This is a thread about all that stuff few people think about. It just gets done in the background. The gun is the product. Nobody concentrates on how it got to the owner, or how it gets back to my shop for service, etc. A crate is a crate. Somehow the wood and plywood, the dense foam and the screws ... they all just materialize in the shop. hahah.

Well ... you know they don't ... but it still isn't thought of as a good day well spent ... to crate and ship a gun. And, at some point, you have to take the truck and drive out and buy the materials - then store them in your way, until they are needed. Not so good in my tight shop - ;?)



Then there's the stuff that makes the gun work well. Molds and sizing dies. They all take a bunch of time, if made correctly. The reason I make them, is to avoid having a bunch of substandard ammo making my work look bad. You just can't handmake a gun to a specific box of ammo on a store shelf. If you try, the manufacturer will stop making it. I used to recommend Bull-X brand hard cast slugs for the Prairie rifles. Until they went out of business. Hornady stopped making the buckshot for my 32's. And, I wasn't even worth a return phone call after all my efforts to contact the correct people. But ... I digress ...

So, handmade is handmade. It's the whole nine yards. Each component takes a special skill set and specific tools to make correctly. They have to play well with the other component systems. And, I have to keep from going broke while making them.



Here are Joe's casting mold and sizing die. These should last a good time, and give good service. In my experience, the floppy design of commercial molds wore the alignment pins when they were slapped around and clapped together - trying to find registry. Commercial handles swing on a short arc. Even with the "six cavity commercial" handles they sell ... they are still short from the mounting hole to the pivot. This means that the blocks don't come together relatively square, they swing in at abrupt angles and slap together. The holes/pins egg out to compensate during registry. Over a brief time, this compromises the tightness. That leads to imperfect slugs.

My solution is a total redesign of the handle system. Works great. But - it's a good bit of work to machine them from billet. Gotta be paid for it, but it's hard to find a fair price for both parties. Here's another place where long term attention span comes into play. The gun is complete. The customer is anxious to get it. I'm sick of working on it. But - all of these components have to be completed in order for the gun to work properly. Nobody would believe that it takes as long as it does to make these things. So; you feel pressured to get them done quicker than possible. You know you can't rush it ... and I don't ... so the net result is that it just makes you edgy the whole time you are doing it. You know the next project is waiting.




The crate, made from new pine boards, 1/4" lauan plywood, and dense foam insulation. There's about $25 of materials in a crate ... and again ... it's about impossible to name a price for making it. I'm the same guy if I'm carving for two hours, or crating a rifle. But, I don't think people want to pay the same rate. haha. Sizes vary. Some shop might want to make up a dozen for me - if I wanted to buy and store them. The other solution is to have people buy a new carry/storage case ... inside it's new cardboard sleeve. Ship that to me. I should just always do this. But - it's something customers have to do, and they don't like to / want to. Even so, I then have to cut the interior hard foam liners neatly in, and inlet the gun in for shippment. It all takes a bunch of time, and space to work too. You should see me making crates in my shop. hahah.

Takes a real tight fit for safe shipping. Everything must be anchored and padded, because this thing is going to be air dropped and drop kicked all the way from my post office to your door.



It's closed up, and screwed tight. Joints will be taped with about $5 of clear tape.



Here's one that's made the trip a few times. If owners keep them, then they have a safe transport case for decades. I have gotten guns back for service, in THE most abominable contraptions of tape and bubble wrap and chibbles and bits of cardboard. The old snake ate the gopher versions of two boxes jammed one over the other. Takes me a hour to cut the thing out of the mess ... and then .... what in the heck am I supposed to send it back in? So - keep your crates, or buy decent cases. ;?)



I always have to recut some interior foam, and make the guns wedge tight for shipment.



Just has to be done to get them there safely.



More crates. Some are Veterans of numerous trips around the country. They start to look like old steamer trunks! hhaha.

OK ... well ... figured you'd like to see another aspect of life in the fast lane! Warp speed with my hair on fire!!!

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2011 01:37AM by barnespneumatic.

Gary the mold and sizing die look great. Can't wait to get it smoked up and dropping bullets. I'm beginning to feel like it's almost Christmas Eve and I'm 12 years old again.
Those crates are something special too, lots of work behind the scenes. I have to remember to charge my cordless drill, no way to rip the boxing off that baby.

Gary, I have some very nice crates that fit a couple of guns. They are stored here as well, in a place of honor. The other guns have arrived here in factory gun cases that at times are a difficult fit, as you know. It unfortunately would still require some input from you to have cases sent. This is because just like the buckshot, the cases are not "standard" and when you find one that works, it is discontinued.

Remember guys, as we discussed before, the real collector money is in the box that the collectable comes in.

Great accessories for the Chameleon! Joe, that looks like the combo, mold and sizer, to fill the freezer.

Kent

Hey Kent,

I give a five dollar deposit on those old used crates ...

Nice little nest egg ya got there.



Gary

Just label them "medical specimens, hazardous," better than insurance I'm told!

They look like tiny little coffins. Perhaps you should label the next one as "deceased remains, poisonous snake, one each". With a lable like that, I'll betcha it isn't gonna walk off the porch if the stupid UPS guy just drop-kicks it from the curb like usual.

Gary, you could sell those crates as collectors items!

Hi Neil,

Yeah ... that's one reason I don't use the UPS guy. That and the fact that they always acted like I WAS trying to send a box of snakes.

haha

Gary

Simply awesome GB. Who else makes a gun and CREATES a mold and sizing die to go along with the gun......lol...lol.... thats just too cool and a CUT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY ABOVE THE REST.

Congrats JH

The whole "new in box" thing irritates me. I can understand if it's a dealer, it SHOULD be new in the box. Otherwise, why did the guy buy it in the first place if he didn't intend to shoot it? If you buy and sell guns to make money, you're not a collector. You're a dealer.

Nice crates!!!

Unfortunately, I picked mine up so I never got one...I had to ship mine around by using the cardboard and bubble wrap method. Which was pretty scary for sure. I finally found a case large enough to hold it.

But I still put the case in a cardboard box......

Karl

Ah man ...most people just buy the gun cause they want a great crate. . You got ripped off.

I should have photographed some of the toilet paper tubes I've gotten guns in for service. Haha

Gary

Gary:

That's what I thought I was buying ..imagine my surprise when you handed me a gun! LOL

Karl

Hi Karl,

Yeah ... SURPRISE!!!!! hahahaha

I'm a little Dickens ...

Gary

I've still got mine.

Maybe I should hang it on the wall.

Next time I'll have a case shipped there, if you won't let me come and get it.. Cabela's has a real long aluminum case. Dory

When I bought my IZH-46 it was shipped in a box inside a box, and both of them were trashed by the shipper. It's a miracle that it didn't come to me in small, broken pieces. The only "padding" they included was a copy of the invoice, all crumpled up for effect.

Darn, I should never have picked up the P3 and and Yukon in person. I could have a much better box collection!

Yes, but; meeting Gary in person ....Priceless.

Well, maybe the first time...

Heheheh . . . yeah, see if you're saying that after Superglue Operating Theater.

-- Jim

Oh PAH-LeaZZZeee ..

People PAY for entertainment like that ... hahaha

Gary

Yeah, where's the bloody "oops!' smiley?

its just part and parcel of the whole deal ,.....