As 2021 draws to a close, so does the orders for 2022. Who would have thought that 18 months ago we would go from business as normal and lead times for barrels being the best Australia has ever seen, to now having to think about what the market wants in 12 to 18 months time. This brings with it a unique set of challenges. Here at 7mm we have alway strived to have barrels in stock of the popular calibers / profiles and twist rates. This unfortunately took a hit with the forced closure by the Qld Government last year, and we have been on the back foot ever since. We will get our stock levels back to where they need to be, but it is going to take 12 to 18 months.
We are currently working with our financial broker to secure funding so we can place the largest order we have ever placed, at around 400 barrels. This is to ensure we have stock on hand into the future, unfortunately this will take 12 months before we see it on the shelves. In addition to this Bartlein have advised that due to the cost of steel increasing they are unable to continue to absorb the cost and there will be a price rise effective now. We are waiting to see what this will mean for us on pricing once the new figures come through. We are looking at options to help offset this price increase, however there are often trade off’s. For us this could mean we move from airfreight to sea freight, however this adds 8 weeks to any orders due to transit times. While this may be fine for stock orders, customers who order more custom specification barrels may not want to wait the additional 8 weeks. For these orders we are looking at continuing the air freight option, however it will come with a surcharge, until air freight prices ease, as overseas travel picks up.
So the challenges remain for the next 12 to 18 months as the nation begins to come out of the government imposed lockdowns, and everyone return to the ranges around the country. Stay tuned to the web site and as we get a clearer picture over the coming weeks, on order schedules for the next 12 months.
As always if you have any questions drop us an email. I always try to respond in 24hours, work commitments permitting.
Safe shooting.