Beretta Renegade bad warranty update

[olyinaz]

As some of you know, I got a Beretta Renegade 1873 lever gun a month or so back in .357 magnum. I was pretty excited about it and posted pics:





But when I got it out to the range it was clear that it had issues. Extraction was EXTREMELY difficult and something just wasn't right. So, disgruntled, I sent it in to Midwest Gun Works (a Beretta USA warranty repair station) to get it fixed and cursed my bad luck. As it turns out it was assembled incorrectly and that was the problem.

OK, that's not great but imagine my dismay when upon returning home from a trip yesterday, I find my gun finally returned after weeks at the warranty repair station only to discover that the kind folks at Midwest had seen fit to accessorize my new rifle with a nice big SCRATCH on the receiver:





What the heck is wrong with people these days?? My Bushmaster LR-308 (AR-10) comes new in the box BUSTED and then comes back from warranty work just as busted as it was when I sent it in (so I get fed up and fix it myself). My Uberti/Beretta Renegade comes new in the box BUSTED and comes back with a big fat scratch on it. WHY THE HECK CAN'T ANYONE HAVE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK THESE DAYS??!!!

I called Midwest and expressed my dismay (you'd be proud of me - I did not curse) and they agreed to "take care of me just like they'd want to be treated" (well, I wanted my gun treated right and not damaged in the first place) and have sent me a postage paid return label so that I can send it back to them. But of course that means I will not have my rifle back until it's about 500 deg. Fahrenheit here in Tucson so THANKS A BUNCH to Beretta and Midwest for blowing the whole spring shooting season for me!

I just can't tell you how daggum ANGRY I am about all of this. And I don't need this aggravation in my life anymore than anyone else does in these messed up times!!

Sheesh...

Sorry for the rant.

Oly

[J Miller]

Oly,

Sorry to hear and see that scratch. That should not happen, but not surprisingly it does. The folks over on The Ruger Forum comment about scratches and blemishes coming back on repaired gun quite often. So it's not just Beretta.

Were it mine, I wouldn't send it back again. They scratched it this time, what will they do next time? I'd just touch it up with cold blue and go shoot the dickens out of it. After all there's nothing worse that worrying about that first scratch on a new rifle. Now you don't have to.
And I'm sure that a couple matches will show a bruise or two.

I know, that don't help much does it?

Joe

[Griff]

I can't imagine why that particular area of the gun would get scratched. I can't think of a single function in disassembly or re-assembly where tools or parts that would scratch the finish need to be in that area. So, most likely it's a scratch from handling; either unpackaging, packaging or while at the repair facility, being moved from one point to another.

And, unfortunately... seldom does it seem as tho' the average worker will take the same care with the property of others, as he does with his own. Or maybe he does... One BIG reason I only own one truck now... insteada the four I used to... employees are slobs... And if they aren't, we just can't seem to pay them enough for them to want to remain in our employ... they wanna be bosses also!

[Chas.]

The folks over on The Ruger Forum comment about scratches and blemishes coming back on repaired gun quite often.

I disagree. I spend more time there than here and "quite often" is a stretch. Does it happen? Sure. But "quite often"? No.

In this case, I'd probably touch it up myself rather than chance something worse by sending it back. Sometimes these things snowball.

[olyinaz]

You guys are right, I'm leaning towards touching it up instead of sending it back to them to screw up even more. Still really teed off about this...

Just remember the name: MIDWEST GUN WORKS.

To be avoided!!!

Oly

[J Miller]

The folks over on The Ruger Forum comment about scratches and blemishes coming back on repaired gun quite often.

I disagree. I spend more time there than here and "quite often" is a stretch. Does it happen? Sure. But "quite often"? No.

In this case, I'd probably touch it up myself rather than chance something worse by sending it back. Sometimes these things snowball.

Ain't disagreein fun? I guess I don't spend as much time there as here, but I visit and read what's new about twice to three times a day. Been doing that since I joined in 2000. Read a lot of gripes due to Rugers messing up folks guns.

Joe

[pdawg.shooter]

I used to get real aggravated when I would send one of my customers defective Rugers back in for repair and get it back with a note that it was "within specs". Got to where I hated to sell one. Knew I was gonna have a mad customer.

[olyinaz]

I used to get real aggravated when I would send one of my customers defective Rugers back in for repair and get it back with a note that it was "within specs". Got to where I hated to sell one. Knew I was gonna have a mad customer.

I have a love/hate relationship with Ruger. I love many of Bill Ruger's designs and I like the fact that they used to march to their own tune. I've always hated their atrocious wood, poor bluing, fugly design cues, rotary magazines, use of too much plastic, spotty quality control, horrible trigger pull as standard issue, unimpressive accuracy, and nowadays often times high prices.

