4's, 1gen4 g17)all but the g17 needed a Apex extractor, I'm down to 2 Glocks now, A gen 4 g19, and the g17, I traded off the other gen 4 g19 for a NIB HK USP compact, (LEMgun) that worked out well,and when the CZ P-10 c came out, I bought one when I could find one. Once it was broke in, I put the g19 in the safe and have'nt looked back, it's nice not to get brass thrown at you..At this point, I don't see myself getting rid of the Glocks I have, but by the same token, I don't plan on buying a Glock again..Barring some huge improvment that solves the ejection issue, I'm done with them.

[LMT Shooter]

I kinda think part (not all of it, and maybe not even most of it, but some) of this is Internet- and gun magazines, which are also far more common than years ago- hysteria. Like the post above about older S&W pistols, there have always been problem pistols (and other guns, too), but now EVERYBODY knows about it, and in some cases the problem is not as great as it is made out to be.

[Tomahawk_Ghost]

This is not unique to the firearms industry. All publicly traded companies are expected to increase profits for their investors. If the gun industry doesn't to it for an investor then they move to tech companies to maximize their portfolio.