If you look at the gun industry recipe over the past years, we pretty much did everything wrong. Zero overtattooed moto-looking muscledude pics. No yogapanted gun bunnies with fingers on triggers. Missed that zombie craze completely. Didn’t overpush inventory to distributors. Hired no “brand ambassadors” to flog us on Instagram. Ignored the boutique battleworn paint craze. Snuck past Sparta and moloned no labes. Did not start our own coffee brand.
Probably should have listened more in school and applied ourselves.
#WeDoWhatWeLike
Classic! Social D, love it
Hell Yeah! Social D!
..Can’t escape this Ball and Chain…
I’m digging the Dag Nasty logo scribbled on the notebook.
Good catch. Wig Out / Field Day era.
Not your typical *aaaaaaaaauuugh SALESMEN!!!****
Love the Social Distortion, top left corner.
Amen. But where is the Doodled up Pee-Chee !
https://www.flickr.com/groups/peecheefolderart/
I’m impressed that is “college ruled.”
Moloned no labes….love it.556 sheets…love it. Awesome piece of marketing.
Not trying to be a hater… But can anyone explain what Hodge Defense actually is/does? Because all I see is occasional fancy marketing and no real products. Their (one page) website hasn’t been updated or improved that I can see in two years. Their “partners” links produced no purchasable products. Some don’t even have Hodge listed as a brand and nothing pops on a search. One had Hodge listed, but when I clicked on the name it just sent me to Hodge. One of the partners links at the HD site just opened HD’s site in a new tab. It seems like every few months SSD has a post on them, but I’ve not seen one of their products anywhere I’ve looked. A google search reveals a rail, a stripped upper, and a rifle priced at LWRC/KAC money. I guess I’m just not getting it, or not cool enough. But hey, they have cool images on facebook, so…
I am their east coast distributor, I sell their:
Uppers, Handguards, Barrels, SWAG, Complete Uppers, (FFL is forthcoming)
Their rifles are available through Drury’s, ODS, and Weapon Outfitters.
Their items are hard to get, but that doesn’t increase the value, in fact, if they were using teaser marketing, they missed the mark over a year ago, the interest curve peaked and flared out.
Bottom Line: They make high quality guns, in small batches, that shoot really well with M855A1 while supressed.
Click the Hodge Defense SSD link below the article and you will see who (FN) is producing their designs and what there is to get about getting it, get it?
Thanks, Jon. OPT is one of my fav gear sites, but hadn’t really looked for guns there. Why don’t they have you on their site as a partner? Not a call out on you, but rather them.
I guess I’m still not getting it. But I get that a lot.
It’s a matter of updating, and HDSI is aware of the issue.
The best source for up to date info on them is their Facebook, it announces when guns, parts, etc are in stock, and where to find them.
OPT is moving back into firearms and parts, mostly high end, over the next couple years.
This is what I always wonder and often bring up. I just don’t “get it,” apparently. Not flooding distributors is code for not supplying them I think. Sending a handful of things to Picatinny doesn’t count as being too busy to actually produce products.
I know, I’m not famous on the internet so I couldn’t possibly have a thought worth anything.
I’d just like to see a Hodge in the wild and maybe shoot one. Maybe then I’d get it. For the last few years all I see is hype and smug.
If your ever in florida near Orlando you are more than welcome to shoot my 12.5″ Mod 1.5.
-Adam Pini
I’ve known Jim for quite a while and I consider myself lucky to have several different variations of HD rifles. However, HD guns have been a little more difficult to get a hold of, notwithstanding my close personal friendship with the man himself. Why? While it is a factor, I wouldn’t even say it is because of small batch production or anything like that. I would say (my personal opinion) that I don’t so much consider HD a gun company as I do a design firm. Yes, HD makes products that are for sale. They’re great products and I have a various assortment of production and non-production items. But, beyond that there are a lot of projects that are for specific customers. There has been a lot of work for FN, DOD, and various other agencies that don’t ever get much mention outside certain circles. And there have been a decent amount of projects that are not going to ever make it to market with HD stamped on them, but the DNA is undeniably HD behind the veil. In fact, Jim’s history in this industry follows that same trajectory. So, what does HD do from my vantage point? HD designs and HD designs well.
If you read SSD on a daily basis, you’d know that the Army’s SEP program has been evaluating Hodge guns since 2014. I just wrote about it the other day.
Also forgot to mention zero shooting sports matches supported/sponsored. Sorry but companies like Seekins Precision, Double-Star, Armalite will get my money first because they choose to advertise by sponsoring 3gun matches.
I can assure you that Jim has “sponsored shooting matches” with his rifles. Most that I know about have been OCONUS…
No harm no foul. Jim doesn’t build rifles for every body to have one, although via collaboration with FN, you can have something close.
Good Lord! Way to support small American business folks!
“I don’t get it, so they suck”
“I can’t afford it so they suck”
“Flashy ads, they suck”
“Not enough ads, they suck”
“Never heard of them, they suck”
Between this and the comments on the TAD Gear post above some people just need to stop.
Hodge makes awesome stuff. Yes. In small batches. That’s not a bad thing- in fact it’s great. It usually allows for better quality and more attention to the product. No it’s not cheap. But that’s no reason to bitch about it. I can’t afford a Ferrari, but that doesn’t mean I suddenly hate them. I’ll keep hoping instead.
Don’t like them? More Hodge for me and the people that recognize good products.
Because it is increasingly difficult to tell “Instagram Companies” like Ur3thra, War Dorks, etc…from legitimate manufacturers like DD, Mega Arms, etc… So without a decent amount of products out there to see/feel, it seems like another botique company trying to fake it til they make it. I know Hodge makes great stuff, just explaining the backlash to silly Instagram-era marketing.
No…Jim Hodge has been a valued member of the small arms manufacturing community for a long time, working as a consultant for numerous companies. Like so many other professionals, he just kept a low profile. He isn’t faking anything.
Why are there so many ridiculous comments about a funny pic that SSD chose to share with us…? I saw the pic and all I did was think “Social D and vikings.. badass..” Snickers anyone…
I’m checking to see when the next full moon is…something is going on.
BINGO….full moon was May 10.
Now all is clear.
I’m telling you, there is something to it…a full moon just drives some people bat-crap crazy temporarily.
Hahahaha… no shit..
If you know, you know.
Met Jim Hodge in an elevator once, nice guy, buying one of his rifles once we settle down
Some of you lack basic reading comprehension skills. Nobody said that Jim Hodge is a hack. No one said that Hodge weapons “suck.” There was just one commenter asking about Hodge weapons, since he (the commenter) had never handled or fired a Hodge rifle.
“Not trying to be a hater…”
“For the last few years all I see is hype and smug…”
“It seems like another boutique company trying to fake it til they make it…”
Nope, my reading skills are just fine.
…Tis why we cant have nice things Sir…
I get it so good it hurts…
Hodge Defense and its meteoric rise is a case study in content marketing. Brilliantly modeled and deftly delivered. I thought I had seen the peak of grown men swooning over other men when Noveske and then LaRue were all the rage. I couldn’t have been more wrong…
Hey easy with the tattoo hating Jim! Ink is not a bad thing and I have been running a Hodge Defense for a couple years now. Topped with an Aimpoint T-1 and a Surefire Mini. It is the best AR Carbine that I have. I know the cat that put it together and he has great taste in weapons.
Who is #91?