A good friend of mine who flies (and crashes) model aircraft a lot suggested the two part epoxy glue they use for repairing and building RC's. I know epoxy will never break down in my lifetime (I wonder if they have a lifetime warranty too?). My deal with Thompson was disappointing much because as I talked with their customer service folks about having them take a look at possibly repairing it, they had no interest in even trying to fix the stock. They wished me well in my own attempts and that was it. Again as I stated before, they offered to give me a credit on my gun but would not entertain my question about contributing toward having someone build me a stock. It was basically their way or the highway. I understand they have a repair shop and I wonder why they couldn't at least take it into their shop and have a look at it? Know your target. Hank
Hank, I have a little insight into TC's operation after using their products and service for 15+ years and will offer the following opinion based upon my discussions, situations, working with them over all the years, which did involve several expensive warranty issues.
Since their unfortunate factory fire, when they scrambled to get the business up and going again, they had to make a number of strategic changes to the way the business used to be run in order to get back into operation in any kind of timely manner at all...and that involved outsourcing a tremendous amount of what they used to do in house, and had their own control over.
One major outsourcing activity was that the gun stock operation was contracted out (a company in Missouri I think). Yes, TC has a customer service department in New Hampshire but it is now mainly a parts replacement operation...if you have a bad part, they'll replace it and send it back...however, right, wrong, or otherwise, that does require that they have the parts in inventory to do that, and they don't have Seneca parts due to the fire.
And unfortunately, since they no longer have the wood working / gun stock operation there they literally do not take in that kind of work any longer as they're not set up for it...and probably no longer even have the expertise for it on staff.
They contract the gun stock manufacturing out as a commodities operation, using computer controlled robot equipment that simply turns out identical looking stocks on machines...no alterations, no custom work, no repairs, etc...just turns out new stocks. If they did have or could get a new Seneca stock made they'd do it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately that's no longer an option.
Given all that, most companies with such a devastating, business operations-altering factory fire would probably tell you that story and feel legitimately relieved from further obligation...so from one perspective it looks like TC actually tried to go the extra mile by at least offering that stock cost credit towards a replacement muzzleloader.
I'm not making light of your situation and I'm sure you're disappointed, but in practical terms, I'm not sure what else could be expected of them, or any company under those circumstances...because outside this unfortunate, unique situation, TC's lifetime warranty has been second to none for me, replacing two complete Hawken and Cougar stock assemblies, and several flint lock assemblies, no charge...but it was because they had the parts.
:m2c: