How Long To Get A Barrel

[blacksmithshoppe]

Ok here is a purely hypothetical situation, say you ordered a new barrel from one of the leading custom barrel makers. Let's say a 44 inch .55 caliber smooth bore octagonal swamped barrel, when you call to place the order the owner of the company say's your in luck i'm just about to run a batch of them barrels and you should see yours in about 3 weeks". Had a very nice conversation, gave him the contact info and CC numbers and said have a nice day. Now lets say that was the end of September, and now its the day after thanksgiving still not having seen or heard anything you place a call to the company. At first you get the answering machine and you start to leave a massage but just then the owner picks up the phone and you say your name and that your checking on the status of your order, just then you hear "click", no one is there? You call back and this time you don't even get the machine. Odd? Phone trouble or were you just hung up on? So you wait two weeks and try again , this time you get the machine but he doesn't return your call. Now if you place an order and your told it will six months till you see your barrel that fine most people can wait that long but if told 3 weeks I think you should have your barrel in 3 weeks, or so. My question is, "would a person be out of line being angry with the custom barrel maker" If this were a real situation and I were dealing with this guy simply returning my call and saying I ran into trouble would make me happy, but what about you?
Jeff :nono:

 

[BrownBear]

I'd call the CC company. If he won't answer their calls, they can access his accounts directly.

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

The CC has not been charged and I have done business with this company before, its just the silence that bugs me. At least when his dad was running the company you could get a replay.
Jeff

 

[rich pierce]

Figure a year. Meanwhile get another barrel somewhere and build another gun. That's what I did.

 

[Birddog6]

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. I ordered a barrel in March 2004. I was told it was "In Hand" and would ship next week.

Even after several calls & being assured it was still "In Hand" & being shipped, the barrel actually showed up about 5 months later at the end of August, about 2 weeks after I had built & shipped the rifle with a different barrel in it. And the 2 Jaeger barrels I ordered in May never did show up & still have not.
Really I knew better, as this vender has been lying to people about delivery for 30+ years, no reason for any sudden change & I knew better. But when I was told it was "In Hand" I figured I had it....... Oh well, I knew better........

So anyway, IMHO, don't wait on your barrel !!! Call & get one from LC Rice or Tip Curtis or someone that has one & build the rifle !! Too many GOOD barrel makers out there to let just one of them hold you up !!
:thumbsup:

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

LC Rice make a beautiful barrel, you can't beat the finish. The only reason I didn't go with him to begin with was he would not make me a .55 caliber, he would make a .54 but not what I wanted. I have been thinking about canceling the order and getting a Rice rifled barrel instead of the smooth bore. If I had the cash to build two guns I would but things being what the are I can only do one right now. And your right he's not the only game in town and he should wake up and realize that.
Jeff

 

[renovato]

When you folks have a bad experience with a company like that, especially if it's a company known to do that, I sure wish you'd post the company name so the rest of us might looks elsewhere rather than repeat the mistake. This is a good way to get those companies to get their act together also.

 

[Vaino]

Previously used Getz, Rice and Colerain bbls and presently use only Colerain and Rice, which I prefer because of the exterior finish and breechplug fitting. Bore wise I haven't noticed a bit of difference between the two. On the present build am using a Colerain because even Rice was slow on delivery and the customer wouldn't wait 2 months longer. Intend to try a couple of other bbl makers in the near future. Has anybody used a swamped Green Mountain bbl....I think they don't come breeched?.....Fred

 

[Nightwind]

Jeff,
I was told the same thing when I placed an order for three barrels; "three weeks, tops". I waited over five months, and all three barrels were junk! The rifle barrel had chatter marks on the lands all the ways down the barrel. They were soo bad, you could see shadows. The pistol barrels had what looked like a washer between the end of the bore and the breech plug shoulder, which would grab the end of the jag.

Those "lies" to save the sale by the barrel manufacturer, caused alot of stress and frustration between me and my customers. Fortunately, they(my customers)understood and waited the extra 6 to 12 months delivery for their guns. I'll never place an order with that company again.

If Barbie at Buckeye barrels doesn't have what I want on hand, I'll have her order one from Rice barrel co.

 

[Cherokee]

Somebody please send me a message letting me know who your talking about or post it.
This would save us all some heartaches!

 

[Birddog6]

Fred,

I have used a couple dozen Colerains in the past & 6 of the Rice barrels in the last 2 years, as I have been buying about 50/50 in Rice & Colerain. Now the Colerain is a excellent barrel for the money & I have never had a complaint from any of them. But they don't have the fine machine work inside or outside compared to a Rice barrel. That Rice barrel is one jam-up barrel for sure & LC & his guys are doing some of the finest barrel making I have ever seen & with extreme consistancy. Also I will add that every breech barrel I have received from LC Rice was not just breeched close, it was Perfectly breeched with a perfect fit in the breech face.
I do have 2 of the Green Mtn. swamped barrels here but have not used them simply because I don't get a call for straight cut rifling anymore. 9 out of 10 rifles I build the customer will want round bottom rifling. But now as far as looks inside & outside the Green Mtn. barrel looks real good & I know with the steel they use it takes longer to shoot one in, but I don't think you will never wear it out ! I would not shy away from a Grn Mtn. swamped barrel should the call be for one. Past experience has shown me the Grn. Mrn. will shoot with the best of them and ALL of the barrels shoot far more accurately than I can hold them......... :redface:

