Waiting Time

[John Dunn]

Just got my Brazos Limited Gun today. Can't remember when I ordered it, but it has probably been at least 6 months. I have other guns to shoot, so the wait is not a hardship. Haven't shot the thing yet, but it is a beauty and is bank vault tight. Nice job Mr. Londrigan, thanks.

[Stratochief]

I wish a had a really good gunsmith near where I live. I'd volunteer my time just to learn how to do some of the stuff they do.

[benny hill]

When myself & dave dawson were working together at STI , we once built dave a limited sti in 40 s&w. I built the lower, dave the upper. we started w/ only a slide & frame fit, & finished & test fired the gun in the white in only 45 min. We think this is still the world record.

[Gwhiz]

Six month waiting list to get my .45 Wilson LE, ended up waiting 7 1/2. That was in 1985. The gun was everything I hoped it would be. Used the lower to shoot this years 1911 SSC.

[MoNsTeR]

When the wait gets long it's a signal to RAISE PRICES. If demand for your product exceeds what you can supply, raising your price will earn you more per unit without hurting sales, which means more profit (which is the point, right?). What's more, rising profits attract entry, meaning in this case more seasoned competition shooters getting into the 'smithing business. Competition in turn drives prices back down and reduces wait times. The end result should be more guns and less wait for all.

That this doesn't happen has me perpetually confused. The answer I expect most to give is that they don't feel it's "right" pricing people out of the market. And the current arrangement certainly is an advantage to those of us with more patience than money. But I don't find that a satisfactory answer, particularly in light of the market behavior described above. Anyone have a better idea?

(I can hear EricW rolling his eyes at me talking economics again. Get used to it! It's even on topic this time! )

[jjanglin]

I dont have the work load tha Bob or benny have-I have been doing 1911

guns for 35 years I was taught by a Warrent Officer during my career in th Navy

(Sea Bees) I took up gunsmith 12 years ago mostly to help out with poorly working guns locally. I dont have a big shop and

do everything myself-I dont rely on the Gunsmithing to make a living

I have a very good retirement.I turn out a quality gun not as Fancy

as Bob's --they work!-- my turn around time is only dictated by the

plating you want not more than two months right now.

Jim Anglin

Sailors custom Pistols

[geo]

Very Interesting post. Enjoyed the read and prespective.

At EGW we have 4 guys and My Sister one day a week to take care of some of the book work.

It is Quite a task running a one man shop. Most guys have trouble getting the bench time they would like and need to make a profit.

You put your time in going to matches and shooting.

Order parts tools cutters, Answer the phones and emails, pay the bills, do the adds, tell one investment guy one long distance company and one other sales call each day. than you get to do some work.

Blake Gann worked late at night so he wasn't disrupted wile doing his bench time.

I think we are fortunate.

Joe takes care of most of the phone calls, UPS FED ex prio mail FFL book, ordering parts, prepping parts, Applying finishes he is developing and our very limited walk in trade.

Jim Works on guns almost all the time. (occasionally we work on developing a part or fixture) He has worked with me for 12 years.

Jim 2 runs the cnc dept.

I am fortunate to work with all 3 of these guys. They take pride in there work and helped get us were we are today.

For me, My time is divided between gun work, trouble shooting, Parts development design and programing, (which Jim S. is taking over nicely)

Test firing, Email, and all the stuff the one man shops do.

We service about 20 shops doing dealer service type work. bomar cuts, Machine checkering, and we service several of the manufactures. (recently we were awarded a nice contract to make parts for a new gun due out now)

We make parts for quite a few Smith's that market them under there own name.

We have 4 lists of work

Dealer work

"Quick jobs" (oxy moron as it is up to 3 1/2 month's

Minor work over half a year

Full guns over a year.

We have about 140 guns in line for work and I can not see a way to do the work any faster or better. Like the others that Value there reputations and protect them diligently We don't intend to compromise.

Plus we have over 100 parts in Brownells.

We have 2 people that do gun work, I do not think it hurts us one bit

geo