Larry, the fact that the Turks have made the inroads they have in the American market, without the help of a big name American gun company speaks volumes. They have basically done it "on their own". Wait, just wait.
SRH
Their low end timing was very good, Stan. The Turkish guns started showing up just about the time the Spanish were "moving on up", to quote the line from "The Jeffersons". And as I noted, they've now bumped up to the $2,000 neighborhood--give or take a little--and seem to be successful. But it's a gradual process. When they tried to make the jump from guns in the 3 figure range to $5,000 Kimber sidelocks . . . that didn't work at all. Mainly because there were well-established Spanish makers (like AyA) selling sidelocks with a solid track record for less. But given the current market, now there's room for a good sidelock. Maybe not quite $5K, but if they can do it in the $3-4k range, where there's essentially no competition . . . might be time to make that jump.
Maybe it's time for an American gun writer or two to visit Turkey and speak glowingly of the skilled craftsmen, as they did when Spanish guns ceased being regarded as cheap junk. But the Basques aren't Muslims. The Turks do have that hurdle to clear.
