The Rohrbaugh Forum
Miscellaneous => Other Guns => Topic started by: theirishguard on June 27, 2012, 12:17:51 PM
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Over the years in the firearms business, I find myself specializing in carry firearms at this point. I've been a Seecamp dealer for 30 years and Rohrbaugh since they first started shipping the R9. I've been very successful with these 2 lines and have only had about 6 guns returned to the factory. In order to increase sales I have added Stag Arms with their line of AR15s. In addition I have a line of piston kits for AR15s to convert over to a better running system. USFA is also a line that I have for the cowboy in all of us.
But I am still looking for a couple of good carry guns to add to my mix in order to increase sales. So I ask this question to a group of fine folks with wide range of experience and opinions which I value. Which guns, models and caliber in different price ranges would make good additions to my offerings and why?
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Tom
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Tom:
North American Arms might be a line of carry guns that would complement your current offerings. As you know, they offer a number of models ranging from the .22 mini-revolvers to the .380 Guardian pistols. Since they are not as expensive as the Seecamp and Rohrbaugh pistols but have good reputation for reliability, they might fill a niche market for you.
http://northamericanarms.com/sales.html
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You might be late to the party, but Heizer should have some legs if they ever start shipping them out.
Pocket carry on a budget, I've been eying Masterpiece Arms as a less expensive Seecamp sized pistol. Hoping to get a T&E from Masterpiece and avoid duplication with Seecamp.
You can also go the Ultra High End 1911 route with Wilson, Nighthawk, Baer, and Brown. Not sure if the margins are fat or thin, but the base prices are crazy high for the top of the line customs.
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Wilson,Baer, etc, is a great idea. If you need a stepping stone in between- from Colt, Springfield; STI is tough to beat.
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I agree with Reinz on STI with the "T" standing for Tripp as in Virgil. He is no longer associated with them but the legacy is there.
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Tom,
I think that it all depends on quality and caliber of the weapons that you want to carry. Beretta makes some good 'tip up' barrel weapons but they are in .22 and .32 caliber. I think that these are both great weapons and I own them to include the 'jetfire .25' which is not made any more. Then there is the kel-tech stuff which I have never had a problem with but many people don't like, I have had more problems with my Taurus than my kel-tech.
If it were me I would go with the Beretta's and maybe the North American Arms.
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Over the years in the firearms business, I find myself specializing in carry firearms at this point. I've been a Seecamp dealer for 30 years and Rohrbaugh since they first started shipping the R9. I've been very successful with these 2 lines and have only had about 6 guns returned to the factory. In order to increase sales I have added Stag Arms with their line of AR15s. In addition I have a line of piston kits for AR15s to convert over to a better running system. USFA is also a line that I have for the cowboy in all of us.
But I am still looking for a couple of good carry guns to add to my mix in order to increase sales. So I ask this question to a group of fine folks with wide range of experience and opinions which I value. Which guns, models and caliber in different price ranges would make good additions to my offerings and why?
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Tom
I really like the S&W M&P pistols. I have a M&P9 4.25 Pro, M&P9 Full size, M&P9 3.5" compact 9mm and 9mm Shield. I have the 5"Pro 9mm on order.
They have interchangeable palmswell grips.....ambidextrous slide stops.....reversible magazine release.......crowned muzzle....stainless steel slide...stainless steel chassis ....picatinny rail.... comes in 9mm,40S&W,45acp plus a full size 22cal for cheap practice
The best thing about them is how easy they are to shoot. I let students in my CCW classes who are having trouble shooting their guns use a 9mm M&P and their shooting has always improved.
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Wilson,Baer, etc, is a great idea. If you need a stepping stone in between- from Colt, Springfield; STI is tough to beat.
Great idea. STI covers 1911 from top to bottom. Wide body, single stack, entry level, and full blown race. Plus they're in TX with you. You can't beat the Spartans for entry level value.
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. "other pocket carry pistols" Sticking with the title of the post I think 1911s are not in the running, at least not in my pockets.
Sig seems to be hitting the pocket carry market pretty well with new models, or the Kahr line.
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Pocket carry on a budget, I've been eying Masterpiece Arms as a less expensive Seecamp sized pistol. Hoping to get a T&E from Masterpiece and avoid duplication with Seecamp.
Been there done that.
The comparison that comes to mind is a Interarms Star .45ACP to a Colt. :o
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Been there done that.
The comparison that comes to mind is a Interarms Star .45ACP to a Colt. :o
Ditto
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The full offering of 1911s is covered. The small pocket type pistol like our R9 And Seecamp is still in question. As it seems I have the high end covered, however, I'd like to offer some more budget priced pistols. The suggestion of North American Arms has merit. The S&W Shield is also interesting. What about the Ruger .380 and 9mm and Kahr? Then there is the Diamondback line. What experience do you guys have from an end user point of view? Tom
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Then there is the Diamondback line. What experience do you guys have from an end user point of view? Tom
If you value this, "and have only had about 6 guns returned to the factory". Then stay as far away as you can from Diamondback. While I have had reasonably good luck with mine, there are dozens of others with problems. I've started seeing problems myself recently after about a year and 1k down the pipe of my sub 250 off the assembly line DB9.
