Re: Accuracy International
Gentlemen,
Stacey has covered the most significant points of this recurring question, and I will only address a few here.
In comparing rifles, it is really hard to make valid direct comparisons. The Accuracy International AE MKII, for example has got to be the most underrated and under appreciated sniper rifle currently available. The AE MKII is really more directly comparable to the Sako TRG rifles than the AW, and the AE MKII comes in at a similar (and often lower) price. The AE MKII, of course is not available in the mighty 338 LM, as this round demands a different level of strength and construction. The AE MKII is also the product that should be considered when comparing AI to 'custom builds', not the AW series.
Exchange rate risk is a real threat to competitiveness of European manufacturers in the recent business climate, and we have witnessed significant pricing pressure on virtually all European manufactured products in the past three years. The continued growth of the U.S. debt and trade deficits will not help this situation in the near term. All AICS sold in the U.S. are manufactured here, thus protecting this product from exchange rate pressures. Canadian AICS are imported from the UK, and thus have to be priced with exchange fluctuation in mind. Customers demand a certain level of price stability, and this means that importers must make estimates of exchange rates based on historical data and good deal of forecasting. This is not an exact science, and prices must naturally err on the high side to avoid margin erosion at least half the time. Long-term FX adjustments tend to eventually result in price changes. U.S. customers of S&B scopes endured a couple of large price adjustments (up and then down) in 2008 due the large swings in EURO to Dollar FX, and we could see another upward bump in the near future as that company, like many other European firms, works to maintain competitive pricing.
Smaller vs larger manufacturers: A little known fact is that many, if not most, small U.S. gunmakers, are able to operate in such a fashion as to avoid paying the 11% Federal Excise Tax on firearms. If a company 'manufactures' 50 or fewer rifles per year, they are exempt from this tax liability. Most can legally 'manufacture' considerably in excess of that number by working with customer-supplied receivers which falls under the category of repair or gunsmithing service. This makes comparison of AI rifles to custom builds particularly difficult, as so many of the custom builds have an automatic 11% pricing advantage.
Design and Engineering: AI maintains a significant Engineering department, and has done so for the entire life of the company. This is necessary for the development of future products, and to support the many globally deployed AI sniper rifle systems. Every AI product is backed up by complete engineering drawings and specifications, and we can supply replacement components that require no machining or gunsmithing for any rifle we have ever manufactured. We undergo annual ISO certification audits, and this ensures that we maintain the resources and processes necessary to produce consistently high-quality products and the ability to support them. Certainly one can choose a less expensive product, or some facsimile of the genuine article. Of course these second-tier choices are never quite as good as the one you really wanted but talked yourself out of, and this is nowhere more evident than in the resale values. My first AW, which I still own, was manufactured in 1992, has worn out several barrels, still headspaces perfectly, and will interchange all it's parts with rifles manufactured in 2009. Best of all, should I need to sell it next week, it will fetch considerably more than it's original price.
And this brings us to the real question: What sniper rifle has the lowest <span style="text-decoration: underline">Total Cost of Ownership</span>??? The longer you own an AI and the harder you shoot them the cheaper they become.
Best regards,
--
Scott Seigmund
Vice President
Accuracy International of North America
Email:
[email protected]
