doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com “Sensibly priced”

I see that McKay Brown has been sold. Have always admired his lovely round actions. Had to smile, though, when he stated that he was “truly delighted” that his “sensibly priced” guns would continue to be made. The side-by-sides start at $78,000.

Regardless, thank you, sir, for your marvelous guns.


https://shootingsportsman.com/mckay-brown-changes-ownership/

Per kilogram cost a best gun goes about 30 000 dollars while a Ferrari is only about 150.

I have seen the hand stitching of the leather interiors of high end cars, and please do not try to tell me that that type of craftsmanship is not on par with lock making or stocking. It is.

Back in the golden days of gunmaking, the early 1900s, a best gun cost a 1/4 of a naval officers annual salary. Today it costs about double. Something simply does not add up.

Let us hope the new owners will make round actions truly affordable.

The cost of labor has risen greatly since the early 1900's.

How does your cost per kilo equation work out for a new Rolex?

78k for new round action, nobody is getting rich and compared to a new London gun it is a bargain. Overhead these days is brutal, I do not expect to see new Best guns coming down in price anytime soon.

To multi-millionaires, none of the conspicuous consumption items like Ferraris, Rolexes, or London Best doubles prices are of real concern.
JR

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I don’t believe the standard of living that a turn of the last century laborer had is comparable to someone in the trade, today.

Remember the famous photo of the English stocker, working into his 90s, (his name escapes me at the moment) who was given a pair of briar pipes in thanks for his decades of labor? I ‘gotta believe a stock maker, working a shift in his 90s, is a guy who is financially cornered, and really doesn’t have a choice in the matter. He is blessed that he can, but, I’d bet he wouldn’t if he had an option.

Those guys aren’t there, anymore. They don’t have to be. That is built into the gun price. There are places where the same turn of the century business model could be utilized, today, think North Korea, China, India, or, anyplace else you wouldn’t want to live. They could make it happen.

But, you wouldn’t buy the gun.

Best,
Ted

I am reminded of the YouTube channel about a car called, “Influenzo”.
The aspirational market is real, and robust.

You can have all kinds of upscale items, just not simultaneously.

If I lived in perpetual sunshine, I would definitely want to drive a 308 for fun. It’s like a go cart for adults.
But “Influenzo” makes it real. Aston Martin’s can be even worse!

A white Chevrolet Impala with tinted windows will have to do.

Ebenezer Hands. Stocker for Wilkes. He did it that long because he could and that’s what people from his generation did. Retirement was considered a death sentence. Both of my grandfathers were the same way….one stopped farming in his late 60’s and then worked on a crew that built bridges.
The other was forced into retirement in his late 60’s when the plantation closed down and then went to work cleaning the schools. They didn’t have to keep working, they both were smart with their money….they did it because they wanted to. Old school mentalities. Such a foreign way of thinking in this day and age, hard to understand for us modern folk.
I doubt Ebenezer Hands took months off from work to go hunting and he definitely didn’t tell folks he wasn’t taking on anymore work. I know a few old school trained guys that still think the same way Ebenezer did.

That’s him. Might just be me, but, the look on his face in the photo didn’t seem to be one of gratitude. More like disbelief.

Best,
Ted

The interpretation of his look to me is “quit bothering me, I’ve got work to do”. 😂

I’ve known people like that. But, they weren’t in their 90s.

Best,
Ted