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The full offering of 1911s is covered. The small pocket type pistol like our R9 And Seecamp is still in question. As it seems I have the high end covered, however, I'd like to offer some more budget priced pistols. The suggestion of North American Arms has merit. The S&W Shield is also interesting. What about the Ruger .380 and 9mm and Kahr? Then there is the Diamondback line. What experience do you guys have from an end user point of view? Tom
Tom,
I have played with the Rugers and liked the .380 and the SR9C (my favorite gun right now 100% reliable and accurate) but I did not like the LC9 because of the trigger and the safety. I am a big 1911 guy and the safety was just wrong and I did not think that I would be able to turn it off in a hasty situation. I wanted the Kimber Solo but no one had one at the time so I ended up with the Taurus 709 slim (should have got the kel-tech). I have no experience with the diamondbacks.
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. "other pocket carry pistols" Sticking with the title of the post I think 1911s are not in the running, at least not in my pockets.
Yes, I did read the title before posting with pause, the content of the post threw me a curve.
My apologies to Tom. :)
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The content of the OP said, in part, "looking for a couple of good carry guns." Your response had sound footing.
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thank you for the thoughts and info on both the Diamondback and Ruger lines. The Sigs seem to me to be IWB pistols. Tom
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Tom,
These are just my thoughts hopefully you will find something useful but please keep in mind that I have no experience in the firearms industry...
Based on the two manufactures you currently distribute; Rohrbaugh and Seecamp, you could look at your business in two ways: 1) A dealer specializing in small carry pistols, or 2) A dealer specializing in high end / difficult to find at your local gun shop pocket pistols.
Depending on which way you see your business there would be natural ways to expand, each with its own set of positives and negatives.
If you would like to build up the business based on carrying small pocket pistols (scenario #1) a natural extension would be to start offering guns like the LCP, DB9, P3AT, Kahr, etc at various price points. One of the largest negatives with trying to expand this way would be that you have already built a strong customer base for the higher end/harder to find pocket guns and I suspect you would have a difficult time leveraging your current customers for the lower end guns, I’m sure there would be some but most of the folks who carry an R9 do not have much of a need for a DB9 etc. I also suspect that the volume required to make the lower end firearms attractive you would have to capture quite a few new customers and as you know there is a cost associated with each new customer acquisition (time on forums, advertising banners etc.) so if you can it is best to try to leverage current customers as much as possible. The last negative I can think of specific to distributing the lower end firearms is that they are more commoditized and are for the most part available at peoples local guns stores, so it may be harder to justify paying a $25-$50 FFL transfer fee on a $300 gun where many willingly pay it on a hard to find $1200 R9. One positive I can think of is that once you do capture some of the lower end consumers those same buyers may become repeat buyers as they work their way up to R9s and Seecamps.
Things look better (IMHO) if you look at your business and decide to focus on expanding your higher end offerings (scenario #2). I think the Heizer Defense suggestion Ljutic made was a really good one, they are hard to find, different enough from your current offerings that you will be able to leverage your current customers, and fairly pricey so hopefully the volume you would have to move would be reasonable. A visit to your website also reviled this sort of mission statement: A licensed firearms dealer since 1982, Irish Guard Firearms offers personalized service for the discriminating buyer or collector. Before purchasing a sports, self-defense or collectible firearm, give me an opportunity to introduce you to some of the best products on the market today. This business sounds really interesting, for example maybe if someone is looking for a rare Farmingdale (or Colt, 1911, etc) you could help them find one for a reasonable fee. It seems like this service could also leverage a lot of your current customers.
Another suggestion may be to offer high end EDC products in addition to the firearms you carry such as knives (Microtech, Benchmade, Chris Reeve, William Henry), flashlights (surefire, etc). This again would allow you to leverage your current customers and current advertising as much as possible.
Anyway, just my 2 cents. I wish you and Irish Guard Firearms the best of luck with whatever you decide to do and hopefully we will get a chance to do business soon.
Best,
Ryan
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Not that it fits into the pocket carry weight or size but Caracal from Abu Dhabi will be marketing guns here in the fall. Below is a photo of the SC from their website. It does weigh 23 oz. but has a 13 rd capacity and good factory trigger pull.
http://www.caracal.ae/
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Hey Tom,
I am a new member to the forum, since yesterday. I have been carrying concealed about 23 years. My everyday pocket pal has been a NAA .22 mag. I think of it as the gun for people that don't want to carry a gun. I think it is a great choice, if you recognize it's limitations, as well as the necessity of training to use it effectively. I think it is a unique and very well made product. I also have an American Derringer 45/.410 that I carry front pocket just like the NAA. It also is of very high quality and uncommon. I also use a Ruger LCR when I can. It is also an excellent piece of engineering, has a great trigger, and works front pocket in the right pants. I really like the laser grip option on it as well. I haven't ever bought a gun on-line before, but I did go to your site after seeing your add and well written posts. I haven't been able to find a dealer here in Alabama that has a Rohrbaugh in inventory, but am going to add one to my stable one way or another. It might put these others in the big safe. Anyway, I think these might be some possible additions.
I haven't ever posted on anything before, so I hope that it was somewhat helpful, and thank you all for what you do here.
Griff
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Griff, Welcome to the group.
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Griff:
What "Yankee" said.
Tom can get that R9 for which you are looking and ship it to your local FFL.
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Thank you gentlemen for the warm welcome.
I will contact Tom and see what we can do.
Thanks again.