new fowler - I hope.

[Rifleman1776]

I didn't wait until this afternoon. Called this a.m. Claimed he sent an e-mail. Didn't get it.
He said he shipped twelve guns so far this week. He will ship mine this evening or tomorrow.
Waiting.....waiting........

Gotta admit, he was speaking true. He e-mailed me at 8:30 last night and it just came through. Almost 20 hours after the fact. He might ship tomorrow.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I didn't wait until this afternoon. Called this a.m. Claimed he sent an e-mail. Didn't get it.
He said he shipped twelve guns so far this week. He will ship mine this evening or tomorrow.
Waiting.....waiting........

Gotta admit, he was speaking true. He e-mailed me at 8:30 last night and it just came through. Almost 20 hours after the fact. He might ship tomorrow.

No ship notice or request for final payment in e-mail this a.m.
Waiting........waiting.......

 

[rich pierce]

In a case like this, pushing for your gun could mean a hurry-up job on it. I'd rather the maker take his time, or buy a gun off a blanket, ready made, knowing what you've got.

 

[Rifleman1776]

In a case like this, pushing for your gun could mean a hurry-up job on it. I'd rather the maker take his time, or buy a gun off a blanket, ready made, knowing what you've got.

You are absolutely right. That is a big problem with having anything custom made. And it is part of my history of bad experiences with custom built guns. I'll expand on that in my other thread about my gun building experiences.

 

[Stumpkiller]

In a case like this, pushing for your gun could mean a hurry-up job on it. I'd rather the maker take his time, or buy a gun off a blanket, ready made, knowing what you've got.

That's always been my belief. Without insult intended you're dealing with guys who are self-employed and artists in wood and metal. On a personality test these folks would likely group high in the introverted and judgemental areas.

In other words - piss them off and you're likely in the back of the soup line getting a spit burger.

My philosophy is to wind them up and let them go to do as they please. I go in knowing that's the way it will be. Certainly, they are professionals and the majority short-pay themselves (IMHO) but for the most part we're not talking about a continuous flow production. These are one-at-a-time custom built with delays all along the process. Every minute they're on the phone accepting new orders, placing orders for materials, tracking back-ordered materials, soothing clients, dealing with curious gabbers - they're not working on your gun. A master craftsman is not necessarily a great planner or keen on business administration duties.

If you've got a deadline - buy off the rack.

 

[roundball]

Nothing infuriates me more than people not keeping their word, not keeping their commitments.

 

[rabjr]

Thank god for people like Roy and Mike, its been nothing less of a pleasure working with both. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

In the same vein, can't say enough good things about TVM.
Have 4 by Matt Avance sitting here now...just wish I'd been able to start dealing with him 15 years ago.

 

[nit wit]

I can't believe people still buy JB's guns. He sells them on frontier folk every few weeks.
People have written any number of warnings on the forum about him.
Did you say you haven't sent final payment? Mebbe thats why you haven't got it.
I never handled Mikes work but I have Roys, very nice. :bow:
Nit Wit

 

[Rifleman1776]

Did you say you haven't sent final payment? Mebbe thats why you haven't got it.

I don't know how much it will be. I know how much will be due on basic gun but add shipping and a non-standard extra, I don't know what those will be. I talked to him two days ago, he could have told me. All he has to do is send a Pay Pal invoice and he will be paid in an electronic blink.

 

[rickystl]

:thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sat. a.m. nothing from him.
I'll be at a shoot all day. Will see if there is a notice this eve.
Waiting........waiting.........

 

[Tony Logan]

I hope you get it today and its everything you hoped it would be, it seems like you have had a frustrating experience already. The first time I saw his guns I got excited about "his barely above a set of good parts prices", but I have since read too much on this forum to take the gamble.

