Vudoo Gun Works V-22 Rimfire Bolt Action

[Tokay444]

If you own or run a metal fab business, you know how hard it is to get good skilled labor. Welders are not easy to find, a great brake operator is even harder... a machinist is harder yet.. If my lease ran out. and I had the skilled labor to run my company..I would not move over a couple of states..I would move right down the street or across town to keep said labor..I would also give out info to my customers, saying that we are moving, well in advance..especially if you had a order already in.. I am by no means Elon Musk, but this doesn't add up as smart business people making smart business decisions. Employees didn't know (maybe, but I believe that post) there sponsored shooters that I have talked too didn't know..No forewarning to the customers. Leases are signed contracts done in years, so that had to be known about for a long time Unless there was lack of payment and forced to leave.. That Ex employees post seems most likely.

How much do you pay your good machinists?

 

[Fig]

 

[CroweMan]

Is anyone able to confirm if they are present at the Atlanta NRA event?

 

[Lastsaint21]

How much do you pay your good machinists?

In the Hampton Roads area, if you can run a lathe with just digital indicators you can pretty much name your price.

 

[PrecisionWerk]

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers…But we are all here to speak our minds. Vudoo started dying when MB left, pretty much all innovation and forward progress died. The mag that they failed to “perfect” was the canary in the coal mine. Then they made mistake over mistake, which compounded the problems. 2011’s which took focus and effort away from their niche which was rimfire, then they stopped selling actions to public and other smiths and locked DI as the exclusive distributor which was a colossal mistake. Sure DI builds a good rifle, but I for one have another smith that I only work with on my rimfire rifles. And let’s be honest DI was price gouging…$2700 for barreled action? Let’s do the math at retail pricing(not accounting for their discount structure)

$2700 DI Barreled Action
-$1200 Action
-$400 Mullerworks Blank
So that leaves $1100 profit per B/A to spin a barrel and chamber it. That’s insane amount of money to be honest. Look up what most smiths charge the pricing is out there…Furthermore that’s more like $1500 per gun with their discounts!

That’s insane to me! Talk about charging a premium once you are the sole supplier!

DI was also not the greatest with timelines, and they kept pushing the 1:13 barrel while still offering the 1:16 only as an afterthought. I never spoke to Dave Lott but I know people that have spoken to him that I trust and he was heavily pushing the 1:13.

I for one wanted another Vudoo but simply did not want to deal with a monopoly and sourced my additional action by other means. I actually called Vudoo for some spare parts right after DI announcement and challenged them on the agreement. The explanation I received was “We got tired of getting actions back and having to tell people it was the barrel that was spun by XYZ that was the issue.” I think that was a BS answer. They could have sold the actions with a disclaimer or some other solution.

As I said I fully expect this to ruffle some feathers, but the management did this to themselves(Not necessarily the Parrot’s the joke of a CEO they got though on the other hand…) Now they are trying to control the messaging but the damage has been done. I’ll gladly shoot my 2 Vudoo’s until they bite the dust. I’m sure someone else will rise to the top as the premier action supplier. I don’t think that is yet available. None of the current solutions or future ones coming down the pipeline that I am aware of will be at the level Vudoo was.

Not sure if he changed the price for the last few months, but just wanted to share the price from my last build in November 2024. I think the prices you listed might be a bit on the low side.

David quoted me $2700 for a barreled action with the EC Tuner. Before DI became the exclusive distributor, the action alone was around $1350 based on my last quote from Vudoo. The MullerWorks blank was $475 from BugHoles, and the EC Tuner was $170. That leaves David with about $705 in margin. Could he get everything a little cheaper as a dealer? Sure, possibly. I supplied my own barrel, and he knocked off $525 instead of $475, which seemed fair to me at the time.

Is that higher than some other gunsmiths? Maybe. But is he the most expensive? Definitely not. Since 2022, most quotes I’ve seen for rimfire work have been in the $550–$650 range (with a tuner) for Vudoo builds, mostly because of the extractor cut. RimX work usually comes out $150–$200 cheaper. Without a tuner, it’s usually another $100-$150 less.

