Have any of you dealt with them before? I emailed them last week asking for a quote on a gun project. They emailed back requesting me to phone in.

So today I phoned as they are closed on Monday. A man answered the phone and when I explained to him I was looking for a quote on a gun project he screamed "NOT INTERESTED!" at me and slammed the phone in my ear.



Is this any way to do business?

Hey, Ann, how's the Whitworth project going? Can you post some photos yet?...

I have several of my own VZ-24s in process and a barreling job for a friend...I'll post a photo in a few minutes.

Sorry about the guys at Classic.....guess they aren't into doing business!

here's pics as promised. There is also a FN action that isn't in the photo as it's currently hunting with a friend in Canada somewhere...

~Ann--

Please take a look at this company. They were prompt and open with suggestions on my rifle and I am still months, maybe a year, out until needing them.

R. G. S. Restorations, Inc.

Ann,
I have used them recently. They color cased a low wall action for me and did a bang up great job. They did a similarly excellent job coloring an action for a friend. Both of us got our work done in very timely fashion (like < 10 days)

Ken Hurst - a gun engraver in the Carolinas uses them extensively and regularly reports not just good, but great things about them.

So, I don't know what you ran into, but sounds pretty weird and definitely not in line with what many of us in the old single-shot world have found.

Depending on your rifle, you might consider a whole bunch of places, but I'm only versed on single-shot specialists, although many of them do other types of actions as well.

Good luck,
Brent

Hey Ann, Any chance that you might have gotten the wrong phone number when you called?

Had a lady call me 5 times one night trying to locate someone. I was fairly patient the first 3 times and it went down hill from there.

I'm pretty sure I got the right number, the guy answered "Classic". He sounded irritated from the start.

Vapo- No photos yet, I am almost done with the rifle, I was going to see about having Classic rust blue the barrel and case color the action, bolt and grip cap. Others here had made good recommendations for the company but I am astounded and dismayed by the phone call.

333_OKH- I'll contact your recommended company and see if they would like to discuss my project.

Maybe they just couldn't handle a "girl" with a question about a serious rifle project?

There are three cranky old fellows that work in that shop.

Try calling back and ask for John, he's the most personable.

They are about 15 minutes from my house, I've had them color case a couple of things - you wouldn't believe the amount of work they receive every day from across the country.

quote:

333_OKH- I'll contact your recommended company and see if they would like to discuss my project.

~Ann

For Great hunting destinations:

I have not personally had a rifle worked on by them, but I was referred to them by a customer that has a fabulous rifle they worked on. In chatting with them they were very nice and ready to help.

Sounds like you got them on a "bad day". It ought be worth one more try.
Pete

PJ-

After the slammer phone call I emailed them back and asked why they wanted me to phone them if all they planned on doing was telling me they weren't interested in such a rude way. They could have said 'no thanks' in the first email where I described my rifle and what I was looking to have done in detail.

No one has responded to the second email which by-the-way has my phone number contained within.

Besides, if they are that cranky I sure wouldn't want them "taking it out" on my rifle. It's best I find a company more receptive to quality work and customer service and likes girls.

Us ladies may only be 15% of the hunting community but we do have rifles, etc.

Ann-

If you use R.G.S. Resoration please let me know what you think about thier work and service.

Update:

A nice fellow named John phoned me yesterday and apologized for his partner's behavior. We had a good conversation and discussed my project, he made some recommendations. I will probably end up sending my rifle there.

Stay tuned!

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Update:

A nice fellow named John phoned me yesterday and apologized for his partner's behavior. We had a good conversation and discussed my project, he made some recommendations. I will probably end up sending my rifle there....

Hey Ann, I want to wish you the best of luck " if " you do send it to them.

Two things irritate me, rudness and stupidity. Normally when someone sets that tone, I do my best to return it, but prefer not to get into that mode.

In my first post, I really thought you somehow managed to just get the wrong folks. Now that you know for sure you did get them, it is a whole different situation.

