Sorry if this is off topic - and I'm leaving names out, but really need some advice here.
The fine gentlemen at Benchrest.com just deleted this post after less than an hour.
Again, please note - NO NAMES ARE BEING MENTIONED.
Earlier this year, a Precision Shooting "published article" gunsmith left his current employer and apparently formed a partnership with another fellow - who together are current PS advertisers.
Anyway, it seemed like he was looking for work, and his earlier article interested me - so I sent him a live varmint project, a 700 action for truing and sleeving, a Shilen barrel to fit, McMillan stock for fitting and bedding, and a Jewell trigger,HVR). All of the parts, except the action, brand new....
After about two months, it shows back up - shipped in the same hard case that I shipped all the parts in.
The first thing I notice - the safety lever on the Jewell trigger is tweaked over and bounces and rattles all over the place.
Next - I try to open the bolt, and its GRITTY - it literally grated when I pulled it back. The action, the interior of the bolt body, and the firing pin spring are caked in SAND.
I took the action out of the stock - there was sand all over the action, and to top it all off, the inletting looks like it was done with a air chisel, and there was CLAY filling the air pockets left in the bedding job,sand was embedded into it).
Once I get it clean,windex, shooters choice and CLP), I notice the rough finish of the bolt bearing inserts,will readily catch your nail on the load surfaces), and the jagged gaps at their joints.
I lightly lubed the bearing surfaces, and made sure the action was clean and lubed, the bolt still grates when locking into battery,I suspect the rough machining on the bushings).
The counterbore they left on the bolt face for their live center. I did fire it...look at the primer that swaged back into the firing pin hole....
So, I send the gunsmith an email with explicit pictures of each of the concerns, who promptly responds that his "partner" did the work, and he needs to watch him closer.....send back the rifle.
More than 120 days later, after my emails/voicemails, and even registered letters went unanswered,letters were returned "unclaimed" from the USPS), the rifle showed back up on my doorstep - as far as I can tell untouched from the condition I returned it in - no correspondence included.
Of course, the company is in a different state than I - but I absolutely have never had this kind of experience with ANY company involved in all the shooting sports. Maybe I'm being too picky, comparing this companies work to those that I've dealt with previous - but this is unreal.
Has anybody else had similar concerns, and if so - what was your final recourse?
The fine gentlemen at Benchrest.com just deleted this post after less than an hour.
Again, please note - NO NAMES ARE BEING MENTIONED.
Earlier this year, a Precision Shooting "published article" gunsmith left his current employer and apparently formed a partnership with another fellow - who together are current PS advertisers.
Anyway, it seemed like he was looking for work, and his earlier article interested me - so I sent him a live varmint project, a 700 action for truing and sleeving, a Shilen barrel to fit, McMillan stock for fitting and bedding, and a Jewell trigger,HVR). All of the parts, except the action, brand new....
After about two months, it shows back up - shipped in the same hard case that I shipped all the parts in.
The first thing I notice - the safety lever on the Jewell trigger is tweaked over and bounces and rattles all over the place.
Next - I try to open the bolt, and its GRITTY - it literally grated when I pulled it back. The action, the interior of the bolt body, and the firing pin spring are caked in SAND.
I took the action out of the stock - there was sand all over the action, and to top it all off, the inletting looks like it was done with a air chisel, and there was CLAY filling the air pockets left in the bedding job,sand was embedded into it).
Once I get it clean,windex, shooters choice and CLP), I notice the rough finish of the bolt bearing inserts,will readily catch your nail on the load surfaces), and the jagged gaps at their joints.
I lightly lubed the bearing surfaces, and made sure the action was clean and lubed, the bolt still grates when locking into battery,I suspect the rough machining on the bushings).
The counterbore they left on the bolt face for their live center. I did fire it...look at the primer that swaged back into the firing pin hole....
So, I send the gunsmith an email with explicit pictures of each of the concerns, who promptly responds that his "partner" did the work, and he needs to watch him closer.....send back the rifle.
More than 120 days later, after my emails/voicemails, and even registered letters went unanswered,letters were returned "unclaimed" from the USPS), the rifle showed back up on my doorstep - as far as I can tell untouched from the condition I returned it in - no correspondence included.
Of course, the company is in a different state than I - but I absolutely have never had this kind of experience with ANY company involved in all the shooting sports. Maybe I'm being too picky, comparing this companies work to those that I've dealt with previous - but this is unreal.
Has anybody else had similar concerns, and if so - what was your final recourse?
