Does Anyone own a Cooper Model 52?

[Coal Dragger]

Well it's been one month since I bought my M52 Jackson Hunter, and Cooper Arms or UPS have now had it for a bit over 75% of that time. No word on getting it back.

If the rifle is not returned to me by one week prior to the start or South Dakota rifle deer season, I will call and ask to speak with the highest authority figure at Cooper that I can and demand a full refund for the purchase price of the rifle. This is ridiculous and I will not accept anymore delays, just thinking about this situation is infuriating me beyond reason.

 

[SwampWolf]

I don't think you're negative feelings are "beyond reason". Hi-Point treats their customers better than this for crying out loud and their products cost not much more than the shipping fees you'll pay to get your Cooper back. I might love their rifles but shame on Cooper for not making customer service a priority.

 

[JohnBT]

"75% of that time"

They've had it 3 weeks? And it's not fixed yet? A whole 3 weeks? Maybe they're waiting on a new batch of barrels or something. Or maybe the barrel guy went on a hunting trip.

The last time I called them about having a rifle built, they said it would be at least 9 months before they could get to it. I don't think they're goofing off.

John

 

[SwampWolf]

Oops-I guess I didn't do the math. JohnBT has a point; three weeks doesn't seem out of line to me either (unless Cooper led you to believe that the rifle would be returned sooner). Perhaps a little bit of communication on Cooper's part in terms of an update(s) might go a long way in assuaging the customer's understandable angst over the absence of a rifle he was counting on for an upcoming deer hunt.

 

[Coal Dragger]

They're not out of barrels, in fact the shop I bought my rifle from just received several rifles from Cooper chambered in .280 AI within the last week or so. What it boils down to is that they are more concerned with filling orders to get paid, than they are correcting problem rifles they have already sold/been paid for.

Now I realize they have a back log of work in the form of new rifles to be shipped (so they can make money), and repairs on existing rifles that have come in. However their priorities seem a bit off to me. If I had put 6,000 rounds through the rifle and burned the barrel out and sent it in for re-barreling I would understand a long wait time, seeing as how it was normal wear and tear caused by the owner. I can also understand having a backlog of work in the form of new orders, and the motivation to get them built shipped, and receive payment. What I can't understand is not giving absolute top priority to a brand new rifle, that the customer has owned for a bit less than a week, with a manufacturing defect!

If this were say an automobile and you or I bought it, drove it once, and then it had to go into the shop immediately.... in most states we could just walk away from the vehicle and void the purchase contract.

I will also try to contact First Stop Guns where I bought the rifle since they have been very helpful so far, and see if something can be worked out through them.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well I made a phone call to First Stop Guns today, since they sold me the rifle and I spoke with one of the owners who was very helpful. He called Cooper for me, and they allegedly have the rifle re-barreled and it should ship tomorrow. Unless they next day air the damn thing, it will arrive while I am out of state (on a hunting trip that I intended to use the rifle on), which will be a real treat since I'll have to make yet another trip out of my way to collect it once I get back home. With any luck UPS or FedEx will hold on to it for a week or so and not ship it back to Cooper.

Even if it does show up before I leave I will have virtually no time to remount optics, and sight in since my schedule is tight. I am lucky to even be able to get time away to go hunting out of state.

Ugh..... this experience has been very frustrating so far. This rifle better shoot phenomenally well or I am going to remain perpetually mad about this. I suppose if it shows up in time, and shoots Nosler factory ammo in 140gr Accubonds, and 160gr Partitions really really really well I'll grudgingly be satisfied.

 

[dubbleA]

Another perspective.......


So you call Cooper after finding a flaw and you get this response....

I spoke with a customer service rep/gunsmith at Cooper this morning and was informed they will re-barrel the rifle, but that there is no way they can get it done and back to me in time for deer season in Minnesota or South Dakota. I guess they must have a large back log of work. I am less than impressed.

By your own admission you disregard the conversation with Cooper's CS and send the rifle back. Now this.....

If the rifle is not returned to me by one week prior to the start or South Dakota rifle deer season, I will call and ask to speak with the highest authority figure at Cooper that I can and demand a full refund for the purchase price of the rifle. This is ridiculous and I will not accept anymore delays, just thinking about this situation is infuriating me beyond reason.

Where are the additional delays? You were told by CS that it could'nt be done and you sent the rifle back anyways and now you are infuriated?

