chuckbradley

Doug, if you find it can you post it here. I may want to pick up an extra myself.

From what i was told they paid 75k for the mold back then. it would cost 150k today is the general consensus and why SV didnt make a new mold once they ran out, in my opinion. They now buy from STI, dont know the details. SPS makes a grip, they cant import it, every other grip is out of the STI mold.

I don't plan on building finished guns. I want to make high quality frames only, that gun builders and gunsmiths can use to build their guns on. I'd like to offer frames in standard configurations as well as custom orders. Dust cover options, extra material, better finish, custom serial numbers, Aluminum, 4140, 416.... STI sells frames also. They also sell grips separately now. If you were to build the frame alone the buyer would need a grip. If this happens(by you are somebody else) I am pretty confident the supply of grips will dry up and STI will only offer them with a complete frame or grip. This will effect most peoples purchase decision. They arent going to buy STI frame kits and also your reciever. Another thread said SV was coming out with a metal grip but at 400.00 who is going to go that route. Undoubtedly a few will but not that many. I know of another company doing an aluminum grip. Not sure how they will hold up, how they will actually perform compared to the polymer or the price. I do think it will be much higher than the polymer also. So this is the basis of saying its not a good business decision. I believe it will be time wasted you could have spent doing something else that would sell. You would be better off making barrels & slides, or even some barstock amby safeties at a reasonable price. i would sell those for you. A real 9mm breachface slide with the ejector tunnel moved to accompany the breechface. And the ejector to go along with it. I dont mean to be so negative, and I am not worried about the frame competition. STI is in a better position to compete with anybody. They already know the in/outs of machining that part. They have 18 years of experience with it(?) They are in a better position to compete on the business level also. I am worried that grip supply will disappear and I sell allot of grips , both stock and pre-stippled. Thats why I dont want to see it happen. Now if you are willing to get a mold made to do the grips then you may have something.

I have Left handed ones. Right handed blank ones with no mounting holes, and only 1 RH with holes left in stock. CR Speed has been backordered on them. I expect some more any day. Another thing that you need to look for is the screws that come with them are metric and are different than the typical 5/40 holes we use to mount scope mounts here. So I buy the 5/40 screws and put them in the package so you dont have to hassle with finding them yourself. Hope this answers the question for you.

SV was in on the original patent and has entered into some type of agreement to buy from STI. Barsto is under license from STI. They can choose who they want to sell to. I am sure Dave would sell the grips at the right price. Do not expect the price and availability to remain the same if somebody copies the frame and tries to compete with them. So some may think the competition will mean lower prices to them when in reality it may end up costing them more one way or another. If they raise the price on the grips to compensate then what happens every time you need to replace a grip? Sometimes we just dont realize when we have it good as is.

Unless they were already under a court order and were in violation of that court order. There has been some previous actions in this area in the past from what I hear. I doubt they would get arrested on the spot either though. I am surprised SPS isn't selling already if the patent has expired unless there is some rules to Importation that doesn't allow a product that competes with a US product. I am all for somebody fulfilling a dream but make it his dream and not somebody elses.

What will you do for the grip. If it gets to be an issue I can guarantee STI will either cut off grip supply(they did it before!) or make them very expensive. You cant expect them to play nice when this happens. AS cut throat as most of you are then you should expect it and understand it.

Dont think so. Plus i am usually in at Distributor level since I sell to allot of dealers. Very few things I dont buy Manufacturer direct in volume.

There are already $999.00 limited guns that they can shoot. I would like them to make $20,000 Corvette's, Ferrari's, Lamborghini's but it just isnt possible to attain that level of technology for that price. If you want a 3k guns performance for 999.00 it just isnt going to happen. Evidenced by the number of 1911's out there that are priced 500.00 to $3,000.00. The fact there are still guns priced that high doesn't mean that the top end quality will sell that cheap. When you look at the price of the frame by itself , even if it was free you are still over 999.00. Instead of thinking that you can get a frame cheaper by someone copying the design, think how you would feel if you had designed it.

Comparing apples to oranges? Competition moving forward, getting better is good. Copycat competition is what stagnates. Perhaps that's what the patent laws promote. Again make something new and revolutionary, thats what I want to see. Not more of the same. I don't think the idea is good business sense, at least considering all the variables. But then again bad business decisions are made everyday. You are just pissed over your shooting bag. Your just pissed cause I make a good point Actually since many have copied my bag it shows it can not be improved on, (we are sort stagnate here arent we ). I would rather be known as the one who was copied and still makes that design better than anybody else than to have them make something better than mine. I get more sales sine those that try the cheap copycats see how they like the design and when it falls apart they end up getting one of mine.

