True Custom build vs Semi-custom vs Off the Shelf Factory

Sidewinder

Well-Known Member
I know these are relative terms with many opinions, but what is the differences between a CUSTOM, SEMI-Custom and off-the-shelf FACTORY rifle? Where do you draw the line between Semi and custom or Semi and off the shelf? I am interested in your opinions. Thank you.
 
I should think that an "off the shelf" package is quite unusual. In reality, most would be semi- custom in so far as you choose a style you like in a calibre that you like, then add your own choice of mod, scope, bipod, sling etc. In effect, you "customise" it yourself to suit your own tastes. In an off the shelf package these choices would have been made for you.
Of course this is quite different from a custom build, which I should imagine means starting from scratch - a lump of wood and some bits of steel.
 
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Custom…. Your choice of action, barrel, stock, trigger, bottom metal. There are many options available on all of these.
Semi custom…. Usually using one or more component off a factory rifle , usually the action and building up from there.
Factory rifle… This is a rifle built in a factory and purchased from an RFD… Remmington, Sako, Tika, Blaser etc

Regards

Ed
 
If I put a red light under the back of my mk3 cortina next to my static strip is it then a custom car ?
Obviously just my humble opinion on things and each to their own
Regards
Jimmy
 
to me.

custom = choice of wood, layout, checkering, stock style, fit to shooter, choice of barrel, blueing type, action, mounts, rings, front and rear sights and zero height if express sights for various leaves with shooters main load. choice of bottom metal, engraving, flooplate, choice of jewelling/engraving/etc. choice of recoil pad, plate, steel, skeleton, leather covered, etc. etc. choice of finish on stock, usage of ebony/rosewood for tips, rounded tips, schnabel, etc. choice of free floating or fully bedded, choice of pillar bedding, glass bedding, choice of inlaid steel in forend to stop warping, choice of steel rod through wrist. choice of cross bolts and inlays used in screws. choice of sling studs and styles or barrel bands, choice of barrel twist, length, profile, etc. choice to have blueprinted, choice to have a different bolt handle or have it re-styled...list goes on, including triggers of course!

'that', is custom ;)

Semi-custom = using existing components whether it's barrel, action or stock, and customising it by changing some or most of the 'other' parts/components, which could include any of the above.. however, mostly, when I hear of 'custom rifles', and all it is is a standard factor action with a new barrel screwed on, bedded into a synthetic stock, maybe with a piccy rail or a coat of spray paint...and with a price tag matching many true 'custom' rifles.

of course, there are many ways to 'semi-customize' a rifle, where do you draw the line, but usually the main component such as the action and maybe trigger + bottom metal is held constant.

Factory = mass produced junk with complete disregard to quality of wood, inletting accuracy, test shooting, etc. etc. only a few manufacturers make ' really good' factory rifles, of course, Sako being one, arguably Tikka is ok, but used to be great. There are others of course, but there is more junk than quality out there...............these guys (factory rifles) are the reason why aftermarket parts makers and synthetic stock makers, barrel plumbers and spray painters make a living ;)
 
CUSTOM! Another Americanism (and no disrespect to Americans...when in Rome and etc) that has crept into use here regarding weapons.

The word is BESPOKE please!

Bah, humbug and all that. But just the same as that awful HEADS! Which do you mean a BULLET or the base of a cartridge case?
 
Interestingly the French are very protective of the heritage of the French language and have a French heritage site which is anti American (in terms of adulteration of their language) and I was thinking of setting up a similar one for the English language. We have sites which provide a reference for correct grammar etc but not for American adulteration of our language as far as I can tell.

A good friend of mine will not patronise any coffee shop (or any shop) which offers "regular" or "to go" anything. I've been with him when we have gone through the doors of a shop and then done a u turn to exit when looking at the menu on display. I love it!
 
Interestingly the French are very protective of the heritage of the French language and have a French heritage site which is anti American (in terms of adulteration of their language) and I was thinking of setting up a similar one for the English language. We have sites which provide a reference for correct grammar etc but not for American adulteration of our language as far as I can tell.

