SWFA business model?

[SDHNTR]

What models? I've heard the same thing from Sean last week as a few months ago; similar to what @BjornF16 says above, "a couple months".

2 NXS 3.5-15x and 2 SHV 3-10x42's. And I should clarify, I bought those from retailers. 3 of the 4 from Cameraland, not direct from NF.

 

[ljalberta]

I finally found one up here in . I’ll likely buy one and conduct the scope test.

If you see another one. Let me know . Found a 10x42, but have been looking for a 3-9 and a 6x42 without much luck for quite awhile.

 

[Helislacker]

If you see another one. Let me know . Found a 10x42, but have been looking for a 3-9 and a 6x42 without much luck for quite awhile.

I’m talking about the Credo 2.5-10. Basically debating between that and the SHV 4-14 for a Tikka .223. Still no luck finding an SWFA here

 

[SouthPaw]

It's just unfortunate that even SWFA has no clue on lead time. It could be tomorrow, or a year from now. Questionable before fall hunting season. How long does one wait on the backorder list...

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[Deywalker]

It's just unfortunate that even SWFA has no clue on lead time. It could be tomorrow, or a year from now. Questionable before fall hunting season. How long does one wait on the backorder list...

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I've been waiting since the Black Friday sale for a 6x, and since about September for a 3-9. Luckily about 2 months after I ordered the 3-9 I managed to pick up a barely used one.

 

[ElPollo]

If you call SWFA, they will take your info, backorder the scope, and only charge your card before they ship the scope out. I called them 2 weeks ago and was told they have 75 3-9x scopes on backorder. I suspect that additional backorders would be more likely to get attention from LOW. 75 really isn’t all that many from a manufacturer’s point of view when you are shipping stuff in containers on a giant boat across the Pacific, so I totally get the point about being small potatoes. I’d appreciate if those of you who are complaining about not being able to get one would just get on the list, so they will make my scope sooner. And yes, they are ugly, but you need one.

 

[SDHNTR]

If you call SWFA, they will take your info, backorder the scope, and only charge your card before they ship the scope out. I called them 2 weeks ago and was told they have 75 3-9x scopes on backorder. I suspect that additional backorders would be more likely to get attention from LOW. 75 really isn’t all that many from a manufacturer’s point of view when you are shipping stuff in containers on a giant boat across the Pacific, so I totally get the point about being small potatoes. I’d appreciate if those of you who are complaining about not being able to get one would just get on the list, so they will make my scope sooner. And yes, they are ugly, but you need one.

There are “only” 75 on backorder because people have wisened up and know what “backorder” means in SWFA speak. So they look elsewhere. Or hold onto the hope that one day they might have some actually in inventory and wait for that moment, rather than getting on the list. If SWFA wants to sell scopes, they gotta have scopes for us to buy! That’s the only way to sell stuff in this crowded market.

And I’m in the same boat as you too, I just understand why people refuse to play their game. Frankly, I’m beginning to regret it too.

 

[amassi]

What models? I've heard the same thing from Sean last week as a few months ago; similar to what @BjornF16 says above, "a couple months".

Outside of the nxs 2.5-10 everything else has been reasonably available and often available from europtic or redhawk as demos.

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[JustSomeGuy35]

Who?

You're asking me to name other companies out there with great products and scopes that are always, or at least nearly always, available to order?

Trijicon, Nightforce, and Zeiss immediately come to mind, based on reviews and recommendations from this forum. Is that enough or should I find more to list?

Notice that I didn't say anyone made scopes better than swfa. I'm not qualified or knowledgeable enough to make statements like that. I said "great products" and "dependable supply chains".

IMHO, just because a model doesn't pass your drop test doesn't mean it isn't a great product. It just means it isnt greater than a swfa durability wise. Some of my rifles will never be dropped because I don't do anything rigorous with them. For those, a Burris or Athlon works just fine.

I need a scope for my new T3x .223 now, not later whenever my back ordered 3-9 ships. Should I put the rifle away and wait for the 3-9 or put another scope on it from a great company like Trijicon? What's better: shooting my rifle or sitting on it waiting for a Form-approved scope to maybe show up this year?

