Just a quick background on the users of this rifle, myself (Kip Woods) Ex-Air Force 4 years. During this Cobb .50 bmg saga, I was working telecommunications in Doha, Qatar until July 27th, Then left for Iraq on another telecommunications contract. Aug 10th. I'm very familiar with the m-16, m-4 which this 50 bmg is based off of. I have multiple rifles and handguns, so I'm not some weapons newbie. My brother Robin, who is the one that did most of the leg work when ordering/talking with Cobb, as he was in the states. Robin is ex Army 4 years 82nd Airborne Infantry. So needless to say he's very familiar how an m-16, .50 bmg, and multiple weapon systems function/work/operate.
February 26 th, 2007. BA-50 BMG 36" barrel was ordered with $3800 sent to Cobb Mfg. through bank certified check.
March 2nd 2007. Cobb rec'd down payment $3800 sent certified mail so it had to be signed for, one .50 BMG Bolt Action 36" barrel, with 5lbs trigger, Leupold Mark 4 LR/T (TMR reticle) not mil-dot 16x40mm Total Cost $6555
April 19th 2007. Robin called skip to check on rifle progress, skip response got barrel in should have rifle out in two weeks.
April 27th 2007. Sent remaining balance of $2755 sent to Cobb Mfg. through bank certified check, check sent certified mail.
May 10th 2007. Robin leaves for Colorado to work for the summer. No rifle no word from Cobb Mfg.
May 18th 2007. Rifle arrived to FFL in Iowa.
June 23rd 2007. Finally, able to pick up rifle due to (Robin) brother being in a different state then rifle, When rifle was received from FFL, with incorrect foam packaging(3 big pieces of white foam, vs drop in fit like ordered $845 custom hard case), missing a clip, rifle scratched due to incorrect packaging, damaged hard case, wrong scope 4-10x, NOT 16x TMR Mark 4, contacted Cobb(skip) he told us we'd have to wait anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months for his supplier to get the scope in which doesn't explain why the wrong scope was put on. Cobb had my money since March 2 nd 2007 why wasn't the 16x TMR ordered then.
June 25th 2007. Sent Cobb Mfg. the wrong scope back asking for the 16x TMR ordered, Cobb Mfg. informed me it could be months until more of this scope became available as they were sold out everywhere. I went on online later that day and ordered a brand new 16x TMR(cost 400 more over Cobb Mfg. price),there were many stores selling the 16x TMR, so I asked myself why am I being lied to by a man/company that has $6555 of my money.
July 20th 2007. Cobb Mfg. reluctantly refunded us the money for the scope.
July 28th 2007. Finally, get a scope in(16x TMR mark 4) and can go to the range and test the rifle. The rifle proceeds to operate like this, 1 st round- misfire, misfire, bang, 2nd round-misfire, misfire, bang, 3rd round-bang, 4 th round- misfire, misfire, bang. At this point something was clearly wrong with the rifle. The ammo being used is new professionally loaded 647gr .50 bmg 2005 lake city brass loaded by Mike's Ammo here is his contact information if needed phone # (580)695-1683. The primers are just getting barely dented. Continue to fire the rifle thinking the new rifle could be stiff need to get broke in at this point I noticed that the trigger pull is 15LBS and not 5LBS like ordered yet another mistake on the part of Cobb Mfg.. We give up at round 14, at which point during standard cleaning every 2 rounds, we notice the hammer has a shiny mark across it. Looking closer we see the hammer is hitting the lower frame.
July 30th 2007. Call (Skip) Cobb Mfg. and asked him if this rifle was ever test fired, and he says yes it was test fired. I asked where is the sheet that shows the test fire, he says he doesn't keep them. This is when Cobb Mfg. insults me by asking if I have been dry firing the rifle…my response was do I sound stupid NO THE RIFLE HAS NEVER BEEN DRY FIRED. Skip says send the lower and the bolt carrier in and he'll take a look at it. At this point we're at a loss for words that we spent 6555 dollars on a rifle that doesn't work!!!
