Traditions G2 357 Mag Rifle and dealing with issues...

[Wagnerwerks]

I've been looking for a 357 mag handi for a few years now with no luck. If I did find one, it was $5-600 and I wasn't interested for that. I noticed a while back traditions had the new outfitter g2 single shot break barrels chambered in 357 so I started doing a little research. Reviews of that particular rifle were nothing but good as initial magazine reviews, but there was next to no info from the public. The only things I found were muzzle loader reviews which were mixed.

I ended up at a dealer 45 mins from me looking at a topper I was going to rebarrel but decided to just order the G2. I was chatting with some guys on here about them and went ahead and took the chance for the masses. I told everyone I'd post up my experience so here it is. Sadly, much of it is with customers service and quality control, not the gun.

I picked the gun up right before Christmas while cruising up to my in-laws so I spent only a few mins checking it out on the dealers counter. When we got to the house I cut the box open and pulled it out to look it over.

It was hard to miss the big glob of ceracote on the side of the barrel. Crapolla. I looked over the rest of the gun and all else looked good. The manual tells you to contact traditions... Not the dealer... so I waited until we got back home, Again driving past the dealer, and sent an email off to traditions. After my second email with no response I decided to call. I spent 30 mins on hold and hung up. I did that 3 times that day and finally got ahold of someone on the 3rd try. I was instructed to send an email with pics to the customer service representatives personal email because the others to traditions just go into a pool... I did as instructed and sent pics. I didn't here anything back that it was received or what to do. After Christmas, I called again with a similar experience of being on hold. I finally got ahold of the rep and had a bad connection. After some mis info from me for a call back, I heard nothing for a few days. I sent a rather perturbed email this morning and got a quick response.
My options are now to cover the expenses to mail the whole gun back or go through the dealer and pay to send it back while adding 2 round trips to the tune of 3 hours in the car. My great deal is getting worse at every turn.


.

[Wagnerwerks]

As for the rifle, it shoots well. I have had very few shots with 357 mag that were not on mark. The trigger was pretty crusty out of the box but after only a box of shells is fairly smooth. The hammer was especially crunchy when cocked. It has also broken in pretty well. One unfortunately cheap feature of the gun is the cross slide safety. Almost every shot makes it barely lock and I have to fart with it. At this point the blemish on the barrel has flaked off and there is actually a spot of rust showing under it. Hopefully this can be resolved without too much more cost to me. There have been plenty of times I have broken something and had to pay for my mistake, but I am having a hard time paying for theirs.

I will post more pics and try to be very objective.. please feel free to let me know what you think about all of this and if I'm out of line expecting them to take care of it. I did call the dealer and they will be happy to help at my cost. Kudos to them..Gatorsguns.. they've been great.

[Wagnerwerks]

Here are some more pics. I read about someone checking this model out and one thing he noted was the barrel break button in front of the trigger guard. It is in fact cast metal. The plastic parts include the stock/forearm and the trigger guard. They're pretty standard issue and do feel a little thin, but are sturdy as any other brand I own. The butt pad screws on in case a change is wanted, but it is very nice from the factory. A nice little screw in hammer extension is supplied with the gun as an added bonus. My scope rings are a bit high, but I was too excited to shoot it to find other ones and they are nice to allow me a bit more room for the hammer.

The barrel slugs around .355 and after the goofy issue is resolved I'll be excited to work up a good load for it.

[WebMonkey]

thanks for the report.
i was looking hard at this rifle.
i opted to purchase a pricey barrel for my handi.
glad i did but hope you can resolve the issues.

again, thanks for the report.
'monkey

[Wagnerwerks]

Thanks bud. I'm just super frustrated at how little the guy I talked to has actually tried to respond to the issue or even acknowledge the fact that this is a rediculous issue for me to have to cover.

I've bought very few new guns and have had only one other issue. Am I correct to say I should be able to ship this from home without going through an FFL?

[OlDeuce]

If they haven't changed the laws Yes you should be able to ship from you to the factory and back to you!!! If the issue is the barrel just ship the barrel !!!
I.ve done this with a hand gun back to Beretta The seemed pleased to work with me !!!! Ol Deuce .....

[Wagnerwerks]

Thanks bud. They are acting like it's a big hassle for me to do it myself because I have to deal with the return number and finding a box. Getting to the dealer would be a much bigger hassle! Lol. This has been goofy.

[Wagnerwerks]

Friday I called traditions after a conversation with another gun dealer. I was encouraged to strongly ask for them to send a return label and cover the shipping both ways due to the fact that this is completely their fault. I called the rep I've been talking to and he informed me that was above his level of authority. The guy I needed to talk to had just gone to lunch but I was assured he would call me back in an hour or so. Of course, I'm still waiting.

[Wagnerwerks]

Well boys and girls.... The prepaid return tag is in my inbox. We'll see how it goes from here. I'm hopeful.

[OlDeuce]

You will do good !! Gun Makers don't want unhappy Campers!! Bad Words spread like wildfire LoL

Ol Deuce

[Wagnerwerks]

I hope so. No kidding, you could have thrown the boxed up gun down 5 flights of stairs when I sent it back. I waited a long time for this bad boy and I was excited about having a new gun. I wanna beat it up myself. I did forget to mention the sloppy safety slide, but I think I'll be pulling that anyway.

