Cabelas mishap- opinions

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My concern would be the sale of a gun not marked for the true chamber profile. What competent gunsmith would fail to mark the change with a simple AI or Ackley Imp? I suspect that Cabela's / Bass Pro Shop was unaware of the modification. They are uniquely able to follow it back to the source and perhaps see where the modification came from but sometimes guns come from auctions or chain of custody is interrupted. A court would have to consider whether or not a seller is obligated to ascertain chamber dimensions, and I suspect that other than perhaps a headspace check, the answer would be no.

The merits of 30-30 AI have been discussed here and other places in the past. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...kley-improved-chamber-tumbling-bullet.822479/ The OP should now confirm whether the chamber is actually 30-30 AI or not, and either enjoy the benefits or sell the gun with proper disclosure.
 
I am not sure what Cabela's was supposed to do. The OP was outside the return window and didn't fully evaluate the gun during that timeframe. The gun was marked for .30-30, and had every appearance of being a .30-30.

Are they supposed to chamber cast, test fire, and measure cases on every rifle they receive?

When I bought a .455 Colt New Service from local Cabela's, I thoroughly function checked it, allowed them to attempt a timing repair, and returned it all in the prescribed window.
 
I'd slug the chamber, confirm it's an AI, load for such and be happy that I bought something more rare for less than what it's worth. But that's just me.

I'd skip trying to deal with Cabela's. You missed the window on the return. Even if it is marked wrong, they will say you had the time and failed to check. They won't budge. If it's something you can't live with post it for sale here, I imagine you can get at least what you paid, maybe more.
 
I do not believe Cabellas or most any used gun reseller has a return policy at all?? (nor new guns)

That said, if you really do not want the rifle and it was not marked with the correct caliber (how did you determine it wasn't) Then I would make a major complaint to upper Management and imply legal action blah blah blah.
Implying bodily injury death or whatever.;)

https://cabelas.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1052

*OUR STANDARD 60-DAY RETURN POLICY DOES NOT APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
  • Firearms, black-powder guns, ammunition, gunpowder, primers, treestands or ANY type of mouth call may not be returned due to safety considerations.
 
In recent past, Cabela's has provided a "no hassle" return policy for used guns do to their trigger lock policy making it practically impossible to function check a gun in store. Being chambered for a different round than marked would be obviously included in this, but you have to act within the timeframe.
 
If it were me I would shoot it, save the brass, get a set of dies, reload and shoot some more. If you don't like it then put it up for sale with notice that's it's an AI or trade it off. Fighting Cabela's over this is probably going nowhere and they are willing to lose one customer's business. Holler all you want about Cabela's business practices but most people are not going to change their buying practices. If I had the least bit of interest in 30-30 chambered rifles I would offer to buy it but I don't.
 
The liability involved in selling a gun that wasn't chambered for the round stamped on the rifle should be their major concern. What if they sold a firearm that had been rechambered from the original caliber and blew up injuring or killing the new owner by shooting ammo that wasn't compatible with modified chamber? The OP didn't intend on purchasing an 30-30AI, he wanted a standard 30-30 but didn't get what he paid for. It was Cabela's mistake and not the buyer's, they should correct their mistake.
 
The 30-30 head spaces on the rim so it is safe to shoot & should be just as accurate. However I think the rifle is much less valuable as it would be if it was unmodified. I hope you got a good deal on it because it is not worth much to a collector.
 
I bought a Ruger 77- 22Hornet at an auction a month ago. Took it home and fired 5 rounds. Picking up the brass I noticed they looked different. Then it hit me, I got a K- Hornet. Looked a little closer at the barrel stamp and there it was 22 Hornet k. I missed seeing the k when I looked it over before I bought it. I was perfectly happy with my surprise.
 
Antihero said:
Realistically though......the value of the improved is likely less than the standard loading
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I was going to disagree with you, but changed my mind after I though about it. I myself would rather have a 30-30 AI than a 30-30 Winchester, but I'm an avid handloader, and I prefer non-standard cartridges anyway. Witness my user name - .308 Norma. Now I know darned well that my 308 Norma Mag won't do anything a regular old 300 Win Mag won't do, but it's what I wanted when I had it built.
On the other hand, a 30-30 AI is not nearly as common as a regular old 30-30 Winchester, AND it would give me around 200fps more with 170gr bullets. So I'd like it, but that's just me.;)
 
Kevin Rohrer said:
Does anyone know if 30-30AI equals .308 or 30/06 power?
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Naw, I don't think so. My Cartridges of the World book says you can drive a 170gr bullet from a 30-30 AI at around 2,300fps. But my Speer Manual says you can drive a 165gr bullet from a 308 Winchester at better than 2,700fps. And I know from personal experience that I can kick that same 165gr bullet out of my 30-06 at better than 2,800fps.
I'd still like to have a 30-30 AI though. I think it would be fun to develop a load for even if I never used it for anything.;)
 
230RN said:
While the .30-30 can be fired in that chamber for fireforming, it is my recollection that velocities can be lots lower and pretty variable so accuracy (and the trajectory) suffers. Thus that first fireforming firing is largely a waste of ammunition.