Comparing apples to oranges? Competition moving forward, getting better is good. Copycat competition is what stagnates. Perhaps that's what the patent laws promote. Again make something new and revolutionary, thats what I want to see. Not more of the same. I don't think the idea is good business sense, at least considering all the variables. But then again bad business decisions are made everyday.

Rich, That was the idea when STI did the Single Stack grip. Those sports disallowed them as legal. The market isnt there or STI would still be making them.

A great gun. I have a few. Even a set made back in the 50's with the long barrel with brake, field barrel and set of weights for the long barrel. I dont shoot that one. Another is set up with a clark barrel and a cmore on top. I am also partial to Colt match Targets but the 41 is the better shooter.

I am glad for Travis, he is a great person, worked hard at it and really deserves it. Well he just flat out earned it. I doubt it will be his last.

I totally agree. I am only in the initial process of doing the research. My thoughts on intellectual property and patent rights - there is a reason patents expire, it allows the inventor(s) to recover their costs and make a profit for a know amount of time. The vast majority of the parts we use in 1911 type guns were at one time under patent restrictions, but once they expired the market and competition took over. What is legal isnt always also ethical.

Barsto is making frames under license from STI.

The problem isnt the frame but the grip. The mold to make a grip is around 150k from what i hear. And why SV buys grips from STI instead of making their own. There have been some attempts at Aluminum grips but the jury is still out on them. I think the recoil impulse will be harder and they wont hold up as long as polymer. We will have to see though. The Aluminum grips will be much higher priced than the current polymer. I would instead try to find a new design that is revolutionary, like when STI's came out, instead of just copying somebody elses old design. Preferably something that would be attractive to the main stream and not just the competition market.

Watched it again. Pretty sure Kevin Carroll made national news. Couldnt ID the others.

http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/2087...=tulsa+shooting Actually had a shot of one of our local shooters who is at the match. FOX VIDEO

Forgot the gun thing. I was with the understanding you could be in the park with firearms as long as they were unloaded and locked up. We had our competition guns and a carry gun on our trip. We were not asked if we had firearms and no signs were posted about firearms. Unlike 20 years ago when they asked you upon entry if you had any. We went through several National parks. Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Badlands . Word is the director of the National Parks wants to revert the gun laws back to the state where the park is. So if the state has concealed carry and you have a permit or your permit is recognized you could carry. I looked into it before our trip. That is what he wants to do but it hadn't been implemented at that time.

I would stay at the old El Tovar. We had breakfast there on our trip this last summer. Couldnt get a room. Make reservations early. We sat literally 50 ft from the rim for Breakfast. Stayed there once when I was a kid. This time we were in one of the lodges. I am not sure there is enough to do with a whole week. Dont think your kids are old enough to ride down on burros. That is something I have never done but wish I would have. Weight limit is 200lbs for the burros so I am out for that. You can hike down also but it looks pretty strenuous. We saw allot of people on the trail the day we were there. You dont need a car while on the south rim. They have buses you can ride for free. You could take the train up but not sure they will allow luggage. Would be cool if they did. Park in Williams and ride up. Be sure to get up early for sunrise and experience both the sunrise and sunset. There are activities for youngsters to do with the rangers. They earn a junior ranger badge. Not sure if it will be going on during Spring Break. One day I want to raft down the river through the canyon.

If you like the Oakley I am pretty sure I can get them. I know I can get the boots so I dont know why I couldn't get backpacks. Let me know, I may look into it if I have time this weekend to cruise their web page. AS I have said before I just dont think there is enough demand to do a backpack. I have to make so many of them and if I did come up with a good one then everybody else will just steel the design and make it cheaply to undersell you.

Or you could try here and save some money. Tac Sports

That might be a good idea. I know I will have customers asking if they could do this. If its easy I may get CR to send me just the aluminum riser , or a kit to make a regular 1911 holster a revolver holster. Maybe if one bought a revolver holster first it would be much easier to go back to a regular 1911.

That does what the aluminum piece on a revolver holster does. Did you convert a std(1911/sti) holster and what else did you need to do? Trigger bar different, spacers for trigger guard width?