Author Topic: R & D customer service question  (Read 31370 times)

102511

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2009, 05:55:46 AM »
Does anyone have contact info for r&d? I placed an order on Dec. 28 and then the site went down. I know they were closed untill the 6th but I have had no contact since my order.  I did not copy the phone number or email. I do have my order number. Thanks for the help.

Offline Sgt. Jake

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2009, 08:37:13 AM »
    102511    I was given these numbers a little over a year ago,by the company who I purchased my cylinders from,he had tried to contact them for me. One of the numbers was the published #. and the other was not ,I can not remember which is which.All I ever got with either number was a voice mail,I left a message each time ,for over two weeks,never recivied a return call or e mail. I wish you LUCK.    R&D- I think this was the published one - 608/289/3241   the other #. 608/676/2518 when I looked at the note I wrote, and on the side was another number with the same area code,you might try it.608/291/2594  I wish you Good Luck     Adios  Sgt.Jake

Offline Lone Oak

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2009, 04:09:41 PM »
608-676-2518 was the one I used the other day and Regina answered. I don't think they have a website anymore and they are using a new name now-"Howell Old West Conversions".
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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #23 on: Today at 05:22:06 AM »

102511

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #23 on: January 13, 2009, 04:33:52 PM »
Thanks Lone Oak. I got a call today from R&D. My cylinder has shipped.  Ill try to get some pics up when it comes in.  ;D

Offline Hoof Hearted

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2009, 06:25:01 PM »
It seems that they have finished a "run" of cylinders ;)
That's a good thing!

It can be very dis-heartening when a business fails to communicate with it's customers. You have to wonder why their priorities are like they are ???
The guy is EXTREMELY talented, but the customer service fails miserably. If they could get up to speed in the communication department, they could probably double their sales!
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Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #25 on: January 13, 2009, 08:56:09 PM »
...You have to wonder why their priorities are like they are ???...

Simple: they have no real competition in the marketplace. No one makes a REAL 1st Model Richards nor a correct RM Navy conversion as Kenny does. If someone else did AND DELIVERED then Kenny would be on Welfare.  ;)

Offline Lone Oak

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #26 on: January 14, 2009, 08:52:43 AM »
Regina told me they had some personnel problems and told me she was very sorry for the way things went and that no customer should be treated as I was. So, I took that as a sincere statement and put it all in the past. Hopefully they'll improve their customer relations.

However, the gated conversion on my Uberti '51 works flawlessly. I have only shot about 25 rounds through it (it's been cold here in MN) but it sure is fun to shoot. I made a high brass blade front sight with a dovetailed base, shortened the barrel to ~6 1/2" and cut the dovetail for the sight, made an ejector rod/housing for it and after cutting the port for the rounds to slide into the cylinder, blued it, and loaded it up. All I have used so far are heeled bullets and low doses of smokeless but I can actually hit what I aim at with this revolver! Well, more often than with some other revolvers  I have....

Offline Books OToole

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #27 on: February 12, 2009, 06:52:57 PM »
I've been trying to reach them regarding the NCOWS convention.  I get some silly U S cellular message and his domain name has lasped.

What's the deal?

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Offline Hoof Hearted

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #28 on: February 12, 2009, 07:47:26 PM »
I've been trying to reach them regarding the NCOWS convention.  I get some silly U S cellular message and his domain name has lasped.

What's the deal?

Books

Books

That is the deal ::)
If you go back and read the replies to this post, I believe there is a "new" company name and phone number posted........

HH
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Offline Books OToole

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2009, 09:09:01 PM »
Thanks HH.  I spotted it. :-[

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Offline William Beaumet

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #30 on: March 28, 2009, 10:18:32 AM »
My experience with Kenny Howell and R&D Gun Shop is a mixed bag of mostly unhappiness.  I have his cartridge conversion cylinders on six black powder revolvers, two Pietta Remington New Model Army .44s, two Pietta Remington New Model Army Police .36s, and two Euroarms Rogers & Spencer .44s.  They all had to be fitted either by R&D Gun Shop and/or by Taylor's & Company so they could be easily installed and turned.  The fitting included modifications to the hands.

The one bright spot is the Pietta/Navy Arms Remington New Model Army .44 that Kenny permanently converted to .44 Colt for me.  He turned it around relatively quickly, within a year, and I only had to return it to him once for a finish issue that he handled very quickly.

However, he's had two of my Colt Signature Series blackpowder revolvers in his shop for conversion work for seven (7) years.  And, as many of you have experienced, I received no responses to E-mails and the phone was never answered.

I finally wrote a letter that got the attention of Kenny's new wife demanding the return of my 1860 Army and my 1851 Navy and my $1000.00 deposit.  She called and said I could get everything back, but the guns would come back in pieces since work had been started on them.  The 1860 Army was to be a Richards conversion to .44 Colt and the 1851 Navy was to be a Richards-Mason conversion to .38 Colt.

