Vudoo closed the doors…
- Thread starter hafejd30
- Start date
L4701 is so good. Simple and super capable tractor.
sent them an email on Monday. No response of any kind. Their server is still operating or it would have bounced back. Of course the website is still running, but not really responding.
This is a strange situation.
I am wondering if they really want to try to get the company up and running again and are running into a series of insurmountable issues/problems. Maybe the ATF is all up in arms especially considering all the problems Remington had after it went through the sale barn. (As in the ATF under the Trump administration is actually trying to look out for the consumers.
Or, more likely, as usual, the company got bought out, by the typical corporate raiders, who are grabbing every penny they can get, leaving the customers and suppliers out in the cold.
This is a strange situation.
I am wondering if they really want to try to get the company up and running again and are running into a series of insurmountable issues/problems. Maybe the ATF is all up in arms especially considering all the problems Remington had after it went through the sale barn. (As in the ATF under the Trump administration is actually trying to look out for the consumers.
Or, more likely, as usual, the company got bought out, by the typical corporate raiders, who are grabbing every penny they can get, leaving the customers and suppliers out in the cold.
Most of the time buy outs are t corporate raiders.
Even thought they did their due diligence you show up and it’s a total cluster.
Margins are incorrect
Future sales projections (usually called runway) are bad leads. But the books look good so revenue can cover the investment payout.
Employees are useless which is why they need influx of cash. And why the first thing that happens is 1/2 the managers are tossed.
Tons of reasons, the days of buying to rip apart and sell for Pennie’s kind of passed because the interest and inflation rates are high. Money is too cheap to float for just a rip apart.
It could be what’s happening. And not knowing anything about either side..I doubt it’s going to plan and that’s usually on the seller
Early on in this lengthy tome, the new owners and their "picked" individual to "run" the company were named.
Said picked individual has a very bad reputation for destroying companies he is brought into.
Seems the earlier comments pages back are coming to pass.
Go back and read it all.
Said picked individual has a very bad reputation for destroying companies he is brought into.
Seems the earlier comments pages back are coming to pass.
Go back and read it all.
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You’ll get more information (still not much) from the DI precision/David Lott thread than any where else I think.
Many buy out have “second bite at the apple”. You leave money on the table for a chance at a bigger payout down the road.
Most of the time that is ownership if they are very involved.
If the owners have a few bucks in the bank and the company is worth something they will negotiate the “non buy in” is enough for them to be reasonably happy out the door. The extra is gravy.
Caveat is after being a owner for so long they never truly get on board and deal with a younger new manager asking you why your lunch break was 2 hours when your buy out says it matches the office etc
They usually quit (because they got enough in the bank) or it’s a parting of ways in 6 months.
They're back. Just under a new name. But with the actual talent that helped them get started. It may not be the same Vudoo you're used to, or name, but it will be brilliant. And we can thank this dumpster fire for it all.
Delane Development Group. Mike Bush started a new company to provide replacement parts. And he just might be coming up with a new action. I haven't had time to fully follow the thread and FB page, but skimming through it all gives me the impression that's the direction. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Just to be clear DeLane isn’t the rebranded Vudoo that picked up and “moved” to OK. Mike felt the need to help out Vudoo owners and at the same time working on his own products. DeLane and VGW are two separate entities.
Any competent gunsmith can rebarrel a Vudoo. 2 I personally know of are Randy Rachel, Rachel Precision and Levi Wilson, Heavy Precision both do them and are great to work with.
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They are toast and forever gone IMHO! we all lost our money!
I believe that he meant; any competent gunsmith can do it, but Rachel Precision and Heavy Precision both do it now.
You bet it is an important distinction ... one statement is true and the other is false ... not a subtle difference at all.
