Pecatonica River

[woodse guy]

Well so far costumer service is great. Ordered the Fullstock Hawken Rifle kit in percussion. They where a big help in choosing parts. This will be my first build. Had a little free time last night so I got all the parts out and started looking and seeing how they fit and found that the stock had been inlaid wrong for my lock. Called them to day talked for maybe 5 minutes. Stock must have been inlaid for a flint lock no problem send it back they will get a new one to me for the right lock. So far they have been a great company in my book.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply is one of the very best.

If there is a problem with the order they are always willing to fix it.

I've found that their prices are also usually the best too. :grin:

 

[gsday]

Another ++++ for PR.

I've bought from them 4 or 5 times. Excellent service every time.

 

[Vaino]

Awhile back I bought a half stock Hawken kit from Pecatonica and didn't notice that the lock inlet was too low until some work had been done. Called and went to their shop and they offered to replace it w/ a precarve that was laying around the shop...it took some convincing that the LOP was way too short. They finally offered a newly duplicated precarve that was their top grade wood and I left a happy camper.

Also ordered a flint Lancaster from them and upon inspection, found numerous flaws and over runs. Called them and asked if they had sent a 2nd... they said, no they hadn't but offered to deduct a goodly amount from the "kit" after I enumerated the flaws. Finally completed and sold this LR but had to work through the mishaps.

I've ordered "kits" from TOW that were returned because of shoddy workmanship and even Chambers' "kits" had some minor flaws, but are probably the best on the market.

Stopped using "kits" and went w/ blanks and things run much more smoothly w/ the blanks.

Am I happy w/ Pecatonica? Overall...yes, but w/ some reservations.....Fred

 

[Keb]

Why would someone ship a "flawed" part in the first place? I'm just saying...

 

[Little Wattsy]

IMO, Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply is one of the very best.

If there is a problem with the order they are always willing to fix it.

I've found that their prices are also usually the best too. :grin:

Ditto That!!

 

[MSW]

+1!

great folks ... wouldn't hesitate to deal with them ... good prices and fantastic service.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Why would someone ship a "flawed" part in the first place? I'm just saying...

Are really sure that it was "flawed"? What exactly is the difference between a lock inlet for percussion vs. flint?

The late English flintlock from L&R is only 1/8" longer than the Hawken lock in percussion but interchanges with their Leman #300. Perhaps somebody knows which lock Pecatonica uses.

Either way, with most precarves I've seen the lock inlet is so undersized that any of those locks should work. There is always a little wood to remove....it's not a drop fit.

If there is a difference, it could be that they just grabbed the wrong one off the shelf. Honest mistake. Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Robby]

Why would someone ship a "flawed" part in the first place? I'm just saying...

Many times it because they don't know better, And many times they hope the customer doesn't know better.
Robby

 

[woodse guy]

I'm thinking that's what happened to me.

 

[kaintuck]

I thought my kits just had too much wood :haha: :haha:

I like being able to have the ablity to order a kit....but going to a show and being able to pick out a stock would be my way to go......or just go see Tip Cutis again :shocked2:

if you just could imagine EVERYTHING BP under a roof....that's Tip's~~ :surrender: :bow:

 

[woodse guy]

When I called and ordered they gave me the price. Then when my kit showed up I had a refund check on my bill. :grin:

 

[JohnN]

I have ordered 3 different guns from them, The first was a Tulle. They sent the wrong ram rod ferules which I didn't know at the time. I was able to later change the front and middle to the correct one's but there is nothing I can do about the last one. I built the Transitional Rifle with the Jaeger lock but they sent me the wrong lock bolt plate. So if you order from them make sure you get the right parts.

 

[Pioneer flinter]

maybe someone just made a mistake?

 

[JohnN]

That's true. We all do. So my advice is to know what parts you are supposed to be getting,if it's your first build or 100th. Check the contents to make sure they're the right ones before starting to build.Thats the nice thing about TOW is that you can check your parts with their catalog.

 

[THOM]

I've just had great service from them.. ordered a southern mountain rifle pieces & parts ...the wood was very nice, lots of curl; and it was listed 1 grade below the best.. nice people ... hope this helps..
thom

 

[woodse guy]

Finally got my new stock this week. Looks a whole lot better when I put the lock in to test fit. Now all I have to do is fine the time to start.

