Today I received my "new" 45-70 handi rifle from my FFL.
It had two problems and one flaw, first the problems:
The rear sight was missing as well as the attachment points for the sling. On further examination, there were clear indications, that the rear sight was there originally and then removed. There was a square delineation with the shape of the rear sight where it used to be (hardened grease?). Those facts are conducive to think that the rifle left the factory with sights and sling attachments and that they got removed in Mid West Hunters Outlet warehouse.
I did call Midwesthuntersoutlet.com and they refused to do anything about it. I at least expected for them to send me the rear sight and the sling attachment points.
I will never order anything from them again.
The flaw:
The rifling was terrible. Going from the chamber to 3/4ths up the barrel, the rifling was normal, maybe a little shallow, but visually OK. The problem was in the last 1/4th of the barrel, near the muzzle. The rifling in that part of the barrel was not spiral but were straight lines coming out all the way to the muzzle, with maybe a little twist opposite the "good" rifling.
I proceeded to call H&R and the phone was answered by a very sweet lady. I did explain her all my tribulations with the above mentioned company and explained to her also about the rifling anomaly. She immediately proceeded to issue me a UPS return label and told me that H&R was going to make it right. That is service!!!
This last part confirms what everybody has been saying all along about the great quality of service by H&R.
Thanks H&R.
Today June 30th, the UPS man delivered me my "repaired" rifle. What a joy: The sights were installed, the swivels were there, so as my Dad taught me many eons ago, I checked the rifling....the same problem as before!!! I checked and read carefully the "Repair Document" they sent with it and has a part where it says: "....this barrel meets factory spec's." Unbelievable!
I called immediately H&R, and asked the man that answered what were the "spec's" used to check barrels, and he mentioned things such as measuring lands and valley of the rifling, air something for the barrel in general, but nowhere was mentioned visual inspection of the barrel. He might have not mentioned it during the conversation, but I can't believe they wouldn't do something as basic as that, so it was only a conversation thing. By the way, there are indications that they did a fire test and is confirmed by the "Repair Document". Another opportunity missed to check the inside of the barrel......ah! and they also re-chamfered the muzzle target grade. What a waste of time and equipment for work done in a defective barrel.
This time I took a probe down the barrel from the muzzle end and measure the length which lacks proper rifling, and it is 5 1/2 inches, regrettably, that doesn't leave much play room to make a shorty out of it.
H&R will issue me a new Return Sheet and UPS sticker, so now I'm waiting for that and of course I will be waiting an eternity for my corrected rifle.
H&R needs to implement a Quality Assurance System that takes into consideration the expertise and knowledge of their employees down in the trenches. That is what Harley Davidson had to do to correct all their quality problems they were going through before the 90's.
H&R, if you are reading this, please research in the internet "Total Quality Management (TQM)".
You are an American Manufacturing Company and we want you to continue being that. We need the jobs here, not in other countries.