August 08th 2007. I Kip was training on Ft.Benning, GA took a day off and drove to Cobb Mfg. shop in Dallas, Georgia . Skip was gone so met with Chris Simpson after talking with him he says it sounds like a head spacing issue. I asked him if he knew if the rifle was test fired, he said skip takes them to a range and does that. He also told me that he has no idea why, our rifle was mailed out with the old lower because he redesigned the lower with an 18 degree trigger that yields a 5 lbs trigger pull. The lower on my rifle trigger pull is closer to 12-15 lbs.
August 14th 2007. Rifle is mailed to Cobb. Mfg. Cobb Mfg. (Skip) stated the rifle would be back in my hands in two weeks or get a full refund.
August 20th 2007. Called Cobb Mfg. for an update, left voice mail asking about rifle repair status.
August 22nd 2007. Dispatched email asking status on rifle. No reply.
September 3 nd 2007. Two weeks are well up NO rifle, No word from Cobb Mfg. Lied to again.
September 5 th 2007. Skip advised he has the rifle taken apart, but has to teach classes all next week.
September 15 th 2007. Stilling waiting to hear back from Cobb on rifle
September 19 th 2007. Fed up with the lack of service on a $6555 product. Ask for a full refund promised by Skip, due to poor service and selling a defective product.
September 19 th 2007. Cobb Mfg. emailed me stating now that he can give us the refund BUT NOW has to charge a 15% restocking fee ($800). This isn't legal in Georgia to charge a restocking fee on a defective product.
September 21 st 2007. I have a personal representative pick up check from Cobb Mfg. for $4582.
So, now I am filing a complaint against Cobb Mfg. and Bushmaster through the Better Business Bureau.
Is this the service to come with the merger of Cobb Mfg. and Bushmaster? I truly wanted to give Cobb Mfg. a chance when the rifle actually fired it was a great rifle, but I wasn't ever able to test the accuracy of the rifle. The complete and total lack of professionalism within this company would not allow this to happen. We were never given any insight as to what was taking so long with our rifle, or why it had so many problems straight from the factory? Where is the quality control for a 6k product? I hope I'm not coming off too disgruntled but customers need to see the other side of how this company functions.
Thank you for your time,
Kip and Robin Woods
February 26 th, 2007. BA-50 BMG 36" barrel was ordered with $3800 sent to Cobb Mfg. through bank certified check.
March 2nd 2007. Cobb rec'd down payment $3800 sent certified mail so it had to be signed for, one .50 BMG Bolt Action 36" barrel, with 5lbs trigger, Leupold Mark 4 LR/T (TMR reticle) not mil-dot 16x40mm Total Cost $6555
April 19th 2007. Robin called skip to check on rifle progress, skip response got barrel in should have rifle out in two weeks.
April 27th 2007. Sent remaining balance of $2755 sent to Cobb Mfg. through bank certified check, check sent certified mail.
May 10th 2007. Robin leaves for Colorado to work for the summer. No rifle no word from Cobb Mfg.
May 18th 2007. Rifle arrived to FFL in Iowa.
June 23rd 2007. Finally, able to pick up rifle due to (Robin) brother being in a different state then rifle, When rifle was received from FFL, with incorrect foam packaging(3 big pieces of white foam, vs drop in fit like ordered $845 custom hard case), missing a clip, rifle scratched due to incorrect packaging, damaged hard case, wrong scope 4-10x, NOT 16x TMR Mark 4, contacted Cobb(skip) he told us we'd have to wait anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months for his supplier to get the scope in which doesn't explain why the wrong scope was put on. Cobb had my money since March 2 nd 2007 why wasn't the 16x TMR ordered then.
June 25th 2007. Sent Cobb Mfg. the wrong scope back asking for the 16x TMR ordered, Cobb Mfg. informed me it could be months until more of this scope became available as they were sold out everywhere. I went on online later that day and ordered a brand new 16x TMR(cost 400 more over Cobb Mfg. price),there were many stores selling the 16x TMR, so I asked myself why am I being lied to by a man/company that has $6555 of my money.
