Learned an expensive lesson today about cabela's

[bubbapug1]

EDIT 6/2/12 HAPPY ENDING AFTER ALL - I called customer service again today, expecting a long drawn out battle and eventually a call to Visa...but the attitude today was...Oh, that's horrible, let us send you another one and we will send you a return shipping label to send back your gun.



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[crazy mark]

The manufacturer has to make good on it. Get in touch with them.Even though Cabela's has that disclaimer if the gun doesn't work they have to warrant it. They can't sell something that is defective. They can also send it back to the manufacture to get it repaired/replaced. Read the consumer laws in your state.

[waksupi]

I hate to tell you, but whatever you did, it was most likely your fault on this one. The pressure on the rod is when the round is being seated, not when the rammer is being returned to position. That is obviously when this damage occurred. One way or the other, you didn't know what you were doing, and the company should not have any liability for your negligence., Don't show up here with your first post and complain because you ruined a gun because of something your did. Especially when you post a picture of another pistol that is an internet copy, as the other gun you were shooting. You lost all credibility at the start. If I was Cabela's, it would be a cold day in hell before you got a refund or a repair for free. Being connected to Calguns is another minus in the deal.

[Whiterabbit]

ooooooooooooor... you could contact the company and ask for a quote on a billable repair service.

Every time I've done that in the past few years the person on the other line gets really confused, as if everyone calls expecting free service. Then they just tell me to send it in and fix it without charging me.

I've never had a hobby where the manufacturers treat their customers like this (so incredibly well).

That's the angle I'd take, if waksupi is right on.

[Green Frog]

I hate to tell you, but whatever you did, it was most likely your fault on this one. The pressure on the rod is when the round is being seated, not when the rammer is being returned to position. That is obviously when this damage occurred. One way or the other, you didn't know what you were doing, and the company should not have any liability for your negligence., Don't show up here with your first post and complain because you ruined a gun because of something your did. Especially when you post a picture of another pistol that is an internet copy, as the other gun you were shooting. You lost all credibility at the start. If I was Cabela's, it would be a cold day in hell before you got a refund or a repair for free. Being connected to Calguns is another minus in the deal.

Hey Waksupi,

Have another cup of coffee and look at the pictures again. :coffeecom The way the pivot screw of the plate on his rammer tore out is exactly the way it would be expected to give way on the ramming stroke. I have my Pietta Remington right here beside me as I type this and worked the rammer to see whether I was correct. :neutral:

If the pictures he posted were of his Pietta Remington (and if that's the one he had break on him) then he does indeed have a product flaw issue with Pietta by way of Cabella's. Now if that isn't his gun in the pictures, you may ignore what I just typed about appearance of the damage, but until that's established, let's cut the newbie some slack, OK? The picture of the other gun isn't really germane to the discussion one way or the other... I'm looking at the damage.

To the OP: Fortunately these are very commonly used guns, especially for Civil War Skirmish and Re-enactment purposes. Even if you can't get satisfaction through Cabella's and/or Pietta, the part you need to repair it is not that expensive. PM me if you need guidance. Oh, and as should have been said, "Welcome to the Forum." You'll find a lot of nice folks here, many of whom are quite knowledgeable and helpful. :mrgreen:

Regards,
Froggie

[waksupi]

You are right, I was in a grouchy mood. My apologies for my tone.

[bubbapug1]

Wow, that was a wake up call for me.....I now know to tread lightly, not a talent I really have but I'll try.

I own 45 guns, and am a mechnical engineer, and have reloaded over 75,000 rounds of various ammo in the last 5 years from 9mm to 50 bmg. I pretty much got out of guns after it appeared that california had outlawed the AR15, but Calguns threw a monkey wrench in that plan! I also machine my own 80% lowers, pintles, and other odds and ends I need to circumvent some of the bans we have here in California.

I know a bit about strengths of materials and manufactoring, as I design and build manufactoring plants, everything from food and dairy to munitions.

The ram presure on this gun exceed the yield point on the particular piece AFTER the ball was already started down the cylinder and the ball was just about flush with the cyclinder, making it impossible to rotate the cylinder, and also possibly dangerous to fire!

On the first ball I removed the cylinder and drove the ball home with a wooden dowel. After a percieved large amount of resistance right at the flush ball position with the end of the cylinder the ball became extremally easy to move. Its as if the cylinder was not uniform in its diameter for the first half inch of the bore.

The second ball stuck at the same spot on the next cylinder. These are Hornandy 0.454 ball, swaged, not some home brew balls. They work great in the US marshall gun.

Upon getting home I measured the cylinders and there is a variance of only 0.004, which I don't really think should cause the issue. I just believe the part in question was not hardened or heat treated (same thing) properly. It also could have been drilled incorrectly, with the hole too close to an edge. That is what it appears to be. The ramming pressure was slightly higher than on my other gun, but what I felt or percieved as high pressures could have been the piece yielding, and eventually breaking.

When I look at the Pietta I owned versus the one I bought from Cabela's its very apparent the one from Cabela's is built much lighter, and has other issues, like not wanting to remain half cocked 90% of the time.