[Wagnerwerks]

Still waiting. I sent off an email a few days ago to ask about the progress/turn around time but... No surprise... No response.

I can't say anything good about traditions customer service atm. I sure hope it ends up in a good way. I'm already loading boolits for it. :)

[Wagnerwerks]

I was sick today and so was my youngest so while we were home, I sent another email to traditions. This time I got a response! Conveniently, a new rifle was pulled for me today and should ship tomorrow. Fingers crossed as czech too just hooked me up with some 180g boolits to shoot! Thanks a million bud!

[CraigOK]

Surely they checked the replacement over a little better. I hope it works out for you. Keep us posted

[Wagnerwerks]

I was hoping the same thing. Lol. I have loads worked up for the old one with just about every powder I have and every size boolit so I should be ready for it . I'm getting antsy. I will certainly finish out the thread. I haven't even shot the new one yet so lots to do. :)

[Four-Sixty]

I hope they make it right. I have a 357 Handi and it is the family favorite. I also got lucky with a CVA Hunter in 35 Remington. It shoots like a laser!

If CVA made a 357 Hunter rifle, watch out. It'd be a caster's dream!

[Wagnerwerks]

It's been almost 2 weeks since traditions customer service advisor... The second level of cs.. assured me a rifle was being sent out. Yesterday I called to get a tracking number because it still had not shown up. I called at 4 and they close at 4:30 so amazingly, as the rep was getting the tracking info, his computer froze. We agreed that it would work for him to just email it to me today. Sooo... Today after not receiving any emails from them, I called back and got the same rep.
Now the rifle still hasn't shipped. In fact, he actually called the gun shop to make sure they had one. I somewhat kindly went off on him and told him this was the worst customer service I have ever had. I've been lied to at least on 4 occasions about getting calls/emails back and 2 times about the rifle shipping. At this point, I want everyone to know traditions sucks. This has been a pathetic experience. All I can do is wait, but I wanted to let you all know how it's going.

BEWARE...

[nekshot]

How do these companies hope to have a future??

[Wagnerwerks]

I don't know... I think selling cheap guns is where they belong...

. So I got it back today. I was told a new gun was shipped but I got a new barrel instead. No real problem there but once again, not what I was told. At this point I'm just hoping it shoots well and I'm again excited for cb load development. :)

[Tackleberry41]

Traditions use to be CVA didn't they? Usually a reason they change the name, to avoid past ticked off customers. I had the chance to examine a traditions kit gun compared to an old CVA. Seems CVA was the better brand.

I bought a Kentucky rifle kit, I guess it was early 90s. Put it together without much issues. Assembled it, put a finish on the stock. Barrel was blued, marked with caliber and twist, holes lined up.

Fast forward 2 decades. Guy I knew had pretty much same kit in his closet. I started to mess with it, but chucked most of it in the trash. Nothing fit anything else, hard to find a hole that lined up with anything. Would have required a ton of sanding, inletting. New one the barrel was in the white, zero markings, not even caliber. And could not get the little screw out of the side of the nipple, on a new never used kit. Figured get it out put a better one in, just managed to bugger it up completely. Not a single part is compatible with my old one, not even the nipple.

[Wagnerwerks]

I don't think they were ever one company, but I could be wrong. CVA makes the hunter and scout models for their single shot offering right now. The hunter is like the new handi gun as far as pricing and I would have gone with it if they offered a 357. I will likely pick one up in 45-70 at some point just for poops and giggles.

[HangFireW8]

Traditions and CVA both still exist, and I don't recall any crossover of ownership. Both sell (or sold) Spanish imports. CVA came under new ownership after a disastrous recall situation. CVA's owners, BPI, do not list Traditions as one of their holdings:
http://www.bpioutdoors.com/

http://www.chuckhawks.com/cva_muzzleloader_perspective.htm
http://www.chuckhawks.com/dangerous_muzzleloaders.htm

Curiously CVA is not in Connecticut, but Traditions is.

I do not recommend either brand.

[Tackleberry41]

Its hard to know who is doing what anymore. Go buy a S&W it might be made by S&W or Walther. I bought one of their M&P compact 22s, thats made by S&W, but the full size isn't. Ruger, they all seem to do it anymore. Walther got absorbed by H&K/Umarex, so not really a brand anymore. Marlin is now Remington.

I wonder about CVA/Traditions as all those CVA kit guns disappeared and suddenly Traditions was selling them. Yea CVA still sells inline guns, just seems to me they are one and the same.

[Bigslug]

I'm hearing, "Buy a Uberti Low Wall in .357"

I've kinda been planning to anyway, but message received, loud and clear. Sorry for your misfortune.

[Wagnerwerks]

That's what I'm thinking too. :)

[Dinny]

I don't know... I think selling cheap guns is where they belong...

. So I got it back today. I was told a new gun was shipped but I got a new barrel instead. No real problem there but once again, not what I was told. At this point I'm just hoping it shoots well and I'm again excited for cb load development. :)

Does the new barrel fit perfectly? Their CS told me the barrels aren't interchangeable.

Thanks, Dinny

[koger]

I am going tomorrow to buy a new .357 Henry, for $350 out the door. I have 3 other Henrys, that I have went thru the triggers on them, still use the original hammer spring. Seems like the best deal to me.