Did Smith & Wesson ruin thompson Center?

[jsheyn]

Man, in the old days when I called TC I would get 2 rings and a live person would answer. I've been on hold for 49 minutes waiting to find out why the shipping label they promised me (to send my barrel back to them) has not showed up....and yeah i checked the junk mail....I know this is hunting season and a busy time for them. It's rare you get awesome service all the time from a company. For me TC was one of those places for me. awesome service all the time...and I'm just a little heart broken.


check this out from the last time I tried to use their online chat feature.... that message shows up every 5 minutes or so

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[John Allen]

I have heard nothing good. I have sent barrels and a frame back to T/C when they where independent and they where great. If I had a problem now I would pay one of he independent guys to fix it.

[Trey45]

LOL if it was me, when I finally got connected I would send a link to this thread so they know their ineptness has been made public on the largest cast bullet forum on the internet. Bad reputations travel faster than good ones do.

[jmort]

Every manufacturer is busy. It is different world with consolidation and can't make enough to keep up with demand reality. No excuse, but an opportunity for small new company to fill-in gaps in market. Long wait times are not exclusive to firearms industry.

[Doc_Stihl]

If you guys think you're heart broken. I used to be able to hop in the car and run over to Fox Ridge Outfitters (the TC pro shop) and walk to the counter in the back and have sights, locking lugs, etc fixed while chatting to the guy at the counter.
I miss TC.

[uscra112]

I can't fathom why S&W ever bought T/C. The single shot gun is not their core competency, nor was it a competitive threat to their existing product lines. Obviously they don't care about it. So why buy the company at all? Did somebody at T/C have pictures of a high level S&W executive with a sheep?

[shdwlkr]

uscra112
Nope S&W wanted a center fire rifle that would sell and TC had one, also don't forget the fire that destroyed there muzzle loader business.
Service today is based on what spare parts they have left and the bin is almost empty.

Wished I had a boat load of money as I would like to have the rights to manufacture the side locks, really all models that TC used to make and see if I could make a buck. Course I would also like to own Marlin Arms also just because.

[ShooterAZ]

T/C customer service has gone way down hill since S&W took over. I think the real truth is that S&W can't keep up with production of auto pistols in the current political climate. I'm sure they make & sell a heck of a lot more of them than single shots...so in reality we can blame Obama for this.

[Wayne Smith]

I sent my Model 3 into S&W for repairs in July. I got it back Halloween day, but I was on vacation in Fl. I called them to see when it would be ready, they told me it had been finished and sent. I had absolutely no notice of this and would have known nothing if I had not called them myself. I set it up that I could pick it up myself when we got home. Otherwise it would have been back to S&W and I would have no idea it had been finished. They had both my phone # and my e-mail.

[leeggen]

I needed some repairs to my 1983 TC 54 cal muzzleloader, they just refered me to another private shop for repairs at my expense. Their answer always seems to be no parts on hand check with your locac gunsmiths to see if they have any parts. Not a good answer from such a gun company.
CD

[bubba.50]

they didn't just ruin t/c, they killed it dead. my opinion & yer welcome to it.

[wgr]

they didn't just ruin t/c, they killed it dead. my opinion & yer welcome to it.

this man speaks the truth

[Sweetpea]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?210556-Any-experience-with-TC-customer-service

You can read about my experience here...

I love my new Knight!

Brandon

[quilbilly]

If you guys think you're heart broken. I used to be able to hop in the car and run over to Fox Ridge Outfitters (the TC pro shop) and walk to the counter in the back and have sights, locking lugs, etc fixed while chatting to the guy at the counter.
I miss TC.
You and me both, bro, and I live a little farther away. This is why I got extra springs from Mike Bellm and picked up another frame to cannibalize for parts.

[leadman]

When the buy was in the works I read in a gun rag that S&W wanted the barrel making capabilities of T/C. It isn't just T/C / S&W losing their great customer service. I have an older Mini-Mag flashlight built when they had a lifetime warranty. I needed a lense so called them and they wanted me to call a dealer and pay for it. I told the lady I have the package, the receipt, and it is covered by a lifetime warranty. She still did not want to send me the part until I told her it is very easy to file a bad report with the BBB and Attorney General on the internet. I know it is an inexpensive part but they are the company that decided the flashlight would be covered for life. I did get the part in the mail about a week later.

