Rifle Shoppe waits?

[BillinOregon]

I find myself very tempted to order a lock or lock parts from these folks, but my last experience with them was promises and a wait that ended up being two years.
But that was then. What are your experiences now?

 

[justafeedboy]

I'm waiting about 1.5 months from Jim Chambers currently for my next project.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Bill,
I have a feeling I know what it is you want to order. The best thing is to call them to find out if a set is in stock. If it is you may get it in a few weeks but if not all bets are off. If you are thinking of an early English lock, there are several options from the Rifle Shoppe that would work. Hopefully they would have one of those in stock. Other options are Leonard Day and John Buck who could probably sell you an appropriate lock that is already constructed. I don,t have numbers for them but I think John's website is called Musket Mart.

dave

Good luck,

dave

 

[jsn]

You can also Email The Rifle Shoppe They are verry prompt in answering questions. Its just hard to find the address.....

 

[BillinOregon]

Dave: Oddly, I have nearly convinced myself to make my own matchlock. I have made most of the parts before. I certainly plan to cut out and form the butt, and will forge the trigger guard and trigger. I think I'll get a barrel from Scott at Colerain. The biggest challenge to me by far is the woodworking, especially drilling the ramrod hole. I may have someone do that for me.
All this would save me the cost of a dog lock or snaphaunce.
I have contact info for Mssrs. Buck and Day.

Odd Fellow: I have e-mailed TRS, and they are good about replies. It is just that they are so far off on actual delivery times, in my experience.

 

[jsn]

I have heard of average of 2 weeks for delivery for in-stock items but major delays on parts not in stock.... How true would this be?

 

[BillinOregon]

Odd: I waited about two years for one part not in stock. They kept saying in three or four months. That said, their stuff is very good.

 

[texcl]

I just received an email today from TRS in response to an email I sent them in july. Don't hold your breath.

 

[jerrywh]

I never buy anything from them. When someone lies to me I don't deal with them anymore. I was stalled off for over three years by them. Lie after lie. I do this for money. It's not a game with me. They can make you look like a liar to your customer. He has good stuff but it isn;t good enough to put up with that. You can find the same complaints about TRS on most forums like this. Their notorius.

 

[Tinker2]

I call them and see what they have on hand, if it is something I can use I
order it, I get it in about ten to fifteen days.

If they don’t have it on hand I don’t order it unless I am willing to wait
forever. If I want or need it bad enough and don’t want to just make it
then I will order it and forget it.

In the last year I have gotten the fixing for five guns from them.
Nice people, easy to deal with if they have it on hand. If they don’t
have it on hand they need a minimum number to have it made.
They give a optimist enthusiastic guess when you ask when.
They really have no idea when or if ever.

It is just the way it is.
Good luck, have fun

Tinker2

 

[Zonie]

I can understand why they would want to have more than one order for some special part before spending the money to have it made but they at least ought to be honest with their customer.

An answer like, "I can get your order to you in __ weeks", when they know they aren't going to order the part is totally unacceptable to me.

An answer like, "I don't have those and I'll need at least 3 other people ordering it before I can get them made. It might take more than a year for that to happen. Do you want me to put you on a waiting list for it?" would be a acceptable answer in my book. I would probably say, "forget it", but at least I would know the reason and I would have respect for the company for its honesty.

 

[texcl]

Not to mention someone might buy multiple sets in order to get the order placed, they would do real good by themselves to approach their order system in a whole different way. It stinks because I really like some of their stuff but I'm unwilling to wait 3 years.

 

[matt denison]

"I do this for money. It's not a game with me. They can make you look like a liar to your customer."

Exactly. That's why I am careful who I do business with. I don't understand how they have gotten away with their way of doing business for so long.

 

[BillinOregon]

Laffindog: I don't understand how they can go to work day after day, year after year dealing with the same angry and disappointed customers on a constant basis.

 

[jerrywh]

I ordered two sets of lock castings. I was told they had all but one part in stock and it would be about thirty days before they would get the other part. Over a period of two years I was told three or four times it would be very soon. They wouldn't even send me the parts they said they had in stock. Over three years later they called one day to see if I still wanted them. I was shocked and didn't know if I should laugh or tell them off. I Got some from England it about 4 months. I made 8 sets of my own castings in the next year. I don't believe a word they say and will never deal with them again. I am a professional and cannot do business under those kind of conditions. Since them I had a friend of mine order a flint hammer from them for me. The throw measurement was not as posted in their catalog. I had to stretch the hammer about 1/16" to make it fit. Their catalog is a nice picture book though.

 

[rich pierce]

Folks can deal with them or not. They are just victims of their own ambition. Anyone who has tried to produce parts for one gun knows what work and expense are involved. Try doing it for 50 (or whatever).

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Rich, you are right. And it is more like about 200 different guns. Very ambitious. They are not dishonest, they just need to try a different business model and be more careful about what they promise.

Remember the days when nothing that they offer was available in any way other than as original parts and you might wait anywhere from 2 to 5 years before you could find an available part for a build or a restoration? Personally, I have had nothing but good experience with them and will continue to confidently do business with them in the future.

 

[matt denison]

It just doesn't make sense to me. I make my own lock parts and yes, keeping all the parts for five different locks in inventory is a head ache but...

When I run waxes and send them to the foundry they don't care about the PART, they care about the alloy only. I must supply a minimum of course but if the order is for 8620 then I can mix and match any parts that are cast of that alloy. Bridles, cocks, lock plates etc., they don't care. So if TRS needs one bridle to fill your order they don't need "three other people" to order the same part, they can throw it in with any order for the same alloy. This is assuming that they are lost wax molds. Most of them are.

I've had issues with them before, heard the excuses, they don't know who they are talking to and I can smell :bull: a mile away.

 

[rkmeyer]

My experience with the RS was lies and more lies on the lock I ordered. I will not do business with them ever again! :cursing:
Dusty :wink: