Hi Guys,

First and Foremost: We have changed servers and programs and will be trying the mass emailing of SkinnErgrams to you again. I suspect that many of you have not gotten one or two of the previous mailings. As always, you may refer to the website for issues you may have missed.

Sales of the "IPSC 30th Anniversary" pistol are going marvelously. Not only is it a tribute to a great organization, but it is a magnificent pistol as well. Don't believe for a moment that your sales will be limited to just IPSC members.

Check out the inventory page on the website. We're over two-thirds of the way to re-establishing that stock. Again, further attempts on our part to shorten your lead times on standard products. Remember, too: There are some minor changes (at minor costs) that can be made to some inventoried guns that will allow shipping in just a few days, rather than the few weeks that it requires to build new.

All of the new product introductions at SHOT were very well received! I expect the reception at IWA will be the same. As it was last year, we will be sharing a booth (#3-133) with Karl Prommersberger of Germany. Please don't hesitate to stop and chat. As our main European service and warrantee center, Karl will also be very happy to see you.

Just reminders (again): Our factory minimum order went up from $250.00 to $500.00 as of January 3, 2005. You may want to adjust your inventories accordingly as begging is just unseemly. Several gun prices went down on Jan. 3, 2005. Correct Retail prices are on the website. Adjusted Distributor, Preferred Dealer, and Dealer price list is available on request. The new price list, obviously, also has the new guns on it.

A couple new features will be added to the website shortly. One, which hopefully won't last long, is one that we will call "Look what we found in the safe". It will be a listing (for sale) of guns with checkered histories, prototypes that never came to market, oddballs from the “Custom Shop” period, remains of production runs that have been discontinued, etc. Some will have warrantees, some won't. Also, we will have a section devoted to "obsolete" material, excess inventories, discontinued parts, excesses from the custom shop, items where a customer changed their mind, etc. This may be a goldmine for some of you.

Since you guys always run a little bit behind in your requests <grin>, I am going to ask very early this year: What would you like to see as far as new model introductions are concerned? New finishes? Series 80's? Higher end models? Lower end models? Different grips? Different calibers? Longer guns? Shorter guns? (No AR's, "Gatlin" guns, or RPG's.)

I think that we are probably going to introduce a "higher end" 1911 this year. Probably in black chrome. We are also contemplating changing the VIP to an all black gun. We will probably also, again, shorten the length of the rail/dustcover on the "Duty One" to be more in line with the rest of the industry and therefore fit more of the available holsters. Whadda' ya' think? You do know that the "Lawman" now comes in two different color schemes as well as a "high polish" blued model, didn't you?

Sell a bunch. Have fun. Do good. Not necessarily in that order!
IWA BOOTH #3-133

If you are going to need a “sit down” with Pauletta or I at IWA, please let us know as soon as possible. Our schedule is filling up quickly.