Contact at PT&G

[LarryDScott]

Sure wish I was aware of these problems earlier. Just read this thread.
I placed an order for a reamer earlier this week. Now I'm wondering when
an if I get it, will it be correct. I found one at another firm, in stock, but
$40.00 more dollars, so I passed. Hope I didnt make a bad choice. LDS

 

[Keith Glasscock]

My PTG reamers have been doing an excellent job. I've never had to wait excessively for one. On the other hand, I haven't bought a new reamer in 2 or 3 years...

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

To reply to Keith and Larry....I have only had one bad reamer in 10 years from PTG. Their snag is follow up once the order is placed.
To Larry, if $40.00 is all that stands between me or a reamer in a few days, I'll spend it. My customers get happy waiting a few weeks versus a few months with PTG.

 

[yvettetaylor]

Or Yvette Taylor 541-826-5808....might be a better choice since she works there..: )

 

[jdh47]

Never had any trouble with PTG.

Joe

 

[hothead]

Larry, Don't fret. you will be getting a quality reamer from Ptg. I have +- 40-50 Ptg reamers, and can honestly say the only problems I had were my own fault.
The ONLY other reamer mfg I would get reamers from is JGS. They too make quality tools.
again, don't get excited over internet gossip . Most, but not all are keyboard shooters .

Ken Livengood

 

[Pablo]

Or Yvette Taylor 541-826-5808....might be a better choice since she works there..: )

Thank you, I'll be calling.

 

[Rustystud]

I have done business for a number of years with PT&G. I know Dave Kiff personally and many of his staff. Yevette Taylor is a first class lady. If you have a problem she can help you get your order taken care of. Another good contact is Stephen Kircher, he is Dave Kiff's Personal Assistant, Liaison/Trouble Shooter (no puns intended) between the Sales Department and Machine and Grinding Shops, Shipping and receiving . PT&G has more than tripled in size and had a very large turn over in personnel over the last 4 years. It has become more than one person can manage. They have started to be compliant with ISO 9000 standards. They have began to computerize all orders at the moment when taken. These orders will be fully trackable from day one to the day they ship. Dave has added a requirement that all custom orders requiring machining or grinding to have a customer and shop supervisor approved print, that is signed off before the work begins. If you put in a verbal or written order, request a job number and record it. If you don't get an emailed or mailed print within a week or ten days, call them back with the job number given to you. It can be tracked and further follow up done. PT&G gets thousands of job request per week. Dave has shifted his focus to only custom grinds and Industry customers. He has several machinist that have been with him for over fifteen years. They know their business. From time to time orders don't get filled correctly. I have never known PT&G to not corrected or offer to correct the order if not done to the customers satisfaction. The steps being taken at PT&G should relieve some of the problems they have had over the last couple of years.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Radar]

I doubt that most guys that are buying their own reamers are just keyboard shooters. I called PT&G a month or so ago for a Dasher reamer,was told they had it so I asked for a print. A week later I called to check on the print and if it had shipped,was told it is custom and not in stock,asked for the print again. A couple of weeks later a reamer shows up that was made in July,still no print and the reamer has a large freebore diameter. Made a bunch of phone calls for a couple of weeks and still no print but did get a form to return to correct the freebore diameter,waited another week and still no print. Called JGS,they knew what they were talking about,what they had in stock and I had the print in minutes. I returned the reamer for a refund,it just isn't worth the hassle with them.

 

[Pablo]

Most, but not all are keyboard shooters .

Ken Livengood

So Ken, who are the keyboard shooters?

 

[tonyb]

I doubt that most guys that are buying their own reamers are just keyboard shooters. I called PT&G a month or so ago for a Dasher reamer,was told they had it so I asked for a print. A week later I called to check on the print and if it had shipped,was told it is custom and not in stock,asked for the print again. A couple of weeks later a reamer shows up that was made in July,still no print and the reamer has a large freebore diameter. Made a bunch of phone calls for a couple of weeks and still no print but did get a form to return to correct the freebore diameter,waited another week and still no print. Called JGS,they knew what they were talking about,what they had in stock and I had the print in minutes. I returned the reamer for a refund,it just isn't worth the hassle with them.

