Well, there you got me. :redface:
I'll see what I can learn for you.
I'll see what I can learn for you.
-
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rice barrels........
- Thread starter bob1961
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Not that L.C. needs anyone to defend him but let me give everyone my perspective.I own and work in what is currently a one man high end cabinet shop.I supply cabinets and furniture to the rich and famous in the Hamptons.If I'm not working I'm not making any money.There are no phones in my shop because if I'm talking on the phone I'm not making any product.I too am guilty of not returning phone calls promply sometimes for what ever reason but have never caught up to my work backlog!!!!When you put out a quality product you can unfortunatly get away with some slow customer service sometimes.Everyone here has made some valid points and I don't know why L.C. hasn't called some of you back But remember this is a small one man shop.He doesn't have a secratary or office staff,if his wife happens to be nearby She will answer the phone.Because it's a one man shop if the Rices are away for a few days then there is no one to answer the calls.If the machines break down then L.C. has to fix them which sometimes could take many hours or days or he can't make any barrels.There are many if's and I don't know which one appies here but I do know that L.C. makes a quality barrel at a good price if L.C. hires a secratary to answer all your calls the price on them barrels is going to go up!!!!Somtime good things are worth waiting for 
mitch
mitch
Has anyone ever thought maybe some of these barrel makers have figured out it is hard to make a living by just selling rifle barrels? For as much time it takes to make a barrel plus the rising cost of materials, they can use their machinery to manufacture product with a higher profit margin. Talked to one barrel maker, he is busy making adult air gun barrels. Another is building custom single shot blackpowder cartridge rifles. Another local maker builds rifles & fowlers as well machine work. He said he could make more money selling a complete gun than selling just a barrel. One big name outfit told me they wouldn't have any barrels for sale for 8-10 months due to that they are a full time machine shop also & their barrel swamping machines are tied up doing more profitable jobs. Barrel makers need to make a living just like the rest of us. With the cost of living going up & the wages staying the same, there seems to be less people with money to spend on extras. As well as the "cheap as you can get it attitude" displayed by some.
left a second message today right after i kept getting a busy signal fer bout 30 min....then when it cleared all i got was the answer machine again....so far i have the stock ordered "which i hope doesn't bite me not getting a hold of rice" and they said i will have it in 4 weeks....just got off the phone with chambers and they have my lock in stock and it will go out within 2 days ::....just placed my order with lee valley fer tools i don't have and will need fer this project....and will be catching up with my order parts as i need them....wish me luck....................bob
Bob,
I been staying out of this as there is merit in both sides of the discussion but I have to ask..... Why are you set on a Rice barrel? Will nothing else do? Don't get me wrong I think Rice barrels are great and I have one on order myself and I'm working on a TN with a Rice barrel but only because GM doesn't make a 38" straight barrel and I think a gun with Rice barrel will be easier to sell. Are you wanting a straight or swamped? Who's stock is it going in?
Packdog
P.S. I do have to give Rice credit like has been mentioned. He doesn't charge till the barrel is shipped.
I been staying out of this as there is merit in both sides of the discussion but I have to ask..... Why are you set on a Rice barrel? Will nothing else do? Don't get me wrong I think Rice barrels are great and I have one on order myself and I'm working on a TN with a Rice barrel but only because GM doesn't make a 38" straight barrel and I think a gun with Rice barrel will be easier to sell. Are you wanting a straight or swamped? Who's stock is it going in?
Packdog
P.S. I do have to give Rice credit like has been mentioned. He doesn't charge till the barrel is shipped.
It usually takes me 3 days to get LC on the phone.
If he is on the phone nothing is being produced.
He will normally sit at his desk for 30 min 3-4 times a day to do what he can.
After hurricane season he was 300 bbls behind -
things were quite busy.
when you get one of his bbls it might as well be custom made that is how high the quality is.
If you want the best -- BE PATIENT -- if not there are other sources.