The reason I used the internet picture of my other gun is that its pretty good quality, and the ones I took just look like ****. The gun is very beautiful, and I wanted to do it justice. I didn't think it would label me a a "fraud." But so be it.

Calguns foundation has allowed californians to now own and use AR15's again, which is a very good thing. They also defend Calgunners, or any california gun owner, in instances where the associate attorney generals try to convict law abiding citizens who are in compliance with the rules of the state, but who are caught up by in an abuse of power and ignorance on the parts of some LEO and prosecutors. I believe these are good things, and Calguns is very active in trying to win back some of our gun rights.

If it wasn't for calguns there is NO WAY I would be able to show up at a range with my M3HB without getting harrassed by some LE (law enforcement.)

This is not a rip off video from the internet. Its mine.

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr177/bubbapug1/th_53110burrome-1.jpg (http://s481.photobucket.com/albums/rr177/bubbapug1/?action=view&current=53110burrome-1.mp4)

I joined CastBoolits to buy another Pietta a member had for sale. I am new to BP, but not new to guns. Since joining two days ago I am really hoping I can learn how to make highly accurate match grade 223 and 6ppc bullets...sounds like a lot of work, but its the one area I want to understand in more detail

I hope this clears up some issues with my credibilty.

[mpbarry1]

Beneath that prickly exterior on most of these folks is a heart of gold. Just smile and move on. Welcome aboard by the way. :)

[bubbapug1]

Not a problem, at least there was no reference to my Mom.

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr177/bubbapug1/usmarshalone.jpg

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[runfiverun]

Ric woulda banned himself for 10 days if he would have referenced your mother.

[bob208]

one question. was the ball pure lead? or was it cast from wheelweights?

[ReloaderFred]

He posted that it was a Hornady commercial ball, swaged at .454".

Hope this helps.

Fred

[gwpercle]

I had a similar experience with Midway. Called customer service, 24 hour line, on a Sunday night about a recall on one of thier products that I just found out about on this site , got the old brush off... sorry that recall has ended we can't do anything for you , no more parts in stock to repair your old model with.
But that didn't sound right , this was a safety hazard type recall, so Monday about midday I called again and got a totaly different response. Yes Sir that recall is about a safety issue , send us your old one and we will replace it with a brand new unit . I did and they did just that...brand new unit, they even gave me a credit for my shipping cost.

It was amazing the different responses I got by just calling and speaking to a different person on another day... and Monday I was all ready to start giving somebody a hard time about a safety recall and satisfied costumers.

So if you don't get the answer you think you should call another day or ask to speak to that person's supervisior. A lot of times people higher up the ladder actually care about a satisfied customer and repeat business.

gary

[725]

Welcome aboard, bubbapug1. You'll like it here. Lots of good folks and lots of good info.

[Geraldo]

bubbapu1, the first items you should get for your Pietta Remington are a cylinder loader so you can load off the frame. Not that you have to, but I find it easier and quicker. The other thing is a spare cylinder or two.

Even if Cabelas wouldn't replace your gun, I would hope that Pietta would sent you a new loading lever as it looks like that's all you need.

[Bent Ramrod]

A friend of mine bought a Pietta Starr single action revolver from Cabela's and found one of the cylinder chambers was out of line with the barrel. They replaced the gun without any argument and the replacement has worked fine.

It may be the word "refund" was what set the first customer service rep off.

I have a Remington .32 Pocket Pistol and the lever broke off in the same way at the same place under the same conditions. Odd that the strong solid frame and threaded in barrel are mated with that stingy little pivot screw and the thin web on the loading lever.

I got replacement parts from VTI, rewelded the broken lever for a spare and made a separate cylinder loader. Nothing has broken since.:mrgreen:

[Wolfer]

Many, many years ago I bought a Remington replica from EMF. The Lee cap and ball mold was too small for my .450 cylinders so I bought the one for the ruger old army which cast at .457 or thereabouts. The only lead I had available at the time was WW. I could get them in the gun when they were fresh but as soon as they aged a little I broke my loading lever the same way. Ordered a new one from Dixie gun works, got me some pure lead and had no more issues.
That never should have broke on swaged balls though, it had to be defective!

[Reg]

Have you tried to just take it back to a Cabella's store. Have never seen where they wouldn't take anything back, and I do mean anything. Go look at some of the returned boots in the bargain cave. Some are completely wore out yet they were taken back. I would have been completely embarrassed to have tried to return something that obviously been just wore out over a long period of time but they do it all the time. Other things you see have been abused beyond belief but in the cave they are and someone had to have returned them. The only things that they will not take back, at least in the Sidney store, are anything marked with 3 X's. These are things that were purchased in the bargain cave and I have actually seen on a couple of instances were even they too were returned and one was a black powder rifle.

[bubbapug1]

EDIT 6/2/12 HAPPY ENDING AFTER ALL - I called customer service again today, expecting a long drawn out battle and eventually a call to Visa...but the attitude today was...Oh, that's horrible, let us send you another one and we will send you a return shipping label to send back your gun.

the balls were hornandy swaged 0.454. I measured some today. They do range up to 0.460 in some places.

maybe it was the liquid N2 I store them in???????????????????