A closer look at AG Composites and how the company builds some of the finest composite rifle stocks available.
For decades, some scoffed at the Deep South as a hub for world-class technology, but they weren’t paying attention. Alabama, and especially the intellectual lightning rod city of Huntsville—headlined by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center—is home to some of the world’s most advanced scientific and engineering minds.
Brothers Matt and Dave Tandy are two such minds. Together, the military veterans parlayed their love for shooting sports with an aerospace engineering background into one of the world’s most innovative rifle stock companies—AG Composites—a grand feat that should be taken lightly … very lightly.
AG Composites doesn’t just make composite stocks; they make incredibly light and remarkably durable composite stocks that, on average, weigh as little as 25 ounces in their AG Privateer line. Their heavyweight stock, the AG Carbon K2 Adjustable, averages 45 ounces. Again, those are just the averages. They can—and do—make lighter ones.
But why stocks?
“Back in the summer of 2013, a Marine friend suggested that Dave, now the current president of AG Composites, craft his own carbon-fiber M1A stock,” said Matt. “He took this challenge and designed his first stock. It was a successful failure [in] that it taught him a lot about the stock-making process. His next design, however, was a much more functional stock. The passion for design and improvement was instilled. We’ve always enjoyed shooting and hunting, and as military veterans with entrepreneur spirits, those first two stocks were the seeds that led to starting the company and getting involved in the industry.”
Still, making a good stock doesn’t always mean you should start your own stock business. So, why did the Tandy brothers take the next step and choose to start a business in the firearms industry?
“We saw an opportunity, as stock delivery lead times were extraordinarily long and carbon-fiber products were becoming a highly sought-after component,” Matt said. “Our knowledge and experience with the newest materials, high-quality designs and delivery times that were being measured in weeks, not months, gave us an edge over the competition out of the gate.”
Though new to the industry, the Tandy brothers had several vital attributes to help them move quickly and successfully in the firearms stock manufacturing market.
Service With Speed
“What makes us unique is, as former officers in the military, having leadership skills and a high level of organization keeps us focused on quality, customer service and on-time delivery times,” continued Matt. “With those skills, along with our aerospace engineer background and a track record of starting successful businesses, we strive for perfection in both our products and our customer service. We continue to set the bar higher for ourselves because we know that is good for our customers and good for business.”
AG Composites outlines its stock manufacturing process into four key categories: design, materials, manufacturing and quality control. “When someone buys our product, they are getting a premier rifle stock that will last a lifetime and perform in any hunting or shooting environment,” Matt said.
Here’s how AG Composites break down these four key categories:
Design
AG Composites uses modern design software to create computer-aided design (CAD) models of every stock manufactured. AG Composites’ design engineers bring their aerospace industry CAD modeling experience to every stock. CAD modeling has many advantages to include:
• Rapid exploration of many design concepts
• Precise modeling of stock inletting and compatibility with popular barrel contours, actions and bottom metal
• Modeling of mold tooling and machining fixtures
Materials
AG Composites uses the highest-quality carbon fiber, epoxy and paint products to manufacture its premium line of composite rifle stocks. The end result is an extremely lightweight, yet extremely rugged, product designed around the needs of the shooter.
Manufacturing
Proprietary manufacturing processes are the secret sauce behind AG’s ability to produce best-in-class stocks with delivery times that are a fraction of our competitors.
Quality Control
Consistency, efficiency, cost control and frequent quality control checks are the primary drivers of each step of the manufacturing process. Automation is used wherever possible, starting with the high-precision cutting table used to cut every piece of carbon-fiber material in AG Composite stocks.
But building an excellent product is only one piece of the puzzle, and AG puts as much precision into its business philosophies as it does the stocks that hit the market.
“We built our brand based on quality, timely delivery and great customer service,” said Matt. “As a company, we have created an environment where employees are valued and have a vested interest in seeing their team and the overall company succeed. We teach our employees and lead by example and to have a servant’s heart. We serve our customers well and do what we say we’re going to do.”
In that same spirit, AG Composites knows its customers are more than a revenue source; they consider them the best and most influential mentors in the hunting and shooting business.
“Working with and listening to some great gun builders, rifle manufacturers and individual hunters have helped keep ourselves and our products on the cutting edge,” Matt said.
Family Through It All
Success didn’t come without a struggle—the Tandy brothers are brothers, after all.
“As brothers with different skill sets, this can be a good thing but also, at times, cause friction,” Matt admitted. “In the early days of starting the company, we would clash occasionally, but we quickly learned to utilize our best talents and work in tandem as a team, because at the end of the day, our business goals were aligned. After our first SHOT Show in 2016, we learned that rifle stocks had the greatest opportunity.”
The brothers paid very close attention to industry success and failures, like any successful business should. One of the things they learned not to do was try to be something they’re not.
“So many companies try to be everything to everyone,” Matt said. “This can cause a company to be inefficient, resulting in poor products and bad service. We decided to focus our efforts on carbon-fiber rifle stocks because they’re lightweight, rigid and accurate. This is our area of expertise. We can proudly stand behind each one of our products with certainty.”
Over the past few years, AG Composites, like the rest of the firearms industry, has had to deal with more than their fair share of business-building curveballs like government leadership change, economic uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Obstacles aside, AG Composites knows who they are.
“We are already known among thousands of customers around the world because we can be delivered in weeks, not months,” Matt said. “We will continue to expand our brand by investing in technology and high-quality employees. This will provide our current and future customers with quality products and top-notch customer service.”
And, AG Composites knows who they want to be as well.
“Our company is just hitting our stride,” Matt said. “We still have a lot of customers to reach and show them why AG Composites is the right choice for a high-end, carbon-fiber rifle stock. We will also continue to look for opportunities that make business sense and fit into our area of expertise.”
The company's website can be found at agcomposites.com.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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