Yeah, I had no idea there was such a long wait for these things, as I just started looking into them a few months ago, but didnt check on supply until yesterday. But there's no excuse for a 7 month wait to get a product mailed out. It seems like it's a good product from what I've read, probably better than Surefire lights, so this company could be a real success story, but you have to wonder whats up with the administrative end of the business. There are plenty of competent machine shops out there, who can do the necessary machining in a timely manner. If you make a contract with a machine shop/producer and send them a lot of business, then they can justify buying new equipment to keep up with demand. Thats how business works!
But if you dont come up with a reasonable offer for these outside contractors to produce the product for you, and instead you spend many months, or a year or more searching for that low-buck contractor to further increase your profit margin, then in the long run, your customers suffer, and you lose business and make less money.......
I dont know if thats^ the case here, and it may not be, but there should be plenty of American machine shops that have been hurt by all the Chinese competition who would kill for a new contract to produce! Its not like they are swamped with business these days.....
Not to get too far off subject here, But there are many US companies that have used the Chinese competition as an excuse for HUGE, VULGAR price gouging, to the point where they are now making the same products they were making 5-7 years ago, but charging 2-4 times as much money for their products. Then playing the victim card and claiming that they are "forced" to do it..... B.S..... How were you able to produce a product in America just a few years ago and make a good profit, but now you must charge much, much more for the same product produced by you at the same cost as before? I think HDS is charging a fairly reasonable price for their lights, but then I dont know how much they charged 10 years ago(if they were in business then)
HDS: You've got the quality of your lights at the right level, now get the quality of your planning, management and contracting up to the same level, and you'll make some serious cash without having to price gouge like other companies.