At the end of the day, if the quality is there, I think the price is fair. In my experience, most gunsmiths are happy to break down the costs for you, so you know exactly what you're paying for and can decide for yourself if it makes sense.

 

[Tokay444]

In the Hampton Roads area, if you can run a lathe with just digital indicators you can pretty much name your price.

And what if they're actually really good?

 

[David Lott]

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers...But we are all here to speak our minds. Vudoo started dying when MB left, pretty much all innovation and forward progress died. The mag that they failed to “perfect” was the canary in the coal mine. Then they made mistake over mistake, which compounded the problems. 2011’s which took focus and effort away from their niche which was rimfire, then they stopped selling actions to public and other smiths and locked DI as the exclusive distributor which was a colossal mistake. Sure DI builds a good rifle, but I for one have another smith that I only work with on my rimfire rifles. And let’s be honest DI was price gouging…$2700 for barreled action? Let’s do the math at retail pricing(not accounting for their discount structure)

$2700 DI Barreled Action
-$1200 Action
-$400 Mullerworks Blank
So that leaves $1100 profit per B/A to spin a barrel and chamber it. That’s insane amount of money to be honest. Look up what most smiths charge the pricing is out there…Furthermore that’s more like $1500 per gun with their discounts! A couple of things I am not most smiths, what they feel their time is worth is on them. I know what it takes to keep this place open and running, I slug each barrel, I turn them on a 180,000.00 turning center to near perfection and I take the time to do it right, every one of them. I assemble and test fire each one for accuracy at 50 and 200 yards. If it doesn't shoot as expected, we go back and find out why and rebarrel if necessary, then retest, all of which takes time. My customers don't complain they just send pics and thank yous.

That’s insane to me! Talk about charging a premium once you are the sole supplier! We were charging that price long before Vudoo approached us to do the custom work. Why did they approach us???

DI was also not the greatest with timelines, and they kept pushing the 1:13 barrel while still offering the 1:16 only as an afterthought. I never spoke to Dave Lott but I know people that have spoken to him that I trust and he was heavily pushing the 1:13. If you ask my opinion on the subject, I will give you that opinion based ON FACTS and RESULTS, backed up by the test centers. WHY would I recommend something that DID NOT WORK????? I don't recall forcing anyone to purchase a 13 twist. Not sure what your beef is with that anyway. We have always offered 16s till I saw a 13 could be beneficial over the 16 with NO drawbacks. Timelines sure they went up when my work load doubled, tripled and quadrupled, again why? People want something that others don't offer, why would I not offer them a CUSTOM built rifle. BTW every rifle that we built going to Worlds is a 13 twist( why would they travel all that way with a subpar rifle)

I for one wanted another Vudoo but simply did not want to deal with a monopoly and sourced my additional action by other means. I actually called Vudoo for some spare parts right after DI announcement and challenged them on the agreement. The explanation I received was “We got tired of getting actions back and having to tell people it was the barrel that was spun by XYZ that was the issue.” I think that was a BS answer. They could have sold the actions with a disclaimer or some other solution.

As I said I fully expect this to ruffle some feathers, but the management did this to themselves(Not necessarily the Parrot’s the joke of a CEO they got though on the other hand…) Now they are trying to control the messaging but the damage has been done. I’ll gladly shoot my 2 Vudoo’s until they bite the dust. I’m sure someone else will rise to the top as the premier action supplier. I don’t think that is yet available. None of the current solutions or future ones coming down the pipeline that I am aware of will be at the level Vudoo was.

Thanks, (comments in quote) I just spent an hour getting my feathers brushed and tucked in

 

[Revo]

Anyone got any tips on removing the pins in the scope base/action? Trying to change out my scope base but I can't get the damn pins out.

 

[ocabj]

Is anyone at the NRA AM? https://nraam2025.mapyourshow.com/8_0/floorplan/?hallID=A&selectedBooth=1322

 

[ocabj]

Anyone got any tips on removing the pins in the scope base/action? Trying to change out my scope base but I can't get the damn pins out.

Were you the one that posted on reddit?

 

[RAVAGE88]

Does no one remember the 1:9 twist fiasco?

