@overkill8000
I feel your pain - a few on this board are not respectful of other's intellectual property, the know-how of the methods and ways of doing something.
What people in the real world consider "trade secrets." But when you post the how-to information, then anyone can use and not attribute nor compensate you,
The essence of the blue-sky value for those who actually put their money where their mouth is, have an idea, source things, coordinate the compliance issues and bring them to the market.
This is a free market with willing buyers and sellers making their own choice as to what to buy and at what price. Our country is not a commune where those who accomplish little enjoy the fruits of the labor of those who accomplish much. I could be flippant and say move to another country, unfortunately totalitarian / communist states are not much on private ownership of firearms, so you will be OL in pretty much the entire rest of the world. Market anomolies create arbitrage opportunity.
The price of corn as varied from under $5 a bushel to over $8 a bushel in the last few years. The market worked. Did anyone accuse farmers of being rip-offs because corn about doubled in price?
SDMR rails sold for over $1000 2 years ago, now readily available at $450.
Other prices are way up such as the Aimpoint mount and sunshades. Supply and demand, plain and simple.