Rifle Shoppe

Has anyone been able to contact TRS since they moved ? I have their new numbers and have tried several times.

Well they are clearly not interested in selling you products. That being the case move on to someone who is interested in your business.
Based on what I read about other's experiences, I would not do business with them.

You should only order from them if you are young.

I sent them mainsprings for tempering and hardening (after you fit their springs they will do it for free) last June and have never heard back or received them.

JohnN said:

Has anyone been able to contact TRS since they moved ? I have their new numbers and have tried several times.

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I had visited The Rifle Shoppe back at the end of 2014. I posted a thread on the visit here. I've had other visits with them at their old location since that first one.

Earlier this month, I paid another visit to The Rifle Shoppe at their new location. They had to move because the state is building a new turnpike right through where they used to live and work.

They are still in the process of setting up and organizing their new shop. It's been a long 18-month ordeal for them to negotiate with the Turnpike Authority for the sale of their old property, locate and buy new property, build one or more new homes, and add-on and modify an existing building to suit their shop needs. They had to relocate at least four families with all their household goods in addition to all the equipment, tools, artifacts, and inventory of the shop. They've still got a lot of work ahead of them to finish the new shop, but they are getting back to filling orders.

I had ordered parts sets for two locks prior to their move. I received one set in the mail a couple months after placing the order and just before they physically started moving the shop. I picked up the second set during my recent visit.

I ordered a French trade gun kit during this last visit and was able to pick it up a few days after placing the order and bring it back with me on my return to Colorado.

I looked at my comments about their delays in filling orders in that old posting. It still applies and is probably worth repeating here.

Mtn. Meek said:

Why do they take so long? If everything is in stock, it doesn’t. It can be ready and shipped the week the order is placed (remember they only ship on Fridays). If it involves waiting on one or more parts to be cast, then it can take months. Based on what I saw in my two visits, they make their wax investments and send them off to the foundry in batches. There may be months between batches. If they have to make the part themselves or assemble an item such as a lock, then they work it in their schedule when they can. A few parts, such as octagon rifle barrels, they often order from one of the better black powder barrel makers and are subject to their schedule.

But it appeared that the main reason orders can take so long to be filled sometimes is that they are a three-person operation and have way too many items they are trying to make and sell. It’s just more than they can keep up within a reasonable amount of time. They actually have more business than they can handle. I said before that they are no Track of the Wolf. They have a very specialized product for a niche market. They seem to like it that way.

When I asked about getting more help, they said they try repeatedly. What they do requires specialized training and when they get someone trained up to be proficient, they eventually quit and move on.

My advice--if The Rifle Shoppe has something you want really bad and can't get from anywhere else, then order from them. But be prepared to wait a long time. Getting mad and complaining to them doesn't seem to help much.

I would guess that 90% of the people who visit this forum are not their targeted market, so don't bother them or frustrate yourself.

Find another source, make it yourself, or do a different project.

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The best time to call them is early in the morning, their time, Monday through Thursday.

The owners, Jess and Jane Melot and their adult son, Mike, are some of the nicest, most hospitable, and conscientious people I have ever met. Comparing the people I've come to know through person-to-person contact with the things that are often written about them in this and other forums is totally night-and-day.

I have to wonder if the negative postings are actually more a reflection of the authors of the posts than the people at the Rifle Shoppe.

I totally understand that things are tough for them right now. If they can’t get the work done right now that’s ok. But how hard is it to answer an email or a phone call. Would just like to know they received the parts and will get it done when possible.

When you visited this month, could you tell if they had their stock carving capabilities up and running?

I know folks that has waited way over a yr for orders an still have not seen or heard anything out of them. A few yrs back I tried to place an order an couldnt get them to answer the phone or email. Some say they are good folks an im not disputing that. Probably good folks with the most pee poor business practices of any I have ever heard of in the muzzleloading supply field is the direction im leaning towards. Good luck to you getting your stuff or a reply :shake:

Mtn. Meek said:

I have to wonder if the negative postings are actually more a reflection of the authors of the posts than the people at the Rifle Shoppe.

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I would guess all the negative postings are probably more a matter of people not knowing what you know about The Rifle Shoppe. And when customers can never get replies to calls or emails for updates, what else is left for them to conclude?

