scotth
.30 Stingray
Posts: 216 
|
Post by scotth on Apr 11, 2020 11:49:26 GMT -5
They were way behind long before the Coronavirus. thats what i said i orderd my frame back in October or November. they should of had the frame castings way back then. but what do i know i am just trying to keep things positive. i look at it like i am waiting on a good bullet mold in good time it will be here and well worth the wait. |
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Apr 11, 2020 11:58:55 GMT -5
I don't disagree and have had mine on order for 6+ months. But, reality is that "The Coronavirus" will be blamed for everything up to and including global warming.
That just plain annoys me...
|
|
edk
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,162
|
Post by edk on Apr 11, 2020 18:30:09 GMT -5
Not making excuses and certainly wouldn't pay cash in advance for a bunch of 'em but Lehigh/SSK Industries can't totally crash and burn on this or their name in the industry would turn to mud. I'd have faith based solely on the the thought they have to follow through or their other business would be tarnished.
|
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Apr 24, 2020 18:22:16 GMT -5
Updated news today and months still to wait it seems. Im wondering if we will ever see these.
Thinking that getting my money back and reevaluating the situation if they ever become reality.
No need to provide the product if they already have the money.
|
|
jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,749
|
Post by jeffh on Apr 24, 2020 19:15:47 GMT -5
Updated news today and months still to wait it seems. Im wondering if we will ever see these. Thinking that getting my money back and reevaluating the situation if they ever become reality. No need to provide the product if they already have the money. Encore64, you're getting information I've not been able to find.
I've not had an e-mail from Marty in a while and the site still says "5/1/20."
That seemed odd, so I started to e-mail Marty today and thought better of bugging him on the assumption everyone else has been too.
I just signed in to see if anyone on this thread had heard anything. Apparently you have.
Mine was ordered October/November and I've been sitting on cash I could use on other things if these just aren't going to materialize.
Jeff
|
|
scotth
.30 Stingray
Posts: 216
|
Post by scotth on Apr 25, 2020 7:14:29 GMT -5
here is a link to the new update www.hausofarms.com/blog.asp if you go down the page you will see the heading UPDATE ON THE SSK-50 FRAMES. |
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Apr 25, 2020 7:33:02 GMT -5
Yep, seems rather open ended without definite, clear answers.
We've gone from a date, to a "No later than date," to a "who knows."
I'm not comfortable with this at all...
Getting money back generally gets harder with time.
|
|
jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,749
|
Post by jeffh on Apr 25, 2020 10:24:54 GMT -5
Wow, I sure missed that lead.
Thanks, scotth, Helpful link for certain. Dang, man, found another foundry? That's worrisome in itself. Too much of a technical challenge for the original foundry? Personality differences? Can't hit the target cost? I've been in engineering and business for 30 years and have dealt with foundries on small lots such as this, and lead times can be pretty incredible, especially when your little bit of business may be competing with the "big three" or some other mass user of castings. I'm not questioning Marty's good sense, as I'm sure he knows all this and more. Honestly, it takes some guts to stick your neck out like this. Entrepreneurs. I'm stubborn and I won't back away from a challenge that comes to me, but I don't go around looking for them either.
I agree, encore64. I didn't pay up front, but not because I'm smarter than anyone who did - I didn't have the money, but I knew I could scrape it up by the first due date given. From a business perspective (and Marty's business is none of my business), I think having kept a lid on the project, let rumors circulate and neither confirm nor deny the idea. Or, at least moderate the enthusiasm in promoting it. But then, I'm not the successful entrepreneur taking trips to Africa, so I'm obviously not the authority on this - Marty is. I trust he is determined, but I'm moving along and looking for another "easy open." If he makes this happen, I'll come back, but this is not that entertaining and whether I watch and wait won't make or break the project. Rock on, Marty, and good luck. I'm pullin' for ya.
I was most excited about the replacement parts prospect. I've chosen a defunct platform for most of the rifle shooting I'll do for the rest of my life. Trade them for G2s? They're not defunct, I just keep seeing too many "hints" that TC's future, in general, is in jeopardy - even in that blog. I'm not sure a G2 would be any easier to keep up on parts than the originals. Having one more "spare" action would put me at three, and with parts compatibility, and the fact that I'm not too hard on them, I'd feel feel better. That said, I think most of my preferences in arms are toward defunct stuff, or reasonable facsimiles thereof.
