RAW and Airforce Alliance announced

[toine]

https://www.airgunsarp.com/2018/01/23/airforce-airguns-and-rapid-air-weapons-force-new-alliance/

These times are a-changing. To be honest, I’m not surprised at all. RAW has been a boutique line of Airguns for years with known supply and production delays. With the new focus of bargain priced entry level PCP airguns, they need to do something to stay relative.
 
For Airforce, it’s a win-win. Airforce had branding issues in marketing the Spanish produced Cometa line of PCP airguns. Adding RAW and Theoben to their lineup provides them with what they’ve been sorely lacking… USA Made multishot repeater air rifles. it also adds two lines to the mix that go well beyond the utilitarian look and feel of the highly effective but a bit long in the tooth lineup of Airforce rifles.

(Fort Worth, TX – January 23, 2018) The AirForce group of companies which includes AirForce International and BKL Technologies is excited the announce the addition of the Rapid Air Weapons and Theoben brands to the lineup.

Rapid Air Weapons(RAW) has established itself as the premier manufacturer of high performance airguns in the US. The company is well known to airgun shooters demanding world ranked performance in field target and benchrest competitions. Hunters looking for refinement, reliability, and extreme accuracy are lining up to add a RAW air rifle to their collection.

After finding it difficult to keep with increasing production demands, RAW’s owner Martin Rutterford decided to seek an alliance with a company that could offer increased production capacity while still maintaining the level of quality RAW is known for. After vetting the available options Rutterford approached AirForce Airguns with the idea of combing resources. He said “I was impressed by AirForce’s reputation for reliability, performance, and great customer service. After looking at other companies, it became quickly apparent AirForce would be the first choice.”

AirForce President John McCaslin said “After extensive negotiations we finalized an agreement just days prior to the SHOT Show. I can’t say enough about how excited I am to expand the availability of these world class US made airguns.”

Future plans include bringing back the legendary Theoben line of airguns. Theoben started building airguns in England over 30 years ago and quickly developed a reputation for quality. After ceasing operations 5 years ago during a severe economic downturn, there has been a relentless cry to bring the line back into production. “We intend to bring this classic line of airguns back into production as we ramp up the availability of RAW products” said McCaslin “There are very few airgun companies that actually make their guns in the US with US made components, and utilizing US workers. This was one of the main reasons Rutterford approached us at the beginning of the talks. We will continue in that direction as we focus on US made quality and performance while our competitors focus their businesses around imported components and assemblies.”

AirForce Airguns has been innovating, designing and producing precision pre-charged air guns at their Fort Worth, Texas headquarters for over 15 years. In 2016, AirForce opened a new state of the art factory in Texas to keep up with the growing demand and integrate the newest manufacturing techniques.

AirForce is known for developing the most technologically advanced airgun shooting systems in the world and is the original and favorite black airgun. With a reputation for flexibility and legendary accuracy, AirForce Airguns offers a solution for just about any airgun shooting situation.

Serious airgunning starts at AirForce Airguns.

[Tweeter]

Does this mean that someday the RAW will cease to be hand built with love and turn into more of a "production" type gun?  Kind of like what happened with EDgun when demand caused Ed to ramp up production (the Matador is still an AWESOME gun, Ed just doesn't build them by hand on the workbench anymore).

[Taso1000]

Hopefully RAW remains the same custom shop business model but has access to Airforce's production department for parts.

Taso

[toine]

Does this mean that someday the RAW will cease to be hand built with love and turn into more of a "production" type gun?  Kind of like what happened with EDgun when demand caused Ed to ramp up production (the Matador is still an AWESOME gun, Ed just doesn't build them by hand on the workbench anymore).

My guess is that in order to survive and grow, they'll need to find a happy medium between 100% hand done and limited manufactured production type. To be honest, it somewhat needs to happen for RAW to continue to be competitive and successful as a business model. I know of a few people who have cancelled their RAW orders over the past 18 months due to the wait time.

My hope is that we see a best of both worlds, where Airforce can share their experience and apply it to RAW's expertise.

[Tweeter]

Well said.  I hope this as well as I have always wanted to try a RAW but haven't found the need for a long gun yet.

[garczar6]

As long as Martin is in the loop i don't think QC is going to be a problem. Shortening the wait times will be nice. May also give MR some time for new product design/development that he currently doesn't have.

