We had misinformation on the IWA Show Booth number. The correct number is 3-519, not 3-621.

Looking forward to seeing you all there. Prearranged appointments through Pauletta would be appreciated. Once again, we will not be acting as “pack mules” and hand carrying your orders to you. They will be shipped as usual. If you have any small warrantee “swap outs”, let us know. We might carry a handful of parts.

We thoroughly enjoyed the (after the SHOT Show) visits from Karl Prommersberger (Germany) and Richard Ong (Singapore) here at the factory. If you know them, ask them what they thought of us. If ya’ don’t know them, just Email them and introduce yourselves. They’re great people.

The new gun catalogue, description sheet, and parts flyer are now available. They went over very well at the show. Some nice new pictures, some are unchanged. Remember, three of the new pistols will not be available until 3rd quarter. (RangeMaster, TargetMaster, Duty One)

Just a reminder about our new “Tactical” frame series. These are being sold as complete guns only for the time being. Please don’t harass your Sales contact about them. They’re not available as kits yet. Nor as Short Blocks. Nor Slide to Frame Fits. If the reception they received at the show was any indication of things to come, we may never catch up enough to sell them that way.

To use an old Texas phrase, the SHOT Show was “a down home, butt kickin’ success”. We’ve been back here a full five days now and still do not have all orders entered.

When we finish that very pleasant chore, we’ll go on to starting the process of qualifying and classifying all of the new Distributor and Dealer type folks that we met there.

We added (provisionally) Distributors in at least eight new (for us) countries. In some countries, more than one. We had conversations with at least 200 new (to us) U.S. Dealers and at least two new U.S. Distributors.

I had only forecast an approximate 11% growth rate for 2003. I think we’ll beat it. If things get a little tight in manufacturing, it may be necessary for us to focus on complete gun orders. If that happens there may not be enough of our standard Frame Kit/ SFF/Short Block product to go around. No problem yet, at all, but those lead times may start to string out a little. If that happens, those who have been ordering guns will get priority. Old customers (friends) will get priority over new players (acquaintances). Remember, though, that we are still only working a single shift and have, when necessary, gone to two.

For you who couldn’t make the Show in Orlando, you missed a great new venue. STI would have no objection to going there again. It’s more expensive than Vegas, but Orlando is geared to handle crowds bigger than us and the Convention Center itself is magnificent.

Our thanks to the Media for the “Show Off Award” and I’m sure that you will be seeing more of the object of their attention. IT WAS JUST A JOKE. We have no intention to manufacture.

Sell a bunch. Do good. Have fun. Not necessarily in that order!