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Posted: 3/16/2014 3:59:01 PM EDT
| Thinking about an XM177E1 build (have been for years) and was wondering who would you recommend to do the barrel work ? Thanks Kenneth |
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Thinking about an XM177E1 build (have been for years) and was wondering who would you recommend to do the barrel work ? Thanks Kenneth Here's one very good option. He aint purty but he's one of us! |
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Thinking about an XM177E1 build (have been for years) and was wondering who would you recommend to do the barrel work ? Thanks Kenneth Here's one very good option. He aint purty but he's one of us! John Thomas indeed. I've got a few things to send off to him as well.. 
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John Thomas indeed. I've got a few things to send off to him as well.. [img]http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif[/img Quoted:
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Thinking about an XM177E1 build (have been for years) and was wondering who would you recommend to do the barrel work ? Thanks Kenneth Here's one very good option. He aint purty but he's one of us! John Thomas indeed. I've got a few things to send off to him as well.. [img]http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif[/img Join the club, lol....
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| I'm assuming you mean 45Bravo? I thought he was a LEO and a standup guy, wtf happened to him? Did he start using the drugs he confiscated during traffic stops then start supporting his habit with our barrels? Last I heard some guys waited 2 years and never got their barrels back. |
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I'm assuming you mean 45Bravo? I thought he was a LEO and a standup guy, wtf happened to him? Did he start using the drugs he confiscated during traffic stops then start supporting his habit with our barrels? Last I heard some guys waited 2 years and never got their barrels back. I wondered what the story was also |
| both randall (ar15barrels.com) and 45bravo got banned. both had similar stories, started off doing great work at great prices but then became victims of their own success. too much work, not enough bandwidth, inability to turn away work, poor communication, and long turnaround times ultimately led to their downfall. if they fixed one or two of those factors, their story might have turned out differently but all those factors combined leads to a recipe for unhappy customers. |
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45Bravo was a decent guy who took on much more than he could handle. With his full-time LEO job, what started as a hobby quickly became a full-time job, plus. As he fell behind, the problems compounded and I believe he simply got overwhelmed. I don't believe he ever intended to screw anyone over. He just wasn't able to deliver to all the people who paid him, and I don't think he knew quite how to get out from under until it was way too late.
There's a lesson there for anyone who wants to offer retro services or take on special projects like, say, the "prototype front sight base." Take your best estimates of time and costs...and triple it. Even for a skilled machinist, there's more work out there than to approach casually. Another example: I'm waiting for a .22 conversion kit for an FAL. The guy who took on the project collected our payments before he would commit to the work--which a whole bunch of us willingly paid, knowing there was no telling how long it would take. I paid a little over $500 damn near 3 years ago and we're just now approaching the end product. The guy has been good to keep us updated all along--we've seen what he's gone through to get these done. But I doubt he'd undertake that project again. |
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45Bravo was a decent guy who took on much more than he could handle. With his full-time LEO job, what started as a hobby quickly became a full-time job, plus. As he fell behind, the problems compounded and I believe he simply got overwhelmed. I don't believe he ever intended to screw anyone over. He just wasn't able to deliver to all the people who paid him, and I don't think he knew quite how to get out from under until it was way too late. There's a lesson there for anyone who wants to offer retro services or take on special projects like, say, the "prototype front sight base." Take your best estimates of time and costs...and triple it. Even for a skilled machinist, there's more work out there than to approach casually. Another example: I'm waiting for a .22 conversion kit for an FAL. The guy who took on the project collected our payments before he would commit to the work--which a whole bunch of us willingly paid, knowing there was no telling how long it would take. I paid a little over $500 damn near 3 years ago and we're just now approaching the end product. The guy has been good to keep us updated all along--we've seen what he's gone through to get these done. But I doubt he'd undertake that project again. One of 45Bravo's last posts imply what you are saying but I do remember he susposedly had a full time partner and between the 2 of them they were working 7 days a week doing the barrel work. He started making excuses that were ridiculous towards the end and even if he was say 25-30 barrels behind, he and his business partner (if he even had one) should have stopped taking orders and focused on backorders. At least then guys who were twidling their thumbs waiting to ship to him could have used Bigbore's business(ADCO). My question is did everyone even if the work wasn't done get their barrels back? I know he had certain member's possessions anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. ETA: JT if you read this how many barrels can you get done over a weekend? I'm not talking about rushing, the quality work you do? Curious what the answer is because JT is a one man show and 45Bravo had help. |
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One of 45Bravo's last posts imply what you are saying but I do remember he susposedly had a full time partner and between the 2 of them they were working 7 days a week doing the barrel work. He started making excuses that were ridiculous towards the end and even if he was say 25-30 barrels behind, he and his business partner (if he even had one) should have stopped taking orders and focused on backorders. At least then guys who were twidling their thumbs waiting to ship to him could have used Bigbore's business(ADCO). My question is did everyone even if the work wasn't done get their barrels back? I know he had certain member's possessions anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. I am not sure 45B had fulltime help or that he did work at anytime except weekends or days off from his full time job. I believe he indicated to me that some of the work required a second pair of hands or he could not do it, and that helpers were not always available. His LE job also came first and may have become more demanding. I think he went gangbusters 7 days a week at the very end to get work done for 50 plus projects outstanding, but you may be right for all I really know. That being said, my barrel was one of the last to be delivered, mine was one that took more than two years. Something like 26 or more months. There was a fairly well organized thread here wherein some board member asked for input from everyone still owed parts, made a list and sent that list to 45B. It was after that the issue began to resolve and within 60 days or so IIRC we all got out products. That is how I remember it. P.S. I also just want to reiterate that he was a good guy and the whole effort just got beyond his control at some point. He did great work too! |
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