A good friend of mine will not patronise any coffee shop (or any shop) which offers "regular" or "to go" anything. I've been with him when we have gone through the doors of a shop and then done a u turn to exit when looking at the menu on display. I love it!

Unlike French, English doesn’t have an institution responsible for codifying and policing it, whereas the Académie Francaise is pretty much the regulatory body for the French language, at least in France. The purpose of the AF is not to defend the language against the onslaught of foreign words, although it’s telling that that’s often how it’s perceived, but it is to record, standardise and improve the language to make it suitable to deal with complex topics, including, importantly, government. It was created as part of the ongoing drive to make French the official and indeed only language in France, following Francois 1er’s decree establishing this. So it’s very clearly a State institution and an aid to centralisation. However it’s also very instrumental in furthering the French State’s active hostility to regional and minority languages like Occitan, Alsatian, Basque and Breton. Indeed, the constitution states that French is the Republic’s official language, and makes no mention of any others. The AF opposes any change to this, as it would mean that France would be able to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and then the Republic would have to let the peasants speak as they want to. Which I suppose is a perceived threat to the “One and Indivisible Republic”.

I may have gone off topic a bit there, but there you go, it’s not just about rifles.
 
Unlike French, English doesn’t have an institution responsible for codifying and policing it, whereas the Académie Francaise is pretty much the regulatory body for the French language, at least in France. The purpose of the AF is not to defend the language against the onslaught of foreign words, although it’s telling that that’s often how it’s perceived, but it is to record, standardise and improve the language to make it suitable to deal with complex topics, including, importantly, government. It was created as part of the ongoing drive to make French the official and indeed only language in France, following Francois 1er’s decree establishing this. So it’s very clearly a State institution and an aid to centralisation. However it’s also very instrumental in furthering the French State’s active hostility to regional and minority languages like Occitan, Alsatian, Basque and Breton. Indeed, the constitution states that French is the Republic’s official language, and makes no mention of any others. The AF opposes any change to this, as it would mean that France would be able to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and then the Republic would have to let the peasants speak as they want to. Which I suppose is a perceived threat to the “One and Indivisible Republic”.

I may have gone off topic a bit there, but there you go, it’s not just about rifles.

Good post Pine Marten and thank you for taking the time to provide the detail.

I read in the paper yesterday that the Germans want to effectively patent the term "Father Christmas" due to the fact that too has been adulterated by another Americanism (and this includes us in the UK) which is the use of the word "Santa."

I doubt the Germans have a similar institution to the French Academie Francaise (not sure how to do an e acute accent on my key board so apologies for that by the way) but would be interesting to hear if they do have something similar.
 
It was created as part of the ongoing drive to make French the official and indeed only language in France, following Francois 1er’s decree establishing this.

He's right. All to do with what comes out of your mouth defining who you are. So suppressing the "langue d'oc" of Provence or "Western Latin" as it has been known and other tongues. The poor bloody Alsatians being supressed in turn and turn about by the French and the Germans!

Interestingly on French TV television comedy programmes made in Quebec have to be sub-titled for the French as the language of the Quebecois is more akin to an "earlier" French just as the language of the Pitcairn islanders is akin to an "earlier English" as in, in both cases, 17th and 18th Century.
 
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It doesn't matter how you define the degree of 'custom', semi however is not really correct as any change to an original item to suit your individual needs is by definition 'customised'.

Any factory produced items that require a degree of 'fit' both in actual dimension and intended use, rifles obviously being one are done so as a one size fits all, based on an 'average' virtual user. That means compromise in certain areas, either in 'fit' or performance as everyone places their unique demand on that item. Golf clubs, tennis rackets, even bikes can all be customised so they are 'perfect' for their user. Those that can afford it from the off can obviously order that 'bespoke' (as already mentioned) one off for them item. For the rest of us it may mean taking a stock factory item and adding, removing or replacing parts so that we end up with something closer to being perfect for our use.
 
It doesn't matter how you define the degree of 'custom', semi however is not really correct as any change to an original item to suit your individual needs is by definition 'customised'.

