This was my original situation:

1. 6mm Kreiger- Ordered a 6mm Gain Twist 1.25"-1" blank that will finish at 28" - top of the line barrel for my new 6brx build. 1st Kreiger I ever bought. Asked builder to please hand select from the several there. I got it, had it polished and was getting it chambered soon (going nutless) and decided to check it w/ a bore scope to see the visible quality differences of cut vs. button rifling on my New Shilen 6.5 barrel I also just got. Well, to make a long story short, the Kreiger is now in the mail back to them, as the bore scope revealed machine tool marks, pits, gouges in the lands and grooves. I was very surprised and super disappointed that I speant more than I ever have on a barrel so I could get what I believed to be one of the best in the industry and somehow that Tomato Stake got out of their shop and to me. I am sure they are going to handle it ok and they were very nice on the phone. I am sure they are going to replace it, however, I am out the $50 for the polish job and the $24 to send it back. I have asked them to please refund both those to me. I will report what happens for your information.

2. Shilen Select Match 28" bull barrel 260AI that was to be be longer throated. I was told to send 2 dummy rounds they way I wanted them so they would do it that way. I spoke to them 3 times during the long 5 month wait, asking on delivery, confirming my order every time. 2 times they couldn't find my dummy rounds, but they said they had them and it was on the order. After a 5 month wait, I received my new barrel, got it polished, borrowed gages, installed barrel, put action all back together, base- blue loctite, rings- blue loctite, borescoped scope then began measuring OAL w/ my Horn OAL gage and comparitor so I can start load dev. as I have a match this weekend that I was very excited about shooting in. Well, I discovered that rather than cutting the chamber that they told me how to order, they cut the std sammi chamber- Again, how did this happen and how did it get out of their shop?? Its all over my order, it was talked about every time we spoke, I call them, and the only thing they can do , is have me take my polished barrel off- which means I have to take my scope, rings, and base- all blue loctited and hours of work in them, send the barrel back and they will do what they should have done in the first place-- Did I mention I am PO'd?? So what do I do, I don't have gages, my match is on Sunday, and they were very nice about it and I can appreciate their position, and they really do want to make this right, but where does that leave me? No rifle to shoot for awhile? I have to un-do , then re-do everything I did as the rifle was totally disassembled to fit the action wrench. If I were paying a gunsmith as I am w/ the Kreiger above I would have a huge bill and have to go on his waiting list again, etc. I have hours of labor in both of these and I have to undo it all, send them back so I can redo it all over again.

Things do happen, but I believe its how a company handles any mistake that really makes their reputation. In both cases I have to say that they are both- at this point- trying to do everything they can to make it right and I appreciate their efforts. However, my question is- How did Both These Barrels Get Out of Their Shop Like That? 2 barrels, 2 seperate companies. I order a barrel or 2 every 2 years.

So, I now learned the game, in order to win the game I learned that if I ever order a barrel again from someone, The day I get it, It is getting: Bore Scoped, Chamber Checked, Twist Checked and everything that I can concevably check checked before it goes anywhere. Based on the names of these two fine companies, I didn't think I would have to do that.

I will let you all know how this ultimatly turns out. As I said, mix up's happen, but the true test of a company is what they do about it.