Begara quality
- Thread starter Marcfflsot
- Start date
Have numerous Bergara and Tikka rifles. No issues with either manufacturer's products. Some people seem prone to being snake bitten, and would have problems if God himself had manufactured it.
Hi,
Typically those people that get "snake bitten" have unrealistic expectations for the product range they purchased.
Purchasing an 800$ item and expecting the fit and finish to be on same level as TacOps is just retarded.
Purchasing a 1k$ product and expecting it to have same lifetime warranty as the 8k$ product is unrealistic.
Like it or not...your GMC is NOT the same as a Cadillac....it just isn't, lol
Sincerely,
Theis
Typically those people that get "snake bitten" have unrealistic expectations for the product range they purchased.
Purchasing an 800$ item and expecting the fit and finish to be on same level as TacOps is just retarded.
Purchasing a 1k$ product and expecting it to have same lifetime warranty as the 8k$ product is unrealistic.
Like it or not...your GMC is NOT the same as a Cadillac....it just isn't, lol
Sincerely,
Theis
I stick to the general rule of thumb that, if I can't make it better, for cheaper, I shut the fuck up.
Except, your Cadillac IS as bad as a GMC. They're one in the same. You just pay more for the, "Prestige".
Right, because the last time I contacted them (about the immoveable thread protector) THAT went so swimingly. The point here is, when you pay over $2500 for a rifle, locked up parts and misaligned rail mounting holes are the kind of bush league problem that I wouldn't even encounter in an older Remington 700. Hell, they don't even make most of the parts they use; it's mostly an assembly operation using their barrels (and in my case their action.)
Mike. I don't know if you're being snide or genuinely missed that I wrote "After swapping rails, rings, and scopes, with all the same result,"
I'm not a fool, I swapped thing in and out in a sequence to try to determine IF it was the rings, rail, or scope. I didn't just randomly swap them. Regardless of which of the two rails I used, which of the 2 different mfgrs rings I used, or which scope (SB PMII vs Vortex Razor HD II) the best boresight I could get was consistently off by the same massive amount. This was after using Wheeler Scope Levels. If the change was inconsitent across different components, I'd say the components were off. But when not a single different component changed out affected the windage misalignment, it has to be the receiver.
[edit, added later] Side note, while I'm bitching about manufacturers, the 'other rail' I ordered came from Talley. That rail came with missing 'teeth'. Somehow they'd been machined off in mfgr'ing process and wasn't noticed. It also wasn't noticed when they nitride (?) coated it. Nor did they notice it in Q/A or packaging. Sure Talley immediately shipped me a correct set, but FFS, if this is what "Buying American" get us, no wonder people buy foreign. It's not like Bergara or Talley are little companies in a garage.
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Yes, channel locks. The thread protector is a thick steel part and I damned well know enough not to compress it toomuch. The exterior was protected with alumshim and the channel locks were only used AFTER solvent, then a blowtorch, failed to free it up. I ended up having to use freeze spray on the barrel, then a mini blowtorch on the protector, and channel locks to get it off and it took a lot of muscle.
Once it was freed up I still had to use the damned channel locks to get it unscrewed UNTIL after it passed what you see in the closeup below. Some sort of blob of epoxy, or, some sort of manufacturing defect.
Now, I know you seem to think slowly, so I'll lay this out clearly for you. I'm pretty certain that even the dumbest employee at a precision rifle company wouldn't use a tool to spin on a thread protector. So clearly it went on smoothly when they put it on, and by the time it was deliverd to me. the epoxy or whatever had set. We will never know what it was since I sent the part back to Bergara and they misplaced it.
So you contacted Bergara about the $9 thread protector but not the “misaligned” sight base holes in the action? Come on man, that is not even remotely making sense.
Looks like a broken thread where you circled it.
I don't recall whether you sent it (the rifle) back to Bergara or not, but that would have been my choice.
Sounds like you went through normal ways to diagnose the issue of the scope alignment.
Did the rifle ever go back to Bergara?
Edit:
to clarify paragraph 1.
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Wow! This seems to be a very rare issue with Bergara, as my B14s have been great!
