Inventory Shortages

[Bob Gerard]

I went on TOW to look for a brass trigger guard and was really surprised at how many items are out of stock. I did a quick look at butt plates out of curiosity and saw the same inventory issues.
I had read a year or so ago that these casting shortages were coming and it appears to be the current norm. This can’t be good.

[tooguns]

TOW is out of stock on about everything

[Bill Raby]

Excellent motivation to learn how to make parts from scratch.

[Daniel Coats]

Get 2 or 3 guns ahead on locks and barrels boys! 

[rich pierce]

Get 2 or 3 guns ahead on locks and barrels boys! 

Amen! Is 14 sets of parts too much for a 72 year old guy? 

These were mostly purchased back when I was making and selling gunflints, but I’m still an impulse buyer now and then. Between new and original barrels, I must have 2 dozen. I have locks I paid $185 for, and guards and buttplates that were $16.

[Bill in Md]

Excellent motivation to learn how to make parts from scratch.

Bingo!!!

[recurve]

I touch on this in an earlier posting and now stock up at gun makers fair /18th century artisan show . you just can't find parts (and I live over the hil from dixons) and still can't get parts.  It's hard to plan on future builds ,without knowing if the parts are around 

[Scota4570]

If one uses an original part to do the lost wax process, how much smaller is the final copy? 

My understanding is that the people who were producing these parts have retired. 

[rich pierce]

If one uses an original part to do the lost wax process, how much smaller is the final copy? 

My understanding is that the people who were producing these parts have retired.

This is an issue. One supplier was of sand cast furniture was using castings of castings of castings without compensating for shrinkage by building up with tape etc. Given cleanup and so on I’d want parts slightly larger than the originals.

[ScottH]

If I was in need of brass parts, I would contact Mike Brooks first and ask if he had what I needed in stock. If Mike didn't have it I would ask him if he was aware of any other place to check, then expand my search from there.
Good luck! 

[rich pierce]

Last time I checked with Mike Brooks his inventory was down and he wasn’t sure if or when he’d make more. I bought a few pieces. Worth checking though.

[Bob Roller]

Get 2 or 3 guns ahead on locks and barrels boys! 

Amen! Is 14 sets of parts too much for a 72 year old guy? 

These were mostly purchased back when I was making and selling gunflints, but I’m still an impulse buyer now and then. Between new and original barrels, I must have 2 dozen. I have locks I paid $185 for, and guards and buttplates that were $16.

Only IF you think they are and if you still have a decent level of interest and energy.Trust this,72 is NOT a relic;
Bob Roller

[parve]

For some schools of rifle making it seems like there's never been any inventory of parts available.

[Jim Kibler]

Parts for custom builders is a tough business.  Not a very big market and requires a pretty big mix of parts.  Combine this with expected prices and it becomes even less appealing.

[rich pierce]

Parts for custom builders is a tough business.  Not a very big market and requires a pretty big mix of parts.  Combine this with expected prices and it becomes even less appealing.

For sure. If you look at the range of any part - say trigger guards - in any supplier’s catalogue, there are many dozens of variations. Hard to keep all that in stock.

[parve]

Parts for custom builders is a tough business.  Not a very big market and requires a pretty big mix of parts.  Combine this with expected prices and it becomes even less appealing.

I agree 100%, after rereading my previous post I hope it didn’t come off as blaming any suppliers for not investing in making and stocking parts for some of the lesser known schools. I’m a victim of the consequences of my own obscure interests, and for that reason I’ve begun making my own triggers and should hopefully have my own furnace up and running later this summer for casting brass.

[rich pierce]

I think there’s not much profit in supplying parts. I ordered a lot of touch hole liners and finish from Chambers. It came up $60 shipped. There was time spent taking the order, logging it in, packing, shipping - not counting the time and money making or sourcing the liners and finish. It’s more if a commitment to a community than a way to make decent money.

[smart dog]

Hi,
I think the issue of supply currently is a bit more than just it is a low margin and  small market problem.  To some extent it was always that way yet 15-20 years ago we could get a much larger diversity of components, particularly cast components, than we can today.  The problem is acute for cast steel parts since Peter Allan closed shop.  Raw materials and shipping are getting very expensive and that alone may doom many small market businesses.

dave   

[AZshot]

I know my local BPowder source, Thunderstick Trading Co., went out of business this month, after decades. 

[Jim Kibler]

There are plenty of foundries that will make the parts.  If there is decent profit in something, people will fill the void.  I believe it really is this simple.

[Scota4570]

Has anyone experimented with 3D printing in wax?  A quick search showed it is a thing. 

[Jim Kibler]

Yeah, you can print in wax or print directly in metal.  The problem with 3d printing for production parts is time and cost.  Metal printing is quite expensive and the quality isn't that good.  Certainly worse than investment casting.  3d printing waxes isn't a problem, but it's much slower than shooting wax in a mold.  The advantage is you don't have to have tooling for each job, but the disadvantage is that you have to have a CAD model of each part you want to produce.  Sometimes developing these can be time consuming and difficult.  As I see it 3d printing is still most beneficial for prototyping and unique geometry parts that would otherwise be very difficult to produce (internal cooling passages etc).

 

[B.Habermehl]

What ever happened to Tip Curtis’s inventories when he passed away?  BJH

[Scota4570]

My thought on the wax printing was a shareware or Co-op kind of thing.  IF there is not money to be made for businesses on the obscure parts maybe this could be an option. 

[Eric Krewson]

One of the bigger outfits bought Tip's inventory, I can't remember which one.