I would almost be willing to bet that the owner who sold the gun to Cabela's was not aware of the niceties and did not really realize the ejected cases were diifferent and turned the gun in because it had crappy crappy crappy accuracy with the store-boughten .30-30 ammo he probably used.

(I got ten bucks even odds on that one. If both our crystal balls are accurate.)

Terry, 230RN
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Not true in the real world.

When I shot my pre-`64 Model 70 in .30-06 AI, I expected the cheap Federal .30-06 rounds I bought for it to be a waste of time in sighting in the new scope I mounted and to just simply get me in the ballpark in anticipation of my actual AI loads.

In reality, the factory Federal load was more accurate than almost all of my custom loads and just shot about an inch and a half low.

Fc8eYyX0SYSx45SPwHV0yw.jpg

As to the OP, I agree that Cabela's screwed up and owes him a refund. But I would also be thrilled to get an AI rifle when I thought I was getting a regular chambering.
 
I understand your discomfort over this being mislabeled or unknowingly buying something you didn't expect. But I for one would probably consider it a happy accident. It still shoots factory 30-30 safely, so at the end of the day you're not really 'out' anything and you can tinker with the additional case capacity if you so choose.

FWIW, if you found it on the used rack at Cabelas, I'm sure they simply marked the tag according to the caliber stamp on the barrel. Likely no deceit intended. Play the 'squeaky wheel' enough and you can probably get it remedied, but I'm not sure I'd bother...
 
As much as others think it's a happy accident, it could have just as easily been a "not so happy" accident. The OP's intent was for a 30-30, pre-64, lever action. That's the way it was stamped, and tagged. Had he wanted a 30-30 AI, and was happy with it, he likely would not have posted here. I believe he needs to continue to pursue this through Cabela's. I would have to think it this had been a Kaboom situation, Cabela's would be on the hook for that, so why not for this? They sold a mis-marked gun. While I do understand that they, as well, likely went based on the barrel stamp, I see no foul for Cabela's to simply accept the rifle back, issue a credit, re-mark the barrel and hang tag, and return it to the shelf, maintaining a happy customer and allowing them to sell the rifle to someone looking for a 30-30 AI.....
 
Palladan44 said:
I purchased what I thought was a .30-30 pre 64
lever action Winchester Model 94 from used rack at Cabelas. I was happy with it for the money. It was advertised and tagged as a 30-30. The barrel is rollmarked 30 WCF (What the .30-30 was called prior to 1950 or so) so it looked great to me.... I missed a subtle detail though....

The bore had been rechambered at some point, to a 30-30 AI. Stands for Ackley Improved. The cartridge has sharper shoulders for greater case capacity and headspacing. Rifles were modified by gunsmiths to this chambering on occasion.

Since i wasnt expecting this, i was a little disappointed. Tried to return it, but it was refused because it was beyond the 30 or 60 day return policy. I argued they sold me a rifle in a caliber that wasnt accurate, but they denied anyways. (Guy on the phone at the gun counter said)
Should i try and plead my case to some Cabelas Higher ups?? Scary thing is, if it was rechambered to a different caliber, and wrong ammunition is used, someone could get seriously hurt.

Do we think this is right? Or is this my fault?
Buy a used gun, and you get what you get?? Buyer beware? Moral of the story, look at the shoulder angle of the breech, it might be modified to another chambering.

Thinking about reloading for this caliber someday, brass is fire formed easily and safely out of 30,30. It just caught me by surprise.
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Don't let them get away it. I got screwed by the same folks on another used gun. Check your state rules about altering a firearm (all of this you can do on Google), fraud applies to everyone. File in civil court in the town it was committed in with a dollar value to the award. You may get treble damages.....who knows. Filing is not that expensive and you can do it yourself. They will have to defend it or spend their lawyers time appealing. At 200 (at least) per hour, they probably won't like it. Put down in your own words the smart ass remarks of their employees.
Don't let this happen. They take full responsibility as a third party vendor so sic em
 
I agree it sounds like you found a pearl in your oyster, but Cabela’s should have stood behind their sale and tried to emerge with a satisfied customer. It is going to be a little expensive if the policy calls for taking chamber casts of every used gun bought from Cabela’s in the future ... especially the revolvers. Thanks for sharing your story, I learn something new every day (today it was this AI thing)!
 
TimRB said:
Wait--are you saying it took several YEARS for you to discover the chambering difference?

Tim
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No. I noticed about 60 days later, when i first fired it. Tried to call and was shot down on the phone as explained. It has sat ever since, and I forgot about it. Maybe this thread is more hypothetical "should have or could have done" But looking to get it out of my safe to be honest with you, and it isnt really sellable.
 
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