Randy is one of the best. He build my RimX. Like a poster below stated. What I Was trying to get across was any competent gunsmith can do it but Randy Rachel and Levi Wilson are two others than that poster mentioned. I have personal experience with both Randy and Levi and both are great. Sorry for the confusion
There’s quite a few down here in the SE
Modacam Custom Rifles
Heavy Precision
Randy Racheal Precision
Elemental Industries
Meredith Precision
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Received my MPA Elite Rimfire a few days ago. My lead time stretched across this whole debacle. Heading out to shoot it Sunday.
I also recieved an MPA build this week it looks great, and arrived ahead of the quoted lead time. Came with an L3i elite which I was very happy to see. I will report back when I send some rounds in this week.
Facebook account just woke up:
If anyone happens to be going could be an “interesting” show for them.
If anyone happens to be going could be an “interesting” show for them.
Facebook page post but no replies to the many customers who still are awaiting paid for parts and rifles. When customers start reporting they got their stuff and the quality is as good as or better than expected, and deliveries to new customers are ontime and well made, Then, I’ll believe they are back.
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Under that criteria I doubt they will ever be back
It’s going to interesting when someone slips and the truth comes out. Everyone is blaming the “new” guys…might be the old crew that was the disaster.Facebook account just woke up:
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If anyone happens to be going could be an “interesting” show for them.
Can’t wait lol
I have no dog in the fight (I shoot Bergara) but the old crew has an established track record that can be looked at. I don't think they were perfect but if they were a disaster then it would have been pretty obvious a while ago.
For better or worse, mine is a real shooter. Never mind it’s the most expensive rifle I’ve ever owned, it has shown itself to be worth every penny. (Took delivery just before the sale. )
So, let me get this straight....My tractor threw the PTO shaft and if I fix it, I can select "YES" on the Vudoo Gun Works job application where it asks, "Can you fix a tractor?" I mean, I don't live on a farm, but my property is zoned Agricultural....does that count?
(Sorry my friend (@David Lott ), just messin with you
)
MB
(Sorry my friend (@David Lott ), just messin with you
)MB
Well shucks, I used to change the oil and do standard maintenance on my old Fold 600 and my (much newer and much nicer and much more reliable) John Deer 950. So, does that make me a qualified mechanical engineer and master machinist? Oh, I also changed out my prefit barrels and even reworked a custom XP-100 stock adding more weight and even better converted an HS precision stock for a right hand XP-100 to left hand Anschutz 64P and installed the center grip conversion on the 64P…….So, let me get this straight....My tractor threw the PTO shaft and if I fix it, I can select "YES" on the Vudoo Gun Works job application where it asks, "Can you fix a tractor?" I mean, I don't live on a farm, but my property is zoned Agricultural....does that count?
(Sorry my friend (@David Lott ), just messin with you
MB
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Move over Mike Bush, I’m gonna start building high custom .22 long rifle actions and barrels. Recon I can get the galvanizing off the pipe down at the hardware store so I can use it to make barrels.
Oh, I forgot, my father was an industrial engineer and our son graduated as a mechanical engineer.
Seriously, I did a nice job on the Anschutz conversion
Mike, I realize you said this tongue in cheek, so I'll play along. Who knows, maybe one day soon we may collaborate on our ideas and work together. You seem to have a knack for the attention to detail engineering side, I place value in the redneck/backwoods approach lol.So, let me get this straight....My tractor threw the PTO shaft and if I fix it, I can select "YES" on the Vudoo Gun Works job application where it asks, "Can you fix a tractor?" I mean, I don't live on a farm, but my property is zoned Agricultural....does that count?
(Sorry my friend (@David Lott ), just messin with you
MB
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I want to share a little story, as this goes way beyond the vudoo deal here. I think the world has lost its way, and the education system has failed us. It IS up to us to fix it and the way we think moving forward.
