BackCountry
Member
I purchased a new Thompson Center Encore Endeavor 209X50 muzzle loader for this up coming elk season. I received it on 8/29 and took it to the range the next day. While attempting to sight it in, I could not get the elevation to come up any higher than 6" low at 50 yds without having the adjustment screw and spring pop out when the gun was fired. Upon examining the barrel, it appeared that the last 7" are bent down aprox. 1/8". Sighting down the barrel it also appears that it is curving down over the last 7". With a straight edge placed on the top and bottom of the barrel, the bend was obvious.
I took the gun back to the gun shop on my way home and they were baffled. Since it is a FFL purchase they said I needed to get into contact with T/C directly. Tuesday after labor day I tried to get in touch with them all morning, when I finally got through and explained the situation they said I needed to send in the gun to their custom shop. I explained that I needed it for hunting in one week and that they just needed to send me a new barrel. They insisted that I send in the whole rifle so that they could test fire it. I shipped it to them as fast as I could at a cost of $85 for two day air with a promise from customer service that they would have it back to me by 9/9 the day I am supposed to start packing into hunting camp.
Well here it is 9/9 and I spent an hour trying to get a hold of the customer service dept. When I finally got through I was told that they had received the gun on 9/4 with priority written on the shipping notice and they had just taken into the shop TODAY. I explained that they had promised to get it back by today. The lady said she would talk to the tech and see if he could hurry things up. So now I wait, instead of packing into camp, for my rifle.
I must say I am disappointed in both the quality control and the customer service that I have received so far. I hope I will have a rifle to go hunting with before opening day (Saturday) but I fear I may be disappointed.
Upon asking around, I found a brother of a friend who just bought the exact same gun two weeks before me and also had a bent barrel. Just wanted to share my experience with others who may be thinking of buying a T/C rifle and see if others have had a similar experience. I would expect more from a Smith & Wesson company. I never had problems with the original T/C company.
I will post an update with a final resolution to this issue. I hope they will also reimburse me the $85 shipping since they sold me a defective (and potentially dangerous) firearm to begin with.
I took the gun back to the gun shop on my way home and they were baffled. Since it is a FFL purchase they said I needed to get into contact with T/C directly. Tuesday after labor day I tried to get in touch with them all morning, when I finally got through and explained the situation they said I needed to send in the gun to their custom shop. I explained that I needed it for hunting in one week and that they just needed to send me a new barrel. They insisted that I send in the whole rifle so that they could test fire it. I shipped it to them as fast as I could at a cost of $85 for two day air with a promise from customer service that they would have it back to me by 9/9 the day I am supposed to start packing into hunting camp.
Well here it is 9/9 and I spent an hour trying to get a hold of the customer service dept. When I finally got through I was told that they had received the gun on 9/4 with priority written on the shipping notice and they had just taken into the shop TODAY. I explained that they had promised to get it back by today. The lady said she would talk to the tech and see if he could hurry things up. So now I wait, instead of packing into camp, for my rifle.
I must say I am disappointed in both the quality control and the customer service that I have received so far. I hope I will have a rifle to go hunting with before opening day (Saturday) but I fear I may be disappointed.
Upon asking around, I found a brother of a friend who just bought the exact same gun two weeks before me and also had a bent barrel. Just wanted to share my experience with others who may be thinking of buying a T/C rifle and see if others have had a similar experience. I would expect more from a Smith & Wesson company. I never had problems with the original T/C company.
I will post an update with a final resolution to this issue. I hope they will also reimburse me the $85 shipping since they sold me a defective (and potentially dangerous) firearm to begin with.