After all these years, your post is the first I've read that sheds any light on the matter.

The Rifle Shoppe Saga continues.
Yes you probably won't get your order quickly, but that has happened. It will more than likely take a few times to get a hold of them, but they have returned calls.
The thing is if you want something that's not common, or a bit off the wall, who else is there?
If you order anything from them have an other project to work on.

Forrest said:

When you visited this month, could you tell if they had their stock carving capabilities up and running?

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Yes, they have their stock duplicator up and running. They carved the fusil de chasse stock after I placed the order. I was lucky in that they had all the parts, including the barrel, in stock and had the order ready in only a few days.

Jumpshot said:

I would guess all the negative postings are probably more a matter of people not knowing what you know about The Rifle Shoppe. And when customers can never get replies to calls or emails for updates, what else is left for them to conclude?

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I understand. Part of what motivated me to make my first visit was how could someone successfully run a business with all the unhappy customers that I had read about on a couple of forums? I also wanted to know what type of people they were.

What I came away with understanding was that they were not a Track of the Wolf or Muzzleloader Builders Supply or a Jim Chambers or R. E. Davis type of business. Jess Melot's goal is not to grow the business and make lots of money. He seems more interested in making molds and casting parts for as many antique muzzleloaders as he can. He's adding new guns and parts to their line each year. That's part of the reason they haven't published a new catalog. He keeps adding to it.

I would like to hope that their new shop and set up will allow them to get better organized and fill orders in a more reasonable time frame. But I'm not sure. They showed me some barrel making equipment they recently acquired including gun barrel drills, rifling equipment, and a large planer to mill flats on octagon barrels. That may save them some time not waiting on barrels from their existing barrel suppliers, but very likely will take one or more of them away from managing the cast parts.

On top to that, Jess and Jane are approaching the age most people retire. In a few years, Mike could be left trying to do it all by himself unless they get some good workers on board to help carry the load.

Phil

Just my opinion but it sounds to me like they need to stop adding more stuff to their lines and equipment. Then they can stabilize what they have. They are in a constant state of disarray and a bit out of control if you ask me. Sorta like stop and catch your breath. Just my humble opinion. :idunno:

Dave

You should only order from them if you are young.

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Now that's funny!! :rotf: :rotf:

Just speculating here...

It's not just your one phone call or your one email, it's everyone's. They would spend the entire day playing phone tag with their customers and suppliers tracking this and answering that and nothing would get done. They would have to hire somebody full time just for customer service and give them benefits and then the cost of everything would get raised to offset the additional expense that is completely unnecessary since they are likely the only place on Earth to get what they offer.

Do you sprint over to answer the phone every time you're in the middle of working on something? Imagine if your phone was always ringing. Maybe they just want to make and sell nice stuff that people will enjoy?

This sort of practice of sending payment out and waiting for who knows how long is very common for this type of business (high end goods and services in a niche market).

Dealing with the public is absolute cancer

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I would quite use that anology. But, dealing with the public can be difficult.
Having owned and operated three different retail stores, I can tell you this is a vocation only for those who wish to be driven crazy.

I didn't like what I had originally wrote there and changed it. In hindsight I'm not too happy about anything I wrote there but maybe some of it is good and people will agree with me...fingers crossed emoji

Didn't mean to open a can of worms. I have been dealing with TRS for a number of years. Have 3 of their guns and have ordered parts from them in the past. I know what to expect from them, sometimes it takes a month and sometimes a year +. I know about the move and their problems, but this is the first time that I have gone almost a year with no update and especially that my "order" is for a service and not a part that needs to be made or cast. I was just wondering if anybody else has heard from them lately ?

I for one didn't take any of your comments personally. I was self-employed for years and understand what a "small shop" takes to run.

I just thought comment of "order when your young" was.....objectively funny.

Davemuzz, I also thought the comment was funny and my comment was not directed towards you, it just automatically addresses it towards the last person to post in "quick reply". Sorry for any confusion.

Also, my comment wasn't directed towards anyone in particular, it was just a blanket statement directed towards all of the bad feelings floating around towards The Rifle Shoppe and what could possibly be part of the issue.