Customer service is alive.

[White Horseradish]

I have been gradually gathering parts to put together a rifle to work on my distance shooting. To that end, about three years ago I got a tactical stock form Choate to fit the Stevens centerfeed action I have. Then, other stuff came up and I abandoned the project. This week I picked up a CDI Gunworks magwell for it from Midway.

The magwell didn't fit into the stock. I called up Choate, and they said they know of this problem, and offered a full refund, even though I bought the stock three years ago.  I called CDI, and Jeff's answer was to inlet the stock for me for half-price. Since I want to put together this rifle I took him up on it and the stock is on the way there.

I'm feeling pretty good as a customer here.

[Monkeyleg]

I've always found customer service in gun-related industries to be very good to exceptional.

I had a customer order a Crimson Trace laser grip for a Glock. Somehow he managed to crack it (they're made from the same type of polymer as Glocks). He called to see if there was any salvage value, and I said I doubted it, but I'd call Crimson Trace. To my surprise they said they'd send him a new laser grip along with a return shipping label for the cracked one. For free.

Kimber has given me a free trigger job two years after my warranty expired. RCBS has given me free parts that broke because I did something wrong.

The only company that has sub-par customer service is Trijicon, and I blame that on their having been primarily involved with the government for so long. EOTech is somewhat that way, too. In the summer they work four days a week, and during the rest of the year the plant is closed every other Friday. It doesn't matter if they have a 6-month waiting list for products. They run one shift and get Fridays off.

[Perd Hapley]

I googled "Stevens centerfeed action," and mostly got results about replacement stocks. Must be terrible stocks on those things!

So I gather "centerfeed" refers to a magazine that puts the top round in the center, instead of to one side. Correct?

[Boomhauer]

Gun industry tends to have good CS with the exceptions of companies like Taurus, Ceiner, ARMS, and a few others...

[White Horseradish]

I googled "Stevens centerfeed action," and mostly got results about replacement stocks. Must be terrible stocks on those things!

Stevens is the budget no-frills line of Savage. It's basically a Savage 10 or 110 minus the Accutrigger. They also have the cheapest possible stocks molded from some sort of fairly soft plastic. Serviceable, but not great. It would likely stand up to a lot of dragging through the woods, but is a lot more flexible than I think a rifle stock should be.

So I gather "centerfeed" refers to a magazine that puts the top round in the center, instead of to one side. Correct?

Correct. The older Savage actions put the round off to one side, and then they changed it. The difference coincided with a change in action screw spacing.

[Perd Hapley]

Ah, thanks.

[lee n. field]

I've always found customer service in gun-related industries to be very good to exceptional.

I had a customer order a Crimson Trace laser grip for a Glock. Somehow he managed to crack it (they're made from the same type of polymer as Glocks). He called to see if there was any salvage value, and I said I doubted it, but I'd call Crimson Trace. To my surprise they said they'd send him a new laser grip along with a return shipping label for the cracked one. For free.

Kimber has given me a free trigger job two years after my warranty expired. RCBS has given me free parts that broke because I did something wrong.

RCBS is excellent.

"How come my Uniflow won't adjust down far enough to do my pistol loads?"  I didn't know the Uniflow used two different rotors, large cavity and small, each with its own measuring screw and bushing.  I didn't even ask for it.  They just up and sent me the other set, upon me asking the question.

The only company that has sub-par customer service is Trijicon, and I blame that on their having been primarily involved with the government for so long. EOTech is somewhat that way, too. In the summer they work four days a week, and during the rest of the year the plant is closed every other Friday. It doesn't matter if they have a 6-month waiting list for products. They run one shift and get Fridays off.

Well, there's Taurus.  I have a story*, too.  I do hear the new guy heading TaurusUSA wants to turn their reputation around.  I hope he lops heads getting his way.

*More in the nature of a rant.  Ten years or so ago.  It involved ordering a part, getting my CC charged for the part, and them completely losing all record of the order.  I did kind of want to use that gun for a class.  Kind of hard to do with a firing pin that won't retract on account of a firing pin spring mashed into uselessness.

[HankB]

Gun industry tends to have good CS with the exceptions of companies like Taurus, Ceiner, ARMS, and a few others...

I'd add Colt's to the list of companies with bad - make that terrible - customer service.

On the other hand, I've had good customer service from Bushmaster, DSA, S&W, and Dillon.

[RoadKingLarry]

I've had good service from Hornady, I bought a L-N-L progressive a couple of years ago and had a problem with the press inserts. Seems they had a run with bad heat treating and the lugs would shear off. One phone cal and I got a full set of replacement inserts and a matching set of die mounts for my trouble, no cost.

I've also had good service from Hi-Point. A few years ago one of my brother in laws brought me a 9mm carbine that he'd managed to bust the front sight off of it. One quick phone call and they sent me a sight assemble no cost and no questions other than the serial # of the gun.

[Jim147]

Hornady is a good one. After they bought Pacific, I couldn't find a shot bottle any where for my 20 gauge press. One call and they sent me two of them.

Thompson Center also sent me a part when I called with a problem with a new rifle.

jim

[Hawkmoon]

Stevens is the budget no-frills line of Savage. It's basically a Savage 10 or 110 minus the Accutrigger.

I didn't know that. I HATE the AccuTrigger. Are Stevens still made, or would seeking one be limited entirely to the used firearms market?

[White Horseradish]

I didn't know that. I HATE the AccuTrigger. Are Stevens still made, or would seeking one be limited entirely to the used firearms market?

AFAIK, they are still made in a whole bunch of calibers.

I bought mine three years ago through Davidson's Gun Genie. Right now you can order a new one from there for $380 or so. I've seen them at local stores, too. Haven't seen any used ones.

Like I said, the stocks are kinda flimsy, but aside from that they are a Savage 10/110 and all of the accessories fit. I am pretty sure replacement triggers are different from the Accutrigger ones, though.

Just out of curiosity, what is it that you hate about it?