Yep, all part of the terminal illness I mentioned.

MB

 

[RAVAGE88]

@RAVAGE88 — are you planning a reboot of any sorts for the precision .22 market anytime soon?

Figured it couldn’t hurt to ask!

I've spent a lot of time over the last week or more thinking about this. My first thought when you posted this question was to not answer it, but I don't like doing it that way. So, what I'll say while avoiding anything whimsical is, I'm seriously considering it. The designs, etc., have been a work in progress for a little while, so the least of the challenges. What I've been working on since all this came up is, the business model, business plan, etc.

I've reviewed what's available and what has been advertised as possible offerings sometime in the future and I'll say that the time is prime to kick this thing much further down the road. So, to answer a direct question, transparently and honestly,

"I'm actively working on the possibilities and developing data on what it looks like to stand something up."

Please note that I didn't say that I'm, beyond the shadow of a doubt, standing something up, but instead, I'm working on the due diligence.

I hope this effectively answers your question....

MB

 

[LuvDog]

I've spent a lot of time over the last week or more thinking about this. My first thought when you posted this question was to not answer it, but I don't like doing it that way. So, what I'll say while avoiding anything whimsical is, I'm seriously considering it. The designs, etc., have been a work in progress for a little while, so the least of the challenges. What I've been working on since all this came up is, the business model, business plan, etc.

I've reviewed what's available and what has been advertised as possible offerings sometime in the future and I'll say that the time is prime to kick this thing much further down the road. So, to answer a direct question, transparently and honestly,

"I'm actively working on the possibilities and developing data on what it looks like to stand something up."

Please note that I didn't say that I'm, beyond the shadow of a doubt, standing something up, but instead, I'm working on the due diligence.

I hope this effectively answers your question....

MB

What about teaming up with a current action manufacturer that’s not in the 22 game already? Would that make the business model easier or harder?

 

[DownhillFromHere]

@RAVAGE88 Mike, a question: are Vudoo service parts - extractor kits, springs, etc. - patented, such that other machine shops are blocked from making them commercially?

I'm into my 70s now and slowing down some... I expect my 2019-vintage gen-1 V22 to outlast me without needing parts, but that's not at all a certainty and may well be a silly outlook. Worst case scenario might be that its bolt nose gets wonky again; I had to return the rifle a few years ago to have its early conical breech redone.

Glad to see you with us again, although I wish the circumstances around your reemergence were better.

 

[RAVAGE88]

What about teaming up with a current action manufacturer that’s not in the 22 game already? Would that make the business model easier or harder?

Good question, and I wouldn't rule it out if it makes sense, but generally, too much downtrodden baggage in such an arrangement.

MB

 

[RAVAGE88]

@RAVAGE88 Mike, a question: are Vudoo service parts - extractor kits, springs, etc. - patented, such that other machine shops are blocked from making them commercially?

I'm into my 70s now and slowing down some... I expect my 2019-vintage gen-1 V22 to outlast me without needing parts, but that's not at all a certainty and may well be a silly outlook. Worst case scenario might be that its bolt nose gets wonky again; I had to return the rifle a few years ago to have its early conical breech redone.

Glad to see you with us again, although I wish the circumstances around your reemergence were better.

No, there are no parts in the assembly that are patented. What would keep reputable shops from making non-serialized parts would be the information they'd need to work from. If a shop or shops had valid models and prints that showed no ownership connected to VGW, they'll make parts. I'd starkly avoid the idea of making receivers.

Thanks, Dude, it actually feels good to be back in the mix.

MB

 

[flatland1]

Mike,
I've stayed in touch with you & Jonathan Elrod since several of us started shooting our converted 40X repeaters, though I'm the only one of our group of three who has bought into V22 actions. Both you & Jon have been encouraging & supportive, so it's been a pleasure to be able to converse with both of you. I still have a 40XB that Jon did the conversion on, and that I barreled with both Lilja titebore & Krieger barrels, before buying that first Gen 1 repeater action in September of 2017. There are 3 Gen 1 & a Three-60 repeater, plus three V22S single shots here, and I'm always looking forward to a day with decent shooting conditions to get one or more of them out to get some trigger time in with them. So whether I'm shooting the old 40XB or the newest RB LP single shot, I'm always thinking how much I appreciate the time, thought, & effort both you guys have put into making such great 22RF rifles available.

