I got me a remington action, would like to build me a semi-custom rifle. Any opinions on ER Shaw? Talked to them and the price is more than fair. Any body dealt with them before? Thanks , Arkie
Posts: 52 | Location: Arkansas, USA | Registered: 06 January 2004
Maybe Grandview will see this and come on and tell you about E. R. Shaw. If not, do a search. There are those who like them, and those who don't. One complaint is that they tend to do things their way rather than the way the customer wants them done. If you are a person who wishes to get something done for a bit cheaper and can live with the seller being the boss rather than the customer being the boss, then you may like your experience with E. R. Shaw. (I have a 7 x 57 Shaw on a mauser action that is very nice) (and Jon Sundra likes them very much as well)
That is SOP for many, not all, vendors. You buy their product, then get it included in a published article, they refund the purchase price. For more well known writers the deal may be even sweeter.
Also, think about the fact that SHAW advertises a lot in the mags he writes in. If the publisher wants to keep getting those ad dollars it might be in their best interest to write a favorable article on the product. There is a fine line between article and advertorial these days.
Arkie, as to the quality of his barrels, I don't have a clue. As to trying to talk or ask questions of that worthless POS I wouldn't waste a phone call. There are plenty of other quality barrels and good people to deal with.
Posts: 1605 | Location: Wa. State | Registered: 19 November 2001
Shaw fills a nessesary niche. I have one of their bbls on a M-98, the barrel isnt nearly as bad as some make them sound. For the money it is a decent product, just dont use them if you want it anytime soon. Mine took several months to get and I agree that once your order is placed, any complaints will fall on deaf ears.
It would be a vast improvment if their customer service was as as acceptable as their product. Let me re-phrase that, it would be nice if they offered customer service as it is non-existent. What they have is customer detainment. If you can deal with that and dont mind waiting half a year, (mine was actually longer than that) then like I said, they fill a nich that no one else does.
Posts: 10188 | Location: Tooele, Ut | Registered: 27 September 2001
I have had phone conversations with ERShaw, Douglas, and MontanaRiflemen regarding rebarreling projects in the last month.
I would strongly agree that ERShaw should be avoided, and that for $75-150 more you will get better, more friendly service elsewhere. It is worth the cost.
Regards
Posts: 57 | Location: North Georgia Mtns | Registered: 31 December 2003
I've never dalt w/ Shaw, but customer serv. is important to me. I have been buying PacNor bbl. lately & am happy w/ the quality & serv. They are only about $100 more.
Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001
Fellas, thanks for the advice. I did talk to a fella at ER Shaw and he seemed to be very helpful and couteous. This will be my first step into a semi-custom rifle. What caught my eye about Shaw was their prices , espciaaly for installing the barrel to the action.But on the other hand I don't want to wait too long to get my rifle back either. Have also looked at Kreiger,and know they make a good product as well, but the installation of the barrel is more than the cost of the barrel.Could you guys throw out some prices on the cost and mounting from whoever you had make your barrels? i rekon good service is worth an extra 100.00 bucks., would like to hunt with it this coming deer season. Thanks, Arkie.
Posts: 52 | Location: Arkansas, USA | Registered: 06 January 2004
The way I look at it, if cost is that much of a concern get a factory rifle. A custom or semi custom should be based more on getting what YOU want than on what budget allows. Obviously we all have a budget, but if you were interested in going the cheapest route you wouldn't be customizing. Think about it this way too, if you have to wait six extra months by opting for the less expensive route, then you may as well save some more $$ for the same amount of time. After that then you'll have the extra $$ pay to have what you really want done. Just my 2�.
Posts: 4865 | Location: Lakewood, CO | Registered: 07 February 2002
Quote: The way I look at it, if cost is that much of a concern get a factory rifle. A custom or semi custom should be based more on getting what YOU want than on what budget allows. Obviously we all have a budget, but if you were interested in going the cheapest route you wouldn't be customizing. Think about it this way too, if you have to wait six extra months by opting for the less expensive route, then you may as well save some more $$ for the same amount of time. After that then you'll have the extra $$ pay to have what you really want done. Just my 2�.
That is all fine and good if there is an over the counter rifle that fills your desires, personally I prefer a Semi-custom for about the same cost.
Posts: 10188 | Location: Tooele, Ut | Registered: 27 September 2001
What do you call a semi-custom? It sounds to me like you are recommending a factory rifle that you take the barrel off of and then install new barrel of exacly the same quality and then pay a bunch more for blueing that already existed on the factory barrel. What's the point if you don't upgrade the quality?
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003
I don't know where you came up with that SOP. I've been in the outdoor writing business for about 32 years now and I've never heard of it before. It is certainly true that the magazines try their best to keep their advertisers and woo new ones. Advertising income is the source of survival for the magazine. In an effort to do that, magazine management will rarely publish critical information about an advertisers product. Rather than do that, they will simply not publish anything.
While I don't personally agree with that philosophy, never have and never will, that is a simple fact of life today. My colleagues and I either have to accept that fact or take up some other profession.
With respect to E.R. Shaw barrels, I have owned three of them, two for Ruger 10-22 rifles and one for a Ruger Nr. 1 in 30-378 chambering. All three barrels I've had made by them were just fine. More than that, I cannot say.
Tom
Posts: 48 | Location: Sierra Vista, AZ | Registered: 24 August 2002
Here is some ER Shaw actual experience. 4 or 5 years ago I had Shaw rebarrel a model 700 Remington, into a 35 Whelen. It is a real "Tack driver" with many three shot groups going into one hole, using either a Speer 250 grain hot core, or a Nosler 225 Ballistic tip. I was so happy with the Whelen, I deceided to have them build a 6.5-06 for me on a springfield action. This rifle has been a real pain in the butt. They cut the freebore so long I finally had to have the chamber recut, so I could seat my bullets close to the lands, the barrel fouls very easily and is a pain to clean, and get this: when I asked them about the overly long throat, the said it was to SAAMI spec. To the best of my knowledge their is no "spec" for this wild cat.
No matter, IMHO you can eliminate the CRAP SHOOT I have had, by going with Pac-Nor, Kreiger, etc.
Jerry, thanks for the info. I am leaning toward Krieger for my project gun, have not heard any bad press concerning them. Would like to put a heavey bull sporter on a 700 action, chambered in 06 of course.I don't have anything against Shaw, have never used them or any one on a re-barrel project. I'm sure everyone puts out a lemon now and then, and i imagine that would be very frustrating to have that happen with all of the BS you would have to go thru.Kreiger seems to be a safer bet. Take Care.
Posts: 52 | Location: Arkansas, USA | Registered: 06 January 2004
Can't say i know much about shaw,Do know something about kreiger,But lets not brush off Dan Pedersen's BBL, They are very good,It seems not a lot of people know about him yet. I think he will be pretty well known soon.Another good barrel maker.