Based on that, I'd hunt with a rock before I'd send those rude and stupid fools anything I owned. But that is just me. Best of luck with the fools.

Ann, I hope it works out for you. I feel the wrong partner made the apology for it to really mean anything.

If it were me I'd agree with Hot Core. If they were rude with me and acted like they didn't want my business they wouldn't get it. Maybe John will do the work. Maybe the other guy on his off day. Or while he is pi$$ed off because you raised the issue. I would look for someone else.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Update:

A nice fellow named John phoned me yesterday and apologized for his partner's behavior.

Obviously someone read this thread and told them the damage they have done and they decided to correct the situation and for this it seems like a win win situation.

We all make mistakes don't we!

Best of luck Ann and be sure to post pics when you can.....I'm looking foreward to it.

I'd be leary of dealing with them unless they ALL sound contrite and offer a sweetheart deal.

FWIW, Anne doesn't need a rock to hunt with as long as she's got sticks and string.

They are not for me!

Hi all, The man who called you Ann is John Gillette and I couldn't ask for a nicer guy to work with. The man you probably talked to was Al who had been having a tough time with cancer --- I assure you he wasn't "pissed off" un-quote. I have been doing business with them for about eight years -- sent many clients and other dealers to them & this is the first time I have ever heard a bad word about them. Oh yeah, the computer is at another address/home and John doesn't use it as he isn't computer savy. By all means , send your project to whome ever you chose. For me, I'll continue sending the approx. 25-45 guns a year that needs color case work to them. They have given me the best work and service I have ever had in my 49 years of engraving guns full time. I have sent best grade Eng. doubles ( "one only Purdey" , Bosses - Lang - Farq. - Holland & Holland & etc. as well as Single shot rifles & a few bolt actions. Never had I ever had to hard fit parts due to warpage. FWIW, Ken

It dosnt matter who made the apology it was made. That is good enough for me. The fact that the guy was having a bad day and treated his customer poorly is not good but certainly not the end of the world. His partner has made the appropriate response and tried to set things right. It is the quality of the work I am interested in not one mans personality. Not that it is an excuse, it sounds like AL has a lot on his plate right now and we all can behave badly when over stressed so give him a break. John sounds like a gentleman and a pleasure to work with so which do you give more value to? Enough said.

Man, in reading these posts I can see almost everyone on this board has never had a bad day, made a mistake, done something that in hindsight required an appology, never said a cross word to your spouse/significant other, jumped to a conclusion without having all of the facts, and a mulititude of other sins that we mere mortals commit every day.

I sure do hope that if I read enough posts here on AR I can live my life to such a high standard. For now, the best I can do is to keep screwing up all of the time and then appologizing later when I realize I was wrong.

Ann: I am glad to hear that someone at Classic Arms was interested in customer service and took time to speak with you politely about your project. Ken Hurst's recommendation rates at the top of my book.
Marc: We all have bad days and make mistakes. I can't blame Ann for being perplexed by that first encounter she had as a customer. The fact that she took the trouble to ask others about this outfit shows to me that she was quite willing to be understanding. Now please excuse me as it is early in the morning here in Oregon and I have a full schedule of screwups, frailties and bad (and thinning) hair to attend to ...
;-)
Bill

Hello,
If not comfortable with the folks you mentioned, give Doug Turnbull a call @ DTR Inc.

They have done retoration work and color casehardening work for me and others and believe their quality of work is first cabin in all respects. Just a suggestion.

quote:

Man, in reading these posts I can see almost everyone on this board has never had a bad day, made a mistake, done something that in hindsight required an appology, never said a cross word to your spouse/significant other, jumped to a conclusion without having all of the facts, and a mulititude of other sins that we mere mortals commit every day.

Marc, We all make mistakes. My issue is the guy that made the mistake didn't take ownership. If you say a cross word to the wife and never say you are sorry but one of the kids says it for you. Does it clear the air with the wife???? Not around my house. The guy that was the jerk should have owned up to it not his partner.

