Got My Smoothie Today...Disappointment

[fatboy]

Mike I have to agree with you here it shouldnt have been touched . I am not sure why you wouldnt want the vendor to replace and or come to a agreement to credit money back to the customer I would think he would make it right so as to not loose buisness but maybe I am wrong :hmm:

 

[mikee51848]

Yeah I agree, at least try to get the barell replaced?

 

Deadddawg,
You might want to consider one of Jack Garner's pieces. He does a real nice job and has a number of different grades. There are two available in the "classified" section of the forum at reasonable prices. :m2c:

 

[B.Habermehl]

Just a thought not an excuse for anybody. The front lock bolt must pass through the web between the barrel and the ram rod hole. A target no more than 3/16" wide, usually more like 5/32" or a bit less. Other wise you will end up with a severely tapered ram rod end or a wasp waisted bolt or both to make up for the interference problem. This is the reason the builder located the front bolt so high! If you got a ram rod that finished up close to full dia at the end that runs past the lock bolt then you got a pretty good deal. The lock designers sometimes don't allow much room for the front lock bolt/ main spring clearence as well. Sometimes the ramrod must be tapered no matter what the builder tries, Been there Done That! Sure this does not excuse rust, or in my opinion copper wire pins etc. BJH

 

[Runner]

If I order a 600+$ gun and then wait forever for it before it arrives in that condition, I will be in trouble. That is a long drive to think about that gun all the way and then discuss customer relations with the person that sent it out to me! For those making excuses, shame on you!

You seem to be a pretty calm person that is taking this well. Cheers for you and Jeers for the person that put it in the box.

 

[waksupi]

I agree with Runner. manure is manure. Why defend someone who is peddling it? I can get that from the politicians in DC. I've been in my business for over thirty years. Returns in that time? Two. One, from a guy who just had surgery , and needed the money for bills. The other, someone who sent me a picture of an item , and then decided he wanted something else after it was delivered. I didn't argue with the guy, but it cost me around $1400. However, the customer satisfaction is well worth having a good name in the business world, no matter where you are in it, and what it costs.
If you can't do the work, get out of the business.

 

[rich pierce]

Lots of good points made all around.
My advice: don't try to buy a bargain cheap custom gun. I mentioned above and will say again- the builders trying to hit these very low price points have a hard uphill battle doing it, and there are sometimes casualties in that sort of endeavor. If that's your price point, don't order the gun- see it in the flesh at a show or from the builder (like Tip Curtis) and then decide whether to buy it or not.

Last but not least- I sure wish folks would contact the builder before going online to gossip about their problems with a custom gun. It's human nature- a fella knows the hot stove gang will receive the news gleefully, whereas the conversation will be more difficult with the builder. But we can't solve it. Sure, if something becomes unsolvable, over a period of months, with no movement or intent, then a guy might choose to announce to the world at large, "buyer beware". But day 1 after receiving the gun? Without giving the guy a chance to make things right? Seems a little too easy.

 

[tg]

Good points, I would add that when fit and finish are concerned there is a trend for some builders and many customers to get away from the "perfect" standard we have come to know and lean toward what the originals were like, this does likely does not apply to this case but should be considered when ordering a gun.

 

[Runner]

I feel just the opposite on this issue. The guys building these guns take orders for delivery months in the future. They are often months late with the product. Sending something back could take months more. The only reason to ever be quiet and send a guin back to the builder is if there is an understandable over sight or hidden flaw. The man who built that gun knew every flaw in it backwards, forwards, and sideways. He did not casually inspect a product and then stick it in a box. He knew every little wrinkle intimately. That means he made this guy wait long past the delivery date, purposely sent him that POS, and hoped he would accept that level of work. Then if the customer did not, he could have the guy send it back with an apology and waste some more of his time before he sent him a real gun. He has not even answered the phone so far to even discuss that dismal proposition.

If you brought me your car, and I worked on your brakes using the same level of care, could I get you to spend a week trying to get me on the phone to discuss it when you run off the road? Are you bound not to tell my other customers or potential customers?

This is not grade school where telling the truth was bad because people might not like you if you did. The simple fact is thet the man sent him not even close to acceptable product while continuing to do business. Unless he died or is in the hospital, he has taken calls since this gun was delivered. He is not accepting calls from this customer. Rich, I would have expected you to call me to check to see if all is well by now if you sent out a perfect product. That is the kind of guy you sound like. I would expect someone that sent me that gun to avoid my calls.

