My McMillan build... Gone wrong

[mcmuffin]

After many months of waiting patiently to finish my McMillan a5 .300wm build I finally got the rifle back from Robar coatings. They did an amazing job on the coatings and everything looks great. One small problem. My stock got cracked during shipment by UPS. I am now waiting 6 months for a new stock plus in-letting and coatings time... I hate UPS... Robar is going to bat for me with everything and are doing an awesome job, just thought I should share this ordeal.. In the photos you can see the white ups box that was thrown over the top of the original shipping box, it's also torn and has punctures in the original box. To crack a McMillan it had to of taken some serious force.


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[Jig Stick]

Im assuming it was not shipped in that Pelican case. How did you package up that stock? Was it wrapped to fuck and back with bubble tape and packing foam? Even if it was, like you said, it would take a tremendous load to crack that stock. That is fucked up. Was it insured?

 

[Automan71]

I'm amazed at packages I receive here at my shop that resemble the box in the pic...boxes beat to $hit!! UPS seems to have no mercy on packages! Sorry about your luck, and hope you made a claim with UPS for the damage!

 

[mcmuffin]

Yes, it was insured and it Is being completely paid for. What has me is the time it will take to replace it. Originally I was told not to ship in a pelican, less conspicuous kind of thing. It had more bubble wrap than I'm sure could fit in the box, and paper packing around that. Robar gave me word that they will no longer do any type of shipment without a hard case after what happened to me.


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[RTH1800]

That bolt cutout is a piece of work. I am certain it materially weakened the stock. Action may have required it but I would re think the action if so. It also appears that the stock was defective in the molding process as I see voids in the cutout. Very little material there. That stock could be very easily fixed, even the bolt cutout. I would repair it and never look back. Many on here get all worked up about a glass/plastic stock like it was fine wood or something. Even crashed corvettes are repaired.
No reason not to repair and shot at least until the new one comes in. No way I would sit on the sidelines for months over a crack in the glass. Put a bolt through it, glass it in along with the repair and drive on.

 

[Automan71]

Well I'm glad it was insured, and I hear you about the wait time...that sucks!!

 

[Masked]

I used to build custom computers for a living...One day I actually watched the UPS guys drop it 5' from the trailer lip...Wasn't pretty. Took 2 years of FIGHTING to get that claim...Being a small business, that just sucked.

I feel for you both - Good luck with McMillan.

 

[gimpy]

After selling an Hornady Ammo Plant here, I learned UPS can break ANYTHING. They cracked the frame on it.

 

[Jrb572]

I do not know if they could even fix it. But did you try calling McMillan to see if they could fix it?

 

[GongShow]

Ship in pelican case then put pelican in a cardboard box to hide the identity of a rifle. I wonder sometimes if a gun haters sometimes could purposefully beat the shit out of the package because of this.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Composite stocks are strong, but I have seen a few fail under magnum recoil, and a few crack during big falls. It happens, but it's never fun when it happens to you. I am actually surprised it failed where it did, some of the lighter fills have less fiberglass chop where the strength should be, chop is the "rebar" that holds it all together.

 

[Pat M]

I hate UPS, they have damaged sooo many packages that come to my shop. I will never use them until they pull their heads out of their a$$e$

 

[rideHPD]

I hate UPS, they have damaged sooo many packages that come to my shop. I will never use them until they pull their heads out of their a$$e$

Who do you use? For God's sake I hope you don't say USPS, lol.

 

[RyeDaddy]

UPS = Useless Pieces of Shit
That's why their color is brown.

Sorry, bro. That is all.

 

[Geno C.]

Back when I was in college I worked nights at UPS loading trucks. With some of the mental giants I worked with its surprising any packages make their destinations intact! Writing fragile only made them throw the boxes harder.

When I ship things now I make sure it can literally fall off the truck at highway speeds and survive. Anything less makes me uneasy anymore.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Not sure how I did it, but I may have found athe ctual footage of your package during transit....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q6_9A90cUk

 

[MarinePMI]

Ship in pelican case then put pelican in a cardboard box to hide the identity of a rifle. I wonder sometimes if a gun haters sometimes could purposefully beat the shit out of the package because of this.