I just received my last order for PTG. I am also tired of the run around. JGS was recommended to me some time ago, and I should have taken the advice.

Tony.

 

[AckleymanII]

Dave has a tiger by the tail and he knows it. He bought 9 CNC machines 2 years ago and can't keep up. Their phone staff is extensive but changes often as they get overwhelmed by us. Not bashing Dave, he is a genius, has his hand in everything from automotive to guns to aerospace. He needs management. We all have our stories of PTG and Dave does peruse these boards (when he has 2 minutes to breathe). Then everyone says JGS is the answer. They both make quality tools. I DO sincerely hope PTG makes their business plan to include relief for Dave.

Dave has been a fantastic help to many of us. There is only one Dave. I wish him the very best of luck, and hope he can get some relief. Dealing with gunsmiths designing reamers, etc is a very time consuming thing to be involved in, not all that much profit. Dave got his start helping guys like us designing reamers, it is the foundation for his success. I doubt if he will get very far away from it, and will always be one of the things he enjoys the most. I just hope he does not allow himself to get burned out on success, as many never recover from burn out.

 

[LarryDScott]

To reply to Keith and Larry....I have only had one bad reamer in 10 years from PTG. Their snag is follow up once the order is placed.
To Larry, if $40.00 is all that stands between me or a reamer in a few days, I'll spend it. My customers get happy waiting a few weeks versus a few months with PTG.

I understand, but this is for my barrel, and no way to recoupe the extra money. Besides time on this is not important.
LDS

 

[Doc W]

I have dealt with Dave Kiff for several years. I recently called and was promptly connected with Dave. We discussed a custom reamer and decided on what we wanted. I received the reamer print that afternoon for approval. I got the reamer in two weeks. You can't do better than that! Nice people, good service, rasonable prices.

 

[billlarson]

I got tired of having to send off a new PT&G reamer and have it re-ground so that it didn't cut on just one flute so now I only do tooling business with Manson and JGS. Besides, their tools leave a nicer/finer finish. I never have to 'check' on my order from either JGS or Dave Manson. I can get to an engineer at JGS and speak with Dave Manson if I have a question that the gals that answer the phones can't answer. CNC T&C grinders or not, PT&G needs to rethink the tooling of those machines and maybe expand the training of the operators. I won't buy another of their reamers, they've been nothing but trouble. Maybe they just sell you the rejects if you're not on the "good buddy" list, and then it's up to you to 'deal' with that tool as their 'customer service' is of no help, at all. Took nearly as long to have PT&G 'fix' one of their 'new' reamers as it did to get it in the first place.

Same results here...........
bill

 

[Shrek]

My experience with Dave was excellent and couldn't have been happier but the customer service for orders other than a custom reamer has been ignorant and incompetent. Being charged for another person's order and calling about it and being told it was being reversed and then waiting a week and having to call again and be ugly about it to get It taken care of was the worst of it. Having to be confrontational to get things done just sucks the life out of me.
That said , the reamers , parts , and bottom metals I've gotten have all been top quality and I'll order more from them. Taking notes of who you were talking to and order numbers will go a long ways towards keeping things on track. I got the feeling that much of what they were doing was being kept track of on big yellow note pads and sticky notes. I could hear pages being flipped as I was talking to them.

 

[LarryDScott]

I ordered a 700 action to be completely trued, w/a lawton style bolt stop, and
a PTG small pin fluted bolt. The actions is said to be ready to screw a barrel on.
The bolt was fine,as ordered. The action face had not been trued,005 out of square
My gunsmith says it was never touched at PTG, still had Remingtons tooling marks.
The Lawton bolt stop was in a zip lock bag w/o a cut in the receiver for it.
I was told by a lady at PTG that it was impossible for my receiver to be out of square,
and she had no idea w/the bolt stop wasnt installed. I asked for for a refund on the
action truing, and got a run around answer, which equated to no. She said return the bolt
stop for a refund, which I did Christmas week, still waiting for a confirmation call on the
refund(01-19) Of course the person I was dealing w/no longer exists, and according to some staff
members, never worked there. I was told by one,"maybe she used a different name".
My answer to that dumb statement," maybe she was wanted"
PTG builds great stuff, but the office staff is a TRAIN WRECK. LDS