Subject To From iwo John Val onot , A. Val Announcement Browning Browning Reference Date April 13, 1953 At a meeting today with Marriner, Big, Matt, Jack Rice and myself present it was decided to announce the Two Shot early (January or February of next year). There are many reasons for this decision, the principal reasons being as follows: 1 —- We are before the september. deliveries not absolutely certain of getting enough guns to make an announcement hunting season or even at the beginning of the hunting season in It would be fatal to make an announcement and not be able to make of all specifications during the hunting or busy season. <-~ it is intended to make a big advertising splurge, and it is thought that this would be more effective started early in the year than at the close of the year. Having arrived at this decision, we naturally would like to avoid accumulation of inventory this year. If deliveries could start from F. N. in quantities the first of next year, it would be very beneficial to us. If there is any possibility that you might arrange such a situation with F. Ne, it would be a good job. However, we do not want to discourage interest in the gun so that proper deliveries could not start early next year. Another consideration for delaying the announcement until the first of next year is one which weighs heavily with my judgment, i. e., from a customs stand point, it would be very advantageous if the gun could have been sold on the Belgian market (and other European markets if so desired by F. N.) several weeks before we start importing. I consider this to be extremely important. We have not yet any indication that the tariff simplification act will definitely pass this year, and we do not want to get in any cost of production complications for tariff purposes. In this respect you might indicate to F. N. that we now think that we can offer these guns at retail on the American market for about $110.00 retail for the standard all steel model and about $119.00 retail for the medium weight or the gun with hiduminium receiver and steel barrel. Naturally, we do not know at what price the guns will be sold in Europe since that is entirely F. N.e's business, but we suppose from past experience and from our knowledge of manufacturing costs of this gun as compared with the old automatics we suzméiese that the European price will probably be less than present automatics. This price decision on our part is not entirely crystallized, and, of course, cannot be until we know the F. N. price, but it is our present estimation of what the gun can command in price on the American market.