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

I'd like to retract my statements about swfa not having a dependable supply chain. Swfa's supply chain IS dependable in the way that if you need a 3-9 or 6x now.....you can count on not getting one for at least half the year or longer.

You can take that to the bank!

 

[CorbLand]

The problem is that they do listen…. To the mass market, that have no idea what they need or want- example .25 mil hashes. And that’s not a knock on anyone, but it is an example of the problem. The customers ask for things based on feelings, not skill or data. Another is massive zoom ranges- why? What advantage does a 4-32x offer anyone in the field that overcome the massive disadvantages?
PRS shooters routinely state that they shoot almsot all shots at 12-14x, and never below 10x- why the fuq do they demand huge zoom ranges with a reticle that can’t be used at low powers?


Etc etc.

The mass market knows what it wants. It wants 3000 dollar quality with a 300 dollar price tag. HAHAHA

Does SWFA have any retailers or do they only sell their scopes themselves? I haven't ever seen a SWFA in a retail store.

 

[CorbLand]

If SWFA wants to sell scopes, they gotta have scopes for us to buy! That’s the only way to sell stuff in this crowded market.

Maybe they are happy with the amount that they do sell. Not every business in this world is worried about making the most money as possible. Some are happy making a reasonable living and going home.

 

[awildswanger]

The reality is that when viewed as a whole, as an aiming device, there are no other scopes like the SWFA 6x and 3-9x. They are unique in what they offer and do.


It is silly that no company is interested in trying to compete with them.

I haven’t had an opportunity to use either of these, could you elaborate on what makes these unique?

 

[BjornF16]

Does SWFA have any retailers or do they only sell their scopes themselves? I haven't ever seen a SWFA in a retail store.

Only SWFA sells the SWFA scopes...web-store and their former store front (now closed)

 

[Marbles]

Maybe they are happy with the amount that they do sell. Not every business in this world is worried about making the most money as possible. Some are happy making a reasonable living and going home.

It would be a better world if more business did that.

 

[CorbLand]

Only SWFA sells the SWFA scopes...web-store and their former store front (now closed)

That is what I thought.

So this would probably indicate that SWFA does smaller batch runs of scopes to keep the upfront cost to a minimum. When you sell through a retailer, the retailer "preorders" the number scopes they think they will sell, so the manufacture has an idea of the number that are already sold. Its a lot easier to fund 5000 scopes when 4500 of them are already sold. SWFA would have to front the cost of production for all scopes with no guaranteed income. Its the cost of cutting out the middle man and going direct to consumer.

 

[Formidilosus]

I haven’t had an opportunity to use either of these, could you elaborate on what makes these unique?

Reliability, correct function, zero retention, reticle, FFP, size, and weight. There is literally no 3-9’ish scope at any price, from any manufacturer that includes the entire package that the SWFA 3-9x does. Ditto for the fixed 6x Milquad.

 

[CorbLand]

It would be a better world if more business did that.

I don't think people understand what it takes to expand a business and sometimes the risk of doing it does not meet the owners tolerance.

 

[slowelk]

.25 mil hashes is going backwards. The beauty and advantage of mil is the base ten system, not quarters. Quarters breaks the system back into MOA thinking.

I guess what I was thinking was negative space where .25 was dead center. Inner edge would be 0.2 and outer edge would be 0.3 since those gaps are 0.1. do the same at 0.75. Then you would have indicators at .2, .3, .5, .7, .8. Probably still bad, but point is, mil-r reticle with more gradients in the first windage mil.

@BjornF16 thoughts?

 

[BjornF16]

Been contemplating the reticle...I've updated what I posted yesterday by adding 1 mil reticle line with .2 mil hashes above the center cross.

1. Smaller center cross - 0 - .2 mil square (only illuminated component)
2. Gap between .2 - .4 mil (light wind)
3. Reticle line between .4 - .8 mil with hash at .6 (medium wind)
4. Thicker reticle line between .8 - 1.4 mil with .2 hash marks (high wind)
5. Back to normal reticle line after 1.4 mil
6. Cease reticle and begin thick pointer bar at 4 mil