Rank Customer Service

[Zachary]

I own the following makes and models of bolt action rifles:

Remington M700BDL SS
Remington M700 BDL SS DM
Remington M700 Sendero Stainless Synthetic
Remington M700 VS SF (Varmint Synthetic Stainless Fluted)
Tikka Whitetail Hunter Synthetic Stainless
Tikka Whitetail Hunter Laminated Stainless
Tikka Whitetail Hunter Wood Deluxe
Tikka T3 Synthetic Stainless
Winchester M70 Classic Stainless
Browning A-Bolt I Stainless Stalker
Sako 75 Stainless Synthetic
Sako 75 Wood Deluxe
Kimber 8400 Montana Stainless Synthetic (to be picked up this week)

I generally have never had any problems with any of them, and thus have never had a need to send them back for repair at customer service.  However, come to think of it, there is one exception - one of my Winchester M70 Classic Synthetic Stainless in .375H&H Mag had it's extractor stuck after the first 8 or so shots and thus the cartridges would not subsequently eject.  Could you imagine what would happen if I was hunting grizzly bears in Alaska or Cape Buffalo in Africa with that problem? :eek:   I took it to a gunsmith who told me that Winchester would fix it for free,  but that considering that I would have to pay for shipping both ways, it would be easier if I just let him fix it for about $50, which I did - so, although I had a problem - my FIRST EVER real problem, I never had a chance to try out Winchester's customer service.

Still, for those of you who have sent your rifles back, how would you rate that company's customer service?  and what were the problems with your rifles?

Zachary

[Wlscott]

I have a Winchester Md70 Featherweight in 300WSM that copper fouled something terrible.  I had it for about a year when we decided to bore scope it.  We found some tooling marks that looked pretty rough, and what looked like a scratch that ran across the lands and grooves for about three inches.

I sent it back with a note explaining what we found.  In about five weeks, I recieved a new barrel, reciever and bolt back, with my original stock (which I wanted to keep because of the tiger striping in the grain).  I'm pretty happy with Winchester's CS.

[Don Fischer]

I had one problem with a Savage mod 330 O/U shotgun. One call to Savage and they got it fixed right away.

Had a problem with a Remington mod 7 in 223. Wouldn't shoot any factory or hand load into less than 2" and generally ran closer to 3 1/2". That's @ 100 yds from a bench. Called Wrote to Remington about the problem and was told that that fall's within their acceptable range. Sent another letter asking them to take the rifle back and check it out and was turned down, again told it was acceptable accuracy to them.

Now I've had another accuracy problem with a Remington 700 ADL in 243.
called Remimgton and was advised once again that it was within their accuracy standard's. No more follow up call's and no more letter's, No more Remington's. They make some really beautiful rifle's but their attitude on acceptable accuracy is deplorable.

[Questor]

Not a bolt action, but I did have to send a T/C Encore back and T/C service was excellent and prompt.  The problem was to correct a manufacturing defect in the muzzle crown.

[Don Fischer]

I think I need to add that I think everyone put's out a lemon now and again and that's ok. But Remington's attitude came back as lemon's for sale.

I forgot two more problem's:

Mossburg mod 500 extractor broke. Sent to Mossberg and was fixed right away.

Browning Double auto shotgun. Something went wrong in the cycling mech. Sent it to Browning, after a call, and had it back in under three week's, no charge.

[pop up]

I had a front site shoot loose on my 450 Guide Gun.  Marlin fixed it promptly and at no cost.

I now have an 8400 Kimber back to kimber, too many problems to elaberate on, but no more kimbers.  When it comes back it will be history.

pop

[jvs]

Before Savage went bankrupt in the 80's I bought a new Model 24 Turkey Gun in .22 Hornet/12 Gauge.  The first trip to the range showed me that the front sight was defective.  Either the slot was cut too big or the sight itself was cut too small as it would slide back and forth between shots.

I took it back to the Dealer who asked me to let him have it a few days.  He gave it to a Savage Rep who personally took it back for servicing.  I had it back in a little over two weeks.  No shipping or repair costs.

I never had a defect problem with any of the bolt actions I ever bought.  Fit and finish is completely different story.  Since I already know their answer for wide groups, I wouldn't waste their time.  Remington isn't alone on that.  Unless the rifle is defective in either materials or workmanship, no gunmaker will do anything to correct accuracy.  It is a well know fact that industry standards is anywhere from 2 to 3 inch groups at 100 yards.  It is up to the manufacturer to set their own standards for accuracy.  Some are tight, some are loose.

That being said, I know of no gunmaker who intentionally refuses to fix a defective firearm.  I would rank all of them as consistent on defect repair.... but inconsistent on product performance.

[Zachary]

I had a front site shoot loose on my 450 Guide Gun.  Marlin fixed it promptly and at no cost.

I now have an 8400 Kimber back to kimber, too many problems to elaberate on, but no more kimbers.  When it comes back it will be history.

pop

Problems with the Kimber 8400?  Really?  PLEASE DO elaborate.

I am ready to pick up my 8400 Montana in .300WSM this week.  I am VERY curious to hear about your experience - yes, with customer service, but more importantly with the gun itself.  How old was it?  What problems did it have?