My dad was a Mississippi backwoods redneck who dropped out of 8th grade to help feed his family. Starting as an apprentice in a shipyard, he worked his way up to become a master pipefitter and welder, contributing to nearly every nuclear power plant in the U.S. He could build anything he set his mind to—pouring concrete, framing houses, roofing, plumbing, electrical, you name it. A true jack-of-all-trades, he taught me the basics of mechanical work, from brake jobs to wheel bearings, instilling a hands-on mindset that shaped my life. In school, I was no scholar. I did just enough to scrape by, more interested in reading books on random topics than studying for tests. Then, in high school, I stumbled across a Car Craft magazine, and my world changed. From that moment, I devoured everything about hot rodding and automotive performance. I got my hands on the “Green Bible”—the Chilton’s Auto Repair Manual , a holy grail packed with every engine and vehicle spec for American cars. At 17, I built my first hot rod, and since then, I’ve built 54 more, each one pushing the limits of what people thought was possible. My teachers said I’d amount to nothing because I didn’t pay attention in class. But in 1985, when fuel-injected 5.0 Mustangs hit the streets and folks declared hot rodding dead, I saw opportunity. Knowing nothing about computers, I dove in anyway, learning by doing. My crew and I built some of the fastest street Mustangs in Houston, dominating the Fun Ford Weekend True Street series for years. Our cars were so quick that organizers changed the rules to keep up. We towed those Mustangs nationwide with a 1995 7.3 Power Stroke diesel, and when I started racing my buddy Mike Murillo (who’d just bought a ’99 Power Stroke), the competitive spark ignited again. Diesel performance was barely a thing back then—Bully Dog was about the only name in the game, and folks called it “farmer stuff.” But I applied what I’d learned from hot rodding Mustangs to the 7.3, tweaking and tuning until it roared. People called me crazy, saying no one would race diesels. By 2005, the diesel performance market exploded, just like the 5.0 Mustang scene before it, with companies scrambling to catch up. When the EPA cracked down on diesel mods, I pivoted again, this time to firearms. Everyone said rimfire shooting, like .22 PRS, would never take off. Guess what? It blew up, just like the Mustangs and diesels before it. These three examples—Mustangs, diesels, and rimfire—prove what happens when you ignore the doubters and apply your mind to something new. Don’t underestimate folks without fancy degrees, like my dad, me, or legends like John Moses Browning and Henry Ford. Browning, a gunsmith’s son with little schooling, designed firearms in his head and revolutionized the industry. Ford, a farm boy with only a basic education, built an automotive empire through sheer grit and practical know-how. Their stories, like ours, show that an ounce of common sense and a relentless drive to create can outshine a stack of diplomas. Formal education has its place, but it’s not the only path to success. Sometimes, it’s the backwoods dreamers and garage tinkerers who change the game.
The Oklahoma boys are up to bat,
Dude, your response is one of the most awesome things I've seen on this forum, and just so you know, I did fix my tractor.
Our stories aren't that different. I grew up in my dad's diesel shop, in shipyards and on the waterfront in Alabama. Shipyards and the waterfront were rough and certainly not for everyone. The diesel shop is where my God given mechanical gifts were realized, and it never stopped; I still build engines to this day, and my racecar project has been an incredible way to teach our boys.
I'm highly intrigued with your comments about collaboration and working together. I've been very open about what I'm doing and the extent of how far it's all come in less than three months. My motivation comes from the "truths" mentioned above by @brianf, and he's not wrong; I was enticing him to be the one to "slip,"
, but none of that really needs to be said as long as someone picks it all up for the right reasons and continues on for the sake of the community.A former employee at VGW, someone I admire and respect, reached out not that long ago and we spent more than two hours on the phone. Prior to those two hours, I knew every detail of what led to the title of this thread, but he added context that blows me away, and not in a good way. Although the prior crew was a disaster, hence my reasons for leaving, they worked hard for all the right reasons. They took good care of this community and they bent-over-backwards to provide world class customer service. As mad as I could've been after leaving, I rarely said a peep in the thread I started August 11, 2017. I wasn't going to get in the way, so they'd have the best possible chance to make a hopelessly unsustainable company, sustainable.
