So, I've been on a hiatus for a while. The major renovation at work continues apace. Which means lots of OT and lots of long days. Which means not so much writing. And as previously discussed the new gig has a bit more stringent social media policy so therefor online customer shaming isn't as easy.
I've got a couple of quasi drafts drawn up for the upcoming weeks concerning assorted books you ought to read before the coming collapse and how yes, Cletus, we really are winning the culture war. Kinda.
But today, I'm gonna sorta rant, sorta eulogize a pistol that was too good for this world.
Hudson MFG has filed for bankruptcy. And it really blows. And what really blows is the reaction from the firearms community as a whole.
I guess I'm a bit sensitive seeing as how I worked through the death of Gander Mountain; but, that being said, for the population that likes to chest beat about how polite they are there sure wasn't a whole hell of a lot of sympathy for the folks at Hudson.
And it further sucks because it just reinforces the notion that the only pistol worth developing or buying anymore is a DAO Stryker fired polymer double stack gun.
Yes, the Glock is a great gun. But the design is 40 years old. Times change. Technology progresses.
Just because you're a troglodyte who dislikes anything new doesn't mean you should besmirch a company that made the first innovative pistol design this century.
I hear a lot of worries about firearms reliability behind the counter. In some ways it's funny what people will find to worry themselves half to death about.
And the rush to get a new product out the door often leads to the first consumer being beta testers.
And I don't know how to fix that. I'm just bummed that I'll never have a H9A.
And I fret for Cy and Laurie who seemed like good folks.
Perhaps KE Arms will lead a rebirth.
I hope so anyway.
Interesting pistol, but apparently financing/money ran out before the customers actually got the good word out.
ReplyDeleteMy good buddy Pudge got one from the Bragg PX. I shot it a fair bit and loved it.
DeleteKE will, of course, have to secure rights to the patents to really make guns.
ReplyDeleteI liked the H9. It felt good in the hand, I simply didn't have the money for one while other irons were in the fire; otherwise I'd have one.
They've got my sympathies, but nearly all small businesses fail; and they were a small business.
Worse, they were a small "manufacturing" business that didn't actually manufacture much, they farmed it out. That allowed them to get into production much cheaper, but robs them of the agility to make changes when stuff like tolerance stacking starts biting you. When you're making your own parts, you can revise the drawing and the part and only be out the time and materials of the, now, bad parts.
When you shop it out, you still have to pay for the bad parts which are to the specifications you gave the shop to make.
The rumor mill is this is what really bit them.
Fair enough. I wish I could have bought one from the Benning PX, too.
DeleteMack is spot on about the innovation part. Everyone complains that there have been no innovations in the firearms realm and then as soon as somebody tries those same people complain that it isn't polymer, that it's too heavy, that it shoots mere bullets and not lasers, and the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the gun itself, I remember just before Thanksgiving 2017 when I was out-processing Ft. Bragg and happened to walk by the firearms counter and saw the elusive H9. I immediately did like any good gun guy would and called Mack (because I knew this man would only help talk me into buying a new gun, not that I ever need an excuse) and weighed the pros and cons of jumping head first into uncharted firearms territory. Well, I can most certainly tell you that over 5,000 rounds later, a few competitive wins, and a new carry gun that has pushed all my other guns out of the rotation and start collecting dust I have absolutely no regrets.
Sometimes all it takes is a little faith and it is hard to be that first one to take the plunge. But in the words of my across the pond brethren, Who Dares, Wins, is exactly what I received when I took the plunge. Now I look to the larger firearms community to continue where Cy and Lauren left off.
I have my uses. However I fear that one day I'm gonna wake up to an angry mob of wives and girlfriends outside my house.
DeleteAnd did I mention I want one in 10mm?
Hey Mack and well Everyone else..
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that I never heard of this gun or I might have looked for it. I have nothing against Glock, but I consider it an "Appliance", the Toyota camry of the pistol world, sure it works, but no soul. I will have to google about the pistol and maybe Mack's old place of employment will have one walk in and Mack can buy it and do a write up.
I'm have tempted to buy one of the close out guns from our supplier but am afraid of getting one of the guns with sketchy QC and worry about finding mags.
Delete