Rant: buyer beware

[miked35]

Never purchase a gun on reputation.

I only wish my new rifle was a pleasure to shoot as it is wonderful to look at. A miserable lock can be quite frustrating. :cursing:

Mike

 

[boar]

Sounds like one of mine. I feel your pain. :thumbsup: Dilly

 

[silverfox]

Okay tell us just what kind of rifle you got and what the problem is. Then I'm sure you will get several ways you may be able to fix the problem. We are all wondering how we can be of help but you have to give us some details.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[sundog]

Hi Just learning. I am in Bethlehem PA. I can offer some hands on help.

 

[miked35]

Thanks for the offers. It's going to Dixon's Saturday where I will pay hard earned cash to fix something the builder should do.

My rant was after the second contact with the builder who was more than useless. The first was email before the gun was even fired, the second was via phone after two trips to the range. I was just a bit peeved at the time. My Chambers lock is like a fine watch, this lock is more like something some skinhead kid made in juvenile detention with a hammer and a piece of old car fender.

There, I'm done. Sorry for the rant, I'll let you all know how it turns out after Chuck does some magic.

Mike

 

Without the details of who the builder is, this whole discussion is, well... It would be helpful to know who or what you're talking about.

 

[sundog]

Chuck shure can do some magic.

 

[bob308]

yes i agree if you will not come out with the full details then you don't have anything to complain about.

 

[rabjr]

Welcome to Flintlocks, now learn to tune the lock! In fact read everything you can about locks, know them inside and out. Thats best way to prevent any of these rants.

 

[miked35]

Blasting the maker publicly cures nothing.

A: He knows who he is and can live with his own conscience.

B: There will just be a lot of posts on how others think he is the greatest.

My rifle has an issue. It's the bad one in the bunch. One of my shooting buddies has had a gun built by them for 8 or 9 years with no problems. The biggest issue is the lack of support from the builder. What the heck, it was only $1200.

I do facilities maintenace for my job. If I fix something,I do it to the best of my ability and stand behind my work with pride. I expect the same from others.

Now with these posts, I look like the fool instead of the person with my money.

There will be no more comments on this subject from me until Dixon's does some repairs and I send a copy of the bill to the builder. Not because I expect compansation, I don't want any. Just FYI for them.

Mike

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Mike--can you at least tell us whether it is a brand name lock or a cheaper one? And what the problem is with the lock?

 

Blasting the maker publicly cures nothing.

A: He knows who he is and can live with his own conscience.

B: There will just be a lot of posts on how others think he is the greatest

I'm confused. What was the point of your post?

It sounds like you just want to complain about something, but not tell anyone what it is. I'm sure this is great therapy for you, but it offers nothing anyone can discuss. Why go public if you're going to keep everything a secret?

So, what you're saying is, "Buyer Beware" (your title), but you won't tell us what to be aware of. What a waste of time. :shake:

 

[reddog]

Blasting the maker publicly cures nothing.

A: He knows who he is and can live with his own conscience.

B: There will just be a lot of posts on how others think he is the greatest

I'm confused. What was the point of your post?

It sounds like you just want to complain about something, but not tell anyone what it is. I'm sure this is great therapy for you, but it offers nothing anyone can discuss. Why go public if you're going to keep everything a secret?

So, what you're saying is, "Buyer Beware" (your title), but you won't tell us what to be aware of. What a waste of time. :shake:

Yeah,,,I am pretty confused about wtxx yer rantin' about, exactly??

 

[Bubba45]

perhaps......... http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/236524/post/new/#NEW

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Seems like there's actually three TVMs isn't there?

 

[Mike Brooks]

What the heck, it was only $1200.

Always remember, you get what you pay for.

 

[Tom Compton]

Hey, Mike. Sorry to hear of your problems with the flinter. I think you are a bigger person than most on here are realizing. No need to start a pissing contest.

It appears to me, from VERY limited info, there were not enough details spelled out and agreed to before the build and the builder took the opening. Most of us have this work done on verbal contract and most of the time there is no problem. Cavet emptor or let the buyer beware is appropriate and all reading here should take extra caution with their next custom build to communicate in writing what is expected.

On my customs, I bought the materials. All of them. This kept the costs down for the builder and assured I got what I wanted. The builder was a personal friend with whom I had competed for several years. There was still a lot of discussion with the builder as to what parts would give me the rifle I wanted and what degree of finish I expected. I visited in his shop and his home and we actually brought out different guns, pointed at and discussed details. No written summary was done. It would not have hurt and would have been well received.

So, know the builder or get to know him. Discuss the desired finished product, components, budget and time line. And then write a short summary of what was agreed upon. This is very helpful to the builder and just as legaly binding as something written by an lawyer.

I hope your flinter is brought to full expectations soon. Good luck!
TC

 

[Dave K]

Well, with no knowledge about your problem, is there a chance it could be operator error and not the builders fault?

 

[lonehunter]

I'm confused. What was the point of your post?
I think he was saying not to buy on reputation alone.You know as well as i do if he would have posted a neg. opinion on a builder some people here would be all over his back,because his opinion was not the same as theirs. :hatsoff: to him for not slamming a persons name in public. I am sure a p.m. would get the name if one was to ask him. just my two pennies worth, and i am sure not everybody will agree with me either. :v

 

[miked35]

It's a wonderful day here in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.

Here's the story in a nutshell. My gun is breaking flints very quickly. When I say break, I mean losing the edge quickly. I went through 4 flints in twenty round. Two of those were just fussing with it enough to get it to spark to unload. That is not an exaggeration. Bevel up, two shots, no spark. Bottom edge of the flint is all chipped up. Turn flint over (bevel down), two more rounds and no spark. New flint starting with bevel down, same scenario.

Now my issue is not so much the lock, but the support received from the builder. First answer, "there is nothing wrong with the lock". Second answer, "learn how to knap the flint". Now i can't argue that knowing how to knap is a skill that should be learned. It would have been a good answer if my complaint was the price of flints. He asked no questions to help me diagnose the problem. Oh yeah, I forgot the "let the lock break in a while"

Today I took the gun to Dixon's so they could take a look. Greg looks at the lock, cocks and fires. "I see your problem" The rear lock mounting screw is too long and the cock is hitting it stopping if from moving smoothly and the flint is hitting the frizzen, slowing and them following through. Gregg cuts down the screw and bring the gun back to me and dry fires a few time. "Here, try this out". Then he notices the front screw is too long and pushing against the frizzen spring. Back he goes and cut that screw down. NO CHARGE! You gotta love that place. Down to the range and shot 15 quick rounds with no problem (with the flint that we had already dry fired 8-10 times). So no, it was not the lock itself and it was not operator error. It was piss poor customer service. I was spoiled by my other rifle that has been perfect since day one.

Rant complete, I'm a happy man.

Mike