Humans can and will screw up though.
You have not reached out to me. Your warranty does not expire unless you have done something to void that warranty. If you are the original purchaser of the rifle you have the warranty against manufacturer defects. Send me the rifle. I will have it inspected with our comparator machine and see if the scope base holes are out of spec. If they are then we will make it right.
-Chad
Will it close on a no go gauge?
As others have said your expectations are unrealistic, and you don't know anything about how a bolt and action are supposed to interact. On an empty chamber there is ways going to be some play.
And to the other guy using channel locks to remove a thread protector....you're doing it wrong. I can be a ham fisted mechanic at times and even I know better. You should have sent it in, especially after your other alleged issue of crooked scope mount holes. But since you decided to take it upon yourself to remove it, you should have carefully cut it off so you didn't damage the threads any further and could possibly diagnose the problem. Did you gauge the threads? Maybe they were out of spec. You probably galled the threads removing the protector and that is what you're seeing. Aluminum shim stock won't prevent your channel locks from crushing the thread protector and making it harder to remove.
There you go!
That's how to take care of customers.
For everyone complaining about less than perfect products, remember, you as a customer/consumer have a responsibility to allow the manufacturer an opportunity to resolve the issue.
To go on line complaining without giving the manufacturer the option and opportunity to make it right does a disservice to all of us.
Reminds me of the high school girls I'd hear complaining about guys they slept with over the weekend.
A little buyer's remorse on their part because he turned out to be a two pump chump.
They didn't stick around to find out if the poor guy could redeem himself.
Lastly, if you've ever been in a position to hire people for the firearms industry, or any job for that matter.
Finding good employees is tough.
People that tend to work in boxing, packaging and shipping aren't usually the cream of the crop.
Every industry has lackluster performers. The larger the business the higher percentage of poor performance.
What sets a company apart is their customer service.
Yes, a product should be good or even great, but even Bently puts out a lemon here and there.
It's what companies do after the sale that truly counts. Hence the offer from Paul to take the "crooked" rifle back to have a look at it.
Chad don't forget......if you are down this way.....JTAC run
I own a Tikka, but after seeing all of Chad’s responses here, I may buy a Bergara next. Seems to me he(Bergara) is doing right by their customers if they know there is a problem.
That's what some of these block-heads don't get.. If the company doesn't know about it, how can they fix it for you?
I used to own a Bergara HMR Pro in 6 CM. Sold it to a friend when I had my 6 BRA built because the two are too similar to own both.
When I got my rifle, the ejector was causing marks on cases. Sent BPI pics. They said send it in. Turns out the ejector spring was too long and putting too much force on the cases. Would I have preferred that it didn't happen? Sure. But they fixed and sent it back quickly. I was without the rifle for a couple weeks. The horror...
I have no problem recommending a Bergara for someone looking for a factory rifle, not in small part due to the good customer service experience I had.
It looks like a raised line of metal that rubbed against the raceway and the bluing wore off.
A couple years ago on a Facebook Bergara owners page, someone received a rifle at their store with a loose barrel. The guy made a post on it bashing Bergara before even bringing it up to them. The CEO of BPI saw it, and addressed it personally on that page. Didn't care about details, what might have happened between when it left the warehouse to when it ended up in that man's hands, he just wanted to make it right, just like Chad is doing here. I had already ordered my HMR pro at that point even though I hadn't received it yet, but I was very happy with my purchase even before I touched it, and I bought it going in blind, I don't even think any Canadian distributors had a premier Bergara yet as they were still new. They made me a customer for life before I even shot it.
Quick synopsis of this thread:
1) some people would rather bitch on a forum than contacting a manufacturer and allowing them to make it right.
2) Bergara will make it right if afforded the opportunity.
While this started out as an obvious attempt to bash Bergara, I think it’s kind of backfired as Chad@Bergara has proved that Bergara is a classy operation.
1) some people would rather bitch on a forum than contacting a manufacturer and allowing them to make it right.
2) Bergara will make it right if afforded the opportunity.
While this started out as an obvious attempt to bash Bergara, I think it’s kind of backfired as Chad@Bergara has proved that Bergara is a classy operation.
