Problem forend on a Sauer

[see it shoot it]

has anyone had a problem with a sauer forend selling up after its been wet causing contact with the barrel ??
reason I ask is I had a rifle in for load development yesterday and the problem of its in accuracy was plain to see,the rifle was less than 1 year old.
I told the owner of the problem who called the shop he got it from as I wasn't prepared to remove wood from the stock without consent the warranty would still be valid.
I ended up taking the rifle to the people who inport these who told me its been excessively wet and not dried properly.
now you would have thought a rifle costing over 2K which was sold as a hunting rifle would be ok to take out when it was raining or are these rifle for fair weather hunters only ???

 

[User00003]

you would have thought, yes,,,however, few companies that manufacture high volume are able and 'willing' to source 12 year old+ air dried walnut.

Even so, the owner 'should' have taken the stock apart and waxed it properly all over to ensure It would not absorb water. In fact, I don’t think a lot of people realise they really should apply a coat of good quality wax to their stocks, particularly the raw (usually poorly sealed) interiors. That mixed with usage of poorly laid out veining in blanks, and of course, kiln drying, will cause warping.

For Sauer to say it’s been excessively wet as an excuse...well,,it probably ‘has’ been, and may not have been waxed, and may not have been dried properly....BUT, I would go back and ask how old their wood is and how it’s dried! If it’s young and air dried wood,,,well...even slight humidity can cause warping, you don’t need big rain showers for that..

 

[jcampbellsmith]

has anyone had a problem with a sauer forend selling up after its been wet causing contact with the barrel ??...?

Your post brings back very painful memories. The first unsupervised purchase of a rifle that I made was of a Sauer 90 in 243 Win. It had a hollow fore end. Each time I took it out of the gun cupboard the fore end pointed in a different direction. I spent a lot of money trying to make this rifle shoot. Eventually I sold it back at a loss to the guy I had bought it from.

I didn't like the safety being within the trigger guard either. I did shoot some red deer with it. Looking back at the rifle now I kind of think the designers got beaten into submission by the accountants to release the rifle to production before all the design wrinkles had been sorted out.

Sauer's are on my list of rifles to avoid.

Regards

​JCS

 

[jcampbellsmith]

you would have thought, yes,,,however, few companies that manufacture high volume are able and 'willing' to source 12 year old+ air dried walnut.

Even so, the owner 'should' have taken the stock apart and waxed it properly all over to ensure It would not absorb water. In fact, I don’t think a lot of people realise they really should apply a coat of good quality wax to their stocks, particularly the raw (usually poorly sealed) interiors. That mixed with usage of poorly laid out veining in blanks, and of course, kiln drying, will cause warping.

For Sauer to say it’s been excessively wet as an excuse...well,,it probably ‘has’ been, and may not have been waxed, and may not have been dried properly....BUT, I would go back and ask how old their wood is and how it’s dried! If it’s young and air dried wood,,,well...even slight humidity can cause warping, you don’t need big rain showers for that..

Peter

These fore ends are hollow. How can you seal the inside of them?

Regards

​JCS

 

[User00003]

Peter

These fore ends are hollow. How can you seal the inside of them?

Regards

​JCS

John,

To a degree, yes, of course

The lobes that attach to the receiver walls as well as the inletted (hollow as you describe) areas where the front locking/screw rod mechanism attaches,,are to a degree quite exposed.

However, the wood can still be sealed by filling and sealing, followed by coats of wax. In fact, I did this to a customer’s 202 deluxe not long ago who wanted a re-finish and a new ebony grip cap, as he was using it in Scotland..took out the steel inserts, filled pores, sealed grain, finished the inside to almost the same standard as the outside of the stock, and waxed it. In doing so, it should take quite a beating before it warps...however, no matter what, the problem almost always starts with the manufacturer having cut corners on wood selection.

I suspect this manufacturer ( and others ), may well use figured walnut that’s been kiln dried, and still looks great, so therefore they think they can get away with charging for what an air dried stock blank would normally cost and that the buyer wouldn’t be any the wiser..until it warps of course.

Personally, I’m much rather have a simple non-figured blank with a proper veining layout, air dried in the right manner for 10 years+....

 

[splash]

Try talking to Sauer Direct as Garlands don't have a very good Customer Service record

 

[deerstalker.308]

Try talking to Sauer Direct as Garlands don't have a very good Customer Service record

2nd that! They couldn't care less, I used to have a Sauer 200 with a seriously warped forend, my 202 has had some pretty significant soakings in its time, and touch wood.....(no pun intended) it's held up well. I do look after it though, drying it well, oiling it regularly etc, wood does need care and attention but it should stand up to every day use really.

 

[see it shoot it]

Try talking to Sauer Direct as Garlands don't have a very good Customer Service record

your not wrong about garlands,shocking service

 

[Nod-1]

About six months ago I went to garlands to look at all the guns they had in stock and to treat myself to a Sauer 202 elegance in 308, they were great in pulling out box after box of rifles for me to look over to choose the wood I most liked and I left with the serial no of the wood i liked most and went away to think it over for the weekend, I then ordered the gun and when it arrived at my RFD the forend was touching the barrel really bad and when we phoned garlands they said to my RFD to remove some of the inside of the wood on the forend to make it fit better or send it back and they will do it for me to which you can imagine where I told them to shove the gun, it has left a bad taste of the Sauer brand and garlands for there attitude, also the two other Sauer 202 in stock at my dealer at the time had the same problem and are still in stock now cheers Nod.