 

[laufer]

I'm late weighing in on this but it seems to have drifted off into squirrel hunting anyhow.
I recently had a J. Brown "fusil" in my shop for work. Not repair, but to correct a build fault which I found down right shocking.
The forged steel triggerguard had a twist in it which would not permit it to set flat against the wood. On the right side the guard, right at the pin lug, stood 3/16" above the wood. That's no exaggeration nor typo, it was a full 3/16" of the pin lug showing on one side. My first guess on examining the gun was that it was someone's first build. That before I saw "J.Brown" on the top flat.
There were lots of other corners cut. The barrel, as TG has said was untapered in the octagon section and that did indeed look clunky. He also had omitted and molding fore and aft of the lock panels. There was no molding around the tang either, all making a "plain" gun extra plain.
But the triggerguard was the shocker and the only thing I could fix.
As to why anyone would send a gun out with such a painfully obvious defect I can only come up with one reason, "he didn't care."
I don't knock another person's work, my own is far from perfect, but I would advise forum members to be aware that if you buy a J. Brown gun you won't know what you're getting until you get it. :shake:

(i had this posted on another topic, i think it is not a bad idea to share it on this one too.)

his comment was that it must have been damaged in shipping. (not to mention that it was over a month late with his shipping and finishing the gun, the incorrect style and shape and arguing that he had been building those hc guns for so many years and nobody had complained on the shape and details.) he did offer to refund the full ammount and for the gun to be sent back, once i had toild him it is in another ma's hands to be fixed, but would not refund the cost of shipping and new part for fixing it. i will never, ever, ever deal with him and i would not reccoment him to anybody. au contraire, i will recommend to others not to deal with him at all!!!!!
i have shoot the gun with 120 grains of fffg under the dry wad and patched ball, works great, aims great (like all of his guns i have handled), makes great gropup at 50 yards, there are no vissible seams in the barrel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sat. a.m. nothing from him.
I'll be at a shoot all day. Will see if there is a notice this eve.
Waiting........waiting.........

I'm back, it is after 3 p.m.
No call or e-mail from him yet.
Waiting........waiting........

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sat. a.m. nothing from him.
I'll be at a shoot all day. Will see if there is a notice this eve.
Waiting........waiting.........

I'm back, it is after 3 p.m.
No call or e-mail from him yet.
Waiting........waiting........

It is now Monday morning.
Still no call or e-mail.
Tomorrow morning he will get a call if I don't get a ship notice.
Enuf is enuf, I don't want to come to conclusions yet. But, he has told me so many things that have proven to be :bull: that I am :cursing: and want to say things I shouldn't. :nono:
Waiting.....waiting........

 

[Shine]

I didn't see this coming. :hmm:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sat. a.m. nothing from him.
I'll be at a shoot all day. Will see if there is a notice this eve.
Waiting........waiting.........

I'm back, it is after 3 p.m.
No call or e-mail from him yet.
Waiting........waiting........

It is now Monday morning.
Still no call or e-mail.
Tomorrow morning he will get a call if I don't get a ship notice.
Enuf is enuf, I don't want to come to conclusions yet. But, he has told me so many things that have proven to be :bull: that I am :cursing: and want to say things I shouldn't. :nono:
Waiting.....waiting........

OK, yesterday was a holiday, I gave him a bit of a pass. This a.m. still not ship notice.
My patience wearing thinner than thin. :cursing: I could have used my fowler at an event this past weekend. Have a big event coming up on the 22nd weekend and I want that puppy beforehand to get used to.
He gets a call later today.
Waiting......waiting.........

 

[preston cook]

i went through the same thing a few years back never got the rifle never recovered any of my money (problem not with jackie) hope things work out for you i hate that feeling when you realize you have been had. good look im sure Jackie will come through for you. :thumbsup:

 

[Robby]

Rifleman, If it were me, I'd call him, inform him he has breached the contract (in so many ways), and return my start up money. I've seen some of his work, believe me, its not worth the frustration your going through. Whatever happens, I wish you only the best in this.
Robby