I have been waiting for my bbl since JULY and was getting really frustrated.
He very patiently explained that on a GOOD day he can complete 4 bbls.
I apoligized and will wait as long as it takes.
Have anybody checked on the lead-time for a Getz bbl?
It basically boils down to ----there is a chance he can get caught up working out in the shop ---there is no chance of getting caught up on the phone
:m2c:
If he is on the phone nothing is being produced.
He will normally sit at his desk for 30 min 3-4 times a day to do what he can.
After hurricane season he was 300 bbls behind -
things were quite busy.
when you get one of his bbls it might as well be custom made that is how high the quality is.
If you want the best -- BE PATIENT -- if not there are other sources.
I have been waiting for my bbl since JULY and was getting really frustrated.
He very patiently explained that on a GOOD day he can complete 4 bbls.
I apoligized and will wait as long as it takes.
Have anybody checked on the lead-time for a Getz bbl?
It basically boils down to ----there is a chance he can get caught up working out in the shop ---there is no chance of getting caught up on the phone
:m2c:
Guest
I my opinion it is still a piss pour way to run a business
Woody
Woody
i ordered the stock to his D profile 42" golden age barrel cause they said they do that and i want a good barrel to start with and heard his are good....maybe i can call pecatonica stock people and put a hold on my stock till i get rice on the phone and hope they didn't get going on my stock yet....thats one option....i'll just keep trying to get a hold of him till then......................bob
bob1961: If I got on the phone with Dick Greensides at Pecatonica, it would not be to hold up the stock delivery, it would be to say, "Dick, I've got a problem getting a good barrel for my rifle. What would you suggest for me from the barrels you have in stock?"
In my 11 years of dealing with Dick, he has never given me poor advice and he has the ability to deliver.
From what has been said in this post, it is fairly obvious that Rice has too much to do. The reasons Rice has too much to do are interesting, but have no bearing on your problem.
IMO, all of the barrels from Getz, Green Mountain and Colerain are worth using.
Just my 2 cents worth.
In my 11 years of dealing with Dick, he has never given me poor advice and he has the ability to deliver.
From what has been said in this post, it is fairly obvious that Rice has too much to do. The reasons Rice has too much to do are interesting, but have no bearing on your problem.
IMO, all of the barrels from Getz, Green Mountain and Colerain are worth using.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Guest
It's not that hard to return a few phone calls every day. Maybe there's a machinery breakdown. I know he was having some trouble of that nature last year. Maybe he's just getting behind. Nothing dishonest here for sure. He does't take money until he's finished the barrel. But not communicating is a mistake. I like his barrels as well but I'd like to know whether they can still be had or whether I should just look elsewhere.
Herb
54 Cal.
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Guess I don't know what a D profile is. Pecatonica shows Green Mountain swamped 42 inch barrels in A, B and C weights but no D. Suzy at Muzzleloader Builder Supply has the same thing, also in 44 inch. And - this may help- she has some swamped 42 and 44 inch Rice barrels on hand. I talked with her about January 25th and she said she was out of some .45 Rice swamped barrels then and out of .50 but was "shortly getting more". I didn't ask about .54. If this may help, give her a call, 479-292-8866. She has a very impressive catalog. I ordered a .40 cal 44 inch Rayl barrel from her plus all the parts for a "Lebanon Borough Slim Style Longrifle" flintlock. Then I sent two walnut blanks down to Jack Garner at Tennessee Valley Mfg for him to shape for me, and ordered a Green Mountain swamped barrel from him.
Terry Zboril
40 Cal.
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Bob,
It seems L.C. Rice is about a year behind, like Getz.
I ordered my first Rice barrel in Oct. of 03 and got it in Dec.03. WOW!
In the meantime he had some major machine problems, and then he got wrote up in both Muzzleloader and Muzzleblasts magazines .
I ordered 4 more barrels in Jan. 04 and just received 2 of them in Jan. 05.
