Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Heym / Martini Bolt Action Rifles

Ralph Martini is a true artist. Nice features. But at $10,000, a tad steep for me.

http://www.martiniandhagngunmakers.com/heym.htm

That is not even built by him...check out his price list. The ones he actually build start at $16,400 for basic M98, $17,400 for GMA action to $21,400 if you are starting with a Hartmann & Weiss action.

Yes, Ralf's custom-built rifles ARE a REAL value, in the contemporary serious custom rifle world. His quality, IMO and IME, is second to NONE and one of THE true "immortals" of custom gun making, Duane Weibe, once said as much to me, a few years ago.

If, I were 20 years younger, I would have my "dream" rifle built now by Ralf, on one of the old Brno actions I have stashed here somewhere. I just wish one could still by the laminated blanks once made and sold by the late Mel Smart and also 4x Conquest scopes, my favourites of the scores I have had and used for the past half century.

Each to his own, but, the several rifles in my safes that have been customized by Ralf's shop when he was still doing such work are outstanding and well worth the price I paid.

There's no doubting his skill, but he tends to be overtly fancy for my taste. You don't hear anything bad about Ralf Martini's work.

I prefer weatherproof steel and a good stiff synthetic stock, e.g. a Kimber Montana.

Like anything, you're paying for the the name. Ralph's name is good and his shop only makes so many a year so he does drive a premium. Supply and demand I. Its basic form.
Germans also understand how to price themselves into the amount of work that thy want to have. Before anyone misunderstands that I'll give you an example:
North Americans think profit in volume; $200 margin per unit x 1000 units per annum = $200,000 annual profit.
Germans (and other Europeans) haven't totally bought the Henry Ford model and are capable of thinking $2000 margin per unit x 100 units per annum = 200, 000 annual profit.
10 x the handling, shipping, ordering, etc means time and effort. Giventhat customer expectations are met with both models, one is spending more time at the bench and office than the other and we all know that the periferals are the weights that burden and kill otherwise good businesses.
Anyways, the Martini Heym is a beautiful item and the equal of a Rigby or H&H realistically. So the price really is normative.

Dave Miller says I...