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

Plink and Cherokee, the company is Getz, I used one of their barrels about ten years ago when John's dad was running the company and it was great, it took a little time to because Don flat out told me he hated to make that barrel, I can live with that. Its the saying one thing doing another, and not staying in contact that is getting to me. I have checked with Barbie at Buckeye barrels the have a Rice that would make me happy so maybe I will cancel the order if I don't hear back from Getz within a week.
Jeff

 

[Vaino]

Thanks for the info on swamped GM bbls. Presently use all Rice bbls unless there's a time constraint that Rice can't meet, then it's Colerain. I suspect that this unnamed bbl maker caters to his buddies because they always seem to have LRs for sale w/ his bbls and the buyers outside of the circle wait and wait.....just thinking out loud.....Fred

 

[BLAHMAN]

I like Ed Rayl's barrels. I do remember I ordered one and waited, and waited, and waited...then I forgot about the dern thing.

Lo and behold, it showed up at Olie's house and he calls me asking me if I ordered a barrel from Ed....well, I had, probably a good year and a half ago.

Nice thing is, Ed remembered I ordered it, probably forgot my address, remembered Olie's and sent it off. I was never charged up front (never have with any order, come to think of it). Olie paid it off, then I paid Olie.

Olie orders a lot of barrels from Ed, Ed knows Olie and rifle his blanks, so he just sorta put two and two together.

The problem with paying up front money for a product is that once cash or payment is accepted, there is no guarentee that the product will ship on a timely basis. I think taking payment in advance is a crummy way of doing business and a certain way of risking a lawsuite.

 

[davy]

Frankly I see no problem with a barrel-maker catering to his best customers, and yes, other folks may have to wait in line .. however .. they SHOULD say so up front, and warn of impending delays and waiting periods. Most folks will allow some time problems in delivery & service, IF you are honest with them and upfront. Thats just good honest business practices.

I have spent years in customer service, and whether you are a well known maker or not, if you cannot meet the scheduled time of delivery you should be honest enuff to say so. Rule number one in Customer Service is have a good rapport with your customer, and that includes having a good open communication path with your customers ... that is if you wanna keep em. :thumbsup:

Remember it just takes one mistreated customer to do massive damage to your business not only in repeat business but future new customers as well!

Davy

 

[bnail]

Davy, you're so right. Common curtesy goes an awful long way in business. I don't think anyone minds standing In-line as long as thery know what place they in. If I'm third In-line, and then everyone behind me is served first and I'm not forwarned of this, I'd be might P-Oed!
Jeff, you've waited In-line long enough and no one would blame ya fer switching now. I'd give him a curtesy call/email/postal letter, which ever you prefer and then go with that other one you mentioned. there's plenty of folks willing to pick up his business I'm sure. :winking:

 

[renovato]

Good point, Davy. I haven't had to deal with any of the delays in custom muzzleloaders or parts yet, but I'm moving into that territory soon. I have had multiple frustrating experiences with Richards Microfit stocks though. They always quote me 8-9 weeks and 4 months later I end up having to call and get the runaround till the stock finally ships. To me that's not good business practice, though it hasn't stopped me from doing business with them. If the delay was much longer, I'd be looking for another stock maker though.

 

[tallbear]

I'm not going to try and defend Johns customer service but please keep in mind Getz is a true custom barrel maker.By that I mean he will make any lenth and profile that the customer wants.L.C.Rice tried to do that and he almost went out of business.I think Getz and Ed Rayle are the only ones who will take orders on a custom basis.As long as builders need custom profiles and their customers insist on Getz barrels John will always be overwhelmed with orders!!!!!!!!

Mitch

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

And that is why I went with him, I know the quality of their work and they would make the barrel I wanted, All I am really asking is to be kept in the loop. If it is going to take six months just say so.
Jeff

 

[rich pierce]

In small cottage industries like this, shortages occur all the time. It's a rare person indeed who has exceptional skills needed to make an outstanding product and also has good customer skills. Yes, we know how it should be, but who is going to step into the gap and make an equal product, on time? Nobody. So we live with it. I've argued the same thing, JUST GIVE ME AN ACCURATE ESTIMATE of delivery time, but it does not happen with certain vendors. But as long as customers put a premium on "barrel x" and want that in their custom rifle, I'll buy them every chance I get and place orders whenever I don't have one in the pipeline.

I currently have in inventory 3 barrels, 3 stock blanks, 4 complete locks and 2 lock kits. And I saw a bargain on an old school GRRW Hawken barrel and breech and bought that last week, though I don't know when I'll ever build it. No, I don't have a lot of money. I see these parts as investments and know I can always turn them over in a week or less. Prices are not going to go down.