You own the Company: What to produce?

[Owen]

Economist,

I know where there is one! It's buried under the east footing of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'll let you dig it up, right after you buy the bridge from me.

 

[Lupinus]

Quality guns anyone could afford. Not everyone has an easy time finding 600+ to spend on a gun and 100% reliable reasonably accurat guns should not be availible only to people with a good bit of cash floating around.

 

[Zach S]

Basic ARs, 1911s maybe a few other assorted other items.

1911s would be pretty simple. Take something like a mil-spec springer (not a GI), get the trigger down to a clean 4.25lb break, and offer a few options.

Novak's or Yost Retro sights.
GI or beavertail safety.
Single or ambi safety.
Rail or no rail.
Wood or rubber grips.
Stainless, blued, or parkerized.


ARs would be simple too.

I would offer 20" and 16" barrels, chome lining, 1:7 twist, 1/2x28 threads, government or medium contour profiles. To keep it simple, they'ed all have M4 feedrams (one bbl extension and one upper for all the rifles, makes it easier for me to order from my supplier). Gappers and would also be standard. All would be A3.

For 16" uppers, you'd have a choice between CAR and midlength, and I'll offer both as a dissipator style upper.

20" uppers wouldnt have any options.

A1 or A2 carry handle (both with a same-plane sight), or no carry handle at all. Maybe an A1 verson of RRA Dominator II mount. No point in trying to satify everyone by offering lots of options. Too much inventory for me to keep up with.

A2 or M4 stock. Again, too much inventory.

A2 grip, or an A2 grip minus the finger groove. Again, too much inventory.

If you want me to leave something out/off so you can install something you've got or something I dont offer (like a RRA trigger, LMT bolt assembly, DD forend, etc), that wont be a problem and I'll knock a few bucks off the price.

Being a one-man show, I wouldnt advertise. If I do a good job at building guns, it may keep the business in somewhere between paying bills and me pulling my hair out.

I would call my company KISS Firearms. If you want a tacticool rifle, you can put that crap on there yourself, which is what most of us do anyway...

 

[Atticus]

I'd like to own the right to manufacture the Remington Nylon 66. They are great rifles, and the timing would be perfect to pitch them to a new generation of yoing shooters and their 35-45 year old nostalgia hungry parents.

 

[wooderson]

I would say quality rimfires (priced above the Ruger/Browning/Savage rimfire offerings but below $1000+), but I'm not sure if it's a viable arena.

ie Volquartsen-quality semi-autos without the Starship Troopers look. Sniperific M40A1 clones (one already exists, for $2500+). Top-shelf ARs in 22 and .17. Full-sized combat-style pistols without the issues of a P22 or Mosquito (perhaps licensed from certain manufacturers - does HK have any desire to sell their own? does Glock? Will they let me copy their basic design for a fee? Will they hire me to build them and then sell them through their current distro network?). DA revolvers from 2" to 8".

Is there enough of a market for that compared to what's already on the shelves (except for the .17HMR AR, which I want yesterday)? Will more people pay 'real-gun' money for a .22lr as ammo prices climb?

 

[Geronimo45]

Old-fashioned outsides with modern metal insides.

A Bren gun in 5.56 Nato or .308 that used either AR mags or FAL mags. Might have one in 12 gauge - the original gun fed rimmed cartridges pretty well.

Mauser Broomhandle in some really powerful calibers - as a haul-around-in-case-of-zombie-kodiak-bears gun. Calibers? 10mm, 8mm Magnum (7.65 Tokarev, but would happily take extra hot & spicy SMG ammo), .45... might make one that would take DEagle mags - for feeding .50 AE, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum.

A Mauser HSc. Such a pretty little beastie - needs to be made afresh. In 9mm Mak. Or even the 5.7x28mm caliber.... though the grip would probably be too small.

CZ-75ish clone in '8mm Magnum' - a doublestack gun. Available with or without a tac rail.

A BAR in .223.

Oh, and a ZH-29 - would take FAL mags as well. I like the way it tapers off as you get closer to the muzzle. Just enough 'tacticool' to make it sell... might have it be a high-accuracy piece.
http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl23-e.htm

Walther 2000 copy.

 

[spooney]

I would design a bolt action .223 with an Enfield syle bolt that took AR-15 mags and mimiced the ergonomics of the AR system as closely as possible. I would sell one to all 2.5 million California gun owners.

 

[shooter503]

Upgraded Winchester 74.
It would leave the Ruger 10/22 in the dust.

 

[Brian Williams]

Rook Rifles. Very accurate single shots in 22lr, 32S&W(H&RMag), 38 spec, any straight walled cartridge and receiver sights on the gun with scope blocks. Set up competitions 50, 100, 175, and 200 meters.
I would call them 2K rifles, 2 kilograms, 2000 fps or lower, 1 meter long, Falling block action similar to a 1885 win LowWall.
Suppressors or Mufflers would be a big part of this class of rifle, it would be great for varmint/pest control in suburbia.

 

[shooter503]

Great Brian,
The old British small Martini action where the whole mechanism could be dropped out by removing one screw (the Model 12 I think) would be superb. Only problem with this action is that it is difficult to add a scope, it needs a scout type mounting.

I have this rifle in each of 22LR, 5.6x50R, 300 Sherwood and 357 Magnum. Because of the narrow stock and light weight the 357 Magnum version loaded to rifle ballistics is "quite a kick".

