Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
|
Post by Dracul on Nov 1, 2014 1:53:23 GMT -5
They finally got these in. In my opinion, kind of pricey for just rubber, but for those who can't build or lack the skill for, best thing out there for it. www.shootandscoot.co.uk/shop/rubber-g34-top-action/If I ever attempt another G43 conversion, I'm dropping the cash on this.
|
|
|
Post by insterburger on Nov 1, 2014 8:10:42 GMT -5
That's a tough call... one side of me says, "Yeah it's pricey, but what else are you going to do? You can do cheaper, but it'll be a ton of work and no guarantees what it will look like. This at least is easy and will fit."
The other side says, "Yeah, it looks pretty nice, but are you really prepared to drop that kind of scratch on a conversion that will never look quite right in the other details (stock, mag, etc.) anyway?"
I'd definitely be a player at a slightly lower price, right now I guess I would have to see how I feel once I start a G43 build. But with two 98k's to do, an M1 springer upgrade in the pipeline, and repair work to one of my MP44's, that could be a while.
Thanks for the info!
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Nov 1, 2014 13:21:39 GMT -5
The thing to keep in mind when looking at his cost is to remember that it is going to be a low volume sell item. He will probably do well to sell 150 of them while his molds last and the cost in time resources and effort has to be built into the retail price on these small volume sales. His materials cost on each item is very low but thats not what he has to recoup.
I wish him well and hope he makes a ton of money on them as it will encourage other niche projects that support our hobby. By the time I paid for shipping from the UK I am afraid it would be outside my budget and I feel fairly comfortable I can fashion something comparable lthough to save time it would probably be smart to just buy his part.
|
|
Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
|
Post by Dracul on Nov 1, 2014 13:34:02 GMT -5
Should have thought of it like that.
Either way, this does make a lot more G43 conversions more plausible now. Its always was a costly thing, especially with the shorty M14 mags being expensive and all, but this would definitely add much more legitimacy to the M14 conversions. As I said, if I'm to ever start another G43 project, I'm more than willing to drop the money on that.
|
|
|
Post by insterburger on Nov 1, 2014 14:09:36 GMT -5
John, great explanation of the cost, and of course he has to sell these at a price that justifies his effort. But on such low-volume pieces that price may be higher than many would-be customers are willing to go. There may be an ideal price point somewhere, but it might be difficult to find on something like this. And honestly, there may be NO price point that makes sense for both him and his customers. But this seems more like a labor of love than a shrewd business venture anyway.
|
|
2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
|
Post by 2nd Bat on Nov 1, 2014 15:34:28 GMT -5
Indeed. i suspect Shoot n Skoot is first and foremost a means to support a hobby he loves. Based on the offerings he obviously has his finger on the pulse of what his market wants. I get the feeling if he feels he can break even on things folks need and make money on things people want he probably takes the risk to make things happen. I guarantee he is NOT getting rich in the process but hoefully is getting by. its obviously he loves what he is doing and whenever you are able to do that "Rich" becomes a subjective word.
The sheer range of his offerings is impressive and through that variety of offerings he probably manages to put food on the table, pay his rent and a few employees and invest in further offerings. One of the skariest things about our hobby is not knowing what is around the corner by way of competition. When I was doing my conversion Garands I hesitated to invest much by way of tooling that could allow me to bring down my price point because 1. i never really knew how big the marketplace was or how many rifles I might end up selling? 2. What would demand be at $350.oo vs $560.00? 3. How soon will a competitor Chinese offering come out that would be superior at a lower price point that I could meet?
Shoot n Skoot had a kit to turn AKs into pseudo MP44s. it was a decent stop gap when nothing affordable was available. (I always though a G36 would have been a better base but nevermind). right after he introduced the kit the AGM MP 44 came out. All his design effort, tooling and ramp up was lost. He no doubt lost thousands on that. Those inevitable costs when you take risks also have to be factored into your pricing if you plan to keep your doors open.
Look at all the DIY enterprises n this forum that started out ambitiously and with seemingly great promise who quickly discovered that hourly you can make more at Macdonalds. fortunately most (though not all) eventually came through with the promised items but faded quickly from the marketplace. these types of projects are far more costly and time consuming than most of us appreciate. I loved making and shipping my Garands and other custom guns but my goal all along was to demonstrate to the main manufacturers that a market was there so the products I WANTEDwould eventually become available.
At this point an affordable springer Kar 98 that doesn't eject shells and has decent power, an under $600.00 30 Cal, and a good G43 are the biggest holes.
|
|