doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SxS Restocking & Refinishing ?

NEW BUSINESS...

At 68, I consider myself too old, and too lazy, to start a new business, but have an idea that someone else may want to implement……

An opportunity exists for an entrepreneur to start an overseas business providing quality refinishing and/or restocking of American SxS shotguns. The key point being that lower labor and material costs in a third-world country would enable Americans to have their shotgun restored at one-third to one-half the cost of doing so in the U.S. Wages in these countries are often 1/4th or 1/3rd of the U.S.A. norms.

It would require a few skilled American craftsmen to lead the group, and to teach and supervise local workers the skills of stock-making, checkering, re-bluing, etc. Depending upon the country selected, attractive local woods may be available at low cost – or foreign walnut could be imported for more expensive redo’s. Pantograph usage would minimize costs.

Shotguns are a bit easier than rifles, in that only two basic patterns are needed – straight or pistol grip. The old/existing stock could serve as the basic patter, with customer specified changes to LOP, DAC, DAH, etc. being expected. Perhaps this new company might initially focus on the classic American names: Parker, Ithaca, Fox, Lefever, Remington, etc.

If a made-to-order custom specification stock could be profita ble delivered for $800, there would seem to be many U.S. buyers. Likewise, a quality reblue/blacking job for $200 would find many takers.

To minimize the import/export paperwork, a single central U.S. office could be the import/export shipping point – and order taking facility.

The current success of shotgun manufacturers in Turkey indicate that third world employees can be trained to produce quality output.

JERRY

IMO We've exported enough damn jobs overseas. I paid a skilled American Stockmaker (Doug Mann) who is a member of this forum a decent price to do some stockwork for me awhile back and I was glad to do it.
Jim

An often disscussed California stock maker is already doing it, But they are doing it here with low priced Hmong workers. Running stock duplicators, fitting stocks. finishing and checkering.

The first Purdey, Holland & Holland, Lang, Granger, Parker AHE or, whatever, that gets lost or damaged in shipping (ever shipped a gun both ways across the pond? You might as well use cocaine bundles for packing) will put you out of business for good.
Fogetaboutit.
Best,
Ted

Kimber of Oregon had the same idea 20 plus years ago. They hired a well known, about to retire, stockmaker to go to I believe Honduras to teach stockmaking to furniture makers. Hey its only wood. Didn't turn out too well.

I am of the belief that if you pay a man a good wage you get good results.Goes back to the old saying you get what you pay for.I am from the south and in the last 20 years all our textile jobs have left and gone to third world countries.I have a brother inlaw that his job is a go between for the textile co. and Walmart.He says they have nothing but problems all the time.They cant keep their quality up.They are all trained by Americans and make the cloth on American machines shipped over their.It still doesnt work.In their culture quality is not a high priority .Volume is.Make it fast and cheap.I think it would turn out to be the same with gun work.Also dont you think it would be a nightmare trying to find out where your gun is and what was going on with it.

Interesting concept. In theory not bad. In reality no way IMO. The only way this works is possibly in the semi-finished stock business for classic type doubles in the category of Winchester Model 24, Fox Sterlingworth, Model 311, etc. The kind of stuff Boyd (I think) still does. If the walnut is decent and the quality is fair and the price is good, there might be market. Anything beyond that it just doesn't work IMO.

All I can say is; There is no-way in h*ll that I would possibly consider sending one of my SxS's off to some third world country to be worked on by some third world peasant.

I have a hard enough time convincing myself to ship one off to a high caliber American craftsman.

I'm with the others in that I feel we have already exported too many American jobs to other countries and we are presently starting to pay the price for doing so.

Enough is Enough!

Great idea as long as we get to go along..In Turkey they actually kill criminals, not elect them.........

Gentleman;

Kimber of Oregon didn't outsource any stockwork after 1980. However Kimber of America did when they moved to NY(which then became Kimber Mfg, Inc.) The stock shop had been moved to Costa Rica. Three of my good friends went back more than three visits each to retrain new workers due to turn over rates. One is a member of the ACGG, another is the owner of a custom gunmaking firm here in OR, and other is a stockmaker/business owner in his own right working with competition clay shooters. All of these people went independantly to train people to do what was suggested in the thread topic. NONE stayed with the program long enough to make money for the owner.
I am told Kimber makes its stocks now somewhere here in the USA. NOT a for sure source of imforation but not too unreliable.
Oh, I worked for Kimber of Oregon for six years(06-81 to 07-87) and put the finish on almost every stock made in that time period....for better or worse.