I can understand being dissapointed in a new product that has a flaw but to expect them to drop everything they have going on and repair your rifle above everything else is a bit much. I come from a manufacturing background and if you are not a huge customer you are just another work order number.

If it were me after being told the repair could not be done with my time parameters, I would have kept the rifle, used it for the 2010 deer season(s) and then sent it back to Cooper to have the problem fixed. Having dealt with Cooper a few times I am pretty sure they asked you to do this.

With that said, I own several Cooper rifles and have nary a problem with any of them. I did send a M22 back to them for re-stocking, while in transit the muzzle/crown was damaged and they repaired it for no charge. The last Cooper I had built took 8 months from the time I ordered it. I didnt expect them to drop everything and build my rifle before other things.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

if you got the money, a Stevens 200 for $300 will outshoot it.

 

[Coal Dragger]

dubbleA,

Maybe to you poor service is acceptable, but in my previous career (selling high end cars) we would just about jump through our own butts to fix a problem with a car the customer had owned for less than one week. If it meant getting them a completely new automobile the manufacturer would do it in some cases. I have personally witnessed a customer experience a defective BMW 7 Series (never ever buy a 2002-2003 7 series for any reason!) within a few days of delivery, reject the car and have a replacement spec'd out, built, shipped, and delivered in the time it took for Cooper to allegedly (since I haven't heard a damn thing from them) re-barrel this rifle that I owned for less than one week. Now this was a very good customer, and it is a very rare example, but if it is possible to build a car in Dingolfing freakin' Germany and have it delivered in roughly three weeks time I think Cooper probably could have fixed a brand new rifle right away.

I absolutely expect them to give priority to a newly delivered product with a manufacturing defect. It's called customer service.

I suppose in retrospect I should have maybe considered buying a firearm from a company that actually has quality control standards and inspections in place.

Could I have kept the rifle for season? Sure I could have used it. Would it have performed adequately? Maybe. Would it have ticked me off every time I laid eyes on the rifle? Absolutely. Would I have had any confidence at all in the rifle? Absolutely not. Will I have any confidence in it once it is returned? Maybe, only time will tell. Right now I am pretty angry about the whole experience.

 

[Coal Dragger]

TexasPatriot.308,

We'll see whenever the rifle shows up. I will say that the last time I shot the rifle it gave a cold bore 3 shot group off of bags of around 1.3-1.5 inches at 100 yards (I threw the target away so I can't measure it now) with 140gr Nosler Accubond factory ammo. I am guessing the one good group I got out of it was a fluke. Hopefully the new barrel is an improvement.

Either way I will be hunting with my trust worthy Steyr SSG 69 in .308, which reliably groups well under 1" even with hunting ammo it likes. I just really didn't want to have to lug it around, it get old toting a 13lb rig around and that is about what it weights with the 3.5-15X50 Nightforce it is wearing.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I somewhat agree with Coal Dragger. We are talking about a semi-custom gun maker (more custom than not) and we are talking about a $1,600 rifle. I don't think a turnaround of less a month is too much to ask.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well it seems that the Cooper not being present for the northern Minnesota hunt was not such a bad thing. While it was fun to consistently not get any good shots through the alder thickets and look at lots of fleeing whitetail butts, I don't think the rifle missed much.

On the plus side I got to play hooky from work for about a week, spend time in the north woods, watch eagles and ravens pester each other, and observe two different species of wood peckers. Plus I got to watch the red squirrels scamper around (should have got a small game license!). Also manged to find lots of wolf scat all over the place.

According to UPS the Cooper shows up tomorrow. With any luck I'll be around. Will report on the resolution of this issue ASAP. Hope it turns out well and I can have nothing but praise for Cooper on this in the end.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well UPS dropped off the rifle the other day and I just got home and have inspected their work. It looks excellent. The crown area of the muzzle is as good as any I have ever seen on any rifle. The gunsmith who did the work also wisely avoided the blasting cabinet altogether where the crown was concerned (unlike the old barrel) and finished it off with a nicely polished recessed target crown. Not that it will make it shoot any better but the high polish crown/muzzle looks great surrounded by the matte finished stainless barrel. They also included a new test target displaying their typical tight three shot groups.

Will hopefully be ready to shoot with glass back on and sight in/test fire later in the week. Looking forward to a positive resolution to this despite my kvetching and whining...