Eagleeye, you make an interesting point about Handi owners wanting various products from gunsmiths and other producers, but I think you also miss a point.
The point you miss is about the free market system.
Looking for a gunsmith who will do projects on their rifles is a valid quest for Handi owners. Finding one who does this kind of work simply means those who are willing/able to purchase his services have a place to go.
Those who aren't willing/able to purchase his services changes nothing.
Basically, if there is a gunsmith out there who meets the hopes of those who want to spend money on their Handi rifles, then he has new customers.
You might ask the guy who builds the stocks whether he was pleased to have a couple of new Handi owners as customers, or is he just plain bitter because not all of us jumped on board immediately.
There is a saying - everything begins with a thought...
Thoughts are not yet actions, but without the original thought there will be no action. You had a thought or two about this issue before you took action to write your post - right?
Not everyone is motivated to act, not everyone has the same thoughts. So just because one guy says he wants a smith who will build or modify Handi barrels to suit his desires, doesn't mean all Handi owners have the same desires, all Handi owners will sign on with this smith to do their jobs.
And I am curious about this statement of yours:
"..if you keep asking someone to make after market parts for your guns and then no one buys you will end up with a bad rep which will affect all of the handi owners."
I don't think it would be wise for a gunsmith to make parts simply because he was asked... but of course he has every right to do so if he wishes.
If I were a gunsmith I wouldn't make any unless I was paid for them first. Are there gunsmiths willing to work on speculation? Probably, and that is their right and privelege, and they have to be willing to accept the risks. Just because someone asks for something, doesn't mean they have to get it. (Well it mostly does in a socialist environment, but I didn't think that applied here!)
So who is to blame if they do the work and then don't sell enough to cover the costs they incur? The customers? I don't think so, at least not in a free market system - which I believe is the one we are discussing. And even if someone does want something for nothing, so what? It seems to me it is entirely up to the producer to say yes or no.
A seller has the right to ask the highest price possible for his product, the buyer has the right to agree to that price, or to say no and pass on it... and a buyer has the right to ask for the lowest price and let the seller accept or decline the offer.
It is called (intentionally) the "free" market.
And in my opinion the whole issue of gunsmiths etc. is summed up on Donaldo's post with this sentence: "Anyone find one, let us know, if he is reasonable in his fees, he will suddenly get a lot of work. "
And truth is, folks decide for themselves what is reasonable based on their own values and desires.
If someone built beautiful stocks for the Handi for $50 there'd be a rush on the product, and most of us on this forum would consider that definitely a "reasonable" price. We would trust (at least I would) that the producer was competent enought to know if he was satifying his own needs at that price. If another person built the same quality of stocks for $200 we'd say that was not a "reasonable" price and would decline to buy them.
And if there was only one producer of beautiful stocks and his price was $500, some of us would say it is worth the price (reasonable) and would buy, and some would say otherwise and not buy.
So whether Handi owners get a bad rep from some gunsmiths, so be it. We are still individuals and will make purchasing decisions based on our own perceptions of value. It is the same whether you own an Handi, or a Weatherby, or anything else.
In fact, a producer who continuously blames customers for his failures is really the one who will be stuck with a bad reputation.
Anyway as far as I can tell from being on this forum, no one has asked any smith or other producer to make something for nothing. They are just asking who is willing to do certain projects. And truthfully when a smith willing to do those projects does appear, an agreement will be made by those two individuals, having nothing to do with Handi owners in general.
Thanks for the provocative posting.
Cheers
Kerry
