This will probably be my “Year End” report. Since we chose not to introduce any new products this past year we had time to do many of the things that we had fallen behind on. Catch up on production. Streamline factory operations. Develop and introduce accessories and options to the 1911 line to bring it more inline with what we do with the 2011’s. Add requested products. Develop a more long-term marketing strategy. Develop new markets for existing products. Tool up for additional growth. Get our website and price lists current to reflect what we actually do and charge. Only the website updates and the price lists are lacking at this point. (Clue: the website is NOT the fault of the Webmaster.) Hopefully this will all be complete by the end of the year.

Remember!!!! We will, as always, be closed for the Holidays the last two weeks of this year. If there are things that you just MUST HAVE, get them ordered now and let us know your problems. There will be NO skeleton staff to even answer the phone during that period. Last day open in 2003: December 19! First day open in 2004: January 5!

The three latest pistols are now shipping in quantity. The RangeMaster, TargetMaster, and Duty One have been well received. We planned this one right and have an adequate inventory of components to meet delivery requests.

Our manufacturing folks and gunsmiths have done a hell of a job. Lead times are back in the 4-5 week time frame. Watch our online inventory of guns in the safe grow now. I expect to see approximately 200 there by the end of the year. We will relaunch the LS and BLS into production in November. Shipments should resume in December. Thank you for you patience while we caught up.

Now that we have been selling Trojan style “Slide to Frame Fits” and “Short Blocks”, along with the “Bucket of Parts”, domestically for a period, we are expanding this offer to Canada and Australia . (Bucket of Parts = Frame, slide, barrel. All unfit.) Again, these are with ramped frames and barrels only. Bull or Bushing. Please see the price list for options.

We are also taking heat from other gun manufacturers’ to sell the “Master” series frame to them on an OEM basis. If we decide to do that, do you guys see a market through your sales channels? Should I try to develop a Distributor/Dealer/Retail price structure? Would your volumes make it worthwhile? Obviously, if we do this we’ll phase it into one market at a time so as to not represent a lead-time that we can’t meet. If we do this, should we add SFF and Short Blocks to the “Master” offering?

The installation and implementation of the new computer system, hardware and software, seems to be going more smoothly than anticipated, especially in light of all the other things we are accomplishing at the same time. This should make all of our lives easier.

“Please check our website very closely for your website and Email listing.” I’ve asked this of you several times now. Several of you have added or changed things that we are unaware of. Some of you may not even be listed. If you are not utilizing the resources that we offer to the maximum, you are short changing yourself. Feel free to contact our Webmaster directly with these changes.

We heard no major negatives from you guys, so we’re going to discontinue stainless slides, frames, and guns at the end of the year. We have inventory on hand to do just a few more. At the end of this year, or when parts run out, we will discontinue the Viper and the Ranger. The VIP will become a two-tone gun. The slide will be blue steel over a clear anodized frame. The Ranger II will become an all blue gun. The Tactical Lite will be blued steel over a black anodized frame. It may take us a little bit of time to get our act together on the anodizing, but we think it will be worth it to offer you guys a better product. Prices on all of the above will not be affected.

While we’re on the subject of finishes, we decided to add two more to our current offering. One will be the “bake on” finish that is becoming so popular. Very good corrosion resistance and wear properties. Several colors are available. This will add about a week to your lead-time and add some, but not a huge amount to the price. The other will be “Black T” from Mr. Birdsong. The cost is about the same as hard chrome, but the lead-time is indeterminate. We’ll be able to quote you prices and build times but actual delivery will be gated by the process lead-time as determined by our vendor. Since this is a proprietary process, there is nothing that we can do about it.

So much for finishes, let’s go on to “add on” parts and new gun options. We have now developed and are offering STI aluminum triggers for our 1911 series. You can see them on the website installed on the RangeMaster and Target Master. We have also developed a couple of new mag wells for the 1911’s. One is narrow and matches our “thin grip” series. One is wider to match the standard grip width of the 1911. Blue only unless the gun is hard chromed. For the Canadians and Australians who are now limited to ten round magazines, we have a “weighted, extended” base pad. Primarily for use in “2011” style race guns with large mag wells. All four are pretty neat and earn a real “tip of the hat” to our Mr. Watson.

