What ever happen to the express rifle company? since teenut passed away no one ever posted agin, are they still around?

BIG AL

I spoke to them on Wednesday. They are still in the process of getting the FFLs and paperwork transferred from Robert Bastow's name to theirs.
No date set yet, but they hope to be up and running in 2-3 months.

George

DAMN!!! What happened to Tee Nut?

Cancer ate him.

I posted this in February.

I stopped by Express Rifle Co. today to find out what was going on since the unfortunate death of Robert Bastow.
The employees have bought the company and intend to drive ahead with the rifle-building project.
The new General Manager is Matthew Smith and the sales/technical associate is Sande Bailes. They are going through the ATF licensing process to change the name over from Robert to Matthew. Both of them are extremely nice and really look forward to continuing Robert�s dream of building rifles. The rest of the crew are all equally as nice and well seasoned machinists. The first models to come out will be marked, The Robert Bastow �Teenut� Special Edition. I really think that is classy!!
They are currently taking orders and will build the rifles made to order, both left and right hand models. Contact them for more details.
Sande told me that Mrs. Bastow received over 5,000 e-mails expressing condolences and was responding to them. That shows the bond between hunters and shooters around the world and almost made me choke up a little!
Michael Sera is doing the final design work. Sande said that Robert spent his last days going over drawings and discussing the rifle plans with Michael and that they are ready to put the wheels in motion.
I gave them the websites for the two or three places I saw Robert post and if you are reading this than this site was one of them! They will be coming online to keep us up to date or will be e-mailing/calling me to post updates.
I think everyone should let them know how much we look forward to their rifles and show them some support! Some of the employees have turned down other, safer, jobs and put it on the line for this company they now own. I for one appreciate that a lot and can�t wait to place my own order.
The company is a full-fledged tool and die machine shop and is sustaining itself buy doing that type of work. To order, tell them how much you appreciate them, or just to give them some encouragement e-mail:
msera@mindspring.com
Mike
Mrs. Bastow started this webpage in Teenut�s memory also!!

http://teenut.homestead.com/teenut.html

I have had a terrible experience with the Express Rifle Company and I would recommend against anyone having any business relationship with them, their sister company Express Tool and Die, or the present owner Mathew Smith.

In August, 2000 I paid Robert Bastow a deposit of $1050 for two barreled actions. He was to deliver the actions in November.

November passed and he said he would deliver in December. December passed and I contacted him again in January. He said that they were on the verge of having all of the problems worked out and that he would be able to deliver the barreled actions.

A week later he died.

His widow Ellen Bastow promised to "make it right" with me. But she sold the Express Rifle Company to Mathew Smith who assumed its debts.

Since February, 2001, I have been requesting a refund of my $1050 deposit. It turns out that the Express Rifle Company still does not have its license from the BATF and in any event will not be licensed to produce anything with a bore diameter over .500. Both of the barreled actions I ordered would have a bore diameter greater than .500 so it is a legal impossibility for the Express Rifle Company to deliver my order. And they are now 6 months late.

Mathew Smith has admitted to me that he owes the deposit to me and has repeatedly promised to pay all or part of it. However, over time I have learned that he is just making excuses, telling lies and giving me the runaround. Consequently, I have concluded that he is a dishonest person and I would recommend against doing any business with him.

Further, I am in the process of writing a criminal complaint to the BATF for Mr. Smith's participation in the following:

1. taking firm orders for barreled actions without a proper license from the BATF
2. taking orders for barreled actions that any future BATF license issued to the Express Rifle Company will not cover
3. participation in the construction of a complete rifle, from receiver up, without the proper BATF license.

I will request that the BATF investigate and prosecute as appropriate.

posted 05-21-2001 17:33
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500grains,
Sorry to hear that you have not yet gotten the financial dealing with Mr. Barstow's survivors straightened out. It sounds to me like they do want to do so. I would think that you would give them a chance, since you are far more likely to get full restitution voluntarily than any other way. Small claims court would be a distant second.

Until today it would have been hard for me to believe that anyone on this board would call the BATF on anyone. They will not get you your money, they will probably be itching to kill someone just to prove they can do it and get away with it, and you have no idea what you are starting, or where it will stop. Are you safe? They'll possibly be looking at you, too.

Aside from all the paranoia, I have a real problem with the Teenut action in that instead of being broached the C-rings are threaded into the action and soldered or glued or some such riggin.....thats why they are so cheap for a double square bridge...This process was described to JBelk and Bill Dowtin who told me about it, We decided we'd pass on that....If something is too good to be true, it usually is....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray,

Initially a few of us in Australia were interested in the action, especially 2 left handers.

A bit of investigation etc. and all was put on hold.

How someone can claim fould because they put down $1050 and want gov't help is the type of thing that causes us all our problems.

If we could see the problem from Australia...................then

Mike