I have only been a custom rifle owner and accuracy chaser for about 5 years. I have become good friends with a couple awesome gun smiths and people. I have talked to them about the industry and it seems some things are changing. With advancement in components such as Defiance actions, Pre-fit barrels,CNC machines, there seems to be less and less need for gunsmiths over the years. How can they be competitive with action companies offering actions with .001 guarantee headspace for $1,000, and proof research offering chambered carbon barrels with threaded ends for $875. Couple that with a self timing muzzle break and you are off to the races. I personally only trust a few gunsmiths and would never buy a pre-fit from a known barrel company. I am glad that the industry is growing, but it seems that this is going to come at a cost.
We all win when tolerances get tighter, standards are raised, etc... But I think more and more are building guns today than ever, and they are not starting out with CNC equipment, takes a lot of money upfront. I think there will always be a place for smaller smiths who put out products at reasonable prices. I think these guys are what keeps pricing in check also. Plus we all have different accuracy standards, and the internet skews this big time, we are all shooting the most accurate rifles made and our smith is top tier.
If it all came down to cnc shops, where is the attraction, pricing, turn around times, accuracy, aesthetics? CNC is capital, it needs to run to generate revenue. There is quite a bit that goes into running a successful operation, some older smiths who refuse to change may get pushed aside, but there is replacements, it's the cycle of life. Prices will not drop, if X shop can get this much in labor for his product, which I feel is no better than mine, why shouldn't I up my prices some and prosper more?
We as a society tend to take the paths of least resistance, and instant gratification, but there are always trade offs.
This may be an unfair comparison, but Payless shoes had one heck of a business model, good products(not top shelf) at cheap prices, and they survived for yrs. But when people can get the same product delivered to your door for not much more, the writing was on the wall. Why leave the house for a buck savings.
My smith has a full time job, yet offers a solid product at great prices. I shouldn't say this, but he lacks some finesse in fit and finish, but one can work around that with pre-painted drop in stocks like Manners, or others. My expectations in looks have changed over the yrs, and it is not for the better, I just need a product that looks nice and shoots way better, and it is 6 miles from my house. And we have an understanding concerning my impatience, if I green light wait times, he utilizes it fully, if he knows I am anxious, the rifle gets completed.
IMO, there will always be a place for new smiths, circumstances dictate that someone will be willing to give them a shot, it becomes on them to produce results.