Mrs. Howell assured me that work would be completed at the prices that were in effect seven years ago when I sent in the guns.  But it's been several months now since that phone conversation and I've heard nothing from her or Kenny.

Mrs. Howell told me that, as you know by now, his first wife passed away.  She said Kenny also fired either his sons or daughters and their spouses that were involved in the business blaming them on running it down.

I haven't called lately.  Their web site is down.  I may have to travel to Wisconsin one of these days to see what's going on.  I hope I don't have to sue him.  I guess if you're not Tom Sellick, you can't get your work done quickly.  It's too bad that he has allowed his reputation to be destroyed by failing to attend to his business.  It's also too bad that more gunsmiths aren't involved in cartridge conversion work.  Bob Millington is, as I understand it, booked for a very long time.  There used to be a gunsmith in Georgia doing conversion work, Ray Hindle I think his name was, but there's no trace of him that I can find.  And years ago a gentleman by the name of Dave Anderson in California was doing work and at one point had a company called American Frontier Firearms that I saw at a SHOT Show.  But he appears to be inactive as well and American Frontier Firearms is very long gone.

There's nothing wrong with the Uberti-made conversions as far as I know.  But it would be nice to have more American gunsmiths doing converson work and doing it well.

Boomer
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Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #31 on: March 29, 2009, 02:23:20 PM »
Boomer, your story is very sad indeed, but very common for many people who sent percussion '60 Armies to K.H. to be converted. I knew three or four others off the top of my head with the same scenario.

Offline Jake MacReedy

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #32 on: March 29, 2009, 04:34:19 PM »
I have a 2nd Generation Colt '51 Navy there at this time for conversion.  I spoke with Kenny himsefl for about 45 minutes when I sent it in last November.  He said at that time it would take about 6 months to have the full-up conversion completed.  I must say I'm not holding my breath, as my emails and phone calls have gone unanswered as well.

Jake

Offline Jrw8214

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #33 on: March 29, 2009, 06:44:35 PM »
Why doesnt someone who lives close enough to him just go over there and put their foot in his ass? Or go the 'legal' route and take him to court. I know i wouldnt leave my guns with him for seven years.

Offline Pony Racer

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #34 on: March 29, 2009, 07:48:41 PM »
I know a guy who does conversions in tidewater, va

I shoot a pair that he made for me from R&D kits.

I had the kits shipped to him and paid for some barrel sleeving material.

3 months later i shot them in a match.

Email or message me for his info.

His personal 1860 C&B pistols have to be some of the smoothest actions of any SASS pistol I have ever fealt.

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Offline Fox Creek Kid

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #35 on: March 29, 2009, 07:56:15 PM »
Why doesnt someone who lives close enough to him just go over there and put their foot in his ass?...

Well, to be honest Kenny is probably one of the nicest & most affable fellas you will ever meet in person. He's just a lousy businessman.  ;)

Offline Jrw8214

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #36 on: March 29, 2009, 08:05:42 PM »
I understand. Still though, you'd think being a nice guy he'd be alot better to his customers.

Offline William Beaumet

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #37 on: December 02, 2017, 11:23:24 PM »
This is an update to my March 28, 2009 post.  I finally got both Colt conversions back from Howell a few months ago.  I shipped the guns to him in 2001/2002.  Work completed in 2017.  He tried to charge me money over and above the deposit I gave him way back then.  However, I produced a saved e-mail from my archive wherein his wife said he was completing the long over due work at no additional charge.  The current owners of his old company wrote off the balance due to compensate me for the 16-year wait for the guns to be finished.

Does anyone know if Robert Millington in Colorado is still doing conversion work?  His e-mail link doesn't work.  I've got 4 more Colts, 2 Remingtons, and 2 Rogers & Spencers that need to be converted.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #38 on: December 03, 2017, 02:55:44 PM »
I do believe Bob Millington has been retired for a while.

You may well want to contact Hoof Hearted ....... ??

You may want to contact Jay Strite at Kirst/Strite ........??  

Offline Crow Choker

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Re: R & D customer service question
« Reply #39 on: December 03, 2017, 08:49:03 PM »
W. Beaumet: Sixteen years, I'd been on the phone after one year raising cane with them, no gun work is worth that time wait I don't care how good they are or how big their name is. You musta not have wanted them back very bad or didn't have enough phone persuasion. If a 'smith' is so backed up he/they can't do the work within a reasonable amount of time, they either need to cut back on the work they take in or take up another line of work. Probably get some nasty replies back, but wouldn't have posted if I cared or it would bother me. I'd do what Coffinmaker said, maybe add 45 Dragoon also to the list of possibilities. Crow
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