Thumbs up and big thanks to FA Service Dept

[Yosemite Sam]

I sent my 97 in last week for a trigger job.  Shipping stories aside*, the gun was delivered to FA this past Monday, the repairs were completed by Wednesday, I had a call by 9am Thursday telling me it was ready, along with a bill, and I got the gun back on Friday.  I'm totally amazed!  One week, including shipping both ways!  I was expecting 3-4 weeks, as quoted, which would still have been pretty darned good.  I can imagine that this doesn't happen all the time, but I'm very thankful it did this time.  It's going to be 70 degrees and sunny here today, and now I know what I'm going to be doing later.

Thanks FA, and especially John K for ensuring this got out on Thursday's truck!

-- Sam

* - Shipping:  The following has nothing to do with Freedom Arms, just what we the general public have to deal with.  Not only did I have to drive 10 miles out of town to get to a depot that would accept a firearm, and pay $74 to ship it one way, due to shipping company regulations (overnight, 4lbs, largish package, $2K insurance), but they (FedEX, in this case; UPS depot is even further out of town) claimed that they were unable to deliver the package at 3:30pm last Friday, so it sat in their warehouse over the weekend.  I was all set to start writing up insurance claims, but it was finally delivered to FA by mid afternoon Monday.  Since I sent it in myself, FA could return it to me, but only by a similar method.  It ended up costing considerably more in shipping than it did for the trigger job itself.  This has gotten so ridiculous I've actually considered getting an FFL simply to be able to ship things at a reasonable rate.  Either that or start my own shipping company, catering to gun owners.

[HPBTmatch]

Your dealings with FA only confirm what I've always heard....They're a class act to work with.  I'm glad you were able to get your '97 back.  Too bad about all the shipping hassle.... The last gun I shipped back to the factory (not FA) set me back @ $12.  Then again that was 15 years ago, and no overnight delivery.
  As a side note, I finally took possession of my '97 .44spl a week and a half ago.  One of these days I'll get some pics up and start working up loads....just been a tad hectic at work 

-Match

[Ken ONeill]

A FFL Dealer can make arrangements with the USPS to ship via Priority Mail To FA. The cost may be around $20.00 or less, depending upon where you live. FA can also return to your FFL via Priority Mail. UPS and FED EX are legal thieves.

[Yosemite Sam]

A FFL Dealer can make arrangements with the USPS to ship via Priority Mail To FA. The cost may be around $20.00 or less, depending upon where you live. FA can also return to your FFL via Priority Mail. UPS and FED EX are legal thieves.

Yes, but my local FFL charges $40 to log a transaction, thus eating up any savings on shipment.  (He has to enter any gun that he processes into his bound book, and charges $40 for that service.)  I suppose I might have pushed it a bit, since he received the gun originally for me.  I have another FFL that'll do it for free, but he's a two hour round trip.

-- Sam

[AfricanHandgunner]

I also have had nothing but positive dealings with the service department at Freedom Arms.  Class act all the way around. 

[Ken ONeill]

Sam,
That's a bummer. I'd be giving all my business to the guy who did such services for me as an accomodation, without charge...but obviously, that's a personal decision.

[Axehandle]

I take my guns and $$$s to where they are appreciated....  All I pay to ship and/or transfer is actual cost...  Helps when you buy a lot of guns from one dealer and send business their way on a regular basis... Of course I have used the same dealer for decades and don't even want to think about how many guns I have carried from his shop...

[Yosemite Sam]

Must be great to have choices.  Me?  I have to deal with what I have available to me.  The "two hour round trip" guy gets my business whenever possible, but sometimes I can't take the time out of my day to run up there. 

Further, I'm not sure if FA subscribes to this, but some shops will only return a gun to the person that sent it in.  So if I used this guy to send the gun, I would have had to do the 2 hour round trip to pick it up, too.  After scheduling the pickup, of course, because this is a private individual who does it on his own time, not a shop with regular hours.

Yep, I'd love to have another option.  As mentioned, I've considered getting my own FFL... 

-- Sam

[Graybeard]

Some nothing, it is a violation of Federal Law to ship it to anyone other than the person that sent it to them on a repair or customization. If an FFL sends it then it must return to them. If the owner ships it then it must return to the owner.