To all of you new folks who have signed on recently: Welcome! Prior issues of this marketing missive can be found on our website. To put this one in context, you may need to peruse the previous half-dozen or so. Unlike the last one, this one should be full of useful information that may thrill (or alienate) you. Either way; enjoy!

To any of you who wondered about website updates, our (now ex) IT guru did some internal changes to our system. Consequently, we were locked out of our own website from April 24th until May 24th. It made updating the inventory list, among other things, difficult.

In an attempt to streamline operations in order to serve the majority of your customers' needs better, i.e. get built for you those things that you sell the most of in a timely manner, and to make room in the product line for those new things that we intend to add, we are discontinuing some of the older makes and models that are selling in volumes less than practical for manufacturing purposes. This should afford us more time to concentrate on your more popular items and, hopefully further cut down your lead time. (Or, at least, help us catch up faster.) Rest assured, if you have something on order currently, that order will be honored.

Discontinued in total, right now:

"Model 2200" (.22LR) rifle and all subassemblies. We may have as many as 20 left available, but when they're gone, they're gone.

All "Tacticals" with aluminum frames. We have parts for about 25 more. When they're gone, they're gone.

"GrandMaster"s and "TruBor"s chambered in .40S&W and .45ACP. We'll do 14 more in .40 and 17 more in .45 (or sell the barrels). When they're gone, they're gone. (We will continue with the 9m.m. and .38Super.)

"TruSight"s chambered in .45ACP. We'll do 24 more (or sell the barrels). When they're gone, they're gone. (We currently plan to continue with the 9 m.m., .38Super, and .40S&W.)

"VIP"s in all types and calibers. We'll do 4 more with the aluminum frame and will accept orders for steel framed units until June 30th. When they're gone, they're gone.

"RangeMaster II" is discontinued as a normal product. We will continue to build them under the SRA program. (16 at a time only.)

Guns that will be discontinued at the end of the 3 rd . quarter ( Sept. 30, 2006 ) unless their order quantities pick up dramatically before then.

6" Trojan ….. all varieties.

6" Eagle ……. all varieties.

Stinger ……… all varieties.

Reminder of discontinuance:

The "IPSC 30 th Anniversary Commemorative" gun will go out of production at the end of this year. Maybe if we're "good guys", IPSC will let us do the "40 th Anniversary", too. This is not a commercial, HOWEVER: This is my personal favorite gun of everything we have built to date. But, when it's time is up, it's time is up.

Changes to existing product:

The "Lawman" is being revamped, not because it's not selling but to more closely conform to our standard product, thus to allow us to better deliver it without impacting other production. The gun, calibers, colors, etc. are not changing. We will be changing font styles for the engraving, adding the "Texas Logo", and changing the current fixed sight to our EXTREMELY popular TAS (Tactical Adjustable Sight) sight. The price will not change.

Items to be added to our portfolio almost immediately are:

The SAA revolver as semi-promised in Sgram #86. Current plans call for it to have the barrel, cylinder, and grip frame PVD treated while the frame itself will be color case hardened in the old style "Colt" tradition. First issues will be in .45 Colt with a 5-1/2" barrel. Next up, we'll add the 4-3/4" and 7-1/2" barrel models. Additional calibers shouldn't be far behind. We will be subcontracting to an ultra high speed machining facility to achieve finishes not previously seen on this style of firearm. The final #'s aren't in yet, but we should be in a dead heat with Colt and U.S.F.A. on this one for price. I think the quality will blow you away. If you order now, your lead time will be about our normal quoted period. The mechanisms are in place to bring that time down rapidly.

We're in an internal quandary here over the name. About half of our group favors the "Texan" while the other half favors the "Texican". Any quick responses would be appreciated as we are nearing the engraving decision point.

A 3.9" single stack gun with a Colt "Defender" length steel frame/grip. It'll be a single sided thumb safety, RecoilMaster, blue, ramped bull barrel, pistol in most of the popular calibers. Yet to be named. Suggestions? If you order now, your lead time will be about our normal quoted period. This one should follow our normal lead time curve.

A "lower end" (in price) 1911 built with many high quality STI parts, but assembled "off shore". It'll be .45ACP (what else?) only, unramped bushing barrel, full length guide rod, single sided thumb safety, and Parkerized. It's name is to be the "Spartan". (Russell Nichols from our Slide Dept. takes the cash for this suggestion.) We should have been "on the street" with this one already but I think we confused the U.S. State Department and Homeland Security (Customs) with our desire to "take ‘em out and bring ‘em back". If you order now, your lead time should be about our normal quoted period but this one is subject to slippage due to the "powers that be" in Washington . We'll keep you posted.

Good news:

Thus far in the second quarter, gun production is running about 50% higher than the first quarter average, and climbing. The (very attainable) goal is 150%. The folks who have brought about the increases to date are exhibiting great confidence. I believe ‘em!

More good news:

We know that many of you have been buying from us in "kit form" for the last few months in order to short cut our assembly lead times. We know too, that on occasion you have been delayed somewhat by some of our parts that we were being forced to ration just to keep up in this assembly acceleration period.

It looks like we are through that period and we should all be in good shape now, or very shortly.

Travel plans:

Don Kemble will be at the Area I Championship and at the "STI/American Handgunner World Shoot Off".

Pauletta and I will be at the Area III Championship on Friday and Sunday. Other duties call on Saturday.

Since we were unable to attend the "STI European Championship" in Germany this year and because things are beginning to come together here, P. and I may be able to make it to the big Level III in Italy at the end of June. No promises yet, but maybe . Are any of you Distributors on the Continent going to be there and set up to display?

Half Price Offers:

1911 gunsmith blank triggers (64X), 1911 short curved triggers w/ titanium bows (60X) , Para Ordnance gunsmith blank triggers (60X), Metal protective covers for the OKO red dot scope (20X), SpeedSec Holsters (21X) and Magazine Pouches (28X). (right hand only) Whatever our price to you normally is, deduct 50%. When they're gone, they're gone.

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