One thing led to another, as it was prescribed by the writing on the wall and the asset purchase occurred. The first thing JH did was quickly noticed by this community. He shut down the world class customer service and it was all downhill after that. He started calling me a few months prior to closing the doors and I answered questions and provided insight as it appeared to me the inevitable was occurring, but just before the doors closed, I started receiving other outreach and the whole story became visible. I quickly chose this community over everything else.
So, yes, maybe one day soon we'll collaborate and work together in a way that benefits this community. I get calls all the time from guys looking for a re-barrel or some other need they have about issues with their current V-22, and I send them to you. I never hear back to see if they reached out or not, but I send them because I recognize everything you've said above to be the case, and I know you have the best interest of the community at heart. And....you're also a good sport.
MB
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I’m not looking to collaborate, despite my ability to rework stocks. (Too old now anyway) but I see a lot in what you two have accomplished. A lot can be learned outside of schools or even apprenticeships. We live in the country and among other things, I race bicycle's. When something needed repair, it was a long way to the shop, or do it myself. So, I started dumpster diving for bicycles and getting parts and rebuilding them. The point was to learn bicycle mechanics. I made a hobby of rebuilding bicycles and giving them away to families that were not financially able to purchase cycles for their children. Gets em outside and works their little legs, instead of being glued to a screen. Got pretty good at it, but covid destroyed my market. Everyone seemed to have cash to purchase not only walmart bicycle's (made by Pacific Cycles of Red China) but money to hit the bike shops and purchase nice bikes.
Still proud of my work.
Below is a few I built. The tiny one on the top has a wonderful story behind it. A story for another time and place.
Still proud of my work.
Below is a few I built. The tiny one on the top has a wonderful story behind it. A story for another time and place.
That's awesome, Dude. Your reasons and the resulting stories are pretty incredible. And another reason this community is dear to me.
MB
Ive
I’ve been in enough drama on this site to bring anything to the forefront lolDude, your response is one of the most awesome things I've seen on this forum, and just so you know, I did fix my tractor.
Our stories aren't that different. I grew up in my dad's diesel shop, in shipyards and on the waterfront in Alabama. Shipyards and the waterfront were rough and certainly not for everyone. The diesel shop is where my God given mechanical gifts were realized, and it never stopped; I still build engines to this day, and my racecar project has been an incredible way to teach our boys.
I'm highly intrigued with your comments about collaboration and working together. I've been very open about what I'm doing and the extent of how far it's all come in less than three months. My motivation comes from the "truths" mentioned above by @brianf, and he's not wrong; I was enticing him to be the one to "slip,"
A former employee at VGW, someone I admire and respect, reached out not that long ago and we spent more than two hours on the phone. Prior to those two hours, I knew every detail of what led to the title of this thread, but he added context that blows me away, and not in a good way. Although the prior crew was a disaster, hence my reasons for leaving, they worked hard for all the right reasons. They took good care of this community and they bent-over-backwards to provide world class customer service. As mad as I could've been after leaving, I rarely said a peep in the thread I started August 11, 2017. I wasn't going to get in the way, so they'd have the best possible chance to make a hopelessly unsustainable company, sustainable.
One thing led to another, as it was prescribed by the writing on the wall and the asset purchase occurred. The first thing JH did was quickly noticed by this community. He shut down the world class customer service and it was all downhill after that. He started calling me a few months prior to closing the doors and I answered questions and provided insight as it appeared to me the inevitable was occurring, but just before the doors closed, I started receiving other outreach and the whole story became visible. I quickly chose this community over everything else.
So, yes, maybe one day soon we'll collaborate and work together in a way that benefits this community. I get calls all the time from guys looking for a re-barrel or some other need they have about issues with their current V-22, and I send them to you. I never hear back to see if they reached out or not, but I send them because I recognize everything you've said above to be the case, and I know you have the best interest of the community at heart. And....you're also a good sport.
MB
Yep, I get it, Dude, I don’t talk about it either. 
Do we need to start a new thread for those in the back of the class just to get the skinny on this?
MB
Do we need to start a new thread for those in the back of the class just to get the skinny on this?
MB
Not no, but, hell no.
