How many smiths are behind because of the Virus?
- Thread starter Link
- Start date
That’s what I would guess. My spot in the backlog finally came up. I’m getting a rifle built, but it was paid for before all this started.
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
We have one of them that is well known on this forum. He was scheduled for surgery and now it is on hold. He will be working on his back log.
It's certainly affected my business but it's allowed me to get caught up on lots of work. I use to keep a long back log but I swore I wouldn't let it get like that again. That's a good thing until times like now. I never worried about slow downs because I had so much back log, that I would never feel a slowdown for a long period of time. Now, I don't want to have that sort of back log but kinda wish I had more, not knowing how long this is going to drag on.
Tuner sales have slowed but not stopped. I was on another record year pace until this.
Again, not knowing how long this will drag on, I'll be running a leaner inventory but I don't anticipate any issues with supplying product either upon ordering or within a very reasonable time. I strongly suspect other businesses, of virtually all types, will be doing similarly.
I'm certainly far from wealthy but am fortunate to be able to sustain for a good bit without any problem. In part, because inventory is overhead and overhead is capital. Living capital is paramount. I am in a better position to be back at capacity faster than in the past and business hasn't stopped, just slowed for me.
It has probably pushed my new lighter tuner model back some, as well as another new product that I plan to make in the near future. Again, just watching expenses more closely.
All in all...This too shall pass and I think we are all looking forward to that day.
I think lead times, when this is over, may be better from many of the custom builders and companies that we depend on. But for now, we all just have to get through what's at hand and survive, both as businesses and human beings.
On the bright side, we should all have time to get out there and tune up our equipment and our shooting skills..and be ready for whenever we can get back to having matches.
Tuner sales have slowed but not stopped. I was on another record year pace until this.
Again, not knowing how long this will drag on, I'll be running a leaner inventory but I don't anticipate any issues with supplying product either upon ordering or within a very reasonable time. I strongly suspect other businesses, of virtually all types, will be doing similarly.
I'm certainly far from wealthy but am fortunate to be able to sustain for a good bit without any problem. In part, because inventory is overhead and overhead is capital. Living capital is paramount. I am in a better position to be back at capacity faster than in the past and business hasn't stopped, just slowed for me.
It has probably pushed my new lighter tuner model back some, as well as another new product that I plan to make in the near future. Again, just watching expenses more closely.
All in all...This too shall pass and I think we are all looking forward to that day.
I think lead times, when this is over, may be better from many of the custom builders and companies that we depend on. But for now, we all just have to get through what's at hand and survive, both as businesses and human beings.
On the bright side, we should all have time to get out there and tune up our equipment and our shooting skills..and be ready for whenever we can get back to having matches.
Kurz
Silver $$ Contributor
It's an interesting change to our normal work pattern, that's for sure. We're down from 40 calls a day to 2 or less. This is allowing us to finish projects, start new ones and have some time to investigate other ideas which have come up. The daily pressure of getting projects finished is reduced enough to give a feeling of having some breathing space. Projects still arrive by UPS and FEDEX so there's no danger of not having anything to do. We've even found a little time to just sip a cup of coffee and discuss schedules ahead of time. 
No weekends or nights for the time being. I'm going to head down to the desert to get some extended range shooting in for a change. New loads to test, rifles to break in, scopes to check and do a little camping and cooking with this great weather we're having. Tough work but someone has to do it! Besides, I'm practicing the ultimate social distancing since there probably won't be another person within 50 miles of me.
I hope you all stay well and that we stand up to this as Americans always have. Face it down and defeat it!
No weekends or nights for the time being. I'm going to head down to the desert to get some extended range shooting in for a change. New loads to test, rifles to break in, scopes to check and do a little camping and cooking with this great weather we're having. Tough work but someone has to do it!
Besides, I'm practicing the ultimate social distancing since there probably won't be another person within 50 miles of me.I hope you all stay well and that we stand up to this as Americans always have. Face it down and defeat it!
