Gunsmithing Pacific Tool & Gauge SUCKS!!!

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I want the product, and I hope it will be at least done right.

I was sucked in by the $119 price tag for a Howa DBM. But had I known it didn't exist yet, I would have just paid $30 more from a vender that had it in stock.

I'll count it as a lesson learned. A gunsmith friend just received a dovetail cutter from them that was obviously made of the wrong steel.

So, never again for me.
 
Last year I purchased a bolt and Orbendorf bottle metal from them. The bolt took forever before my Smith got it. They said the bottom metal would take 6 weeks. After 8 weeks I called up and said what's the problem. The secretary said let me check and I'll call you back. She called back a short time later and said we just finished it and we'll have it in the mail tomorrow. I thought, ya right. The guy makes great products, but his business practice sucks. Will do business with someone else next time around...
 
What's the verdict on their headspace gauges? I've been buying them steadily for different builds. Ones in stock shipped fast, the rest on the short end of their expected window for manufacturing.
 
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I just bought a set of headspace gauges from them. They came fast and accurate. Put a new barrel on with them and have had zero issues after 100 rounds so far. They were in stock and shipped a couple days after purchased online.
 
This has unfortunately become PTG's reputation. I ordered a bottom metal from them last year that was "in stock" and it ended up being a two month wait. I ended up ordering another bottom metal that arrived that week so I could get all my stuff to the gunsmith. Lots of good companies in this industry and then there's PTG.
 
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My purchasing experience was okay for my Savage bottom metal. Not great. Shipped me my bottom metal without notifying me so it sat on my porch on a vacation weekend weeks before the estimated lead time. Whatever. But it's supposed to be "drop in" to the factor Savage DBM bottom metal inlet. Well it fit the inlet, but it doesn't feed, and I can't get them on the phone or email to help me figure out what's wrong with it.
 
I like living dangerously, so I occasionally make an order with them, but hold my expectations pretty low. I picked up one of their "Stealth" DBMs for a M-Seven. It didn't clear the factory trigger in the factory inlet wood stock. I whittled away the excess aluminum until it did clear and it's worked fine since. At least I didn't have to make the DBM myself, so there's that.

PTG has always been late on projected delivery. You have to do your own QC on "custom" ordered parts. I've gotten replacement bolts with features I did not spec, and incorrect features on reamers, etc. I always anticipate getting parts that will be "stock" for cutting on like an 80% receiver.

They certainly keep life in the home shop interesting... I now commit to buying reamers from Manson now. They cost more, but some things I don't want to have to guess at.
 
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I got a custom diameter fluted 1 piece bolt for my 700. They said 8-10 weeks and it was at my door in 7. I'm super happy with it in my ghetto ass rifle after 900rds (better primary camming and perfect lug engagement). Looks like prices went up recently on those bolts.... I'm thankful I didn't have the issues some of you have had!
 
I've only ever gotten their cocking piece to replace the one I fucked up on a Remington 700. It was in stock so I didn't have the massively long wait time, but after installing it, all my triggers had an outrageous amount of creep. Many frustrating hours later, I ended up ordering a factory replacement. If you can screw up a cocking piece on a Remington 700, I wouldn't take my chances on precision parts.

As for their headspace gauges, why bother when forster makes great gauges at a comparable price and they even engrave the headspace measurement and what gauge it is right on the side? Such a simple step and yet extremely helpful.
 
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yeah, the galling thing for me was they used to have a stellar reputation for quality and service. I've never spoken to Dave but have heard he was always willing to give advice personally etc.. For me the issues were always around lead times, delivering to wrong addresses, sales personnel who didn't know anything, not responding to emails and one item that wasn't made correctly. The last item I ordered from them took 3 months to arrive, was sent to the wrong address, was wrong when it got here and took 7 months to get a refund. The entire process took 54 emails back and forth and almost a year to resolve. - To be fair, the finish was excellent, it just wasn't right. At that point I decided the overhead in terms of time and effort in dealing with PT&G were too much.

I suspect PT&G have an issue recruiting good staff due to their location which may be one reason why the indeed review is so bad.

Unfortunately poor service isn't rare but I believe the reaction to it in PT&G's case is because it used to be so good and to see a company fall so far is such a shame.

I know Dave reads these pages from time to time and I hope he takes these comments constructively.


Come on Dave - This has been going on long enough now, sort it out - I would order from PT&G again if you would resolve these issues
 
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I recently bought their Kenyon trigger to trigger. It would not work so I sent it back with a note asking for a refund. 3 weeks later I get the trigger back so I call them. They said they inspected it and nothing was wrong. I told them I still wanted a refund and to issue a return label. A week later and no return label I called back. They said they had issued a refund so I asked if they were going to issue a return label and they said they did not want the trigger back.

I bought bottom metal for a Model 7 to use AR magazines. The catch was messed up so I called them. I had to send in pictures but they did send a replacement catch a few weeks later.

I refuse to buy from them again. I will spend the extra money on other vendors. The money saved on a reamer/gauges is not worth the cost of a ruined barrel.
 
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It has been my previous experience that companies put items on sale, because they have inventory to liquidate...

Apparently, PT&G likes to put items "on sale" that they haven't made yet.

2 months and counting waiting for Howa bottom metal...

PT&G can choke on a bag of dicks...that is all.
Sounds like they have already bit off more than they can chew, that will have wait a while!
 
I do believe Dave's give a fucks for the small time smiths/consumers like us is very small. He has all his big accounts they take care of and us little guys are very low on the list. When PT&G gets it right they make a great part, I do believe it wouldn't take long to go in and straighten his company out but it would take 20X longer to get back the customers Dave has lost. I met him 15 years ago, he was eager to help and pretty squared away. I saw him about a year ago and totally different person.
 
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I just ordered two recoil lugs from them one was in stock. I called and asked for a partial shipment. The lad said she pulled it and will process the order. I will report back shortly
 
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I use to deal directly with DK even though its hide and seek getting him in the phone.he was ok.but thats long time ago..i probably dealt with several ladies thats no longer work with ptg.and its always been pain in the a$$ getting your order squared! Off spec reamer, double charging CC and took months to get refunded, wrong parts and a other few weeks just to do exchange..claiming parts in stock, charged cc and never hear from them for few to several months! Finally someone come on the phone but its like explaining to a 5 years old!
Oh and they love to charge RE STOCKING FEE! for item they mistakenly shipping wrong parts.or item they haven't ship to begin with when canceling....thats PTG for you!
 
I’ve had some out of spec 308win gauges form PT&G. But luckily I bought them through Brownells and got a refund.