A buisness concept by a Gamer

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Nine the Ranger

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Some context, I was playing a game called Fallout 4 the other day and for those of you who may bot know this is a game that takes place in America 200+ years after a nuclear war so that country is in complete ruin.

The game has many categories of weapons from 'Hunting' style firearms like bolt action rifles, and SXS shotguns, along with pre-war assault rifles, combat shotguns, laser rifles, miniguns, and even portable nuke launchers (inspired by the Davey Crockett)

One family of guns is called the Pipe Rifle and is a crude design that is more or less cobbled together by the wastelanders and various raiders.

Now, while generally building guns out of scrap material is a bad idea but what if the gun had an outward appearance of being cobbled together and stressed as if it had either survived or been built after the apocalypse but was of high quality and using modern manufacturing techniques?

Some would likely be blowbacks as they are simple and keep the overall design as 'crude' (for lack of a better word) as possible.

I suppose I'm asking if there would be a market for guns designed or customized in such a way that they had the appearance of something that Mad Max could pick up along his journey?
 
Nine the Ranger said:
. . . . Now, while generally building guns out of scrap material is a bad idea but what if the gun had an outward appearance of being cobbled together and stressed as if it had either survived or been built after the apocalypse but was of high quality and using modern manufacturing techniques?

Some would likely be blowbacks as they are simple and keep the overall design as 'crude' (for lack of a better word) as possible.

I suppose I'm asking if there would be a market for guns designed or customized in such a way that they had the appearance of something that Mad Max could pick up along his journey?
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I wouldn't buy one, but someone probably would. After all, there's a sucker born every minute.
 
I'm sure there would be SOME market. I mean, people buy those bolo shotgun rounds at gun shows and various other pointless junk. How big that market is and whether you could make a profit in it is the big question. In my experience, most guns that are sold don't actually get shot all that much.
 
Some would likely be blowbacks as they are simple and keep the overall design as 'crude' (for lack of a better word) as possible.

I suppose I'm asking if there would be a market for guns designed or customized in such a way that they had the appearance of something that Mad Max could pick up along his journey?
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Sounds like you're describing the Hi-Point pistols and carbines.
 
I play Fallout too.
As a functioning firearm, no. One would need to put a functional barrel inside a steel pipe etc. As a hobbyist created art piece maybe, though I'd be inclined to give it a steampunk look rather than copying a Fallout style weapon.
 
As a business plan on its own, no, I doubt the market would support it.

As custom pieces offered by a fully functioning custom gun shop, it's a possibility, albeit a remote one. I know there's a gun shop in Clearwater right now that has a fully functioning replica of the flamethrower from Aliens which they built.

I know that I always thought it would be cool to see real life versions of a couple custom guns, A Light Shining In Darkness or The Medicine Stick for example, but I wouldn't be willing to pay the kind of money needed to have one or modify my own to one.

One possibility is highly functioning prop models for convention goers and the like. Wouldn't be hard to make the Mad Max looking pipe guns from Fallout 4 with some steel pipe, basic power tools and machine parts, and some rust brown solution.

Remember that gun owners tend to frown on "play" guns, sometimes for good reason. Like the Nintendo and later Nerf Glocks that bear incredibly strong resemblance to toys. Serious gun owners have no need for them, and collectors of props or toys typically don't want anything that shoots a projectile (or an air gun if it does). So your only real market is dedicated firearm collectors who also happen to be dedicated to collections of other objects or hobbies.

A final word, if you really wanted to do this, you would really need to spend some significant time developing your gunsmithing and modification skills to get to the point where you can charge to do this. There is a market already for similar modifications - battle worn finishes, custom magazine window cuts, intentional distressing, etc. but it's not something to jump right into.
 
Without berating your creativity the answer to your question is no. If there is a market it would be for "display" guns that don't actually fire. Gamers are into owning memorabilia from games and such but then you have to be licensed by the game maker to build and sell their property. If there was a big market the game producers would likely be doing it. A quick call or letter asking if they had any intension of marketing props could answer your question.
 
+1 to the Steampunk design.

Post-SHTF look may work but the market would, IMO, be a lot smaller and may actually generate negative blow-back. Look at Nordstrom and the jeans with the fake dirt caked on selling for over $400. Take a $2,000 gun with a Post-SHTF look to the range and there's a chance that the person becomes pretty unpopular.

The Steampunk look would work because it is artsy & cool but not pretentious.
 
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