NICE SHOOTING - RELATED TECH: COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

[Edsel]

Curious as to where our “nicer tech” toys come from.

Not really including presses, dies and the like related to machining…

Scopes, we all know where they come from…

——————————

The AMP Annealer and Press: New Zealand

Labradar: Infinition Inc of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada

Garmin Xero C1: USA - but incorporated in Switzerland (?)

MagnetoSpeed: formerly MagnetoSpeed LLC, USA - now under Nielsen-Kellerman Company, USA

AutoTrickler and Shotmarker: MacDonald Innovations, Canada

SuperTrickler: Modgunn Security ApS, Denmark

Kestrel Meters: Nielsen-Kellerman Company, USA

Teslong Borescopes: Shenzhen Teslong Technology Co., Ltd., China

Safran Vectronix: Safran is French, Vectronix is / was Swiss…

TriggerCam: South Africa

Wind Zero: Probably USA

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It’ll be interesting to find out where they’re actually manufactured, too.

For instance, the Kestrel’s said to be entirely U.S. - made, while the Garmin’s made in Taiwan…

Anything else to add?

 

[wyliecoyote]

Interesting. I knew where most of those items came from but learned a bit on some others. The movement towards on-shoring and trading mostly with our allies will continue to shift things. I'd say America is hands down the best firearms/shooting producer in the world these days. Sure we get some inspiration and ideas from Europe, but overall they can't hold a candle to an American custom build . . . except AI.

 

[Edsel]

Interesting. I knew where most of those items came from but learned a bit on some others. The movement towards on-shoring and trading mostly with our allies will continue to shift things. I'd say America is hands down the best firearms/shooting producer in the world these days. Sure we get some inspiration and ideas from Europe, but overall they can't hold a candle to an American custom build . . . except AI.

Stuff that’s related to machining and gun parts, the U.S. still appears to be tops - probably due to our gun laws and strength of the local market.

But what surprises me is that as of late - “smart tech” (poor choice of adjective, I know) has come from overseas. In saying this, I’m referring to the likes of the AMP induction annealer and AutoTrickler. Tools that required smarts and demonstrated innovation (wouldn’t go as far as saying “revolutionary,” but in a sense, they are).

It almost implies that although we machine the most and consume the greatest volume of gun products, to my dismay - we have the least capacity for innovating consumer gun “smart tech,” if that makes any sense.

 

[Edsel]

…ut overall they can't hold a candle to an American custom build . . . except AI.

Come to think of it…

Upper - end Sakos. Mausers. Hammerlis. Anschutz. Cadex rifles.

You’ve already mentioned Accuracy International.

All available as standard production rifles.

Even the Sauer 200, which is Europe’s cottage industry counterpart to the Remington action, is arguably better in every respect.

And there’s always this joke about Americans fawning over custom rifles, and American custom rifle makers fawning over factory Blasers.

Lots of well - engineered production rifles designed with far more taste and refinement elsewhere…

 

[wyliecoyote]

I wouldn’t necessarily say that all the innovation is happening overseas. If you look at what the American gun industry has done in the last 10-15 years, you could easily say it’s pushed the lead core/copper jacket bullet to its technological limit. The ballistic work from American companies like AB and Hornady, the barrel makers (absolutely the best are American), and components (Peterson, ADG, Alpha, primer makers) all are happening right here. All the best accessories are home grown too (MDT, Atlas, Manners, MPA, Foundation, etc.).

For the last 20 years or so, I’ve heard people say we’re living in the golden era of shooting. I certainly hope the best is yet to come.

 

[Edsel]

I wouldn’t necessarily say that all the innovation is happening overseas. If you look at what the American gun industry has done in the last 10-15 years, you could easily say it’s pushed the lead core/copper jacket bullet to its technological limit. The ballistic work from American companies like AB and Hornady, the barrel makers (absolutely the best are American), and components (Peterson, ADG, Alpha, primer makers) all are happening right here. All the best accessories are home grown too (MDT, Atlas, Manners, MPA, Foundation, etc.).

Stuff that’s related to machining and gun parts, the U.S. still appears to be tops - probably due to our gun laws and strength of the local market.