[RayinNH]

S&W wanted nothing to do with the foundry end of TC. A lot of those gun parts came from the foundry.

[uscra112]

When the buy was in the works I read in a gun rag that S&W wanted the barrel making capabilities of T/C.

This makes sense to me. Barrel-making machinery is essentially custom-made. (I worked in that industry for quite a few years.) That translates to expensive and long lead times. Wouldn't be the first time that one gunmaker bought out another just to get the machine tools.

Foundries get you deeply involved with the EPA.

[FISH4BUGS]

Smith and Wesson killed Smith and Wesson. Thompson Center Arms was 12 miles from my house. Anytime I needed anything, I would give it to my friend to take to the factory and I had it back better than new in less than a week.
S&W has not made a decent gun since the late 60's as far as I am concerned.

[Lefty Red]

Sorry to hear my experiance wasn't an isolated event. I emailed T/C for info on a higher front sight and some SS filler screws for my Omega. I got a reply stating they didn't sell higher BACK sights and the filler screws were on the way. I did get the screws, in blue steel. :(

I love my Omega, but I see Knight being the next ML I buy.

Lefty

[williamwaco]

they didn't just ruin t/c, they killed it dead. my opinion & yer welcome to it.

Ditto.

But, I expect that was their intention from the jump go.

[bhn22]

The barrel thing makes sense. S&W now uses a modified, permanent Dan Wesson arrangement of an inner rifled barrel, and an attached outer shroud. The factory won't sell gunsmiths the barrel wrenches necessary to rebarrel either, so the wealthier ones are making their own. They screw into the rifling kind of like an EZ-Out.

S&W has also discontinued making parts for many older guns. Things like locking bolts, triggers, and the original style hammer with the firing pin mounted on it.

[beezapilot]

Every time I am up in that neck of the woods I make time for the S&W tour. This last tour was short, they had closed the museum and the factory store as they needed the shop space for machine tools. The tour guide said that they were hiring quite a lot of people to keep up with demand. Additionally they are manufacturing transmission parts. They are (well, were 5 months ago) in full on production. The repair recieving area was stacked up hard. In the last 5 years I've sent two revolvers to them for repair, and have recieved excellent service and communications. I'm more than a bit unhappy to hear that customer service has gotten sloppy, and from the sounds of things TC has fallen further than most. Odd times for business, built one customer at a time and can fail a years time from lack of follow through.

[gbrown]

All the above opinions is why I deal with Bellm TC.

[Hickory]

If I'm not mistaken E Arthur Brown bought the T/C Contender barrel line from S&W.
At least they have more barrels than Thompson Center has.


http://www.eabco.com/tcref.html

[fortysomething]

They may be busy with the recall on the Venture rifles, but that is no excuse. I have contacted them twice in the last three months to get a shipping label for a recalled rifle. I have yet to see a label or any other contact from them.

[Bad Water Bill]

If I'm not mistaken E Arthur Brown bought the T/C Contender barrel line from S&W.
At least they have more barrels than Thompson Center has.


http://www.eabco.com/tcref.html

Several years ago I looked everywhere for a 218 B for my T C

None of the regular sources had one and there was a loooong wait to special order one.

A friend said try BROWN.

For some reason I had never heard of them so did a little homework and liked what I learned.

Picked up the phone and ordered one.

It arrived in less than a week and to my surprise was stamped ENCORE/Thompson Center arms on one side and T/C Custom shop on the other.

The price was the same as listed for a regular bbl from T/C and it shoots GREAT.

YES Brown has great stuff at affordable prices and delivers a great product and does it promptly. What more can you ask for?

[tuckerdog]

Remington/marlin, sw/tc. and gobs of bad words about both. hope it don't happen to ruger!!

[Hickory]

Remington/marlin, sw/tc. and gobs of bad words about both. hope it don't happen to ruger!!

I think Ruger is the big fish in the pond.