"custom!"

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I see this word thrown around quite a bit. Usually when I see it, It makes me smirk, as usually it just means "altered by someone who is not a gunsmith". Custom, to me, means the factory built it for you differently to suit your needs. With the slight exception that you may be handy enough to do some fairly difficult work yourself such as engraving, stippling, trigger work, and other things that you need skill to do. Just because you knocked out a pin, and changed something, Doesn't mean its "CUSTOM!". Do y'all feel the same way?

 

[ironworkerwill]

Some folk feel the same about "build". I, however, think it is a "build" or a "custom" even if Bubba did it. Some platforms are more difficult to alter than others. I don't want to come across as a jackass, it's just my opinion. What's in a word?

 

[Drail]

Altering a gun to a customer's personal preference or hand size is a "custom gun" technically. But placing a premium on its value only because it's custom is silly. It's only worth whatever a buyer wants to pay. The English language in no longer concise any longer in America. People use words they don't know the definition and/or cannot even spell correctly of to imply whatever they want. To claim that because a gun is custom and therefore worth more is dumb. Every gun I have customized and attempted to resale went for about the same money as one that was bone stock. Just judge it for what it is, not for what anyone else thinks it might be.

 

[ku4hx]

"Custom" to me is a little like "New and improved". Both have been thrown around so much they've lost their original meaning. To me anyway. Like so many things today, the word custom only has meaning for me if I know the customizer, his work and his reputation.

A shade tree mechanic putting a bigger four barrel carburetor on his 1973 Mustang is not a "custom job". Carroll Shelby doing some of his work on that same 1973 Mustang is a "custom job".

Same for guns and many of the known and respected gunsmiths. Bubba adding a bunch of tacticool stuff on his AR does not a custom job make.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I'm with Drail on that. For me, "custom" has always been synonymous with "special"... There aint nuthin' special about the nite sites you put on your glock, or the lone wolf barrel, or the accessory light. We can all buy those things, and stick them on the gun if we want to.

 

[buck460XVR]

customize
cus·tom·ize (kŭs′tə-mīz′)
tr.v. cus·tom·ized, cus·tom·iz·ing, cus·tom·iz·es
To make or alter to individual or personal specifications:

Thus, by definition, just changing the grips would be a customization.

Me thinks some folks have too much time on their hands.

 

[BSA1]

Custom, to me, means the factory built it for you differently to suit your needs.

By factories do you mean gun manufacturers? If so how many of them build a gun to your specifications?

S&W, Ruger and some others build variations of stock production guns with special features. However these special runs are usually in the thousands in order to make the run profitable. For them the word custom is overplayed.

Custom to me means a gun that has been built or modified by skilled gunsmiths in limited numbers. I include craftsmen who make beautiful wood handgun grips and rifle stocks. I also use custom to describe features that are not on production guns. Those a regular production gun may have some custom parts and features.

My Ruger Single-Six 41 Special represents a true custom handgun;

 

[Drail]

A Single -Six in .41 Spl? Be still my beating heart. Very nice. I would pay a premium for such a thing but a lot of people just wouldn't "get it".

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

By factories do you mean gun manufacturers? If so how many of them build a gun to your specifications?

S&W, Ruger and some others build variations of stock production guns with special features. However these special runs are usually in the thousands in order to make the run profitable. For them the word custom is overplayed.

Custom to me means a gun that has been built or modified by skilled gunsmiths in limited numbers. I include craftsmen who make beautiful wood handgun grips and rifle stocks. I also use custom to describe features that are not on production guns. Those a regular production gun may have some custom parts and features.

My Ruger Single-Six 41 Special represents a true custom handgun;

A true custom indeed. Anyone else have any good examples? Lets see some pics!

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I have two custom guns, and I know what the word means to me. Frankly, if someone doesn't agree with my definition, I could care less. I spent my money, got what I wanted, and consider both guns to be custom in the classic sense of the word.

A factory produced the basic gun in both cases, however, there's very little left of either factory gun left. I did indeed do some of the minor work on both guns, but the very large majority of the work was done by skilled artisans and/or gunsmiths to my specification. And no, there's no replace-parts-custom 10/22 about either gun in either case.

The first arose from my desire to own a left hand bolt gun in 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser. The left hand donor action was trued, a one-off recoil lug radically different from the factory offering was produced, and a Lilja barrel was screwed in Dave Young. The stock was hand made by Rob Smith and the bluing was done by Dennis Earhardt.

The other gun is a left hand CZ452 fullstock, or Mannlicher. In this case, the stock barrel was shortened and Tom Stevens provided the hand made stock of his original design. Hal, of Blue Brothers in Missoula did the high gloss polishing and excellent bluing work. This gun has many non-original CZ touches, too numerous to mention for the purpose of this post.