Not really including presses, dies and the like related to machining…

I failed to articulate this better, and probably will still fail to below - but here goes:

Anything metal (?) - bullets, barrels, chassis, dies, things of that sort - we do well enough there. We have the scale which permits good outcomes. Yet - we have “disproportionate excellence,” to coin a phrase - from say, much smaller companies / territories like Lapua of Finland (are they state - subsidized?).

The nice, interesting tech as I listed above - they appear to come from overseas - from territories with a far smaller “shooting footprint” than the U.S.A.

I am perplexed that the AMP Annealer isn’t local. Neither is the AutoTrickler. Nor is the TriggerCam. Not from the largest contiguous population of shooters in the world. These things should have originated in the U.S.A., but they didn’t.

Does this make any sense?

 

[Kamerad]

I think I follow your point, but why is it perplexing? Shooting is hugely popular in other innovative countries. Norway televises shooting competitions, which are well attended. Biathlon is one of the most popular winter sports outside the USA.
Perhaps those examples you mentioned are exceptions that prove the rule you speak of?

ETA: not a technology, but https://www.ballisticstudies.com/ out of New Zealand is a tremendous source of ballistic knowledge and experience.

 

[Edsel]

I think I follow your point, but why is it perplexing? Shooting is hugely popular in other innovative countries. Norway televises shooting competitions, which are well attended. Biathlon is one of the most popular winter sports outside the USA.
Perhaps those examples you mentioned are exceptions that prove the rule you speak of?

ETA: not a technology, but https://www.ballisticstudies.com/ out of New Zealand is a tremendous source of ballistic knowledge and experience.

What a coincidence - I was just looking through their site.

Typically, innovations in a field occur where the largest population of said field exists; that’s the general trend.

 

[kthomas]

I wouldn’t necessarily say that all the innovation is happening overseas. If you look at what the American gun industry has done in the last 10-15 years, you could easily say it’s pushed the lead core/copper jacket bullet to its technological limit. The ballistic work from American companies like AB and Hornady, the barrel makers (absolutely the best are American), and components (Peterson, ADG, Alpha, primer makers) all are happening right here. All the best accessories are home grown too (MDT, Atlas, Manners, MPA, Foundation, etc.).

For the last 20 years or so, I’ve heard people say we’re living in the golden era of shooting. I certainly hope the best is yet to come.

European companies are typically really slow to adapt.

Anyone can test this out for themselves. Go ahead and suggest to Tikka or AI a mod or improvement. Then do the same to a company like MDT. Compare the results.

 

[Edsel]

All the best accessories are home grown too (MDT, Atlas, Manners, MPA, Foundation, etc.).

I missed this one…

MDT is Canadian, headquartered in Chilliwack, BC - also out of scope of the “nice tech” referred to.

 

[Thump_rrr]

I failed to articulate this better, and probably will still fail to below - but here goes:

Anything metal (?) - bullets, barrels, chassis, dies, things of that sort - we do well enough there. We have the scale which permits good outcomes. Yet - we have “disproportionate excellence,” to coin a phrase - from say, much smaller companies / territories like Lapua of Finland (are they state - subsidized?).

The nice, interesting tech as I listed above - they appear to come from overseas - from territories with a far smaller “shooting footprint” than the U.S.A.

I am perplexed that the AMP Annealer isn’t local. Neither is the AutoTrickler. Nor is the TriggerCam. Not from the largest contiguous population of shooters in the world. These things should have originated in the U.S.A., but they didn’t.

Does this make any sense?

Hate to break it to you but Jean Cantius Garand was Canadian too.

Also Adam MacDonald inventor of the AutoTrickler is also the inventor of the Shotmarker.

Let's not forget Tangent Theta and Elcan.

PS: Our snipers kick ass too.

 

[Edsel]

Hate to break it to you but Jean Cantius Garand was Canadian too.

Also Adam MacDonald inventor of the AutoTrickler is also the inventor of the Shotmarker.

Let's not forget Tangent Theta and Elcan.

PS: Our snipers kick ass too.

Garand? Ohmigerd, you dooon’t say!!!

I excluded anything related to metalwork and optics.

Already aware of Armament Technology, Inc. - quite a company.

I’m already a Euro Optic (ohmigerd, EuroOptic!) snob

 

[Charmingmander]

Most of the electronics are probably Asian so I'm not sure country of origin matters all that much but it's still interesting.