So please accept my best wishes to both of you for whatever projects you undertake in the future. I would be remiss if I didn't express how much I also appreciate how enjoyable it was to deal with Paul & Jill over the years - IMHO, I think it would've been very difficult or even impossible to have found two people who were capable of doing a better job than they did in promoting the V22 series of actions.
Best wishes to all four of you folks in the future!
Dennis

 

[RAVAGE88]

Mike,
I've stayed in touch with you & Jonathan Elrod since several of us started shooting our converted 40X repeaters, though I'm the only one of our group of three who has bought into V22 actions. Both you & Jon have been encouraging & supportive, so it's been a pleasure to be able to converse with both of you. I still have a 40XB that Jon did the conversion on, and that I barreled with both Lilja titebore & Krieger barrels, before buying that first Gen 1 repeater action in September of 2017. There are 3 Gen 1 & a Three-60 repeater, plus three V22S single shots here, and I'm always looking forward to a day with decent shooting conditions to get one or more of them out to get some trigger time in with them. So whether I'm shooting the old 40XB or the newest RB LP single shot, I'm always thinking how much I appreciate the time, thought, & effort both you guys have put into making such great 22RF rifles available.

So please accept my best wishes to both of you for whatever projects you undertake in the future. I would be remiss if I didn't express how much I also appreciate how enjoyable it was to deal with Paul & Jill over the years - IMHO, I think it would've been very difficult or even impossible to have found two people who were capable of doing a better job than they did in promoting the V22 series of actions.
Best wishes to all four of you folks in the future!
Dennis

Hey Dennis,
Thank you for the sincere wishes and the trip through time. One usually doesn't stop to realize how far things have come relative to the amount of time spent on this unless/until someone reminds us of what we have to be appreciative of.

Although I've not spoken to or interacted with @jelrod1 since the transference of 40X conversion information 10 years ago, I've seen his name admirably and frequently pop up in the community and I'm happy he was able to make something of what I provided. This useful history is all part of what was meant earlier when I stated it's a prime time to kick this much further down the road instead of maintaining status quo.

In turn, I'll remain appreciative and respectful to P&J, as they were a big part of what was, at the time, the next steps. There were four of us that started Vudoo, which was wrapped around a number of years of work that was originally intended to be the newly introduced Remington 40X Rimfire. Obviously, all of that went the way it went, so, we'll see how the due diligence rounds out.

Thanks again,
MB

 

[David Lott]

Hey Dennis,
Thank you for the sincere wishes and the trip through time. One usually doesn't stop to realize how far things have come relative to the amount of time spent on this unless/until someone reminds us of what we have to be appreciative of.

Although I've not spoken to or interacted with @jelrod1 since the transference of 40X conversion information 10 years ago, I've seen his name admirably and frequently pop up in the community and I'm happy he was able to make something of what I provided. This useful history is all part of what was meant earlier when I stated it's a prime time to kick this much further down the road instead of maintaining status quo.

In turn, I'll remain appreciative and respectful to P&J, as they were a big part of what was, at the time, the next steps. There were four of us that started Vudoo, which was wrapped around a number of years of work that was originally intended to be the newly introduced Remington 40X Rimfire. Obviously, all of that went the way it went, so, we'll see how the due diligence rounds out.

Thanks again,
MB

Who was the 4th ?
and thank you for the hard work back then that has shaped a whole new community, a community that has allowed a few of us to venture out into uncharted territory while providing for lots of great memories and bringing families together.

 

[RAVAGE88]

Who was the 4th ?
and thank you for the hard work back then that has shaped a whole new community, a community that has allowed a few of us to venture out into uncharted territory while providing for lots of great memories and bringing families together.

Jay Phillips

Thank you, David. It's amazing how things unfold and truly, how interesting it is that things are so interconnected.

MB

 

[David Lott]

Jay Phillips

Thank you, David. It's amazing how things unfold and truly, how interesting it is that things are so interconnected.

