I spoke to a certain Tom at HS Precision again after testing the rifle and he seemed very concerned and said he would speak to Bignami to find out what happened.
He spoke of getting the rifle back (unfortunately via Bignami) to their facility for evaluation of the problem and eventual resolution.
I have also finally been contacted via e-mail so I have an easier method of corresponding with them.
The email I got was from Todd, the man I dealt with from the beginning and I have written a lengthy response entailing what I feel and what I would like.
He also mentioned he was disturbed I didn't call him about the rifle once it came back, which I did, and we spoke about it at length.
Here is the letter I wrote them;
Hi Todd,
I have recieved your e-mail. I would like to hear what Bignami has to say about the rifle never being sent to you.
I find it disturbing that you do not recall our phone conversation. I called you immediately after receiving the rifle back from Bignami and explained to you that it had not in fact come back to HS. I also explained that via the repair receipt that I was able to speak to the smith who carried out the reparation and that he had only screwed the barrel back in, without checking the threads, headspacing or testing the rifle. You suggested I try it out and hope that it might shoot well once again.
I called back after testing the rifle. Now that the rifle doesn't hold your .5MOA guarantee, while you may remember that previous to the incident it shot much better than .5MOA with a test target of .178MOA and my best being .25MOA.
After speaking to Tom he suggested I try it once again with the Federal Gold Medal Match 168gn ammunition but since I have now dismantled the scope and mounts that may take more time again, time I am not willing to waste.
As you know well I am not happy at all about this situation.
I purchased this rifle around October of 2004.
I started shooting it in April of 2005 when I got the rings, bases and scope.
It was around August 2004 that the barrel came loose.
I got it back around April 2006.
I got 4 months of shooting out the rifle in two years.
This is not reasonable.
In this time I have made numerous phone calls, sent e-mails, (never answered because I was always told "that e-mail isn't working") sent faxes (told the fax form the site doesn't work) and for all this had absolutely no satisfaction.
Honestly I do not have much faith that Bignami will send the rifle back, if they are prepared to simply replace the rifle that would suffice in solving the problem for me, leaving the problem to them to deal with considering that they were the cause of all this aggro and the two companies (HS & Bignami) can work who went wrong.
Even in the event that they do agree to take the rifle in and send it to you, going on experience I know I will not see the rifle for many months or possiblly a year taking into account the export/import/export/import procedures as well as the Italian testing bank on it's re-entry not to mention repair times and dead time in transit and processing.
From the very beginning, from when the rifle arrived to me I have kept a sort of diary on various internet forums. I have been very fair and objective giving praise where due and criticism where deserved.
I think you should have a look for yourself, there are many thousands of views and replies, around 5000 last time I counted. Not to mention that my signature line contains the links to each thread with the phrase "one very DISSATISFIED customer of HS PRECISION" this means that it appears in each and every post and reply I have ever posted, also prior to changing the signature line and in unrelated threads. This in turn means that the number of people who have seen this story unfold is many, many thousands.
Many of them are understandably negative toward HS and many people in the market for firearms stated they would not be buying form HS in light of what they have seen happen.
This record of all that has occurred can work to you favour.
It is also a good record of each of our phone conversations, which you may have forgotten over time. I supply you with the links so you can check it out of yourself and refresh your memory and see what people are saying about HS Precision quality control and customer service.
HS Precision or Bignami are in the position to make good on all of this and I will dutifully post all positive and negative results there.
Please read all of the links carefully, you owe it to me to at least take the time to read everything considering how much time and money I have wasted on this matter.
Good day to you,
Attilio Marra.
1st range session-
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...=true#Post45057
Range session –
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...=true#Post45192
1st quality control issue –
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...=true#Post45112
read the last post of the page -
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...part=3&vc=1
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...part=4&vc=1
quality control thread -
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...rt=all&vc=1
Quality control revisited -
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...true#Post120830
quality control rant -
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...rt=all&vc=1
quality control rant and history -
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3411043/m/491104074?r=953101145#953101145
quality control rant and history -
http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/s...0&fpart=all