Any factory produced items that require a degree of 'fit' both in actual dimension and intended use, rifles obviously being one are done so as a one size fits all, based on an 'average' virtual user. That means compromise in certain areas, either in 'fit' or performance as everyone places their unique demand on that item. Golf clubs, tennis rackets, even bikes can all be customised so they are 'perfect' for their user. Those that can afford it from the off can obviously order that 'bespoke' (as already mentioned) one off for them item. For the rest of us it may mean taking a stock factory item and adding, removing or replacing parts so that we end up with something closer to being perfect for our use.
Hi Brian.
Kinda get where your coming from but that makes my cz HMR a semi custom rifle as I changed the trigger spring to the syss one the lighten the weight.
And my opinion is my tikka is just a re barrelled rifle to me not a semi custom.
Like I say just my take on it like I said previously regarding my mk3 cortina.
Regards Jimmy
 
Hi Brian.
Kinda get where your coming from but that makes my cz HMR a semi custom rifle as I changed the trigger spring to the syss one the lighten the weight.
And my opinion is my tikka is just a re barrelled rifle to me not a semi custom.
Like I say just my take on it like I said previously regarding my mk3 cortina.
Regards Jimmy

I think even changing the spring Jimmy, no matter how minor it seems is a degree of customising to your needs. If the original is poor and it's not suiting you, then change it to one that does. By doing that was the performance if the rife and your shooting improved??? ;)
 
If you can't sell the rifle as in original condition then it is customised.
Customising is sometimes for the worse. Reason why I don't like second hand guns.
edi
 
The poor bloody Alsatians being supressed in turn and turn about by the French and the Germans!

When I was younger, there were still older people in my family who refused to speak anything but Alsatian out of principle, because they reckoned that both the French and Germans were oppressive busybodies. If pushed, they preferred French because they did feel that Alsace belonged in France, not Germany. Only the problem was that German was actually easier for them as it's closer to Alsatian. This used to be known as the "Alsatian dilemma". A lot of psycho-analytical nonsense was written about this. But I prefer the following old joke:
_ Was esch a Elsaesser? (What is an Alsatian?)
_ E Elsaesser esch e Elsaesser (An Alsatian is an Alsatian)
_ Awer was esch e gueter Elsaesser? (But what is a good Alsatian?)
_ E gueter Elsaesser esch e Franzoz! (A good Alsatian is a Frenchman).
_ Un was esch a sehr gueter Elsaesser? (And what is a very good Elsaesser?)
_ Ah! E sehr gueter Elsaesser esch schu e halwa Schwob! (Ah! A very good Alsatian is almost half a German!)



Interestingly on French TV television comedy programmes made in Quebec have to be sub-titled for the French as the language of the Quebecois is more akin to an "earlier" French just as the language of the Pitcairn islanders is akin to an "earlier English" as in, in both cases, 17th and 18th Century.

I heard two chaps from Quebec on the Tube the other day and it was fascinating. People from Quebec City and urban areas generally just mostly sound like they're speaking standard French with a strong accent and a few interesting turns of phrase with some English thrown in. But these guys were from the countryside, and they were indeed speaking French from another era. I believe they call it Acadian and it's similar to what is spoken in Louisiana. In terms of the Old Continent, it sounds to me like an extreme form of Swiss French.

Apologies for discussing stuff that has nothing at all to do with rifle customisation. It's just interesting.
 
Bespoke....bespokeised??????

Nah! Bespoke....bespoken! I think its origin is something to do with "spoke" as it that's being made as in bespoke by....so therefore bespoken (as in "said by") John Smith or whomever...the verb "bespeak" meaning "to speak for something" according to t'internet.
 
Or How about
True Custom - the work of one craftsman i.e. with an action made 'in house'
Semi Custom - assembled from parts
Bespoke - assembled from parts to the customers choices
Artisan - Small batch made by small group of smiths i.e. S&L
Pimped - Production rifle tinkered with

Question: assuming he made his own action, if the smith bought in the barrel, is it still custom?
 
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