MB

I am not familiar with that Name, care to fill us in?
a lil side note, For some reason, hot rodding got my attention when I was young and despite not having anyone in the family that did it, I found it challenging and rewarding, built a few back yard projects and then the Fox body came out and we started modifying, adding parts, superchargers, turbos etc that grew into a sport and community, then the 7.3 Powerstroke came out and same thing till the EPA took that away. The gun thing was quite the unintended direction. In 17 a few of us were shooting CZs, RPRs , Kidds then in 2018 Vuddo hit the spotlight and we were like, they are crazy no one will spend that kind of money on a .22, shortly after getting beat by a Vudoo, I quickly jumped online an got a hold of Cole and asked for a discount if I bought 2 at the same time, he countered with buy 3 and we will set you up as a dealer. After providing the shooters at TX Precision the largest PRS club at the time, we quickly saw the need for changes and ultimately balance. being the hot rodder, I made some parts, learned how to run a lathe then added a 1.250 barrel at 25" . At the time I had no idea what was fixing to happen. During that time I created a group on FB to simply talk about the style of shooting and the quest for precision. Now, a whole new sport has emerged that has brought people together from all over for the common love of the sport.
You probably had no idea what it would become so again thanks for the hard work, maybe one day I can shake your hand and personally say thank you.

Another lil side note many don't know about, .22 was so dead in 2017 Federal quit selling .22 ammo, what gave you the idea to even bring a .22 to market at the time?

 

[Williwaw]

@flatland1, if I had 7 Vudoos I would never get any farming done.

With all the talk of time passing by I just want to point out there are over 11 thousand posts in this thread and 3000 in the single shot thread. Seems to be lots of interest. And, just my opinion, that was excitement out of the community, not hype out of Vudoo. Just sayin'.

 

[RAVAGE88]

I am not familiar with that Name, care to fill us in?
a lil side note, For some reason, hot rodding got my attention when I was young and despite not having anyone in the family that did it, I found it challenging and rewarding, built a few back yard projects and then the Fox body came out and we started modifying, adding parts, superchargers, turbos etc that grew into a sport and community, then the 7.3 Powerstroke came out and same thing till the EPA took that away. The gun thing was quite the unintended direction. In 17 a few of us were shooting CZs, RPRs , Kidds then in 2018 Vuddo hit the spotlight and we were like, they are crazy no one will spend that kind of money on a .22, shortly after getting beat by a Vudoo, I quickly jumped online an got a hold of Cole and asked for a discount if I bought 2 at the same time, he countered with buy 3 and we will set you up as a dealer. After providing the shooters at TX Precision the largest PRS club at the time, we quickly saw the need for changes and ultimately balance. being the hot rodder, I made some parts, learned how to run a lathe then added a 1.250 barrel at 25" . At the time I had no idea what was fixing to happen. During that time I created a group on FB to simply talk about the style of shooting and the quest for precision. Now, a whole new sport has emerged that has brought people together from all over for the common love of the sport.
You probably had no idea what it would become so again thanks for the hard work, maybe one day I can shake your hand and personally say thank you.

Another lil side note many don't know about, .22 was so dead in 2017 Federal quit selling .22 ammo, what gave you the idea to even bring a .22 to market at the time?

Sure....Jay was a co-founder and pretty creative guy. He designed what has remained to be the Vudoo logo. He worked at Barry's in St George and had never built a rifle in his life and neither had Paul. At any rate, following what ended up being a product launch at the NRA World Championships at Peacemaker in Sept 2017, I completed the manufacturing package and stood up the machines that were in St George at the time. It wasn't much, just a Haas TL1 and Bridgeport style manual mill with a cadre of finishing type tools.

Within a short time, Jay and Paul were building some of the best rifles that came out of Vudoo. At the time, the CNC lathe work out ran the extractor cuts in the manual mill, as would be expected, and most of that work was done by Jay. In parallel, I was also the Director of Engineering at Savage and made regular trips to St George. It was pretty awesome times as Vudoo literally became one of the top five hottest names in the industry in a very short period of time.