In case you young things are not familiar with the Winchester 74 mentioned in my previous post it is a 13 round 22LR semi-auto from the 40s - 50s. Very accurate and quite simple. I wonder if there is any sort of copyright held by Winchester?

 

[pjr1960]

For my "not in your wildest dreams" entry: how about a modern "double action" "top break" version of the "LeMat" done up in stainless? A central 20ga tube surrounded by a moon clip full of 10 rds or so of 357mag sounds just about right.

For my "reality finally arrives" entry: how about a modern "double action" "top break" revolver in either blue or stainless, interchangable fixed or adjustable rear sights, interchangable front sights, that accepts moon clips and is chambered in your choice of 357mag, 41mag, 44mag, 45acp, or 45lc? You'd also need interchangable barrel lengths (like a Dan Wesson) and a straight line grip frame (like a GP100) for interchangable grips. Frame sizes could be small (5 shot 357mag), medium (7 shot 357mag, 5 shot for others), and large (8 or more shot .357mag, 6-7 shot for others).

 

[darkwing]

The Savage 99 , Win 94

 

[cslinger]

You know I have always wanted to be able to buy pellet firing replicas of real firearms. Something powered either by spring or compressed air but firing actual pellets through a quality rifled barrel. Airsoft is much to inaccurate for what I am going for. I just think that being able to practice on a real Remington 700 only firing a pellet would be both fun and great training, or an M1 Garand or an AR15 etc.

Other than that I would make domestic versions of the SIG 55x series, the real ones not the 556.

Chris

 

[fattsgalore]

I've always thought about this.
I'd make professional guns, real heavy duty battle weapons. Definatly a Hi-cap 45 would be somewhere in my line. Also a M16 style weapon chambered in the Kalishnokof 7.62.
I'd also produce a Hi-cap .50GI.(The 50GI is a real round it is a 50 caliber pistol round in a shell shorter then a 45, look it up if you don't belive me)
Something along the lines of the pistol in the Halo games. Sounds stupid but thats what I would do.

For the civilain market I'd probally make competant clones of popular guns so the average man/ woman can own a fine piece without spend the kids inheritance.

 

[ozwyn]

PJR1960 was reading my mind.

I was thinking of a le-mat type revolver in .40, 10mm or .357 with a top break action, or a new line of "so ugly its purdy" webley style revolvers.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

100% accurate Replica WWII Firearms. Not for collectors items but as rifles for the guy who just wants to shoot. This way you can say you have a pristine K98-Mosin-Thompson-Bren and not have to worry about the bore/crown what have you

 

[Fletchette]

Interesting thread!

I think there is a market for affordable priced "fun guns":

-A modern reproduction of the Webley break open revolvers (ala "Indiana Jones"). Design could be modernized, but it has to break open for the coolness factor.

-COP-type 4-barreled derringer, with a redesigned trigger and more comfortable handle. This woul appeal to all the "Blade Runner" fans.

-Scandium .32 H&R magnum revolver. This is more of a practical carry gun for people who don't get to shoot much. It would be small and light enough to carry all the time and not kick too much for smaller statured people. Basically, it would be a revolver that would be better than a .25 auto.

-Lastly, a modern well-designed black powder survival gun. Not a reproduction, but a modern gun designed to be independant of any and all ammo shortages. If you have lead and matches, you've got ammo. It could be over-built like the Ruger "Old Army" line so that in cannot be overcharged with powder.

 

[falling leaves]

Spooney - I like your thinking. How about doing an AR-15 style rifle with a short stroke pump upper? Use a system very similar to a short stroke gas piston, just actuated by the off hand instead of expanding propelant. Make the lower just different enough to NOT be a real AR reciever. It would accept all AR tacti-fun accesories, AR mags, etc, but it would not be semi-auto. Might be a market there - Remington obviously thinks so (5.56 7600P anyone?).

I think anything reliable to compete with the P3AT would find a receptive pool of buyers. I would also want to do a very small 9/40/45 with a non-Browning action. I'm thinking of something to lower the bore axis and try to spread out the recoil impulse to make it a softer shooter. Of course everything would have to be tested extensively to make sure it won't break.

Before you break the flame throwers out, I am a card carrying member of the Cult of JMB. My card is oddly enough almost indistinguishable from a P-35 (the slide and barrel are shorter than He originally intended). I just think that there may be a way to make something work that is more shooter friendly in the very tight confines of a pocket auto.

 

[jeff-10]

If I could get the rights to make them and be true to the original I believe you could make quite a bit of money off the: Bren Ten, Colt Python and H&K P9/P9S.

Like other people always mention I would make a 10mm version of the Ruger PCs. Glock 20 magazine is a good idea. Also if possible a magazine fed 44 and 357 magnum version. With 20 round magazines available.

Affordable box fed semi's in 8x57 and 7.62x54 (non-military looking). Quality made FN FNCs.

I could fill up pages and pages if someone could convince Congress to let us register newly made machine guns...

 

[Jubjub]

I'd set up to make guns like Dell makes computers.

Say you want a left handed short action .260 with ghost ring backup sights and a scout scope mount in a brown laminate stock. Go to the web site, pick that out, and we bolt one together for you and ship it to your FFL. I'd sell bolt guns in all the action sizes that CZ does, in right and left hand, tang safety, with interchangeable barrels like you can do on a Savage, an adjustable trigger, box or detachable magazine, sight and stock options, etc. Many options, no inventory.

Same thing with auto pistols. A few frame sizes, a few slide lengths, a few calibers, some sight and trigger options. Check the boxes that you want on the site, we build you one.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Halo guns.

EBR Inc