Bingo.

 

[my human host]

I've had lots of stuff screwed up during shipping, but got my revenge recently.

Ordered a 5gal pail of cutting oil from Enco. Received an email 2 days later stating that the item had been destroyed during transit. That's right, fuck you.

 

[JW21]

Now I'm panicking, I'm supposed to have a new A5 coming tomorrow...

 

[sierracharlie338]

Not sure how I did it, but I may have found athe ctual footage of your package during transit....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q6_9A90cUk

Exactly what I think of when I hear about stuff like this!! Hahaha!

 

[ejg]

That bolt cutout is a piece of work. I am certain it materially weakened the stock. Action may have required it but I would re think the action if so. It also appears that the stock was defective in the molding process as I see voids in the cutout. Very little material there. That stock could be very easily fixed, even the bolt cutout. I would repair it and never look back. Many on here get all worked up about a glass/plastic stock like it was fine wood or something. Even crashed corvettes are repaired.
No reason not to repair and shot at least until the new one comes in. No way I would sit on the sidelines for months over a crack in the glass. Put a bolt through it, glass it in along with the repair and drive on.

I agree with what you said, apart from the voids as they mostly are only cosmetic.
It looks as if the main glass layer was cut with the large bolt handle cut-out and therefore took away all the structure in that area. I'd have no issue fixing that and it would be stronger than before. Of course one cannot build a stock UPS proof however it might have taken the strain with less bolt cut-out or more glass in the area when laying up or even adding a layer after bolt cut out on the outside.
edi

 

[Yowie]

Mine rocked up in Australia with no damage at all except a couple of imperfections in the paint job but doubt UPS did that haha

 

[MoBoost]

Sorry to poop on yall's UPS-hate kumbaya ... but it wasn't the shipping that cracked the stock.
I would contact McMillan they'll take care of it (or you can bitch at UPS for no reason .... since it's so freaking popular).

 

[T44]

mcmuffin,

Is that an EDGE or regular fiberglass stock? If it's fiberglass, what fill did you specify?

 

[mcmuffin]

That bolt cutout is a piece of work. I am certain it materially weakened the stock. Action may have required it but I would re think the action if so. It also appears that the stock was defective in the molding process as I see voids in the cutout. Very little material there. That stock could be very easily fixed, even the bolt cutout. I would repair it and never look back. Many on here get all worked up about a glass/plastic stock like it was fine wood or something. Even crashed corvettes are repaired.
No reason not to repair and shot at least until the new one comes in. No way I would sit on the sidelines for months over a crack in the glass. Put a bolt through it, glass it in along with the repair and drive on.

"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[mcmuffin]

As much as I'd love to not wait for a new stock, it's not right to have to get the one I paid for repaired. It would be like buying a new car, and when the dealer is pulling it around for you they crash it and tell you they will fix it, I know that not a single person here would settle for that. The existing stock has to be sent back to Robar who are sending it to ups as a total loss and receiving payment for it. McMillan is bedding me a completely new stock based off my barreled action. So, as opposed to waiting on bedding, it will all be done by McMillan in house. Robar is again doing awesome work on getting it sorted and trying to get my order expedited through McMillan for me. And what looks like a molding deformity in the stock where that piece is cracked out, I have the piece sitting in a plastic baggy waiting to go back to Robar with the rifle. It was in the packaging.


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[mcmuffin]

The bolt cutout came that way from McMillan on the original stock to fit their G30 action, maybe they will do something different on this round of the stock, but, where the main crack that bothers me is in front of the trigger set. I have faith in McMillan that they will build me another amazing stock. I'm sure someone could buy this stock through ups now if they wanted, but, who really wants anything broken?


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[SONIC SAAMI]

This will always will never cease to amaze me.
Shippers will send a multi thousand dollar product in a five dollar carton then complain when it is damaged in transit.

 

[MoBoost]

It would be like buying a new car, and when the dealer is pulling it around for you they crash it and tell you they will fix it, I know that not a single person here would settle for that.