Paul then brought in a sales guy and that didn't work out so well, so he was terminated, and Jay didn't make it much longer after that. I'm sure @jbell remembers Jay....he was a good Dude and for a while, his son continued to work at Vudoo as a builder after senior departed.

As far as what started the journey....During the 2009/2010 timeframe, I was playing with a few things in rimfire after having built quite a lot of CF rifles. I tripped over a group in Colorado that eventually called themselves the "40X Mafia;" @Hoser seemed to be their ringleader, and they were on a path with single shot 40X's that sent me in the direction of developing a 40X repeater that actually worked. The project was deemed a success in 2010 after the magazine design and testing was completed.

So of course, what better place for this functional 40X Repeater than Remington Arms, right? Well, this was all at the beginning of Remington becoming very adept at declaring bankruptcy, but the window opened with them in 2012. Frankly, they doinked me around for four years and missed my final deadline in September 2016, so I departed the sandbox with my stuff and ventured out into the same unchartered territory that you found yourself in. And believe me, there was a lot to overcome between 2012 and 2015, but being tenacious paid off.

The interesting thing is, falling back on what I said earlier about how interconnected things are, Jacob Herman and I were in AZ at what was at the time, the new Surgeon Rifles facility. Part of what I discussed with Mark Johnson was any interest he may have in launching a high end rimfire. They politely chuckled and said no, but Paul Parrott was in the room, but didn't say much. So, I left and continued on my way but a little while later I ran into Paul in the SAC booth at NRA and he asked if I ever did anything with my rimfire. It was during this time that things seemed positive with Remington, so I told him I was working on something with Remington but the deadline was near and I'd let him know if they missed it, as I'd be walking away from them for good.

Sure enough, as they had so many times before, they missed the deadline and I called Paul. By August 2017, we had TEST actions produced and I started this thread on the day I built the first rifle to be tested, which is pictured on the first page of this thread. After building that rifle and it getting a bit of press, and this happened because of Jay Phillips, Lapua called and asked (because I designed the 22LR RAVAGE chamber around Center X) if we'd be interested in working with them at the NRA Championships and we immediately said, "YES!"

But, there was one test rifle and the parts weren't heat treated, and no "production" rifles and no functional shop yet in St George, but I had the CNC Lab in my garage in CT. We were able to get a few actions made and I built nine rifles in seven days, fired them into the ground out the back door of the shop, packed up a rented Suburban and drove to WV with largely untested rifles with no finish on them and they were the hit of the entire event. That's how we launched and the rest is history....

MB

 

[Baron23]

I understand people's concern, but this type of post is not good for anybody, it is speculation that spreads fear and doubt and causes even more grief for me. I have fielded enough calls already about things that people said on the internet. I am behind schedule and more calls asking about stuff like this hurts me even more.
The FFL IS valid, and on the list, searching by a name means nothing. Knowing where and how to search is relevant.
Now go have fun, as MB said everything will be fine.

What spreads fear and doubt is suddenly closing and, at best, sketchy communications.

Do you have $4k sitting with…well, whoever has it at this point…like the poster above? I think that alone changes the angst level.

 

[David Lott]

Sure....Jay was a co-founder and pretty creative guy. He designed what has remained to be the Vudoo logo. He worked at Barry's in St George and had never built a rifle in his life and neither had Paul. At any rate, following what ended up being a product launch at the NRA World Championships at Peacemaker in Sept 2017, I completed the manufacturing package and stood up the machines that were in St George at the time. It wasn't much, just a Haas TL1 and Bridgeport style manual mill with a cadre of finishing type tools.

Within a short time, Jay and Paul were building some of the best rifles that came out of Vudoo. At the time, the CNC lathe work out ran the extractor cuts in the manual mill, as would be expected, and most of that work was done by Jay. In parallel, I was also the Director of Engineering at Savage and made regular trips to St George. It was pretty awesome times as Vudoo literally became one of the top five hottest names in the industry in a very short period of time.

Paul then brought in a sales guy and that didn't work out so well, so he was terminated, and Jay didn't make it much longer after that. I'm sure @jbell remembers Jay....he was a good Dude and for a while, his son continued to work at Vudoo as a builder after senior departed.

