Well, I guess your right. I'd take the Rolex and sell it
to pay for a life time of the correct time.
But if you "cast" some gold ingots, these "snobs" would
soon learn to like the "cheap" method.
JL.

JL

Image does not automatically mean "snob"

Image is about how the whole product integrates with yourself. For a top end custom rifle "cast" takes away from the rifle....it would also reduce its resale value and probably to a great degree.

Mike

Yes, ideally.....I would love to have actions made for me. However, 10k or more for an action in the white is rather out of my league.



Instead, I'll use Granite Mountain or the like.



Regards,

Dave

If perfection in the manufacturing process is expected you are going to be disappointed most of the time. Castings are used to save raw material costs as well as machining and finishing time. Forgings such as used on the M70 receiver are often left as forged below the wood line. The improved grain orientation achieved by forging is a minor detail compared to the use of modern steels in a good design.
One of my pet peeves is regardless of the process you often get warped receivers. Check it out. You often find the lower locking lug is the only one bearing because the receiver bends like a banana with the low point in middle.

JL.

I don't think you fully understand what image is about.

You as a person project a certain image and when happiness abounds wikth products you own or servives you use then usually the product or service works well and also matches in with your image.

Image does not always mean personalised number plates. In fact when someone has a more expensive and/or more powerful car than average the use of standard numbers plates often relates to image.

Mike

Holland and Holland, purdey, Boss, et al have largely replaced chisels and files with stock duplicators and CNC milling machines. THey don't like to advertise that fact, but it is reality. And they use English Walnut grown in California. Oh well, at least they don't use cast recivers.

i am still waiting for some one to tell me about a reciver that failed because it was cast

Very interesting question Mike, with fascinating responses.

I've worked in a number of areas where 'image' was infinitely more important than 'substance' and learnt a great deal about the importance of image to some people.

By the same token, I also understand that 'image' matters when it comes to promoting oneself or a product to others. For example, if I'm conducting a client presentation, I'll wear my Tag Huer, rather than my Seiko at that time, and I will arrive at the client's premises in a cab rather than my '88 Toyota that I take bush...

I tend to be a pragmatist, so as long as form follows function, I'll use a cast receiver (not keen on separate bolt handle), but then again, I don't buy a rifle to impress someone else, I buy it to do a job - hence my username.

I've had the most beautiful custom rifle built on a Ruger 77 (tang safety) action, but I spent more time babying it, than I did shooting it. Interestingly enough, I found it very hard to sell that rifle, because it was made on a Ruger action, and 'everybody knows Rugers are sh!t'... strangely enough none of mine have been sh!t(?)

I now own a Ruger 77MkII Stainless/Lam in 270 that has numerous 'battle scars' that remind me of the many trips and animals I've taken with it, and for me, that's the way I like it.

I don't knock the idea of 'image', for some people it's important to be able to impress others (or themselves), but as long as form follows function, I'm happy.

I guess you could say I wouldn't have another custom rifle again... mine didn't do anything a stock rifle would do, and in fact was a PITA, but if I did, a cast action would be fine by me...

I've worked in a number of areas where 'image' was infinitely more important than 'substance' and learnt a great deal about the importance of image to some people.

Peter,

Most people I have met who attach importance to image add image to function as opposed to image instead of function.

But I believe everyone regards image as being very important...in some cases a persons image is projecting that image is not important to them

Mike

Mike, in general, I understand and agree with what you're saying. To my mind, we are constantly projecting an 'image' or 'brand' of who we are, what we represent, what we value, and/or what we stand for.

That may be O/T for this forum, and better discussed when we get together in the New Year - which I'm sure we will - we have much to discuss.

However, indulge me an 'extreme' example... my sister has a 4x4 'tank' that she owns purely for 'image'... she lives in Cremorne, and has 'gone bush' (Bathurst) but would not allow her husband to actually take it up a hill, off road... as I said, an extreme example, but indicative of some my observations... and no, I'm not against 4x4's in the city...

There are a couple of other areas I've worked in where 'image' was genuinely more important than substance - musical instruments is a classic... more details over a beer

Apart from simply informing a potential consumer of the product's existence, isn't 'image' what advertising is (to some extent) about?