This is a review of my experience of purchasing a custom rifle from Tactical Rifles out of Zephyrhills, FL. The experience has been interesting at best. Unfortunately the experience has been mostly negative with a very few positives at all. My best advice for anyone going through a big purchase, whether it be a gun or something else that they value is Buyer Beware! Check the Better Business Bureau, get online and read blogs surrounding the product (for me I should have read more shooting blogs with everyday Joe American and not rifle magazine reviews where people get paid to shoot the rifles.)
After a very long wait from order to receiving the rifle I had been on a roller coaster of anticipation and delay. I picked it up on Monday 12/16/2013 and finally got to the fire it Wednesday 12/18/13. Unfortunately by the time I received the rifle most of my joy of waiting for the rifle had been taken because I had to have an attorney contact the company after a wait of over 2 years (the industry standard is about 10 months).
When I finally received the rifle, I was very disappointed with the cosmetics of the rifle itself. As you will read in the review below, there are several issues that I should not have had to deal on a custom rifle that cost $7300 (price includes Nightforce NXS 5.5-22ZS Optic). It was very disappointing and disheartening. Of course after some of the ups and downs of waiting over 2 years for it, when I went to pick it up I had the question in my mind of "I wonder what's wrong with the rifle?"
I ordered a Tactical Rifles M40 in .308 win with TR Match Grade Chimera receiver with spiral fluted bolt. . The barrel was a #7 Contour barrel with custom black finishing and a muzzle brake. I also ordered the Manners T4 stock with adjustable cheek piece. I ordered side mounted flush cups for QD swivels and the swivels themselves. The optic I chose was a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 ZS with mil-dot reticle and the Chimera scope rings. The hydrographics paint scheme is the ATACs camo. I ordered the Pelican Case with laser cut foam for it to be shipped in. The order date was 7/20/2011. The date I received the rifle was 12/16/2013. The total cost of the rifle with optic was $7297.00.
When I received the rifle, the hydrographics job they did was lacking at best. Again, it should have been pristine for the amount of money that I spent. Around the safety switch the hydrographics looked sloppy and around the flush cups the hydrographics are cracking and chipping. My flush cups were not "flush" on the rifle at all and the QD swivels that I had purchased were not sent at all. When I picked up the rifle, the magazine was shipped separately so I did not have that with the shipment. The only paperwork I received was a letter stating that the magazine and other accessories were shipped separately. The rifle had not been cleaned, and was told by the owner that this was proof that the rifle had been test fired. As far as the rifle scope rings, bolt, action and scope, all were tight and looked great. I took the rifle home and waited for UPS to receive the rest of my accessories. Of course they didn't show up until 2 days later.
When I did receive the accessories, all that I received was the 5 round magazine and the packaging and allen wrench of the TR Scope Rings. I did not receive any serial numbered target that I was told would come, nor did I receive a T-Shirt that they said they would be sending. The t-shirt isn't a big deal, it was just a little frustrating when I was told to be expecting things and didn't receive them. I also received no invoice, paperwork about the rifle, nor did I receive any documentation regarding the Nightforce Scope or the Manners Stock.
I then was able to shoot the rifle the next day and this is where a lot of things came together and this is the "good" part of the whole thing. The rifle shot beautifully. I was only able to shoot long enough to verify zero and "enjoy" the rifle. I shot Federal GMM 168gr HPBT. I was out 100 yards and after a short break in period, I put a total of 20 rounds down range. I couldn't believe how well the groupings were. I'm not sure how to measure them and will be buying a caliper. (Do you measure center to center or overall of shots fired?)
To be fair, I sent Dave Rooney, President of Tactical Rifles and email explaining my disappointment of the hydrographics and flush cups. He was very quick to call me back and said that he would be glad to redo the hydrographics and fix the flush cups at no cost. His only request was to do it after the Christmas holidays. I also emailed them about the QD swivels and the missing paperwork and was told that I would be receiving them in the mail, but as you can imagine I have received nothing to dated. So I am now looking for a local gunsmith who can go over the rifle and help me with the issues I have.
I must say that the waiting period, missing accessories and documentation and the cosmetic issues are a huge strike! The shoddy work on the hydrographics and flush cups really put me over the edge. I really like Dave Rooney and he has been a great person to speak to. Either that, or he is really a great talker, but the weight of the issues, considering what I paid for the rifle, is just too much.
Some have asked me if the wait time is worth it and that's a loaded question. Does the rifle shoot well? Yes, It shoots well, but in my opinion, the rifle I received should not have left the shop looking the way it did, again considering the price I paid for the rifle.