He is also trying to supply Chambers,Suzie and others.
He is just "SWAMPED"!
Quality is second to none and worth the wait, IMHO.
If you need a swamped barrel quick, Colerain ,Green Mountain, or Longhammock may be your best bet.
I really like the new Green Mountain swamps, altho they are square grooved instead of round, and you will have to breech them yourself, and possibly recut the breech threads also.
L.C. will usually answer his e-mail at [email protected]
I never ragged him about it because I figured if he was on the phone or the computer, he wasn't making barrels.
Regards,
Terry
It seems L.C. Rice is about a year behind, like Getz.
I ordered my first Rice barrel in Oct. of 03 and got it in Dec.03. WOW!
In the meantime he had some major machine problems, and then he got wrote up in both Muzzleloader and Muzzleblasts magazines .
I ordered 4 more barrels in Jan. 04 and just received 2 of them in Jan. 05.
He is also trying to supply Chambers,Suzie and others.
He is just "SWAMPED"!
Quality is second to none and worth the wait, IMHO.
If you need a swamped barrel quick, Colerain ,Green Mountain, or Longhammock may be your best bet.
I really like the new Green Mountain swamps, altho they are square grooved instead of round, and you will have to breech them yourself, and possibly recut the breech threads also.
L.C. will usually answer his e-mail at [email protected]
I never ragged him about it because I figured if he was on the phone or the computer, he wasn't making barrels.
Regards,
Terry
Terry is right. Be patient.
I probably shouldn't get into this thread, but I want to add another perspective. In an 'unrelated to guns' area that I have worked in, waiting lists run 4-7 years. Frustrating, but that's life.
If you believe an individually owned business should behave like a highly responsive company you aren't alone and that is a noble belief. However, as a small business owner, I know that the fully allocated expense of adding a one person customer relations/communications department can be up to $100,000, a cost which goes directly to the cost of goods to be paid by customers not by the business. So unless indentured servants are used, barrels would nearly double in price. In the case of the very high quality Rice product, patience is a virtue.
:imo: :m2c: :results:
I probably shouldn't get into this thread, but I want to add another perspective. In an 'unrelated to guns' area that I have worked in, waiting lists run 4-7 years. Frustrating, but that's life.
If you believe an individually owned business should behave like a highly responsive company you aren't alone and that is a noble belief. However, as a small business owner, I know that the fully allocated expense of adding a one person customer relations/communications department can be up to $100,000, a cost which goes directly to the cost of goods to be paid by customers not by the business. So unless indentured servants are used, barrels would nearly double in price. In the case of the very high quality Rice product, patience is a virtue.
:imo: :m2c: :results:
i just got off the phone with chambers and in about a month he's going to be the main dist of rice barrels....he didn't go into detail but it sounded like rice isn't going to be taking orders in the near future but through dist like chambers and such....he also said that his barrels are the top of the line and worth the wait....and also said to keep calling him to see if get through....i called and talked to Suzy at Muzzleloader Builder Supply and she told me that all she had was the C profile....i haven't got in touch with pecatonica yet to see if they had one....i'm not all that worried bout getting the parts fast but would like to get going on this rifle if that not on oxy moron statement....we'll see what happens....if anyone knows of a source of a rice D profile golden age 42" .54 barrel ya will let me know right?? lol................bob
Guest
Well if that isn't the good ole American way,they got to have the THE MIDDLE MAN
Would seem as if the price of barrels will be going up:imo:
Woody
Would seem as if the price of barrels will be going up:imo:
Woody
i talked to rice about3 weeks ago nice gye in conversation he mentioned chambers and said he bilds the locks for him he also told me that at one time he owned l&r locks nice gye and knowes quite a bit about muzzeloading he didnot make the barrel i wanted and t derected me to a copel of outher folkes whom he said make a good strait pipe rayl-longhamoc -green mt he said thay are all good shooters and the truth is with my limeted ability i wont be able to tell the differance
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