CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE

[Barehandlineman11]

I ask again, regardless of whether they replaced the barrel or not... do you find the timeline and chain of events with Bartlein an acceptable customer experience?

No they handled it incorrectly should of just told you no from beginning off it being +p. No different then gm denying warranty from a truck with a tuner. Its hard to warranty a wear item like a barrel im sure they have to be cut dry about it or everything or everyone would get new barrels. Now if a .308 win went out in 500 rounds they'd probably replace it no hassle

 

[L.Sherm]

Were you borescoping this barrel as you were cleaning?

 

[Tumbleweed]

Were you borescoping this barrel as you were cleaning?

Yes. Every time

 

[L.Sherm]

I think they have gotten so backlogged that CS does not need to be a priority anymore.

What barrel company isn't backlogged?

 

[L.Sherm]

Yes. Every time

You never noticed the throat was going?
Firecracking?

 

[Tumbleweed]

No they handled it incorrectly should of just told you no from beginning off it being +p. No different then gm denying warranty from a truck with a tuner. Its hard to warranty a wear item like a barrel im sure they have to be cut dry about it or everything or everyone would get new barrels. Now if a .308 win went out in 500 rounds they'd probably replace it no hassle

I would have actually preferred they took that approach and spared me the further insults. I can respect that... aside from the rest of the poor to non existent communication and the fact that they still have some of my property.

 

[Tumbleweed]

What barrel company isn't backlogged?

I spoke with another company last week that is only 4 months out. I will be avoiding those that are close to a year out from now on. I think the busier they are, the easier it is for them to not keep customer service as a priority.

 

[L.Sherm]

At 460 rounds down there had to be signs of firecracking around 200, thats when you know you better watch out because its the beginning of the end

 

[L.Sherm]

I spoke with another company last week that is only 4 months out. I will be avoiding those that are close to a year out from now on. I think the busier they are, the easier it is for them to not keep customer service as a priority.

Theres usually a good reason there 12 months out on a barrel.
I know it sucks but I would move on and chalk it up to experience.
Personally I would can the +P and pay close attention to when firecracking starts when you see it you have 2 choices keep shooting and replace the barrel soon or back off and just hunt with it if that's what its for.
Its exactly why I shoot the crap out of my 17 and 20 cals and not my hunting rifles.

 

[bamban]

I think they have gotten so backlogged that CS does not need to be a priority anymore.

Three months prior to Camp one of the TX Juniors I am supporting with barrel work was in dire need of a barrel. I looked around for a blank that I can finish into an AR15 barrel, none to be had till I contacted Frank Green.

After learning that it was for a junior shooter, not only did he ship one immediately, he sent it N/C.

Not only Frank sent the barrel to me, he also sent shirts and patches to the young lady to showcase Bartlein.

On the 3rd day of the CMP Cup thus young lady posted a phenomenal score that she beat all 800+ shooters, including the best in all military branches.

Yes, Bartlein is busy, but from my vantage point, Frank supporting the young lady, whom he never met, is a commendable action in support of our shooting community.

Score shows barrel precision, accurately driven by talented shooter

 

[lhsmith]

From what I know about custom aftermarket barrels, and I have used quite a few -Hart, Lilja, Rock Creek, and Krieger, they get 20 ft steel bars from the mill in bulk. If the steel is sub-par it would show up on other barrels in the same production lot. Sometimes a blank has an occlusion that shows up during the deep drill or rifling process, but that is not the problem in this case. I would imagine the mill provides the barrel maker with the complete metallurgical analysis on each lot received, but I don't see where metallurgical test on one barrel will differ from the analysis on the lot received. I have one of the first 300 RUM's in a Rem 700 from the custom shop and use it sparingly because I know accurate barrel life is limited. I knew this going in when I bought it and as such I check throat erosion often.

 

[comfisherman]

Wrote a fairly long post. Then decided to send a few texts out and get some solid numbers from friends to add to the post. Re wrote said post.... and then the devil on one shoulder skewered the angel on the other.

Then he whispered "don't present logical reasoned responses, bartleins lead time is so stinking long from when you started buying their barrels a little bad press might shorten it even a week". While selfish, I'm convinced myself and the gun nuts in my phones contacts could possibly keep bartlein employed on our own....

 

[L.Sherm]

I guess that's where a company decides whether they want to retain a customer and all of the future barrels they will buy and also recommend to others. I think they have gotten so backlogged that CS does not need to be a priority anymore.

Theres one thing I learned when I worked for a barrel company talking to customers, 98% of the time the problem was it was nothing they did why it shot bad, didn't cleaned up as expected and so forth, 97% of the time it was the customers fault for a variety of reasons.

 

[Muddyboots]

I was under impression that airing out customer business disagreements were against LRH policies. Curious if this is true. Seems in past, threads were shut down quickly. I would like clarification.

@Chris: can you comment in this statement?