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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
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mehulkamdar
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 3688
Loc: State of Ill-Annoy USA.
Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down
      #64643 - 25/10/06 04:27 PM

From their website "It is with great disappointment that we announce the suspension of operations at Austin & Halleck, effective 10/01/06."

They made beautiful sidelocks. Wish someone would buy the machinery and continue to make them.



--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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577express
.275 member


Reged: 18/02/07
Posts: 67
Loc: U.S.
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #76308 - 13/04/07 02:23 AM

That is a tragedy for certain!

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JohnTheGreek
.300 member


Reged: 16/11/04
Posts: 167
Loc: Cairo, Egypt
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: 577express]
      #86089 - 22/09/07 10:51 PM

http://austinhalleck.com/AHPR25.html

Scroll down to "Can Sandy Chisholm help me?"



Ah, the brotherly love between employees and management.

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Tatume
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Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 1091
Loc: Gloucester, Va USA
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: JohnTheGreek]
      #86096 - 23/09/07 12:04 AM

Anybody want to buy an Austin and Halleck 50 cal flintlock? Excellent condition; make an offer.

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Bramble
.375 member


Reged: 29/07/06
Posts: 950
Loc: England
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: Tatume]
      #86130 - 24/09/07 07:16 AM

It is sad for they appeared to make a nice product.

I must however comment looking at their prices that they are the victim of what appears to be all too prevelent in the gun trade of people wanting to pay low dollar and the manufacturers then priceing at far too low a level to allow a decent profit margin.

I watched the posts on another forum about the demise of Winchester with interest. All of a sudden people were prepared to pay 50% above list for a rifle. If they had done that in the first place then Winchester would still be in business.

Hand fitting and finishing with select walnut stocks for $ 700 ish as shown on their demised site, can't be done . We consumers have to get real, or learn to live with all of our faverite companies being replaced with crappy Chineese imports and that includes the gun trade.

We will go out and by a pair of trainers/sneekers with a 1000%(thats not a typo) profit margin on them and then begrudge engineers or gunsmiths a 20% margin.

I think if your local gunshop or smith gives a good service then support them. Pay the sticker price dont shop for discount. Swallow the extra 10% and be glad that they will be there to supply you next year.

Just my 10c or penny worth.

Regards

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Plains99
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Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: Bramble]
      #86162 - 25/09/07 02:42 AM

Austin & Halleck's demise was caused by the collapse of their inline market and had little to do with the primitive replica rifles. Their bolt action inline, while a handsome rifle, simply fell off the sales radar screen when new drop action and break action rifles came on the market. Several small companies including White, Gonic, and Austin & Halleck did not have the financial clout or sales market share to invest in development of more competitive inline updates. Even Ruger and Remington refused to invest in such research and development for no larger than sales were. Remington ended up forming a partnership with Traditions to market inlines under the Remington brand. All of these muzzleloaders were excellent percussion cap systems but did not adapt well to 209 primers.
The primitive replica market is very small compared to the inline market. It simply could not carry the company on its own.
Really the only American companies left are Thompson/Center (a primitive replica importer), Knight, CVA (an importer), and Traditions (an importer). Lyman (an importer) has a good competitive edge on replicas. Pedersoli (of Italy) is the strongest company with any foothold in replica muzzleloaders. Your best bet for a good primitive replica muzzleloader if you don't want a Pedersoli or Lyman or less expensive Traditions model, is to go to a small, independent who is building from kits in a semi-custom manner. Some of these guns are very good.
But ALL the action in the muzzleloader industry today is in inline sales. If a company doesnt' offer a good inline, they can't compete with Pedersoli or Lyman on the replica market. It is a tough business and without significant financial clout it is almost impossible to remain competitive in the current market.
And frankly, the Austin & Halleck primitive replicas were not as mechanically sound as the Pedersolis or the Lymans. The company couldn't compete anymore.

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Tatume
.400 member


Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 1091
Loc: Gloucester, Va USA
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: Plains99]
      #86292 - 28/09/07 08:12 AM

Quote:


Really the only American companies left are Thompson/Center (a primitive replica importer),



I didn't want to reply to this until I checked my facts, but I have now. Thompson/Center does not import their sidelock rifles. I own several, and they were made right here in the USA.

Take care, Tom

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Plains99
.300 member


Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
Re: Sad news - Austin and Halleck close down [Re: Tatume]
      #86354 - 29/09/07 06:57 AM

Yeah, Tatume. You are right about a number of them. The walnut stocks came from a plant in Kansas. I don't know where the barrels were manufactured.

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