Taylor’s & Company was founded 38 years ago by the mother-daughter team of Tammy Loy and Sue Hawkins as an importer of reproduction firearms. In the nearly four decades since, the cpmpany has established a strong reputation for delivering reproductions of classic firearms with modern features and higher-end tuning options. 

Shooting Sports Retailer recently had the opportunity to speak with Keri McDonald, director of sales and marketing, about the company’s history, its place in today’s firearms market and what the future holds.

SSR: Can you tell me a little about Taylor’s & Company and how you’re positioned in the U.S. firearms market?

McDonald: Since we started, our brand has grown to include many exclusive projects that fit our mission of “Where Legend Meets Performance.” We are introducing modern features to the classics. For our next chapter, we are now manufacturing in the United States, bringing new technology to classic styles and making them more versatile for the modern sportsman while introducing new shooters to the world of classic and Western styles. We are merging history and lifestyle elements together, like the new revolutionary TC73 9mm lever-action rifle, our first made in USA with 100% American made parts. 

SSR: Who is the typical Taylor’s customer?

McDonald: There are two main types of Taylor’s customers: those who can teach us the ins-and- outs of the history of many of the reproductions we offer, and those who have never held a single action or lever action and appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of our firearms. We love introducing new shooters to classic styles, and we love offering historically accurate models that continue “Keeping the Legend Alive” — our other motto.

SSR: Does your ability to work with different manufacturers provide an advantage in the current marketplace?

McDonald: In the past few decades, we have learned a lot from our manufacturers overseas and we have shared our knowledge and pushed them to help us meet the needs of the U.S. market. This has positioned us to introduce awesome products like the Alaskan Takedown and TC86 rifles, while also adding our own touches to many of our styles by adding Taylor Tuning, making them performance-grade models. Having various manufacturers allows us to offer a well-rounded line of reproduction firearms all while constantly striving to meet the demands of our market stateside and continue offering new innovations, even on classic platforms. 

SSR: What’s the philosophy behind which products you’ll bring to the U.S. market?

McDonald: Primarily, Taylor’s customer feedback is the driving force for our product innovation. If we weren’t listening to the end users and hearing their concerns and ideas, our brand would not be what it is today. It’s about paying attention to how consumers use our revolvers in competition, or use our rifles on their next hunt, for instance. This allows us to make improvements and meet further needs. Our dealers offer the best feedback from what they hear in their stores based on what their customers are telling them. These relationships are invaluable to us as we bring reproduction firearms to gun shops where people can actually handle them and appreciate their place in the firearms world. A good example is our Gunfighter revolver series, by just installing longer/larger grips on our single actions to adapt to the hands of today’s customers versus back in the 1800s. Things like this seem so obvious; in the end, however, our loyal customers are the driving force behind our innovation.

SSR: What are your biggest challenges in today’s shooting sports industry?

McDonald: First and foremost, we are constantly working to share our philosophy that everyone loves a lever gun or a revolver. Even though they may look old-school or very traditional, we cannot recommend enough that retailers put some in their stores as they’ll be amazed to see what happens. Not only do people love to see them for nostalgic reasons, but the finishing and craftsmanship are incredible. So, we really fight the uphill battle with our firearms being lifestyle products and not just “cowboy” guns. Taylor’s is positioned in a niche within our industry, and we are grateful for any opportunity we get to have product placement in brick-and-mortar stores. Customers can actually see an engraved revolver they’ve only seen in pictures and really feel a Taylor Tuned action and not just read about it.  

As importers, our largest challenge is inventory and having the right product in stock at any given time. On our manufacturing side, our largest challenge is the delicate balance of producing high-quality firearms without an exorbitant cost.

SSR: What’s in demand, and where do you see opportunity?

McDonald: Right now, we are very focused on bringing new caliber options to our lineup to offer classic styles that are more affordable to shoot. We have proven there was a need for this when we imported our TC9 revolvers and had great success getting them into the hands of many customers who wanted a quality single action. Our revolutionary TC73 rifle is chambered in 9mm, and we couldn’t be more pleased! Not only is it fun to shoot, it’s also cost effective way to enjoy time on the range. We look forward to continue expanding on these types of offerings. 

SSR: What does Taylor’s do better than the cowboy gun competition?

McDonald: Customer service has always been our primary focus. We like to share knowledge and introduce individuals to our world of Western styles. Our focus is on maintaining our reputation of being friendly and knowledgeable. We start with Taylor Tuned customization and work out from there. We are passionate about our products and never settle for anything less than what we see as perfection. We are a leader of innovation in the “cowboy” Western space. 

SSR: You have a ton of SKUs. What do you do to help dealers stock the right guns?

McDonald: We offer a great breakdown of top sellers in our “Getting Started Guide”. We narrowed it down to our top models that we know will sell well geographically, as it’s not the same around the country. Dealers and consumers should rely on us, and our knowledge, to get them started. That’s the best advice we can give. It benefits all of us if we get the right Taylor’s products in each dealer’s location for their customers.

SSR: What other product and marketing support do you provide for retailers? Are there any incentives or programs for new partners?

McDonald: We have an aggressive dealer program that positions a retailer to have the best product out there and our quality guarantee behind them. Not only do we offer them a great variety of items to make their displays come to life, but we also have the ability to attend promotional events and offer support at their locations. 

We also handle our own warranty and service to ensure our dealers get great customer service. We offer a full line of spare parts for our products from various manufacturers. No one should have an inoperable firearm because they lost a screw while cleaning their gun! We strive to be a great partner for retailers and offer competitive pricing programs when a dealer chooses to stock the Taylor’s brand. 

SSR: What will 2025 and beyond hold for Taylor’s? What should dealers be excited about?

McDonald: The TC73 is a huge milestone for our company and brand. Manufacturing in the USA has really been a learning curve and a wonderful opportunity to put some of our ideas into action, at our own pace, and handle our supply. So, we are looking forward to making new announcements this year on that front. 

SSR: Anything else you’d like to add?

McDonald: We are a family-run, woman-owned and operated buisiness. Tammy Loy and Sue Hawkins founded the company and now Tammy’s daughters, Ashley Loy and Keri McDonald, are actively assisting with running the business and are frequently seen representing the brand at industry events. 

The Taylor Tuned action is a custom upgrade for shooters wanting a stellar-performing revolver or rifle right out of the box. Taylor Tuned action work is performed at Taylor's caility in Winchester, Virginia. Our skilled in-house gunsmiths fine tune revolver and rifle models by hand polishing internal parts and replacing springs. The result is a light, consistent trigger pull and a smooth lever throw or hammer pull. It’s available on many single-action revolvers or any 1873 lever-action rifles. Tuning is highly recommended, especially for competitors. However, it is sold as an upgrade, so you can still get favorites non-tuned.

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