Going to be a long thread.
I had an issue Beretta refused to resolve and C. Jones at a WI Scheels took care of me and took care of the issue Beretta was supposed to.
A bit on me first, I started in a local sports shop at age 14, later military during the 70s and some years after that I worked for a Midwest outfittter for a decade, where I was a firearms as well as reloading specialist.
My issue with Beretta:
In 2022 I decided to pick up a LR coyote rig. After visiting the various websites I discovered Tikka was offering their .243 WIN with a 1/8" twist barrel. Perfect I figured so I called Tikka(rerouted to Beretta) and spoke with a sales specialist. Yep "all Tikka .243 are being shipped with 1/8" barrels".
No tikka were available locally at the end of 2022 so I waited. In March 2023 I saw Scheels had gotten one in but the barrel wasn't stamped 1/8". I went home and again called Beretta back "243 are all 1/8" I was told, so I bought it.
Saved for the scope and in late Oct 23 I set it up for hunting. I decided to see just how well a 108 Eld-M shot from the rifle.
Darn if it didn't hit the target at 50yds oblong. So I went home and measured the twist, consistently measuring 1/9.5-1/9.7".
I called Beretta, was given a bit of a runaround but was told I could have them look at it in the spring after I was done coyotes (2024). A few months before I sent it off I again called Beretta and this lady was quite kind, stated any non standard twist should be stamped on the barrel, I confirmed it was not at which time she looked up my serial #. She told me the date of mfg (7/22) and that it indeed had a 1/10" twist, but not to worry, I could send it in after I was done hunting and that they likely would just put on a new barrel; which I was good with. So around a month ago I sent it in, they said it shot great with 95gr SST flat base, something I told them in the letter. The gun was returned back to me stating I need to use the 95 gr flat base bullet going forward, as well as that the twist was 1/8".
I again re-measured the twist and came up 1/9.7".
I waited a few days and I again called Beretta, and told them that I had measured it when I got it back and that it isn't a 1/8" twist.. They stated that it is a 1/8" twist and it shot great with the 95gr flat base SST and that I needed to shoot that load only going forward.
They tested nothing heavier, or any other loading. I asked how they determined the twist, a cast etc?
They said they didn't know because he didn't write down how he confirmed the twist in his work notes.
I stated that I specifically purchased the rifle so I could shoot High BC long range bullets. They said, well yeah, we're sorry that that didn't work out but we don't guarantee the firearm will group with everything. I said it's a bullet stabalizing issue not a group issue. He replied, our gunsmith states it's a 1/8" twist.
He then says, I'm sorry we've exhausted what we can do in this situation;
I said so what you're telling me is Im stuck with a rifle I would have never bought in the first place had I known it had a slower twist than 1/8"…… he answered, "I have exhausted all options available to you, will there be anything else today". I was a little dismayed.
So I went into Scheels for some other items a week ago and myself and C. Jones were talking about it and how badly Beretta failed.
C Jones was my original sales associate who has been aware of the calls and the return to Beretta.
He agreed and found it difficult to believe that Beretta wouldn't have made an effort even for a second opinion by one of their other gunsmiths.
He said hang on,
C Jones went and called someone, he came back told me he would order another Tikka in the same model, and they would exchange this current rifle for the one with a 1/8" twist barrel. The new Tikka was picked up tonight and it has the correct stamping of 1/8".
Steve, and the Scheel family definitely deserve a shout out, for having great policy and awesome employees that are about doing right by their customer. Scheels took care of their customer, a customer that was actually Berettas responsibility and one Beretta had no regard for.
Thank you C Jones & Scheels!!!
(In my recent searches it seems Beretta has a very bad reputation for trying to get out of warranty work).