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Im getting farther behind because im having to work twice as much on my regular job and bored people think of more projects so the gun business is up alot. Guess my customers are not losing much income if any
group therapy
Gold $$ Contributor
im in the process of having 2 knives custom made. the knife maker came by our restaurant yesterday and told me my knives would be ready sooner than expected(he had told me around September initially) because quite a few peeps had called and cancelled their orders
(bad for him but he still has a lot of work). I can only imagine that the gun world is in the same kinda boat in general. folks worried about letting go of their $ when they aint sure if they will need it to buy $$$$$$ toilet paper
(he had told me around September initially) because quite a few peeps had called and cancelled their orders(bad for him but he still has a lot of work). I can only imagine that the gun world is in the same kinda boat in general. folks worried about letting go of their $ when they aint sure if they will need it to buy $$$$$$ toilet paper
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
I was busy with yalls flooding until one day i heard about this pandemic in china. I had a feeling it wasnt going to be good for anybody. The great depression taught everybody to be very frugal. That trickles down to everybody that takes in moneyim in the process of having 2 knives custom made. the knife maker came by our restaurant yesterday and told me my knives would be ready sooner than expected
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
The retail gun business is going out of sight at this time.
My auto repair business is about dead, but the building and land is paid off. Utilities ain't much, but we have a little bit to cover all my employees salaries for a couple months. Gotta take care of them as they have taken care of me for 40yrs.
My auto repair business is about dead, but the building and land is paid off. Utilities ain't much, but we have a little bit to cover all my employees salaries for a couple months. Gotta take care of them as they have taken care of me for 40yrs.
While I have always appreciated quality gunsmiths, I really had no idea what they did until I got my own lathe and milling machine two years ago. Since then my appreciation for good gunsmiths has increased dramatically.
First, it is expensive just to buy the equipment. I spent about $11k for a good quality lathe and milling machine. For me that was the major expense because I am only concerned about chambering a few calibers and building rifles on BAT and M-70 actions. However, a real gunsmith needs to be able to chamber for many of types of actions in dozens of calibers. Having the tooling for all that dwarfs the cost of the lathe and mill.
Next, they need to be able to crank out high quality work fast enough to cover their costs. While I have figured out how to make a good chamber and crown, I certainly couldn't make any money at it. And while I can inlet a stock that is functional and stable, a customer would not be happy with how it looked.
Finally, there are the requests like "chamber these two barrels and make the chambers exactly the same." That sounds reasonable enough until you try to do that. Getting both within .001" is not so tough. Making them exactly the same can take a long time.
So anyway, hats off to gunsmiths!
First, it is expensive just to buy the equipment. I spent about $11k for a good quality lathe and milling machine. For me that was the major expense because I am only concerned about chambering a few calibers and building rifles on BAT and M-70 actions. However, a real gunsmith needs to be able to chamber for many of types of actions in dozens of calibers. Having the tooling for all that dwarfs the cost of the lathe and mill.
Next, they need to be able to crank out high quality work fast enough to cover their costs. While I have figured out how to make a good chamber and crown, I certainly couldn't make any money at it. And while I can inlet a stock that is functional and stable, a customer would not be happy with how it looked.
Finally, there are the requests like "chamber these two barrels and make the chambers exactly the same." That sounds reasonable enough until you try to do that. Getting both within .001" is not so tough. Making them exactly the same can take a long time.
So anyway, hats off to gunsmiths!
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Very little has changed for me. I think some have decide to hold off but some have definitely had some extra time to plan new projects. I feel lucky to be able to deal with what I consider to be true Americans, and the general feeling I get is that most understand this will pass. No doubt this is serious, but we will pull out of it, and I think quickly. In the long run, I hope we can learn from it. Who are our friends and who are not. Depending on China like we do has never been smart IMO. I have always tried very hard to buy American, but from now on its very serious, we need our manufacturing back.
Last edited:
Kieth, Too many heavy guns and too much equipment moving, I hope you can get them fixed.... jim
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.