Yea I get that, but take Geiselle for example... They started out with one product, they wanted to make the best trigger they could. Of course in 2004, when they were established, there were many competitors in the AR trigger market. But they took that one single component, did a great job with it and went from there.
Today they are synonymous with top quality with most everyone in the precision rifle world. My point is, despite whether there is a market or not, if you devote yourself to making that one component to the best of your ability then you create a market for yourself.
From what I can find, there's only one place that offers custom 1 piece 700 bolts and that's PTG. I know there's a couple other small time places that have made them and may still make them. But I see a hole just begging to be filled there.
For established companies, it's probably not really worth it. But there's always going to be a market for someone who makes a good product and backs it up.
I have always wanted to do something like this, so maybe it's just my ambition talking. I'm 37 and my kids are getting older. I have had this same goal for years. To get my kids raised the best I can, then have a small machine shop once I am a point in life where I can give it my full attention.
I have always been envious of folks like Chad Dixon. Anywhere you go in the long range community, LRI is always spoken of highly. I honestly respect the hell out of that, I respect the work they do. I've seen first hand their work and I just have a thing for quality work. Plus I'm passionate about firearms, I literally do nothing but work all day and either shoot, hunt or work on guns every other waking minute.
I work as Quality Control for a coal sampling company. I also QC all of our structural steel, dimensions, welds, I do all of our non-destructive testing, etc. I spend a lot of time working on our drives, machining gears and shafts, sometimes very intricate assemblies. I love it, I just never get burned out or tired of making sure that I have covered every base to ensure anything with my name on it will be right down to the smallest detail and documented.
I would like to find something, whether it be making bolts, or whatever component of a rifle. To find way to make it the best I can, and have people using it knowing that they can rely on what I made. I have no plans of getting super rich from it. I have a passion for making things. I like to make things from steel and know that what I made will outlive me. Knowing that I made something that someone can rely on and trust. Plus the added benefit of being able to do my own machine work and being able to manufacture prototypes of parts that are still just in my head or drawn out on graph paper.
I'll get there eventually, I just want to do it right. It's hard, it will likely be the most difficult thing I ever do. But the will to do it is there. A few more years and I'll have the money to begin, if I'm still living, lol...
