Fielding Manufacturing Helps Keep Costs Low for Firearm Safety Start-Up
Strategic manufacturing gives Ammo-Safe better shot at gun safety market
Cranston, RI - For start-ups already shouldering the heavy costs of product development, prototyping, and tooling, the burden of initial production costs can often add a bitter tinge of irony to the old "build a better mouse trap..." adage. The resulting competition between production and marketing resources can force companies to choose between making a product and selling it. But for Rhode Island gun safety product manufacturer Ammo-Safe, that burden was mitigated by transferring its molding and production operations to Fielding Manufacturing.
Retired Police Captain, Certified Firearms Instructor and Ammo-Safe Executive Officer, Bob Barber, got the idea for his Ammo-Safe(TM) Chamber Blockers after, "almost getting shot" while conducting training operations on the firing range. "Magazine fed weapons are designed to leave a round in the chamber when you remove the magazine," he said. "So unless you lock the slide back, and visually and physically check the chamber, you don't know whether the weapon is safe. And once it's charged, you still don't know, even if it is empty. As a result, so much time is required to do safety checks, I felt that if there was a way to instantly confirm a weapon was safe by a quick visual check, not only would the range be safer, but I would have more effective training time."
That's when the idea for the Ammo-Safe Chamber Blockers came to him. The injection molded devices consist of color-coded plugs, the shape and size of various caliber handguns, sub guns, long guns, and shotguns, and a long tail. After clearing the chamber, users simply slip the device into the empty chamber so the tail protrudes from the barrel. The plug renders the firearm completely safe while the extension sticking out of the barrel provides an immediate, visual indication of safety.
According to Barber, Ammo-Safe Chamber Blockers offer many advantages over other clear chamber indicators. There is no disassembly or mechanical alteration of the firearm required, and the firearm can be dry fired, cycled, and holstered. This makes the devices ideal for weapon storage, training, display, and transportation. Ammo-Safe Chamber Blockers are NTOA Member Tested and Recommended, and are available from stock for a range of different caliber hand guns, sub guns, and long guns, and can be made to fit any size firearm.
Barber used his extensive law enforcement contacts to launch the Ammo-Safe devices, which are currently being used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the State of NJ, the RI Municipal Academy, the NC Justice Institute, ATF, the WA State Coast Guard, and many others. The devices are available at some gun shops and online at www.ammo-safe.com, but with no outside funding and limited capital of his own, growing the business has been difficult. Particularly burdensome has been the need to maintain adequate inventory for the range of weapons required.
That's where Fielding Manufacturing came in. A specialty injection molder with wide experience in molding resins like the Nylon 6/6 used for Ammo-Safe, Fielding is also known for its innovative manufacturing practices and part and tooling design solutions. By switching production to Fielding, Ammo-Safe was able to reduce costs in several ways. First, Fielding suggested reducing costs by converting the long gun Chamber Blocker from an all-injected part to an insert molded part by molding the plug around an extruded extension. Second, Fielding offered to help maintain Ammo-Safe's inventory in-house. This allowed Fielding to make longer production runs, reducing per piece costs, while allowing Ammo-Safe to purchase in lot sizes needed to keep up with demand. Finally, Fielding's own internal efficiencies and tight quality control allowed further reductions.
Bob Barber says there is still a long way to go before Ammo-Safe is a household word in the firearm safety arena, but his product has such obvious visible benefits that it catches on quickly. His best advertisement, he says, is from firearm instructors, but he likes to think of it as "line of sight advertising." And with lower production costs improving his ability to market, he hopes to see Ammo-Safe Chamber Blockers become the essential firearm safety accessory worldwide.
Founded in 1962, Fielding Manufacturing specializes in the manufacture of high precision miniature die-cast and injection molded components. The company provides a full-service solution that begins with design for manufacturability, rapid prototyping, tool design and reliable parts production, and extends through a complete range of secondary operations and finishing. Fielding Manufacturing has a strong reputation for quality, service and dependability, and offers a wealth of experience in a wide range of industrial markets, including telecommunications, fiber optics, hardware, electronics/electrical, automotive, fasteners/threaded components, appliance, and consumer.
For additional information, contact:
Fielding Manufacturing
780 Wellington Avenue
Cranston, RI 02910
Tel: 800-230-8690
Fax: 401-941-2222
Email: sales@fieldingmfg.com
http://www.FieldingMfg.com
For information on Ammo-Safe Chamber Blockers, contact:
Ammo-Safe Inc.
P.O. Box 3711
Cranston, RI 02910
Tel: 401-467-9723 Toll-free: 866-467-9723
Fax: 401-467-9773
Email: ammosafe@verizon.net
http://www.ammo-safe.com/
Media Contact:
THOMAS RANKIN ASSOCIATES
Tom Rankin, APR
401-884-4090
email: tomr@trankin.com