 

[Birddog6]

Are really sure that it was "flawed"?

I have ordered stocks from most of the major venders. What I consider Flawed, is having inlets in the wrong place or Over Cut inlet, or cut for the wrong part. (Like a lock inlet cut for a large Siler, when you ordered a Ketland lock)

Very frustrating to me to have to glue wood strips into a new stock, because someone is careless with the duplicator or the pattern is worn & nothing was done about it & the inlet is too large for the part going in there. This is exactly why I won't use a TOW or a Chambers stock. Repeatedly Over cut inlets.

That is why I prefer to make & use my own patterns & have the blanks cut to my pattern with just the the RR groove cut, RR hole drilled & buttstock shaped up to the lock panels & no other inlets cut.

Much easier for me to inlet the parts & put them where they belong, rather than gluing in strips & trying to match the grain, etc.

I am about to quit recommending anyone for parts. ALL of them are getting sloppy, IMHO. I recommended a friend buy parts for a Tenn. rifle at Pecatonica.... takes him a month to get the parts set. Goes to start on it & they cut the lock inlet for the wrong lock. (Cut for a large Siler instead of a Ketland) He sent it back & 2-3 weeks later they sent him another stock, the stock is for a 42" barrel rather than 44" like the barrel they sent him. So he sends that back & now he is again waiting for another stock to be cut & sent, as they don't have one for the 44" barrel. Sure made me look bad recommending them.

I am now wondering if Pecatonica is like TOW, people just pulling the parts that have no idea what they are pulling, it is just numbers in a bin & they don't have a clue what will go with what.

The last parts set I got that came from TOW, the only thing correct in the box was the stock was maple (but inlet wrong) & the buttplate was correct. Wrong maple stock, wrong sideplate, wrong t/guard, wrong RR & tips, and no lock or barrel. Just as well not ordered it at all. Took the customer a month to get it correct & I still had to go get a barrel & lock from Tip.

Today's customer service sucks in just about anything ya go to do.

Keith Lisle

 

[jdkerstetter]

I.M.H.O. ordering a pre-inlet stock is taking a chance. I've never bought any with the lock inlet and won't.

Even ordering with just the barrel channel precut and ramrod hole drilled has caused me problems....channel so narrow it required a lot of work to get the barrel in and ramrod holes drilled too far below the barrel resulting in the gun being too tall through the forestock/lock area.

Anything I do now is sent out to a trusted builder who inlets the barrel I'll be using to the wood and drills the ramrod where I mark it out. This way I know what I'm getting is what I want and I'm not locked in to what somebody elses idea of what's right.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Flintfan69]

The last parts set I got that came from TOW, the only thing correct in the box was the stock was maple (but inlet wrong) & the buttplate was correct. Wrong maple stock, wrong sideplate, wrong t/guard, wrong RR & tips, and no lock or barrel. Just as well not ordered it at all. Took the customer a month to get it correct & I still had to go get a barrel & lock from Tip.

Today's customer service sucks in just about anything ya go to do.

Keith Lisle

You listed more errors in your one paragraph about an order from TOW than I have had in 25 years of ordering from both TOW and Pecatonica combined. Maybe your "customer" was the one who didn't know what they were doing, and ordered incorrect parts.

Over the years of talking to the people at TOW and **** at Pecatonica, I can assure everyone they know about guns, and if there is a problem with your order they will make it right. While I will grant you, it is impossible for these businesses to hire a bunch of world class gunsmiths like yourself, to stand around all day to do nothing but pull parts from bins to fill orders. Making a statement like:

"I am now wondering if Pecatonica is like TOW, people just pulling the parts that have no idea what they are pulling, it is just numbers in a bin & they don't have a clue what will go with what."

is entirely unfair, and untrue. The last thing our hobby needs is people making blanket statements like that, to bash the few companies around who are actually still in business supplying us with gun parts.

Bottom line is, I wouldn't hesitate to order from any of these companies. If there is something wrong with a stock, lock, part..etc, they will make it right.