A Visit To The Rifle Shoppe

[Cowboy]

Thankyou Fred, Respectfully, cowboys1062. :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Photos back up. I wish the Rifle Shoppe crew only the very best.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Great post, MM.
In this game we have many individual, cottage industry and mid-sized vendors of things that keep us going. Unlike a large business, these, invariably fine, people do not have (and cannot afford) elaborate automation or large staffs of employees. This ain't a hurry up game. Need sumptin? Order then take up another project until yer part arrives.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I placed an order on a Monday and got it on the next Tuesday as that Monday was Lee/Jackson day. They of course had in stock what I needed and did not have to make and take waxes, etc.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Hmmm??? Every minute they spend on impatient customers is a minute they can't spend doing what is expected of them ... producing very valuable products. If you want something quick, buy a standard commercial product from a large company. That is what I do and I love all muzzle loading. When I want something custom and gorgeous, I wait for it to come up on a classified forum. I own some beauties. Polecat

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Im Jealous, talked to Jess a lot years ago, never went there.

 

[Blitz]

A very complete "report" on your visit to TRS. This 3 person company has hit on a niche business that is supported by builders who badly want something different and willingly tolerate the poor customer relations.... and this is an actuality.

Evidently the owners have a lot of talent in the many facets of supplying such a wide variety of parts and completed guns...but the poor customer relations smacks of something bordering on arrogance....hiring a "phone person" would eliminate many of the complaints.

I'm glad I've never needed anything from TRS.....Fred

I must say the people at TRS seem to display a great deal more patience than many of their customer, and a virtue many could emulate, their procedure was delineated so that future customers should be able to understand the operational procedure without becoming unduly upset.
Doing your work and also serving the public is a difficult task.

Buzz

 

[springfield art]

You have given us a very fine, fair, balanced report and we should all thank you for your trouble.

As many of us know, The Rifle Shoppe offers rifle and pistol parts that are available nowhere else.

Yes, if they don't have the part on hand it can take a long while to get it but that is the nature of a small shop making specialized parts and being dependent on casting foundries to have special orders made.

That and the limited workforce on hand to complete the order can cause delays some can't live with.

Those interested in buying parts from them would be well advised to call them to see if they have the parts on hand before placing an order.

Here's a link to their website
(Call them. I think at the end of the day they are too pooped to do much on the web so they often don't answer E-Mail questions.)

The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. - Home Page/

The business is a gem! Anyone venturing into the realm of specialty guns has to realize it's not just "screw together" kits. Hope the Shoppe is around for many more years.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Thank you, to everyone that expressed their appreciation for my post.





I can't defend the folks at The Rifle Shoppe since I don't really know them, having only visited with them a couple of times. They did impress me as being very friendly and courteous. I saw nothing to indicate that they were insincere or unethical.

I do agree that their communication leaves a whole lot to be desired.

As far as them knowing I was preparing an expose' on them, that is not the case. I asked their permission to take some pictures, but at the time I did not have any intention of sharing them with anyone other than a couple of friends. I have not asked them for permission to publish my impressions of the visits. But I doubt they would care much. As I said before, the people that visit this forum are not their targeted market.

As far as I know, they don't market themselves at Friendship, the CLA show, Dixon's, or any trade fairs. I don't recall seeing them advertise in Muzzle Blasts or Muzzleloader magazines. I do know that in the past, they have attended historical arms collector symposiums.

When it's all said and done, they are what they are. Anyone considering doing business with them should be aware of this and their poor business practices and make their decisions accordingly.

Thank you very much for this post, I have been wondering about their business and why my order wasn't filled or why I never got a reply to my questions. Your post answered all these questions I had and more, they sound like good people who are just trying to make ends meet.