As far as what started the journey....During the 2009/2010 timeframe, I was playing with a few things in rimfire after having built quite a lot of CF rifles. I tripped over a group in Colorado that eventually called themselves the "40X Mafia;" @Hoser seemed to be their ringleader, and they were on a path with single shot 40X's that sent me in the direction of developing a 40X repeater that actually worked. The project was deemed a success in 2010 after the magazine design and testing was completed.

So of course, what better place for this functional 40X Repeater than Remington Arms, right? Well, this was all at the beginning of Remington becoming very adept at declaring bankruptcy, but the window opened with them in 2012. Frankly, they doinked me around for four years and missed my final deadline in September 2016, so I departed the sandbox with my stuff and ventured out into the same unchartered territory that you found yourself in. And believe me, there was a lot to overcome between 2012 and 2015, but being tenacious paid off.

The interesting thing is, falling back on what I said earlier about how interconnected things are, Jacob Herman and I were in AZ at what was at the time, the new Surgeon Rifles facility. Part of what I discussed with Mark Johnson was any interest he may have in launching a high end rimfire. They politely chuckled and said no, but Paul Parrott was in the room, but didn't say much. So, I left and continued on my way but a little while later I ran into Paul in the SAC booth at NRA and he asked if I ever did anything with my rimfire. It was during this time that things seemed positive with Remington, so I told him I was working on something with Remington but the deadline was near and I'd let him know if they missed it, as I'd be walking away from them for good.

Sure enough, as they had so many times before, they missed the deadline and I called Paul. By August 2017, we had TEST actions produced and I started this thread on the day I built the first rifle to be tested, which is pictured on the first page of this thread. After building that rifle and it getting a bit of press, and this happened because of Jay Phillips, Lapua called and asked (because I designed the 22LR RAVAGE chamber around Center X) if we'd be interested in working with them at the NRA Championships and we immediately said, "YES!"

But, we didn't have any rifles and no shop in St George, but I had the CNC Lab in my garage in CT. We were able to get a few actions made and I built nine rifles in seven days, fired them into the ground out the back door of the shop, packed up a rented Suburban and drove to WV with largely untested rifles with no finish on them and they were the hit of the entire event. That's how we launched and the rest is history....

MB

Now that is the part of this story/journey that I love the most. You only fail when you quit trying. Kudos for not giving up on your dream.

 

[RAVAGE88]

Now that is the part of this story/journey that I love the most. You only fail when you quit trying. Kudos for not giving up on your dream.

Thanks Dude, at the time, the only choice I had was to go forward.

MB

 

[David Lott]

What spreads fear and doubt is suddenly closing and, at best, sketchy communications.

Do you have $4k sitting with…well, whoever has it at this point…like the poster above? I think that alone changes the angst level.

I get it, I am in quite a bigger pickle than 4k if they don't pull through. People panicked when they sold before and everything recovered, same thing again but different. How it was handled this time, I agree was a lil bit unorthodox.

 

[David Lott]

Thanks Dude, at the time, the only choice I had was to go forward.

MB

I feel ya, bud. I am in that exact same predicament right now. Too far in to back up now.

as Aaron Miesse says "Forward Forever, Backward Never,"

 

[RAVAGE88]

I feel ya, bud. I am in that exact same predicament right now. Too far in to back up now.

as Aaron Miesse says "Forward Forever, Backward Never,"

I get it Dude, and it sucks. The number of unplanned co-dependencies is at the center of what it means to develop experience through overcoming the inherent hardships. Although I think about the story I just laid out, and it was pretty awesome times, there's things I know now to avoid. You're gaining that same experience because of, at least, similar hardships.

MB

 

[RAVAGE88]

@flatland1, if I had 7 Vudoos I would never get any farming done.

With all the talk of time passing by I just want to point out there are over 11 thousand posts in this thread and 3000 in the single shot thread. Seems to be lots of interest. And, just my opinion, that was excitement out of the community, not hype out of Vudoo. Just sayin'.

I agree 100%. This community is THE reason I'm considering standing something up.

MB