July 20th 2007. Cobb Mfg. reluctantly refunded us the money for the scope.
July 28th 2007. Finally, get a scope in(16x TMR mark 4) and can go to the range and test the rifle. The rifle proceeds to operate like this, 1 st round- misfire, misfire, bang, 2nd round-misfire, misfire, bang, 3rd round-bang, 4 th round- misfire, misfire, bang. At this point something was clearly wrong with the rifle. The ammo being used is new professionally loaded 647gr .50 bmg 2005 lake city brass loaded by Mike's Ammo here is his contact information if needed phone # (580)695-1683. The primers are just getting barely dented. Continue to fire the rifle thinking the new rifle could be stiff need to get broke in at this point I noticed that the trigger pull is 15LBS and not 5LBS like ordered yet another mistake on the part of Cobb Mfg.. We give up at round 14, at which point during standard cleaning every 2 rounds, we notice the hammer has a shiny mark across it. Looking closer we see the hammer is hitting the lower frame.
July 30th 2007. Call (Skip) Cobb Mfg. and asked him if this rifle was ever test fired, and he says yes it was test fired. I asked where is the sheet that shows the test fire, he says he doesn't keep them. This is when Cobb Mfg. insults me by asking if I have been dry firing the rifle…my response was do I sound stupid NO THE RIFLE HAS NEVER BEEN DRY FIRED. Skip says send the lower and the bolt carrier in and he'll take a look at it. At this point we're at a loss for words that we spent 6555 dollars on a rifle that doesn't work!!!
August 08th 2007. I Kip was training on Ft.Benning, GA took a day off and drove to Cobb Mfg. shop in Dallas, Georgia . Skip was gone so met with Chris Simpson after talking with him he says it sounds like a head spacing issue. I asked him if he knew if the rifle was test fired, he said skip takes them to a range and does that. He also told me that he has no idea why, our rifle was mailed out with the old lower because he redesigned the lower with an 18 degree trigger that yields a 5 lbs trigger pull. The lower on my rifle trigger pull is closer to 12-15 lbs.
August 14th 2007. Rifle is mailed to Cobb. Mfg. Cobb Mfg. (Skip) stated the rifle would be back in my hands in two weeks or get a full refund.
August 20th 2007. Called Cobb Mfg. for an update, left voice mail asking about rifle repair status.
August 22nd 2007. Dispatched email asking status on rifle. No reply.
September 3 nd 2007. Two weeks are well up NO rifle, No word from Cobb Mfg. Lied to again.
September 5 th 2007. Skip advised he has the rifle taken apart, but has to teach classes all next week.
September 15 th 2007. Stilling waiting to hear back from Cobb on rifle
September 19 th 2007. Fed up with the lack of service on a $6555 product. Ask for a full refund promised by Skip, due to poor service and selling a defective product.
September 19 th 2007. Cobb Mfg. emailed me stating now that he can give us the refund BUT NOW has to charge a 15% restocking fee ($800). This isn't legal in Georgia to charge a restocking fee on a defective product.
September 21 st 2007. I have a personal representative pick up check from Cobb Mfg. for $4582.
So, now I am filing a complaint against Cobb Mfg. and Bushmaster through the Better Business Bureau.
Is this the service to come with the merger of Cobb Mfg. and Bushmaster? I truly wanted to give Cobb Mfg. a chance when the rifle actually fired it was a great rifle, but I wasn't ever able to test the accuracy of the rifle. The complete and total lack of professionalism within this company would not allow this to happen. We were never given any insight as to what was taking so long with our rifle, or why it had so many problems straight from the factory? Where is the quality control for a 6k product? I hope I'm not coming off too disgruntled but customers need to see the other side of how this company functions.
Thank you for your time,
Kip and Robin Woods