Zachary

[Graybeard]

If one is to believe even a small percentage of the reports on the internet then customer service is an elusive and some times thing with all companies. I do have a theory on that but will with hold it for now.

It does seem tho that no matter who the company is at times you're going to hear a response you really don't want to and really should not hear. As good as most of us know RCBS to be I'd have a single bad experience with them even.

Within the industry as a whole, not just looking at gun makers, I think Lyman has to be at the bottom of the list. I'd rate Taurus real close to them. Once upon a time TC was near the top. In my eyes they've dropped drastically to near the bottom.

As it relates to guns, gun makers and especially those who make bolt action rifles I have rather limited experience with customer service departments. Remington I have had some limited experience with and I cannot imagine what more they could have done than they did. I rate them outstanding. Ruger has no warranty, written or implied. Yet if you have a problem they fix it. That's good customer service regardless of what one thinks of their products. I have very limited experience with Browning but they did good when needed.

Can't recall ever having need of customer service from any other bolt action rifle makers.

[plateshooter]

I have had few problems over the years, but I will throw a couple experiences in.  I had a P89 Ruger that had a case head separation with wolf ammo.  It blew out the extractor and froze the slide.  I sent it to Ruger and they sent me a brand new gun and picked up the shipping too.
All this took about 2 weeks.

I bought a 12FV Savage and it had the standard bolt handle instead of the large one it showed in the brochure.  A phone call had a new oversize bolt handle to me in 3 days at no charge.

I have been really lucky, and have had no major problems in 45 years of shooting.  The ones I had were handled well by the manufactures.

[Yukon Jack]

There is only one firearm manufacturer that I absolutely, positively refuse to ever purchase another firearm from because of their customer service, and that is Remington.  I've made a few posts here about the situation that brought this about a few years ago, so won't go into it now, but will say I was a nice as I could possibly be and demonstrated over 2 years of patience for a rifle from their custom shop that was horribly wrong.

I've never been treated as poorly by any organization before or since.

[pop up]

Zach-this is a new Kimber with French walnut stock(bought in Dec 04), put a Leupold VXII 3x9x40 on it.  initially tried Federal Premium, grouped like a shot gun, 4" groups on a good day.  Went to reloads, tried win brass, trimmed, with 150, 165,180 gr NBT and several powders, but no change.  Even tried different sizing dies and custom seating dies, different primers and different seating depths.  I got real encouraged one time as I had two bullet holes only 1" apart. Trigger was terrible, basically a two stage.  There were burs around the firing pin hole.  I had the barrel borescoped, basically looked like somebody drilled it with a spade.  I called Kimber, they confirmed that these rifles are not test fired before they go out the door.

My dealer sent it back to kimber about two weeks ago.  Haven't heard squat since then.

pop

[beemanbeme]

I'm sure no one wants to hear the long version of my story but, altho I still buy and like Remingtons, I wouldn't send a bent broom stick to the factory.  The service reps you talk to in NC are abrupt and rude without exception.  I worked for 40 years in customer service for a large corp and I can reconize abrupt and rude when I see it.  
My point is, I didn't call up with a complaint.  I merely wanted an action rebarrelled.  "write a letter telling us what you want, put it in a box with the rifle and send it to Ilion". Click.  I did that.  After several weeks, some outfit -White Dog Gunsmiths- that Remington had jobbed the work out to, called me and told me they weren't allowed to re-barrel Remington barrels.  But they would be happy to put an after market barrel on the action for several hundred dollors.  "No, I wanted a Rem barrel.  Send it back to the factory."  (apparently noone had read my letter which explained why I wanted a Rem barrel) Then we went thru the "we don't have it, they have it"; "no, we ain't got it, you have it" period.  Then we got to the "your rifle and action have been distroyed" time.  But they were gonna send me a new action and barrel "at no cost".  But since it was now a new rifle I had to scout out a FFL holder for them to send it to.  
When I got the new rifle -a 22-250 VS- it was a total POS!!!! I had to go to Leupold bases in order to get enough windage to get on target at 100 yards and cut up enough beer cans for shims in order to get my elevation right that I almost had to start going to AA meetings.  When I complained, I was told to send the rifle back "for evaluation".  Shortly, I received a preprinted form telling me that the rifle was within their specs and "shimming was acceptable for scope alignment".  BUT  they would put a new barrel on it for $xxx.  Which was what it was gonna cost me when this love story began six months before.

[smk]

I am a little surprised by the comments on the Kimber. The trigger on mine is fantastic - fully adjustable for creep, pull wt and overtravel. Did you try adjusting it? Also my 2 wk old 84m Montana was definiteley test fired at the factory - the barrel has powder and copper fouling in it. Maybe for some reason the 8400's aren't test fired.  Of course, none of this matters if the gun won't shoot well.

[smk]

I am a little surprised by the comments on the Kimber. The trigger on mine is fantastic - fully adjustable for creep, pull wt and overtravel. Did you try adjusting it? Also my 2 wk old 84m Montana was definiteley test fired at the factory - the barrel has powder and copper fouling in it. Maybe for some reason the 8400's aren't test fired.  Of course, none of this matters if the gun won't shoot well.