There had to have been many components which were outsourced. Castings & dies probably the most important. Changes would have to be made in some areas to take advantage of new materials & processes. Hopefully dimensions would remain the same so as to allow us the interchangability. An obvious area w/b toolheads/dies, making 7/8-14 std. A loaded round ejector should be factory incorporated along with a simple pdr drain system.
It has been stated here that Star increased price just to slow demand. If that is true there may be room for a profit, but in all reality the cost is likely to be very high. Bill Detloff, when he copied star & made the CPM, told us stars were overpriced, but his loaders were priced only a few bucks less. Bill didn't advertise. I'm not sure what Star did but I recall a small ad in the American Rifleman. A new co would, at least initially, have to advertise.
At the range where I shoot I'm regarded as an old fogie or behind the times because of being outspoken about stars. Everybody raves and I do mean RAVE about those blue plastic parted things. That is something else which have to be overcome. The star gives one a lifetime of reloading w/ a large cushion. I paid $360 & there were 2 of us [no e-mail]@ $180. If it would have been possible to have purchased another machine, widely used by my peers for 1/2, I would have been forced finacially to take that route. Competition!!