After looking at those pictures it is hard to consider this posting as an undeserved outing of any kind. Actually, I have seen pictures here from several builders that got me to mark them down as no way I am doing businmess with them, and people seemed to like their work. If this customer had just posted pictures of his new gun without any complaint, a great many people would have marked him down as one of those no use venders anyway. Are you suggesting that he should not have even posted the pictures of his new custom gun? That he should have hidden the acts of the builder for the builders benefit?

 

[750k2]

Yasir!!
:agree:

 

[Ridge]

I feel just the opposite on this issue. The guys building these guns take orders for delivery months in the future. They are often months late with the product. Sending something back could take months more. The only reason to ever be quiet and send a guin back to the builder is if there is an understandable over sight or hidden flaw. The man who built that gun knew every flaw in it backwards, forwards, and sideways. He did not casually inspect a product and then stick it in a box. He knew every little wrinkle intimately. That means he made this guy wait long past the delivery date, purposely sent him that POS, and hoped he would accept that level of work. Then if the customer did not, he could have the guy send it back with an apology and waste some more of his time before he sent him a real gun. He has not even answered the phone so far to even discuss that dismal proposition.

That's pretty much the way I see it. I would have been very unhappy to open that box. Not a chance I'm willing to take.

 

[No Deer]

I feel just the opposite on this issue. The guys building these guns take orders for delivery months in the future. They are often months late with the product. Sending something back could take months more. The only reason to ever be quiet and send a guin back to the builder is if there is an understandable over sight or hidden flaw. The man who built that gun knew every flaw in it backwards, forwards, and sideways. He did not casually inspect a product and then stick it in a box. He knew every little wrinkle intimately. That means he made this guy wait long past the delivery date, purposely sent him that POS, and hoped he would accept that level of work. Then if the customer did not, he could have the guy send it back with an apology and waste some more of his time before he sent him a real gun. He has not even answered the phone so far to even discuss that dismal proposition.

That's pretty much the way I see it. I would have been very unhappy to open that box. Not a chance I'm willing to take.

I guess I have to agree with both sentiments expressed here. It is not like he is mass producing these so that there is a chance that one in 1000 slips by unnoticed, these are built one at a time. In my opinion (we all know what opinions are like), there is no excuse for something produced one at a time to get out of the shop with less than top quality work. And if he had an apprentice working on it, all the more reason he should have personally inspected it before it left. :m2c:

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Hi,Dead Dawg thank you for the reply whats up with these guys,Some research was put into this build, and a lot of it was based on articles from the more popular black powder magazines, issues of this type have a adverse effect on all aspects of our community, As I,ve been doing this a bit almost 30 yrs. and have met and bought items from many suppliers this is the first time I"ve ever had a problem, promised delivery dates, no returned calls, and what appears to me as a general lack of intrest in your customers, I"ve done work on projects for folks and will bend over backwards to see all parties are pleased with the out come.A mans word is all thats left when all else is took from him. A Appalichian Hunter

 

[poordevil]

Does anyone here remember YECK ? They built Civil War type guns back in the 70's. They were the first to offer a Richmond Musket. I bought one and when I opened the box, it looked like someone nailed a piece of pipe on a 2x4. I sent it back, got my money.........YECK is long gone. ERA is heading that way, and good ridance

 

[fort fireman]

Just for giggles I tried to look at their website. I can't seem to find it. I used yahoo and google and it keeps pulling up a page that says this domain has expired. Or something to that effect. I guess they may be done :idunno:

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Well, I guess things happen, especially when someone (for some unknown reason) digs up a 5 year old thread and starts it up again.........

:rotf:

or maybe no one noticed?

 

[rabjr]

Kinda what happens when someone does a search that actually works about something. The man obviously is having a problem with them and found he's not the only one.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/247149/

 

[killer]

As a coinsidence I was with deaddawg today as he shot this smoothbore for the first time since he got it 5 years ago. :rotf: The gun needed alot of work but rick did a fine job fixing all the problems. I cant believe this post is up here today go figure. By the way it is shooting fine. But has a heavy trigger he was tearing apart tonight to fix that too.