My Ruger Montado looks smashing but it shoots so far off point of aim that it bugs the heck outta me. Guess I'll move it along at a gun show...just like everyone else does with a Ruger that's "within specs" but is unsatisfying to own.

Regards,
Oly

[firefuzz]

Oly,

If you really like the gun I'd touch it up myself. You may be surprised what happens next if you send it back again. IMHO you were lucky the guys at Midwest could fix yours, they needed parts for mine that were unaccessable thru Beretta so I got a check instead of my gun back.

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=34579

Just a thought.

Rob

[mouthpiece]

Have had very similar problems with my $1700 Colt SA & my Corvette. Nobody cares anymore and so what if they scratch it up -- you don't have to worry about it being new anymore.

Actually, the urination - poor attitude @ Colt was the worst part of those experiences.

[olyinaz]

Thanks Rob. That would have made me even more upset!

In any case, it's too bad that others have had similar experiences.

Best,
Oly

[model55]

Got a new Beretta stampede with timing issues which I sent in-issue fixed but they got screwdriver happy and broke the grip panel on the then new gun.Thought I'd cheated myself by not going with Ruger but have heard a lot of complaint there too.Think Uberti may be a way to go.

[Cimarron]

Think Uberti may be a way to go.

A word of advice about Uberti. I think the A. Uberti Compeny in Italy has some great people working for them. I had questions about their 1876 and after much bologne from their American distributor I finaly got the answers from the folks in Italy. They were extremely helpful and responded to all my questions. The American retailer I chose to buy from, however, I do not have such a rosy opinion of. After a problem with the first 1876 I ordered seemed to be on a fast track to nowhere a note to the folks in Italy got me a new rifle in less than a week. Sorry to say that it seems American companies today have only the bottom line in mind. Quality, service, reputation and standing behind what you sell is a foreign concept.

As to your Bretta Renegade, send it back. Make them fix it to your satisfaction or make them give you a BRAND NEW RIFLE! After all you paid for a fully functional, cosmeticly correct rifle. DO NOT SETTLE FOR GARBAGE!!!

[Old Savage]

I would just keep it an cold blue that baby. No telling what more would happen.

[olyinaz]

When it comes to Old West guns, Beretta and Uberti are the same thing - same company, made the same place.

The majority advice is to just touch it up and move on. I think that's what I'm going to do because I took it out to the range today and it's a shooter. First five shot test group at 25 yards cut a ragged hole. Egads, I can't shoot iron sight for squat anymore so that got my interest real quick. At a hundred yards all I can see is a fuzz everywhere (sights, target, brain, etc. etc.) and even then I managed to keep 'em in a nice little pattern that, while not great by shooting magazine standards these days was just fine for ME with standard irons.

What's more, the action is really nice now that they fixed it (I called, talked to the gunsmith and asked him to look for anything that could use some stoning or polishing while he had it open and he said he would) and with some custom springs (or whatever you guys suggest) I think it would really be nice.

So, I'll keep it and touch it up. Still torqued about the buffoonery, but I just can't see sending it off to have them screw something else up or risking the "good gun lottery" on demanding a replacement (this one has nice wood too).

Thanks,
Oly

[Lawyer Daggit]

I can understand why you are upset. Aside from the scratch, it looks like a nice bit of kit.

What loads are you using? When I had a Browning 92 357 I decided to use up some wad cutter loads I had around the place- they would not feed properly. Longer bullets did however feed without a problem.

[olyinaz]

I can understand why you are upset. Aside from the scratch, it looks like a nice bit of kit.

What loads are you using? When I had a Browning 92 357 I decided to use up some wad cutter loads I had around the place- they would not feed properly. Longer bullets did however feed without a problem.

Yes, it's quite lovely...scratch notwithstanding. Thus far I've only shot S&B 158gr LFN and a Fiocchi 142 TMJ through it. The latter is an odd loading in .357 mag, but the price was right. Both ran well and it shucks .38 Special dummy rounds without issue.

Best,
Oly

[adirondakjack]

Cold blue AND get some rhythm out of em.

Here's how.

Some years ago I bought a cheap chinese SXS shotgun (IAC, aka Norinco) and it came through with a chip in the buttstock about as big as a little fingernail, right at the back edge of one of the side locks.

I called ther USA warranty fellow and after playing phone tag a few days, he got back to me. He offered to replace the gun, but I'd already fixed it by milling the chip to a slot, and gluing in a repair piece and sanding it in..... (I didn't tell him that). Instead I said "Ya know, for $50, I could learn to live with it." He sent a check. Since it was only a $189 gun to begin with, I thought that was more than fair.

Might be a good way to approach the folks yer dealing with, and not have to risk further damage, shipping issues, etc. AND not have yer gun gone for months.....