Montana Rifle Company Junction 308Win Field Evaluation

[Grumman]

I know they changed ownership, but the old MRC made left handed rifles. I bought my son one in 260 Remington and it is a dandy. I understand there isn’t a huge market but hopefully it is not a start from scratch endeavor for them and they have some drawings and parts to go by when production allows.


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[fwafwow]

MRC could easily offer a custom order program. Require a deposit then build the rifle. I fail to understand why it would be a major expense to offer a special order left hand rifle program in these days of modern CNC manufacturing.
I would send them a check today for a left hand 9.3x62 and 375 H&H if they would guarantee delivery within a year.

I'm not a MRC fanboy, but I understand the above explanations as to why it might be a major expense to design - and use the machinery for a few rifles that could otherwise be in use for right-handed rifles. And i'm not sure how a custom order would change those hurdles. Maybe offer to pay them and guarantee they won't lose money?

I don't think anyone is saying it's "fair" that you and other left-handed folks don't have the same options, but it seems rational for manufacturers to have made their decisions.

 

[Spoonbill]

The issue is that when companies bring out left handed rifles (especially not cheap left hand rifles), sales are abysmal- like 0.5% of right hand sales, or less.

MRC plans to, and will make a left hand rifle if they can. I expect they will sell all of 10 of them a year. I am not speaking for them- this is an educated response: It is not good sense to stop or interrupt production of a product that you are still trying to get caught up on, to produce a product that will not sell.

Adam Weatherby on a podcast said the same thing about left handed rifles, high levels of “I want” but the sales numbers rarely back it up.

 

[Choupique]

CRF Mausingfield,

That bolt with an old school 1896 mauser 2 stage trigger would be fine. I'd sell every rifle i had to build one of those.

 

[Snowwolfe]

Adam Weatherby on a podcast said the same thing about left handed rifles, high levels of “I want” but the sales numbers rarely back it up.

Weatherby is smart enough to offer a custom order program for odd ball left handed rifles. This is how I ordered my LH 340 Wby. Roughly 6 months from order to delivery. Win win for both Weatherby and the buyer.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Weatherby is smart enough to offer a custom order program for odd ball left handed rifles. This is how I ordered my LH 340 Wby. Roughly 6 months from order to delivery. Win win for both Weatherby and the buyer.

How do you know it’s a win for Weatherby?

 

[Snowwolfe]

How do you know it’s a win for Weatherby?

My guess is they would not build a rifle without making a profit.

 

[Dobermann]

Not to derail the thread too much longer ... but seeing as it might relate to whether people purchase an MRC or not ...

I think it would be interesting to get comparative statistics from rifle manufacturers who offer all of their rifles - or most of them - in left-handed options.

There's a lot to be said for having one's various rifles from one manufacturer - similar form and function, bolt manipulation, parts compatibility, and so on. So those manufacturers who provide the most options to lefties might see a higher percentage of sales.

Irrespective, even if the ROI wasn't great, if I owned a business like this, I'd offer left-handed options. Not only because I have the relevant lived experience - and know what a pain the backside it is to interact with things that are built by people who think we're irrelevant - but because I'd see all shooters as my market, and I'd want to cater to them.

Best case in point I can think of is Hardy Rifles. Think what you want of their designs and approach, but Dan Hardy tells the story of saving up for his first rifle as a youngster, going to the shop, only to find hardly any left-handed versions - and the ones that were were more expensive.

He now makes all his rifles with left-handed options - and sells them cheaper than right-handed models as his own small way of making up for the rest of the market, and (in his words), give a bit of an 'f-you' to manufacturers who don't, on behalf of lefties.

Small sales and hard market numbers are one thing. Catering for all of your users, is another. And not having the lived experience of what it's like to not have stuff that's made for how your body works, can make it hard to understand what it's like ... again, to the righties, imagine if you went into any gun shop, and 90% of all the rifles were left-handed ...