OK so here it is from the horses mouth, to appease those beying for blood.
I sold my 243AI. It was built mostly by @tui_man2, Abe, AB Precision, AB Percision, call it what you like. It had its challenges thats for sure, so much so I made a thread about the damn thing http://http://www.nzhuntingandshooti...53/curse-6832/.
It was originally a 6BR with a Trueflight barrel. I had Trueflight re barrel and then re-chamber it to 243 AI after about 100 rounds as a 6BR. It shot like shit as both a 6BR and the 243. I re-barreled with Abe using a Shillen (that I purchased through DED). With the new barrel it was a very good rifle. Accuracy was excellent and it was overall a nice piece of kit, but, the differences between my (preferred) Blaser and the Rem700 was so annoying I sold it and commissioned Abe to build a 243 Blaser barrel and action.
I paid him $1600 in advance around 8 months ago.
I have yet to receive the carbon wrapped, fast twist, Blaser type barrel I asked for.
In the 8 months since I requested the barrel there has been a long list of problems with the build. Some unfortunate and some rather hard to accept.
Abe is a terrible communicator. His phone never answers and his text messages are somewhere between dyslexic and a drunk baboon. To be honest he has given me a lot of frustrations. I understand this is par for the course.
To date I have asked, pleaded, and finally had to threaten Abe with court action for a refund of my money before I have seen any action. This is far from acceptable in my book.
The last conversation between Abe and myself was Tuesday 16.2.16. He agreed the build had taken too long and he has sent me a new Blaser 243 barrel with Hardy can fitted. It was personally delivered to my inlaws in Nelson. We agreed once my barrel was released from customs and sent to me I would return his loan barrel.
I am in the same boat as Alistair and am again incredulous with the new customs cock up story.
So, to date I have no custom Blaser barrel but, I do have an OEM new Blaser barrel and slightly secondhand Hardy suppressor that I would expect to have paid more than the $1600 I have paid AB Precision should I have bought new locally.
Technically I'm better off?
Would I have Abe build me anything again. Probable no, but only because he is impossible to work with to a fixed timeframe.
Would I buy Abe a beer at the pub? No, but I would let him buy me one.
Is his workmanship good? From my single build experience, yes. The one rifle I had him work on for me functioned correctly and was accurate. As with any statistical sample this is a poor set of information to work with. My example may be either end of the spectrum. YMMV.
If Abe has property of another forum member and is not intentionally returning it then he is a crook. I hope this is resolved ASAP as it is poor form.
I gave Abe a text message to contact Alistair (Blaser) directly as I think he needs to sort this out immediately and I have sent Abes most current contact details to Alistair/Blaser. I understand this has been done and I hope this is also resolved quickly.
Other than that, my business is my business. I will deal with it in the manner I see fit.
The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds
What a shame; he's obviously a very talented guy.
yea not really ideal, I had a couple things go wrong with mine also. manufacture faults though, not his work. He was quick to sort it out all the same
Abe stuffed me round with a rifle stock for a year before I gave up on it. Good luck getting hold of him.
im with 7mmwsm
I've had three rifles built or assembled by him, and only had positive dealings. Mine were all Remington 700's so nothing exotic or having to wait on customs.
I'm not doubting others, just putting across my dealings x3 which have all been excellent.
Kj
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