Manufacturer ethics.

[Larryjk]

Where should this thread go. There isn't a real good area but this seems to be right. I will relate a situation and let the readers decide. In January 2011, I received a Rossi Model 92 lever action rifle with a broken buttstock. I said I would get a new stock and install it. I called Rossi at their Miami, FL location to order the stock. They asked if I had the old stock and I replied I was holding it as we spoke. He said send it in and we will replace it. (Absolutely womderful.) I sent it in and waited. In about 6 weeks I called and asked what the problem might be. He said they had decided they should install the new stock so it was properly fitted. I said since I was a stockmaker I felt I could handle the job, and I didn't want to go to the expense of sending the complete rifle in due to the cost of shiping. He said they would pay the shipping; just give it to UPS when they came for it. Done. Now it is July ane I am starting to feel screwed. I called them and they said they would look into it. (They had sent a letter with the serial # of the rifle that they had received it and assigning a case #) In August I was starting to feel unreasonable and told them we would soon be into hunting seasons in WY and it would really be nice to have the rifle. They told me they had decided to replace the rifle. I was floored and asked why they needed to replace it.
No answer but a request for me to send in a FFL. I did and didn't hear anything so I called them back the first part of September. They said they needed a copy of my FFL. I told them since I had already sent one via mail, I would fax another FFL where I could get a notice that the fax had been delivered. I called them again toward the end of Sept. since nothing had happened and now they wanted to know if the customer would take a stainless rifle instead of the blue one. I alled him and he said as long as the new rifle had the 24 inch octagon barrel and it was 45 Colt. Now we are up to Thanksgving and I am getting piss--. I asked what the problem was and they said they didn't have any rifles like they needed. I asked if they were cutting the wood in Brazil yet or when that might occur. IN late December I was considering telling BATFE about my problem and declaring it a stolen rifle.
I called Rossi again and asked if they thought that would be a good idea. They said it wasn't stolen and they would get right on it. About mid-January, I got a box from Miami and could hardly believe. I called the owner and told him a major miracle had occurred and he should stop by on his next trip to town so I could transfer the new rifle to him. We both had a "little" laugh about the whole thing and I told him to never buy another Rossi. I might pass the same advice on to anyone that might expect to buy a Rossi and have it serviced under "warranty".. I would rather point my finger and shout BANG.

[Adam Helmer]

Larryjk,

Excellent post! FOREWARNED is Forearmed?

Adam

[skeet]

Heck Larry.. I pretty much had the same kind of experience with Browning..

[Joe Boleo]

That is a tragic story and I hate it when that happens. Take care...
Joe

[powell&hyde]

Unbelievable. thanks for the heads up.

[Larryjk]

skeet, I understand too well yur feeling toward Browning. I had a fellow stop by this week that had a Browning BLR that he had pulled to bolt out of to clean the rifle. Now it is "out of time" and won't fire. I told him the folks at Browning repair in Missouri will not tell how to retime the rifle. They want them sent in so they can do it for about $40 with about $30 shipping each way. They want the business for their shop and don't mind screwing you out of the additional shipping cost. Their owners manual doesn't warn you not to remove the bolt to clean the rifle. Nice folks. Don't buy Browning.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Larry, thanks for the heads up but that situation seems to be the NORMAL not only with Rossi. Everyone seems to pass the buck if you will. I just picture folks with coffee in hand, feet on the desk and just feeding you bull. Then leave early because it is payday. I was told never mail anything that looks like a firearm now days. Becomes 'lost'. I know one guy that takes everything apart, mails in different packages and registered delivery,insurance etc and says nothing of it being anything to do with gun parts. He is from Calif and has shipped this direction. Even if stolen, they don't have all the parts but in your case, dealin with the Company, I don't know what to tell you other than it was probably 'lost' in the mail. Glad it worked out.

[Larryjk]

skeeter@ccia.com, No, the rifle wasn't "lost" in the mail. The acknowledgement letter they had sent me in June gave me the Make, model, and serial number of the rifle they received. I am just curious as heck about the reason they decided to replace the rifle. Guess I will never know.

[Rapier]

Larry,
I wish it was a single story about a single maker. It seems like Customer Service is more of a joke than not, for most folks.
Ed

[skeet]

After having a gun shop for many years I found some companies are ok and others are a joke. When Winchester was in business they were pretty responsive to my needs Remington has always been good too..but I did have a few connections with them. I understand Ruger is pretty good. I had mixed results with Beretta but they usually did ok..sometimes really slow and got no help once on a Beretta 682 4 bbl'd set that didn't shoot to the same point of inpact..with all 8 barrels. They tried but what could they do other than replace the gun..which they did after a few months. A Browning four bbl'd set was pretty much the same way..and they refused to do anything.. So...to heck with Browning. I also once had a foreign made 22 revolver that when shooting 22 mags in it...would actually shoot the barrel off completely..they wouldn't fix it so..I threw it in the Chester River one day...glad to be rid of thet POS

[PJgunner]

A few years back now I bought a Ruger #1A in 7x57 mauser secondhand. When it came time to shoot it, I think it thught it was a shotgun. Yeah, the grops were that bad. it had a throat so long that even 175 gr. bullets could not be seated far enough out to come close to the rifling. I had this confirmed by my gunsmith who did a chamber cast and the throat was 2.5" long. So, I called Ruger and they said to send it in. I did along with the letter from my gunsmith stating what he did and what he found out about the throat. Something like about seven months later I get a letter stating that the rifle would be returned on such and such a date by UPS and that someone would have to be there to sign for it. Seven months. Arrrggghhh! Well, the gun arrived and I took it to the range and doggone it, it's now a decent shooter. Still not as accurate as my two other 7x57 rifles but better than average groups compared to some of my other Ruger #1 rifles.
About a month ago, I'd been reading what some of the old timers like Bell and Selous did with the 7x57 and those slow 175 gr. bulleted loads, so loaded up a couple of boxes just for the curiosity of it. That Ruger shot it's first sub-MOA group since I bought it. Velocity was right on the money at 2300 FPS. For spits and grins, I shot the load in my other two rifles and the Winchester M70 was it's usual very accurate self with a couple groups in the .50" range. Velocity 2310 FPS from that rifle. My custom built on an FN Mauser actio with 23" barrel shot it's very usual .50" groups with a big surprise from the velocity. That rifle delivered 2410 FPS with that load. Suspicions confirmed. My normal load for the 7x57 is a stiff charge of W760 and the 140 gr. Nosler ballistic Tip. It shoots just fine in the Ruger and M70 but will lock up the bolt on the Mauser. Velocity is 2800 FPS from the 22" barrels of those two rifles. I discussed this with my gunsmith as I also have another mauser chambered to the .308 Win. that has the same problem. My standard loads will lock up the bolt. Seems like his metal man is not only very anal about the quality of his work but uses only match grade barrels and chambers to the minimum SAAMI standards. He's built four rifles for me over the past ten years and all but one are sub_MOA. The only one that wasn't was a half arse Ruger #1 semi-custom that had a Remington Model 7 barrel stuck on it. I used it as a walkabout rifle for a few years and sold it to a friend. It was chambered to the .223 Rem. We never could get it to do better than 1.25". Not his fault. If I'd gone with a proper barrel and chamber job it would have most likely been a tack driver. Can't win them all.
Paul B.

[Johnny Reb]

Thanks for the Heads up Larry. I'll make sure I''l never buy a rossi.

[GoodOlBoy]

That's a real shame, I love my old Rossi model 92

GoodOlBoy