Hi everyone-
So I spent some money I didn't have on a new Tikka T3X UPR .308 ... Unlike years ago when I could waste money and methodically build up stuff, buying piece by piece etc. I really liked the idea of having a pretty good+ (at least, certainly, for my purposes) rifle right out of the box.
I haven't shot it yet ... when I got it home last week I was busy, only had time to wipe it down with RemOil wipes and put it away. When I got it out the other day, to mount a scope, I notice it has a gouge/chip/whatever you want to call it, a gouge out of the barrel.
I am just screwed, it seems, right? Tikka's website doesn't even have Contact info ... If you try to contact them or look for service, it says to contact your 'Distributor' - which I take to be Beretta USA for us in the States? And then it says how the Customer's Responsibility is to make sure nothing is wrong out of the box. I mean, right, I get it. It's not the first time I've bought a firearm before. But, this is crazy Covid times... the gunshop basically wants you to fill out the paperwork, process the sale, and bounce. I opened the box, saw it was wrapped up in the nice fancy Plastic-wrap, and it looked fine. Now I see I am screwed... nothing they will do, right? And there's nothing to be done short of total refinishing or a new barrel ? (neither of which I am going to pay for on a brand-new, ~$1,500 rifle I literally haven't even shot yet.)
And finally- this is something that won't affect the actual functionality, right? I don't have a pic this second, I will try later- it's not HUGE, but it's looking like a spot where the finish is totally removed and steel is visible underneath. (Probably located at a distance about 1/4 length of the barrel from the muzzle, underneath-ish) ... it just sucks, you are psyched to get a piece of Fine Finnish Firearm engineering, and it's got a chunk out of the barrel. And I sure didn't do it. I've barely touched the thing.
Edit- I tried to snap a quick pic or two. The first is just to show the actual rifle, the second are trying to show the gouge. It's pretty hard to see clearly in the pictures but it's definitely there, definitely can see it and feel it with your finger, looks like bare metal with the finish gouged/marred/etc. Sucks. It's not the biggest deal in the world, it just sucks when it's literally brand new, a week-or-two from picking up etc. Thanks again