RogueFactor
01-21-2009, 01:23 PM
The original and first batch of AGD Slug bodies were shorter in the rear, similar in length to the AGD ULE body. AGD made the Slug body to give both users and aftermarket machinists the ability to machine designs of their choice from AGD spec bodies in hopes of creating a thriving 'aftermarket'.
Well the "marketing strategy" behind this (and you know how good I am at that) was to have maybe a dozen people figure out a way to produce their own custom designs that people liked.
Once the first one is done others are easy so players could go to these people to get their own cut. Suddenly there are a dozen NEW body styles out there for AGD markers and people have a bunch to choose from. In this way the designs could change all the time and be very up to date.
From our perspective we make a whole bunch of the same body so we can control costs and not have to worry about the perfect design. We could never offer 12 versions of this body.
So for these reasons we are really hopping this takes off.
AGD
Right from the start though, the Slug body was never in real big demand. Tom almost killed the project because of the lack of demand(quotes from November of 2002):
AO,
I reduced the price of the SLUG bodies to 100 dollars because we didn't sell a single one. I expected a better reaction than that so at this point, unless it starts selling fast, I don't think we are going to continue with it.
AGD
A handful sold when Tom made this post. Some of the very first bodies went to Doc Nickel, FESTUS, and Colin@DeadlyWind. The only company to continue with a production body was DeadlyWind.
The first body DeadlyWind offered was the Chord v1 and was based on the shorter Slug body. The only difference being that the shorter version did not cover the valve, the longer version did. Subsequent batches of Slug bodies were OTV(Over the Valve),which is the body you see in the pic below. Since there were so very few of the shorter Slug bodies, there was little need to rename the longer version, so "OTV" never caught on. Colin created the Chord v2, the Dallara, and the Karta from the longer version Slug.
Other than DeadlyWind, demand for the Slug was minimal. That is of course until AGD no longer had any more stock!
Here is a quote(shortened for pertinence) by Tom Kaye in February of 2007:
Yes I do still own AGD, Zupe owns the inventory and is selling things. It is certainly not clear even if we did make something that people would buy it. Look at the slug body threads where the screams for product are answered but the product remains unsold.
AGD
So sometime shortly after this comment in early 2007 I commissioned a 100-run of the Slugs to be made by AGD. This would finally prove or dispell the myth of 'true demand'.
Of the 100 required to move forward, only ~80 bodies were spoken for. Instead of prolonging the wait, I went ahead with the project anyway. When it came time to follow through and put down a deposit, only 35 followed through. You read that right, less than HALF.
Anyway, this is the short history of the AGD Slug body. There are other minor details Im sure, but this is the general gist of it.
And for the pic(Slug body, Retaining Washer & C-Clip)
Well the "marketing strategy" behind this (and you know how good I am at that) was to have maybe a dozen people figure out a way to produce their own custom designs that people liked.
Once the first one is done others are easy so players could go to these people to get their own cut. Suddenly there are a dozen NEW body styles out there for AGD markers and people have a bunch to choose from. In this way the designs could change all the time and be very up to date.
From our perspective we make a whole bunch of the same body so we can control costs and not have to worry about the perfect design. We could never offer 12 versions of this body.
So for these reasons we are really hopping this takes off.
AGD
Right from the start though, the Slug body was never in real big demand. Tom almost killed the project because of the lack of demand(quotes from November of 2002):
AO,
I reduced the price of the SLUG bodies to 100 dollars because we didn't sell a single one. I expected a better reaction than that so at this point, unless it starts selling fast, I don't think we are going to continue with it.
AGD
A handful sold when Tom made this post. Some of the very first bodies went to Doc Nickel, FESTUS, and Colin@DeadlyWind. The only company to continue with a production body was DeadlyWind.
The first body DeadlyWind offered was the Chord v1 and was based on the shorter Slug body. The only difference being that the shorter version did not cover the valve, the longer version did. Subsequent batches of Slug bodies were OTV(Over the Valve),which is the body you see in the pic below. Since there were so very few of the shorter Slug bodies, there was little need to rename the longer version, so "OTV" never caught on. Colin created the Chord v2, the Dallara, and the Karta from the longer version Slug.
Other than DeadlyWind, demand for the Slug was minimal. That is of course until AGD no longer had any more stock!
Here is a quote(shortened for pertinence) by Tom Kaye in February of 2007:
Yes I do still own AGD, Zupe owns the inventory and is selling things. It is certainly not clear even if we did make something that people would buy it. Look at the slug body threads where the screams for product are answered but the product remains unsold.
AGD
So sometime shortly after this comment in early 2007 I commissioned a 100-run of the Slugs to be made by AGD. This would finally prove or dispell the myth of 'true demand'.
Of the 100 required to move forward, only ~80 bodies were spoken for. Instead of prolonging the wait, I went ahead with the project anyway. When it came time to follow through and put down a deposit, only 35 followed through. You read that right, less than HALF.
Anyway, this is the short history of the AGD Slug body. There are other minor details Im sure, but this is the general gist of it.
And for the pic(Slug body, Retaining Washer & C-Clip)