[Joekrooz]

One of the reasons I recently ordered a RAW was that I figured one day these wouldn’t be hand built by Martin anymore.  Eventually he wouldn’t be able to do everything himself anymore as time marches on.  I’m sure he thought long and hard about this and didn’t take this decision lightly. 

I guess that was the mystery in the box we saw from the Ton Jones teaser yesterday?

By the way, wait times at RAW are 12-14 weeks now.

[Tweeter]

One of the reasons I recently ordered a RAW was that I figured one day these wouldn’t be hand built by Martin anymore.  Eventually he wouldn’t be able to do everything himself anymore as time marches on.  I’m sure he thought long and hard about this and didn’t take this decision lightly. 

I guess that was the mystery in the box we saw from the Ton Jones teaser yesterday?

By the way, wait times at RAW are 12-14 weeks now.

What box?  Did Ton Jones find it in a storage unit?  Sorry I couldn't help myself   

[KnifeMaker]

A little confused here. Yes, I know that Rapid (Theoben) stopped production and Martin came here and founded Rapid Air Weapons. R.A.W. 

However, Rapid has reopened production in the U.K. again, and producint Airguns. S0000???  the rest of the story?

The other thing that worries me is that A.F. has refused to listen to shooters for years. Purposely producing a weaker than necessary frame. Even going to extra machine to make it weaker.

Shooters have begged them to stop and re-think, but it has fallen on deaf ears for years.

Added to this, the pioneers that brought us modern big bore airgunning, did much of it with AF Frames, even with the limitations. Air Force ridiculed, made fun of, and in general, ran down anyone upping the usefulness of the AF platform. And did so for years.

Fast forward, they copy much of what was pioneered, and without so much as a thank you or by your leave, put them out for the public. totally ignoringany advice oofferedy the shooters who had already been there, done that.

the results were poor choices of twist rate for cal. and weight, Not having a clue about bullet size in relation to bore, (which resulted in poor accuracy, lackluster fps and fpe, and worst of all, bullets stuck in barrels). 

The reasons for such poor performance were obvious to anyone paying any attention whatsoever.  Air Force wouldn't! All a person trying to help would get is arrogance born of ignorance, criticised. disguised as rudeness and a  insult.

I hope if the do produce any part of the RAW AG's they get their heads out of their colective but's and jpay attentioin to what is going on in the industry around them!
If they can't do that, perhaps they can at least pay attention to what they are doing for a change.

Knife

[FuzzyGrub]

I liked the "ghosting" in the press release.   What other US airgun company could they be referring to?     

[Tweeter]

I liked the "ghosting" in the press release.   What other US airgun company could they be referring to?   

Maybe Mrodair?  I heard Mrodair will be answering the phones and handling the customer service while RAW builds the guns!  Don't shoot the messenger!   

[KnifeMaker]

"AirForce is known for developing the most technologically advanced airgun shooting systems in the world"

Huh? fantasyland legend in their own mind? 

About as Technologically advanced as the cart without the ox.

[Tweeter]

"AirForce is known for developing the most technologically advanced airgun shooting systems in the world"

Huh? fantasyland legend in their own mind? 

How many other single shot airguns do you know of, huh?     

[oldpro]

I liked the "ghosting" in the press release.   What other US airgun company could they be referring to?   

Maybe Mrodair?  I heard Mrodair will be answering the phones and handling the customer service while RAW builds the guns!  Don't shoot the messenger!   

Your banned for life....

[KnifeMaker]

"AirForce is known for developing the most technologically advanced airgun shooting systems in the world"

Huh? fantasyland legend in their own mind? 

How many other single shot airguns do you know of, huh?     

Your kill'n me!

[Motorhead]

Airforce .... Really 

Just kinda WOW 

[Dairyboy]

I find it odd but hey hopefully Martin knows what he's doing

[toine]

At SHOT someone reported from the Airforce Booth that Airforce had purchased RAW. That's a bit different than an alliance...

[Sfttailrdr46]

At SHOT someone reported from the Airforce Booth that Airforce had purchased RAW. That's a bit different than an alliance...

That's what Harley did to Eric Buell and once that got all they needed from him they dismantled the Buell product line. Lets hope that is not what happens to RAW

[Motorhead]

Survey by internet generally is a bad thing ... in this case I'm thinking not so much, being likely a good idea.
We're just consumers & don't have a clue to whats really going on behind closed doors