The Rifle Shoppe - are they OK?

[Larks]

I’ve been corresponding with Jane at The Rifle Shoppe about some parts that I’ve been waiting on since September but I haven’t been able to get a response since early November.

I know they are a small operation and can take some time to get things out, but they don’t seem like the sort of people who would intentionally let anyone down or ignore anyone so I’m now really more concerned about their welfare and how they are....??

I know they were frozen out for a few days in early November due to an ice storm. Which makes me wonder with the extreme weather, Covid and everything else that’s been going on in the US (and the world in general) over the past few months, if they are all well.

Has anyone spoken to them or seen them over the past few months? They may well have just taken an extended Christmas break because of the whole bundle of weather/Covid difficulties but it seems unlikely that it would be so long given how busy they seem to be.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I hope and pray they are holding up OK.
I have done business with them from small parts to a kit gun.
They are super nice folks and normally very accomodating.
I'll join you in your concern and hope they are doing well.

 

[user 34300]

I would not buy anything that is not in stock and ready to ship. Most of their stuff is cast on an as needed basis. They only cast batches once in a while. Sometimes they take over a year to fill an order.

 

[NorthFork]

I would say honest and trustworthy but slower than dried up molasses in the artic. They have parts no one else EVER has. Just takes a a while to get 'em.

 

[Larks]

I would not buy anything that is not in stock and ready to ship. Most of their stuff is cast on an as needed basis. They only cast batches once in a while. Sometimes they take over a year to fill an order.

You may be right. In this case I understood the castings were in stock but that it had to be made up and heat treated etc as Jane had expected to get it out in a couple of weeks in September (a Baker Rifle assembled lock and powder horn parts). However that stretched on to November and I gathered weather and just being busy had caused the delay, which I wasn’t overly concerned about.

But now having lost contact altogether gives me cause to worry about them rather than about the parts.

 

[smoothshooter]

I would not buy anything that is not in stock and ready to ship. Most of their stuff is cast on an as needed basis. They only cast batches once in a while. Sometimes they take over a year to fill an order.

I think they have their casting done somewhere in South America.

 

[sportster73hp]

Talked to Jane last Thursday.
Last i heard their foundry was an hour away. Yes they are slow to fill orders. I am also waiting on kit with assembled lock.

 

[Larks]

Talked to Jane last Thursday.
Last i heard their foundry was an hour away. Yes they are slow to fill orders. I am also waiting on kit with assembled lock.

Thankyou - that’s really good to hear that you’ve been in touch with her so I will assume that means all is OK. (I guess she just doesn’t like answering emails............I’ve tried calling but am on completely the wrong time zone to be able to catch her any time after 6am our time.....)

 

[kb466]

I’ve talked to them a couple of times on the phone in the past month. I ordered a parts set from them which was shipped yesterday.
Yes there is often a wait to get parts from them. But for many items, they are the only game in town.

 

[Monkeyman]

I've talked to them since Nov. 30. I ordered a 1740 Potsdam parts set from them and it took about a month for it to get to me. I checked if all the parts were in stock and they were, except for the assembled lock. I'm currently waiting on the assembled lock. Hopefully they're doing alright, I'd like to get the lock in by summer so I can complete it.

 

[toot]

they are rely great people!

 

[KC Clem]

They do seem to be really great people and nice to deal with but the wait can be long. This Saturday will be 1 year since I ordered an assembled Early Type 1 Virginia Manufactory Lock. Prior to that I had ordered all the parts plus a lock casting set for the same project and got those in about two weeks. I looked at the castings and decided I'd be better off with an assembled lock and ordered that with an estimated 6 to 9 month wait for them to assemble the lock. Like someone else said earlier, if the stuff you want is in stock, it comes very quick. Assembly work and getting castings they don't have in stock takes a bit of time. Know that going in before you order.