For me if I have two or more places that can do the work and one wants my business and one is cross and acts like they are doing me a favor by working for me. I'll go to the guy that wants my work every time. If the guy is an a$$hole before he gets my business what will he be if there is a problem or question later????

as a person who suffers from serious medical conditions that will only get worse until I die, I am in a position to understand what likely happened. Medications that let us put off the last day by several years can and often have very bad side effects. And not taking medications can lead to pain that literally brings tears to a grown man's eyes.

I sincerely hope you, or anyone else, are never in the position to have first-hand knowledge of this. After I gained first-hand knowledge of these things, I started seeing the world and its inhabitants in a different light. Things that irked me before became trivial when viewed from the new prospective. Before bad news came, a lot of things bothered me that are not even a blip on the radar screen today. This is the first I have ever said anything about it and will never do so again.

I don't give a damn who you use. I have met and spent a little time with Doug Turnbull. He does great work and is funny as hell when he is just kicked back and chilling out. I was going to send one action to Classic to see what it was like after they annealed it. Have not gotten to that stage of the project yet and am not sure what I do. Not because some one hung up on a prospect, but because I may feel like I was screwing DT.

Ramrod, would you feel better if Al called you and Miss Ann an appologized for his behavior due to the cancer and effects of Chemo ? If you are indeed that thin skined and shallow, I will call him and forward the request. Seems you are the only one on this thread that doesn't make allowances for ill health and I sincerely hope you are never in that position. If you are, I also sincerely hope others would be more forgiving and understanding toward you. I can only hope I am wrong in my assestment of the meaning of your comment regarding Al not calling. I'm not sure but he could have been home sick --- well, we don't really know do we ?

To those on the positive side of this topic, Please excuse my comments if you feel them overstated. I too have been very ill and had to work as I'm sure many of you have. I would also would like to commend you on your understanding the depth of the situation regardless of wether you send work to Classic or not. You have given me a higher opinion of your character.

Thank you, Ken

quote:

Ramrod, would you feel better if Al called you and Miss Ann an appologized for his behavior due to the cancer and effects of Chemo

Ken, You don't have a clue. I lost my 7 year old son to a brain tumor. I sat and watched him in pain that drugs wouldn't stop and held him while he died.
I just lost my dad to bone cancer yes I know what pain is. I also had a 9 month fight trying to stop an infection from taking my sterum. I had my chest opened 4 times having it packed with guaze 3 times a day for most of that 9 months. Would any of that be an excuse me for being an A$$. In my opinion it doesn't.


Life is too short to put up with rude people that don't want my business when there are other people that do.

I don't know who Al is. I'm sorry he is sick. I simply stated my opinion that an appology made by someone else didn't mean much. I attacked no one. I simply choose to disagree.

Ramrod , You have indeed syffered more than most people thru sickness and mental anguish ---- even to loosing a child. I have no ides of how terrible a lost that must be and I am truly sorry for your loss !! From the tenure of your reply , I can easily recognize you are a person of breeding and character. That I mis-judged your comment --- for this unintended respomse to your post I too appologise.

Of course, you have a right to your opinion as I do. In this matter , I think there is no right or wrong. We simply choose to walk in different directions. However, I think I would excuse/forgive you if I felt slighted by a comment especially if you were under duress. I choose to answer you on this forum rather than in private so that I might publicly say I mis-judged your meaning & regret not considering that your motive wasn't intended to be cruel . I would hope for the same response from you if I was called out as you were. Again, my appoligies. Ken

Ken,
I feel that enough has been said on the entire issue. Thank you for your thoughts.

Hey Ken, Any chance that Classic Guns Inc is located in YANKEE Land?

Classic Guns is in Breecher Illinois.

They do superb work.

Brent

quote:

Originally posted by Brent:
Classic Guns is in Breecher Illinois....

Hey Brent, Thank you.

That shot that notion out of the sky.

Beecher, not Breecher.

quote:

Originally posted by fireball168:
Beecher, not Breecher.

Dang, I was worried about that but gambled - wrong again.

Brent