Give credit where credit is due. It's not Bergera, it's Chad. If Bergera did not have Chad I have my doubts that Bergera would have as much as a following as it does here. Not knocking Bergera, but Chad's work to fix issues and put out fires is important.
Once again: Satisfaction is a mental state that results from confirmation or disconfirmation of expectations and prior feelings about experiences with a service (Parasuraman et al. 1988).
Chad goes above and beyond other companies when it comes to customer service, and that resonates and outpaces a lot of gun owner's expectations. Sure Bergera makes a great product, but at the same time there are other manufacturers who also produce decent stuff at the same level. The difference is Bergera has a good online presence and its online presence works to fix problems.
I agree the Chad has been great here. However, he is, in my opinion and experience, a reflection of the company as a whole. My first real experience with Bergara was the Bergara Experience they put on around the country. I was impressed that Nate, the CEO, Dan, who heads the custom rifle shop and most of the other Execs took the time to be there. They were asking for feedback, provided a great meal, ammo, rifles, instructors, and never once a sales pitch. It was a family atmosphere. I loved that.
I immediately bought my LRP Elite when I got back home. Fast forward and I got the opportunity to go to the Bergara Academy. Again, Nate the CEO was there, along with Damon, who does PR. They are really nice, down to earth people. I had one of the best experiences of my life in Montana with them. I have since amassed a pretty decent stable of Bergara rifles and have not been disappointed. So when people come on here and shit on them it really irks me, especially because almost without fail these same individuals never bothered to contact Bergara to make it right. I can’t stand that kind of adolescent behavior.
Both the rifle and cartridge are intended for long range shooting. If that’s what you are looking for I think you will be very happy.
Is this rifle for sale??? What cartridge is it in??? I'm planning on buying it on the cheap and then Chad will take care of any potential "issues" it may or may not have. I bet Chad will get it fixed up for me as easy as just sending a DM.
LOL, right???? All I've gathered so far is that I need to pick a cartridge so I can buy a Bergara! Haven't bought a factory bolt gun in a very long time. Guys.... should I go huge or small on the cartridge for my new Bergara???
PS: STOP USING CHANNEL LOCKS ON FIREARMS
Also important to note, this guy was apparently screwed by both Bergara and Talley. I’m sure none of this is his fault. I mean he did complain about the defective thread protector but not the misaligned base hole that rendered his rifle useless, seems completely legit and reasonable.
The Bergara Ridgeback is a extremely fine rifle. I've pushed my little 6.5 CM farther than I thought possible. The action is unreal smooth. It's a great rifle and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Maybe in 300 prc this time.
Makes sense given the performance I saw with my 6.5CM Ridge and 143ELD-X.. .46" 5 shot groups, fresh out of the box with nothing more than a few patches down the barrel.
I just got my B14 Ridge SP and I am impressed with the quality of this rifle. No issues that I can see and after reading this thread I wouldn’t be concerned if there was...looks like Bergara takes care of things. Doesn’t hurt that Lawrenceville is only 10 minutes from Buford...
My Ridge SP shoots better than 1/2 MOA. I think you will be quite pleased.
Didn’t want to start another thread… I picked up a Premier Ridgeback in 300 prc this week.. When attempting to time my muzzle brake it needed another thou washer and the barrel spun loose with hardly any effort when trying to back the brake off. I was operating at max 10-15 ft lb to check alignment with washers. So likely within the first couple of shots it would have walked on me. Felt like someone just hand tightened the barrel.
I emailed Chad, hope he’s till with Bergara. If not I’m taking it to a local smith. I read their factory tq value is 65 ft/lb.
Ffs.
So, after 2 fucking years, Bergara as a company hasn't learned shit or attempted to fix a known issue.
Damn, It's not like we're talking about an automobile, with ten thousand parts.
I mean, how many fucking things need to be tightened on a BA rifle, 5?, and I'd argue that the barrel is the single most important part that needs to be tightened correctly.
Did Bergara copy everything about Remington right down to QA? @ALShooter I am sure they will take care of it for you.
Just spoke with them, Chad no longer works there. They are sending me an RMA.
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