900F

 

[scythefwd]

while its purely symantecs, I've always used customized and custom as different meanings. IF I've bolted on stuff I can buy anywhere.. its customized to me.. assembled to my tastes. IF I've had parts machined to my specs.. like a barrel that isn't something you can just go and grab but is turned to order, bedding, custom pillars, etc.. I'll say custom. Its no real difference in the two words, but I've always made that distinction.

 

[Malamute]

I prefer to use the terms "modified", "altered", "butchered" or "ruined" when talking about work I've done on guns.

 

[Lord Teapot]

on florida gun trader 'custom' usually comes with a 'firm' price that's at-least 20% higher than a brand new gun of the same make and model. complete with snotty responses to real-value offers, and usually the gun staying up for sale until its ad expires.

 

[jmr40]

I haven't seen the term used in a while but I used to see "semi-custom" used to describe a firearm that had been tweaked somewhat. To me the term "custom" means more than just changing grips, stock etc. Perhaps "customized" would be a better description.

 

[Sam1911]

English is a great langauge because so many shades of meaning can be indicated with our huge variety of words which all mean similar or nearly identical things.

Customized/Custom
Altered
Modified
Bubba'd
Non-stock
Non-standard
Deviant
Not-to-spec
Chopped
etc.
etc.

There's no rule about these things, and each person can choose how to use a term to give the impression they want to give.

Is a Ruger 10/22 in a RamLine plastic stock "custom?" Ehhh...sure, if you want to say so.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

on florida gun trader 'custom' usually comes with a 'firm' price that's at-least 20% higher than a brand new gun of the same make and model. complete with snotty responses to real-value offers, and usually the gun staying up for sale until its ad expires.

This is what inspired my post today.. I saw someone post on a texas trade sight asking well over retail ($750) for a Glock with all the stupid upgrades. Toting it as "custom"... That gun is the furthest thing from custom Ive ever seen. Its stock, with stock aftermarket parts. Nothing custom about it.


When you put bolt on parts on a gun, or a car, or a motorcycle, or anything of the sort, you will NEVER get all of your money pack if you paid full price for all of it. Literally NEVER.

 

[Malamute]

Deviant

I like that. I'll have to add it to my vocabulary of gun terms.

 

[oneounceload]

By factories do you mean gun manufacturers? If so how many of them build a gun to your specifications?

In the world of fine guns - there are indeed many who build truly custom, or "bespoke" guns. These are mostly not mass producers (with a few exceptions), but smaller shops. Their prices are higher, sometimes substantially so, due to the huge amount of hand labor. Studying Purdey, Holland & Holland, Hartmann & Weiss, Hofer, Ollendorf and others, lone typically finds guns built to the customer's exacting requirements - all for a price, of course.

Of the mass producers, both Perazzi and Beretta will build a custom gun to your requirements.

 

[scythefwd]

Sam - I may have to use deviant on my next rifle build.. never thought of that one

Only rifle I ever called custom was a savage 110 with new barrel, new barrel nut, new recoil lug, trigger job, new stock, custom turned bedding pillars, and glass bedded.

I listed it for 150 less than I had in it in parts.. Finally got someone to bite on it calling it preban and rare (guy has a similar sense of humor as I do.. we both were very clear that it was neither)

 

[Malamute]

Finally got someone to bite on it calling it preban and rare (guy has a similar sense of humor as I do.. we both were very clear that it was neither)

Preban!

I love it. I think it can be utilized in pre-64 or pre-war Winchester 94's. Actually, anything could be called pre-ban, especially if it hasnt been banned yet.

 

[scythefwd]

Mal - its a running gag here in VA on one of the local gun trading forums. There is no ban in effect and pre-Clinton ban means nothing here.. but you see guys trying to mark stuff up for it. We "suggest" they try listing them on MD or CA websites if they want the pre-ban premium.

 

[Jackal]

My personal favorite is all the "custom" AR15's that folks have for sale on Armslist/Facebook trading sites.... Just because you built it on your coffee table in an afternoon, out of spare parts you purchased last Black Friday, does not make it "custom".

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

My personal favorite is all the "custom" AR15's that folks have for sale on Armslist/Facebook trading sites.... Just because you built it on your coffee table in an afternoon, out of spare parts you purchased last Black Friday, does not make it "custom".

YEAH!

 

[taliv]

Just because you built it on your coffee table in an afternoon, out of spare parts you purchased last Black Friday, does not make it "custom".

actually, that's exactly what makes it 'custom'. the dictionary is your friend.

custom does not mean better or more expensive. it just means it was made to your specs.

I don't understand why people would continue to argue this point. the dictionary is unambiguous on the meaning of the term.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

actually, that's exactly what makes it 'custom'. the dictionary is your friend.

custom does not mean better or more expensive. it just means it was made to your specs.

I don't understand why people would continue to argue this point. the dictionary is unambiguous on the meaning of the term.

The reason is because the word "custom" from an advertizing standpoint means something. Sure we can look ANYTHING up in the dictionary and use it the way it were intended. But when offering a product, the word custom has always intrinsically meant something else. Something you cant get just anywhere.