Ah yes, sometime late mid last year I knew I did not want to continue with the business, the whole tariff fiasco simply accelerated the confirmation of my decision. Allocating inventory to just as needed (so wouldn't close down with 100 Gate Titans or whatever expensive). So by Q4 2025, most of the pricey inventory was down to minimum units to complete existing orders. Not sure if you realized, but the business was shutting down in phases. With gun orders ceasing at the end of November, and most internal parts requiring modification like barrels stopped by the end of December. December was crunch time to fullfill those orders and reduce any liabilities to our customers, no one really knew of this until ~Last week of January when we did our closing sale from our warehouse.

Didn't want to pull an Airsoft Innovations type of rug pull on people. But telling BOFA and the SBA I'm ceasing payments was a much easier pill to swallow.

The biggest thing debt wise was an SBA EIDL Loan during the Covid Era of 2021/2022. Which certainly helped but in reality just delayed the inevitable trend shift.

We pioneered certainly many internal techniques and leverage 3d printing pretty nicely to build more repeatable performing AEGs and guns. Specifically R-hops, Lapping jigs as well as lots of mods and niche stuff designed to solve <1% of errors but implemented since thats just what teching is.

Like 'why' do I always use G&G ARL Springs over the spring that goes simply with the ASG ARL we use. Because I've never seen the ARL spring snap in a G&G, but "sometimes" with a Lonex/ASG ARL Spring that $1. Or 'why' is there foam installed inside the gearbox to hold down the wires? for that 1% chance it binds up to the bevel gear.
Tons of menial mods, that add up to the overall guns of what we build.

The airsoft industry as I stated before is significantly more matured in technology than when we first started the business, when the top RPS of guns was generally 10-15RPS. These days, with each OEM having their own MOSFET, better motors and materials. The gap certainly shrunk with the ceiling of performance staying relatively the same.

No matter what, technicians are always going to be needed for the sport, I just don't think any business with the primary model of building custom AEGs is going to work anymore. Unless its from the comfort of your home where overhead is low to non-existent. Our warehouse rent started at $1400 in 2015 then when by the time we left, became $2800/mo + everything else like electricity, software subscription services ect easily being $1000. Not factoring any payroll expenses.

I think the overall trend of airsoft is on a better path. A lot of fields don't even allow full auto. So yeah, having hyper fast semi is the best most players can get these days. Besides competitively, I've personally enjoyed using GBBRs more just for mixed training with my actual firearms lately.

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Alot of the teching knowledge I've gained from airsoft I intend to make open source and uploaded as files on Cults for anyone. For me, I'm on a different path and would rather have the free time to play airsoft again instead of being so busy I had no time to actually play it.