We are adding the PPC style “tri-level” sight to the list of options available on the RangeMaster, the 5” Trojan, and the 6” Trojan. It is standard on the TargetMaster.

Also for the 10 round countries, including the U.S., we now have a very good ten round magazine. No cuts, no dimples, really holds and feeds 10 rounds. It took a new 100-ton press to reliably make it but it sure is crisp.

For the countries that cannot hand load, we have now developed a TruBor in .40S&W and .45ACP. We are offering this in the GrandMaster, only, right now.

STI jackets should be available in November.

We are now building a “Holster Source List” for STI guns. Please let us know about the items you are recommending. We’ll post them on the website.

On California: We still have approval to sell the “CA Trojan” and the “CA Edge”. If Senate Bill 659 passes, as it is expected to, we’ll go back into production on these items.

O.K.! We fibbed! We have produced a couple new prototypes this year. Both are “shorty” race guns. One has only a 3.9” slide and is chambered in .38Super. (It almost fits in the “Modified” box.) The other is a 4.15” model chambered in 9mm. We’ve developed a RecoilMaster that allows the owner to shoot either standard, out of the box 9mm ammunition or his own hand loads that make “Major” power factor. Not sure that there is a large enough market to warrant going into production on these, but we are doing our homework. Your thoughts? These both use “screw on” compensators as the “TruBor” is not tooled in these lengths.

On marketing: Some of you have been abusing the SRA program. If you can’t accept your balances by the end of this year we’ll probably discontinue it.

We are phasing out most of our Rep network. Not through any fault on their part (we have thoroughly enjoyed working with those guys), we simply feel that our product line does not fit the traditional Rep structure.

Our main marketing thrust for the next couple of years (we’re talking Domestically now) will be through a “Dealer Direct” and “Preferred Dealer” program. Nothing in our “Domestic Distributor” program will change because those folks are doing a hell of a job, we’ll simply be attempting to service those accounts that are not now being serviced.

I’m sure that you’ve noticed the new “FFL Finder” on our website. These are folks who have filed their FFL with us and/or purchased from us in this last year. As the two new programs develop, those folks who graduate into those programs will be separately listed. This will give our customer base a better idea of who has guns in stock verses those Dealers who will order what they need when requested. We also will set up an area for Ranges who have opted in to our “Range Program”. These are the folks who inventory guns to be demo’d or rented for test firing on their Range.

We’re changing direction on the Shows we’ll be at next year. We probably will not do the NASGW show. It’s been good to us but we can only be so many places. We’ll probably do the NRA show this year for the first time. It’ll be a limited exposure “first timers” trip. We will obviously be at the SHOT Show. Same size booth, but more product and people. If you call the plant during that period, you may have to wait to talk to someone or you may be asked to call back after the show. And, naturally, we’ll be at IWA. Possibly with our own booth this time. It’s been great sharing space with Waffen Schumacher, but it may be time to spread our wings. We’ve also added the “PPC National Championships” to our list of “display matches” along with the “IDPA Nationals”, the “USPSA Nationals”, the “STI/American Handgunner World Shootoff”, and the “STI European Open Championship”. If there are others that you guys consider to be “must do’s”, please let us know.

Most of you have visited us at the SHOT Show. While we feel that we have always done a pretty good job with our “dog and pony” show, we know that there is always room for improvement. We are wide open to suggestions. As you know, we have always had a “guest exhibitor” at SHOT. Sometimes our Distributors, sometimes a bullet maker, sometimes a budding author for book signings. This year we’re anticipating the OKO sight company from the Czech Republic to join us with some of their, very interesting, NEW products. Nice folks. Stop by and meet them.

Not totally locked on the names and numbers of new “Foreign Distributors” added this year but the “probable” and confirmed list contains new or established Distributors in Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, and Sri Lanka. We’ll get these folks on the website as soon as we can.

I think that I may have “fibbed” again. As much catching up as we had to do in this edition, I suspect that I may do one more before years end.
 

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