Am I being taken for a ride?

AndrewT059

Well-Known Member
Right here it goes, sent my rifle of to a gun smith to have a new bolt fitted, was told the job would take around 3 weeks, ( emails to prove) they received the rifle on the 10th oct, after many calls toward the end of last year to see the progress I was told on the 11th jan that the rifle was at the proof house and they were expecting it back in 5-10 days, another call to them end of jan was told the rifle still at the proof house,
I made a call to the proof house to see how long it takes to have a rifle proof, was told by a women the longest it takes is 10 days, so I ask if she,s had my rifle through the doors, this she couldn't tell me as I'm not the customer,
I've made more several more calls to the place that did the work, always being told the same thing, another call to the gun smith this morning, and guess what, rifle still at the proof house and they were going to chase it up?

5 months later, still no rifle
am I being taken for a ride? Or is it just me getting wound up over nothing? :-|
 
I am curious why have you had a new bolt fitted?
Five months does seem rather a long time, did the gunsmith have to wait a fair time for a replacement to be sourced from the manufacturer?
 
Hi Andrew

that seems a long time to be waiting for that kind of work (unless the bolt was hard to come by?)

hope alls well.

regards

bob.
 
Tell the place that is supposed to be fixing it that unless you get it back pronto your have no choice but to report it stolen whilst in their care.
 
nobody can say you're impatient...... I may have given them a little extra time but would have been on them with both feet at 6 weeks and daily afterwards (unless part was a problem?)... An email takes a couple seconds to update you on progress or lack of. By 5 months, I'd be aggravated enough that if the proof house wouldn't give me the info and the smith was still tapdancing, I'd notify the law that I think my gun was stolen or misplaced and let them find it for me....
 
I was told they had the bolt in stock, the reason for the bolt being change was that the bolt face was worn, and the extractor clip pulled out from in the bolt :oops: (Remington)
 
Blimey, I'd of taken the bolt to proof along with other rifles I've built, do it whilst I wait. :)
 
tell the proof house the rifle is yours it's on your license and you require to know if they have it and when it arrived , send then a scan of your license if they require it , otherwise I would call the police ? the rifle is yours not the gunsmiths and you have every right to know it's whereabouts !

I would name and shame the gunsmith as well on here,might be a way to get his full attention other than going into the shop and throwing a tantrum!
 
There's obviously a wheel off somewhere. Hard to know who is to blame. I'd ask the gunsmith to verify it's gone off to the proof house - see the paperwork - and also get them to sign something to say they don't mind if you contact the proof house.

That should hopefully worm out what's going on. See where you get the resistance to that plan. It'll be a good indication. It isn't unknown that things get lost, accidentally sold to someone else or broken. It does seem as though someone is playing for time, perhaps wanting a problem to go away, but with a firearm that really isn't going to happen. It's not a toaster that's gone in to be repaired!
 
The proof houses get blamed for a lot but I can tell you they generally like to turn things around very quickly that way they get paid for their services. Like Jager I have taken guns into the Birmingham proof house and for a small additional fee they will proof a gun while you wait. There are normally vans in and out all day dropping off one week and collecting proofed guns the next so that it is more than likely the gunsmith messing around. Or perhaps he hasn't paid his bill with the proof house?
 
i sent a new punt gun barrel to the birmingham proof house a few years back ,it was shipped off from the shetland isles and i collected it back on the isle from from lerwick shipping agents 14 days later ,the proof house even left a message to say it had passed proof and it was on its way back ,they dont seem to want guns lying around on there bench.
 
Right here it goes, sent my rifle of to a gun smith to have a new bolt fitted, was told the job would take around 3 weeks, ( emails to prove) they received the rifle on the 10th oct, after many calls toward the end of last year to see the progress I was told on the 11th jan that the rifle was at the proof house and they were expecting it back in 5-10 days, another call to them end of jan was told the rifle still at the proof house,
I made a call to the proof house to see how long it takes to have a rifle proof, was told by a women the longest it takes is 10 days, so I ask if she,s had my rifle through the doors, this she couldn't tell me as I'm not the customer,
I've made more several more calls to the place that did the work, always being told the same thing, another call to the gun smith this morning, and guess what, rifle still at the proof house and they were going to chase it up?

5 months later, still no rifle
am I being taken for a ride? Or is it just me getting wound up over nothing? :-|

this is the bit that worries me , IT'S YOUR RIFLE , REMIND THEM OF THAT!
 
The proof houses get blamed for a lot but I can tell you they generally like to turn things around very quickly that way they get paid for their services. Like Jager I have taken guns into the Birmingham proof house and for a small additional fee they will proof a gun while you wait. There are normally vans in and out all day dropping off one week and collecting proofed guns the next so that it is more than likely the gunsmith messing around. Or perhaps he hasn't paid his bill with the proof house?

Agreed, I always take stuff (3 minimum) into London, it costs a bit more but my customers are happy with that because they get a quick turn around. The proof house is always happy to help, good bunch to deal with, they are afterall a private concern, they'd hardly want to pi$$ folk off.
 
Out of interest, where do you stand legally on this? If the weapon is on your FAC, then you are responsible for it. If you hand it over to an RFD, you are no longer in control of it. If plod comes along and wants you to account for the gun, you would tell them it was at the RFD, but does that absolve you of responsibility? If the RFD have managed to "misplace" it somehow, (I'd say VERY unlikely, a dealer who does things like that isn't going to be in business long) then what happens? What about if they have somehow damaged it or destroyed it?

Personally, I'd be standing at their counter asking in the most positive of terms what the f##k was going on with my gun. I'd get them to phone the proof house and ok them to talk to me, there and then, to confirm what the issue is. Sounds to me like they're fobbing you off for some reason. I can't imagine for a second why they would do that. I would certainly suggest that, due to the length of time they have had the gun, I might be approaching the police to report a suspected theft. I'm sure a phone call from their FLO would get a swift result!
 
May I suggest you contact the legal department of BASC, NGO etc for some advise BEFORE contacting your FEO. If the RFD has had your rifle for 5 months and plod are unaware of this YOU may be in breach of your certificate conditions i.e 7 days to notify plod of a sale or transfer:-|

Ade

PS

Reading the thread am I correct in saying the gunsmith is saying it is with the proof house and the proof house is saying they don't know where it is. Me thinks a visit to the gunsmith and proof house is in order. Who is this gunsmith?
 
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I agree with matt-hooks recommendation to involve the firearms licensing manager. I would advise the RFD that this is your intention unless matters are resolved.

The licensing authority should be advised of the facts and informed that you are concerned that there may have been some misconduct and not simply a bad business transaction.
In a previous existence I had experience of certificate holders having similar problems. This type of problem can also occur in RFD to RFD and RFD to Auction house transactions when firearms 'go missing'.

It was quite remarkable how firearms etc. were found when the firearms licensing manager starts asking questions and checking the registers. After all it is the police who issue the RFD and the dealer will be concerned to maintain a good reputation.
 
know doubt, when he took his gun in it would have been put on the dealers books, as is standard practice.
 
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