Actually it happens all the time - there are lots of paint and body shops that specialize in "dealer" repairs. Plus, how is your fully custom stock like a "new car"?

 

[CSwimm]

Must be that highly skilled unionized workforce. UPS is all about being quick, not good.

I have been woking in mailrooms for 13 years with the Army and I have seen mail clerks throw packages from the loading dock all the way into the front of their step vans before. Saw one throw a package containing iron skillets into his van on top of other packages full force.

Pack you boxes full and tight. Tape the hell out of them with proper packing tape. Thinlk of it being on the bottom of a stack of much heavier boxes and being thrown around like it's a rag doll. Not excusing the abuse many carriers subject packages to, just warning people to pack accordingly.

 

[Thud]

One question was the rifle shipped with the bolt in the gun.
If so the bolt handle acts as a piviot point against the foreend and the butt stock and will likely cause a crack.
I usually pack the bolt and any thing else in a seperate wrapped box in the bottom and wrap it and mark it as such so its not thrown away.
Usually the wrist area is the weakest area and will show problems first.

 

[JeffLebowski]

Unionized Parcel Service

 

[mcmuffin]

Actually it happens all the time - there are lots of paint and body shops that specialize in "dealer" repairs. Plus, how is your fully custom stock like a "new car"?

So your telling me you would be happy to have a damaged car off the lot when you paid for a new one?


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[mcmuffin]

One question was the rifle shipped with the bolt in the gun.
If so the bolt handle acts as a piviot point against the foreend and the butt stock and will likely cause a crack.
I usually pack the bolt and any thing else in a seperate wrapped box in the bottom and wrap it and mark it as such so its not thrown away.
Usually the wrist area is the weakest area and will show problems first.

The bolt was packaged separately


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[MoBoost]

So your telling me you would be happy to have a damaged car off the lot when you paid for a new one?

Only you know what will make you "happy":

a) going to the range in 24 hours with properly repaired stock

b) assembling your rifle in 6-12 months knowing that McMillan took a hit, the machinist took a hit, the painter took a hit and the carrier took a hit.

So what makes you happy?

Again, it's not the shipping that made the stock crack like that - first Win Mag down the pipe would do the same number.

You do know that it is a fiberglass - adding glass to it doesn't make a difference, right?

 

[cal50]

UPS can break rocks in padded boxes.

 

[stockdoc]

That title is very misleading. Should say "ups sucks" or somesuch.

 

[mcmuffin]

Only you know what will make you "happy":

a) going to the range in 24 hours with properly repaired stock

b) assembling your rifle in 6-12 months knowing that McMillan took a hit, the machinist took a hit, the painter took a hit and the carrier took a hit.

So what makes you happy?

Again, it's not the shipping that made the stock crack like that - first Win Mag down the pipe would do the same number.

You do know that it is a fiberglass - adding glass to it doesn't make a difference, right?

How are Mcmillan, the machinist, and the painter taking a hit. It's all covered by the courier and covered under insurance. Which they sell for such occasions, would it not be helping mcmillan, the machinist, and the painter by giving more business at full rate?
Your right, a brand new stock, in the condition it was shipped from Robar would make me happy. Besides, I am only building this thing to sit on a shelf and look cool after all....


"It's you, MCMUFFIN!"

 

[mewillis]

at least Robar and McMillan have stepped up, hope it works out.
UPS, USPS, FedEx are all the same IMO. no problem until there is
and then nobody there gives a shit...........

 

[GongShow]

Only you know what will make you "happy":

a) going to the range in 24 hours with properly repaired stock

b) assembling your rifle in 6-12 months knowing that McMillan took a hit, the machinist took a hit, the painter took a hit and the carrier took a hit.

So what makes you happy?

Again, it's not the shipping that made the stock crack like that - first Win Mag down the pipe would do the same number.

You do know that it is a fiberglass - adding glass to it doesn't make a difference, right?

What makes you think that shipping did not crack the stock? I highly doubt that the stock would have broke from normal or even abusive tactical use with the barreled action mounted.

 

[Slim Chance]

MHH,
You are now my hero!
Love to see the truck with 5 gallons of cutting oil sloshing around.