Here's a new product for which we just got a favorable determination from the ATF. No FET.

The page location will change next week, when it goes live on our site, but this is a preview.

Rod What's New

[ 08-26-2003, 11:00: Message edited by: Rod@Acrabond ]

That seems like a very good deal and a great idea. I hope it takes off.

Rod,

Any chance of a similar thing but with barrel channel left semi inlet for a #1/featherweight for a customer to supply?

1894: Special order Ghost? No barrel or featherweight contour barrel with semi-inletted channel?

We could do either.

The CNC program is not set up for featherweight contours but I see no reason to exclude that contour if the custom is willing to scrape in the barrel.

Rod,
Looks great... how much is the stock?
jeffe

Sounds like a very good deal. what are the chances that it will be possible to pay extra and have the barrel and action come from MRC already barreled and chambered?

Red

Sounds like you might sell a few of these Rod. Also sounds like your customers would like to customize the custom package...
- mike

[ 08-19-2003, 23:00: Message edited by: mho ]

Let me explain about the 'why' of GHOST. It's a great deal because we don't have to (maybe) pay Federal Excise Tax on a firearm. This is because the kit doesn't qualify as a firearm on the IRC rules. SPECIFICALLY, it does not because we don't chamber or thread the barrel. Secondly, we're a small shop, but we could sell a LOT of GHOSTS because there is no labor investment. We laminate the blanks, and that's it. Because we don't have a lot of sunk labor costs, we can offer this at low margins and terrific prices.

Good for dealers too. Someone has to chamber, thread and fit the barrel. Someone has to finish and checker the stock. We can uplift the wood grade, add forends and grip caps and add in other buttpad options. Even install one if desired. But we can't fit the barrel without charging the 11% FET. And then it wouldn't be a GHOST. It's a Montanan or a Serengeti Rifle, and those are different stories.

The GHOST program depends on barrel margin, blank margin, and action margin. The stool won't stand without three legs. We're doing the CNC for just about cost and postage. So we need to sell it with actions from our inventory stock. The parts priced separately would be priced according to our standard price lists. A CNC A-grade unfinished stock is $320.00, right off the ACRAbond price list.

The $799 price is for 4140 kits. Stainless kits cost a bit more so the price is $849.

Although ATF (regional) said the kit does not qualify under IRC rules for federal excise tax, when we asked them to put it in writing, they wanted a letter from us they could send to Washington DC. We'll write the letter, but I guess this means the FET issue is still open. However, we'll sell at the above prices and take the risk for now.

ACRAbond will send your kit to any FFL holder you designate. MRC is one. Dennis Olson and Timber Stevens are others. They could do the work for you and then send it on to your local FFL.

Rod,
Looks like you should sell a few. I've got several people interested in a GHOST. Ther're waiting to see how my barreled action turns out.

Rod what do you charge to duplicate a customers walnut blank to that profile?

D Humbarger:

quote:

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what do you charge to duplicate a customers walnut blank to that profile?

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Ah...er... duplicate the customer's stock to that profile? In the writing game, we would call that a contradiction. If you mean laminate, the answer is $95 for the lamination. And then CNC for $150.00

I should add, our process can make just about any blank look BETTER. Take any blank and there is a strong side. We plane that side smooth, and then resaw 7/8 of an inch behind the strong side. Likely as not, you then get two strong sides to go on the outside of the laminated blank. A couple of times, it didn't work. The good figure didn't carry deep enough. Earlier ACRAbond blanks were not color matched to the degree they are today. It helps to have 20,000lb of walnut to draw from if you need an extra center or matched pair.

I'm interested in the same thing as D Humbarger. I have a blank with two strong sides. I like the laminates and like a "regular" walnut stock also. Your CNC offering is much more appealing than some of the semi inlets out there.

Rod, that is a nice looking "kit." I like what you are doing at Acrabond. You are an innovative business man.

The reason that the 11% would be chargeable is that you are supplying the action. If a customer supplies one then it is not charged but in theory, he is supposed to pay it if he sells it. Yeah, that is going to happen.

Rod, you are being true to form from your MRC days. You give your customers straight talk - what you can do, and what you can't (or won't), and what the reasons are. I think there is going to be a market for your ghost kit.

Even with some costs for chambering, installing, crowning, blueing - you could have customers looking at maybe $1000 for a custom(ish) rifle. A lot of people seem very willing to accept the wood- and finishing work involved. $1000 is not a lot for a semi-custom rifle these days - in particular not if it is based on a new action.

Keep it up, you are doing your customers a service!
- mike

Is this kit available yet?

A friend has asked me for guidance on getting a rifle for under 1k and this was an option I wanted to tell him about, just wondered if it were ready to go yet.

thanks

Red

Red, maybe Rod will see your post, in which case he'll definitely chime in. In the meantime, check out this page - also has a mail contact address on it:
ACRABond Ghost Kit
- mike

Rod,
Any updates on the Rhino stock for the big bores??