OK, that was not to grumble or gripe - just "thinking out loud." Musing. Wondering how others perceive the the prospect of the potential reviving of the Contender. Nostalgia? Parts? Price of originals?
Now to see if my $275 can land me another original Contender.
Or maybe I should put it toward that new SP101,......
Dang it! I HAD my mind made up!
|
|
edk
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,162
|
Post by edk on Apr 25, 2020 11:43:40 GMT -5
Haus of Arms blog reads: "Difficulties between S&W, Thompson Investment Castings and Lehigh Defense/SSK delayed delivery of MY frames till April." There can be no doubt that Thompson Investment Castings can successfully produce SSK-50 frames. They've essentially already been doing it for 50 years. The terms "Difficulties between" suggest to me that roadblocks are being thrown down. Why is S&W even involved? Why would Lehigh Defense/SSK want to involve them? There are other qualified foundries - even one right down the street: www.hitchiner.com/ I worked there summers making Colt AR receivers and ballistic missile fins 40 years ago. SSK-50 frames should present no great challenge. Probably not having kept this project as far away from S&W as possible in the first place was a mistake. |
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Apr 25, 2020 12:23:26 GMT -5
We got this back in December 2019...
"We will begin shipping the SSK-50 receiver and firearms no later than the 3rd of April, 2020."
The thing is that they've known for a while this wasn't going to happen. Why not update the misinformation that was emailed to us? Something just seems out of place to me.
|
|
jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,749
|
Post by jeffh on Apr 25, 2020 14:13:46 GMT -5
We got this back in December 2019... "We will begin shipping the SSK-50 receiver and firearms no later than the 3rd of April, 2020." The thing is that they've known for a while this wasn't going to happen. Why not update the misinformation that was emailed to us? Something just seems out of place to me. The last one (e-mail/delivery extension) was disappointing, but things happen. The date moving again wasn't unexpected, but it would have been nice to have been informed.
The site still says 5/1/20.
Well, I'm moving along then.
I want another Contender frame, so I'll watch the used market.
|
|
|
|
Post by potatojudge on Apr 25, 2020 14:33:35 GMT -5
If folks who pre-ordered frames start bailing and requesting their money back it makes it that much less likely these guns will come into existence.
Difficulties raise costs, cash layout without sales, time and money distracting from other profitable ventures, then as you need cash infusion/reserves to kick start the project after unforeseen issues folks whose money has already been put into getting this off the ground start asking for their money back, which is no longer in the bank but in the parts supplier's hands, any cash reserves that go toward refunds strangle you for any cash outlay, you go to lower priced vendors- increasing wait times and lowering quality, it's a bad cycle.
Point is, if you can afford it then sit tight. That's everyone's best chance of getting the frames and at the quality you want, if not the timeframe.
I didn't pre-order because I'd like my next Contender frame to be a CCH G2, but if I had I'd choose to forget about it like I would waiting on a custom gun.
Encore64, you seem to think that SSK has been deliberately misleading its customers on the timeframe. More often a void of information leads to this suspicion rather than knowledge of the inner workings of the process and setbacks. Likewise, a daily update is likely to do more harm than good in the eyes of the customers and might lead to more requests for refunds than they'd have had otherwise, with the results outlined above.
|
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Apr 25, 2020 14:42:52 GMT -5
I'd say stating that they would ship by April 3rd (second due date) and then not shipping or updating is the very definition of misleading.
We're on the third delay and only when asked did I get more words. At this point I hesitate to call it information.
So, you are correct when you say that I'm less inclined to accept the ever-changing reasons for delay.
|
|
scotth
.30 Stingray
Posts: 216
|
Post by scotth on Apr 25, 2020 14:58:19 GMT -5
i wont ask for a refund till maybe December. they will have had over a year to get this done. if i do get money back i will see about turning the 275.00 into a g2 and keep my name on the list for a ssk-50 frame if they ever get them done.
|
|
jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,749
|
Post by jeffh on Apr 25, 2020 23:58:39 GMT -5
I don't think anyone is being dishonest but I do feel the communications could be handled much better. I committed to take one and committed the funds - I didn't pay up front, but I have put it aside. I'm not as worried about the project succeeding as I am about tying up the funds only to not be notified once they do become available.
If I had a month's notice that I could trust, I could come up with the money again, but not in the 24-hour notice as is currently stated on the site. I doubt they're going to want to wait a month for me to pay, so to be fair, I should probably take my name off the list.
|
|
