Huntertown Arms...maybe a mistake

[VSP1340]

He bought a local built suppressor. He was trying to buy local.

That's exactly why I bought a Huntertown suppressor (I was on the fence between it and a sparrow).

Update: Huntertown received my suppressor yesterday. Let's see how long before it's returned.

 

[wsenefeld]

That's exactly why I bought a Huntertown suppressor (I was on the fence between it and a sparrow).

Update: Huntertown received my suppressor yesterday. Let's see how long before it's returned.

When I did my upgrade a year ago, it took a week. Mailed it on Friday and had it back the next Friday.

 

[VSP1340]

When I did my upgrade a year ago, it took a week. Mailed it on Friday and had it back the next Friday.

I mailed mine last Friday. I hope I experience a similar turn around.

 

[Odontia32m]

I mailed mine last Friday. I hope I experience a similar turn around.

My Kestril 556 had an end and 2 baffle strikes day one (probably my fault). I sent it in over 7 weeks ago (one week turn around). Customer service does not exist. I left dozens of voice mails with none returned. How I did get ahold of them was hitting the dealer prompt for their new AR15product line (they answer that one every time). I spoke to TED who was very nice. After not getting it back I called a few more times. I was told that they would upgrade the can to the titanium version. I have no clue but it sounds cool. I would need to wait 3 more weeks. That time has come and passed and I am all out of patience. I called and emailed Ted this AM. He did respond and stated he would check on it.
I called my dealer and they have many, many on hand they are still selling even though they are fed up with complaints about Huntertown's customer service. They are no longer going to sell the product after they are gone. I will update with Ted's reply or the disposition of the can.

 

[VSP1340]

My Kestril 556 had an end and 2 baffle strikes day one (probably my fault). I sent it in over 7 weeks ago (one week turn around). Customer service does not exist. I left dozens of voice mails with none returned. How I did get ahold of them was hitting the dealer prompt for their new AR15product line (they answer that one every time). I spoke to TED who was very nice. After not getting it back I called a few more times. I was told that they would upgrade the can to the titanium version. I have no clue but it sounds cool. I would need to wait 3 more weeks. That time has come and passed and I am all out of patience. I called and emailed Ted this AM. He did respond and stated he would check on it.
I called my dealer and they have many, many on hand they are still selling even though they are fed up with complaints about Huntertown's customer service. They are no longer going to sell the product after they are gone. I will update with Ted's reply or the disposition of the can.

Ted is the person who helped me also. I got mine back one week after I shipped it in for the Kestrel 22 upgrade. I sent it to his attention. I haven't shot it yet but the upgrade looks good. I only received one email from Ted stating their position on the matter and how to send it in.

Hey, quick question. Do they test fire these suppressors? I don't recall my Silencerco suppressor looking like it had been used. This end cap on my guardian has marks inside the end cap that look like several rounds zipped past. They aren't machining marks. They're hard to capture a photo of, but here is what I have.

 

[Odontia32m]

I have no idea of their QA. Ted never got back to me today.

 

[VSP1340]

I have no idea of their QA. Ted never got back to me today.

That's alright, it was more of a question to the other guys that have had the upgrade done on their guardian.

Man, I hope they upgrade that for you. I can't believe you've had to wait that long. I'm wondering though, how can they upgrade it to titanium without replacing the whole body?

 

[Odontia32m]

That's alright, it was more of a question to the other guys that have had the upgrade done on their guardian.

Man, I hope they upgrade that for you. I can't believe you've had to wait that long. I'm wondering though, how can they upgrade it to titanium without replacing the whole body?

I think it is a hybrid deal with the registered part still SS. I am calling them now.

 

[Odontia32m]

I have a tracking #

 

[whipfinish]

Sorry to hear that story. I had been planning to buy from Huntertown but will pass now. Hard to understand why companies behave like that.

 

[VSP1340]

I have a tracking #

Congrats man!

Yeah, the longer I play in this hobby, the more I appreciate good customer service. Silencerco is now my go to suppressor manufacture. Spending days trying to get someone to facilitate their warranty promise and then to wait blindly is just nerve wracking.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I have some info from them that will answer this. SS got 100 guardians in September. I checked the website periodically back then and I think they completely sold out in a matter of days or weeks (it's been a while so my memory isn't clear on that). So, all 50 old stock have been in pending status for a long time. A month ago the first person called SS complaining that they received an old model. SS did not tell me what they did for that first person to make things right. I would imagine that they probably treated them right and soon figured out that there were many more to come. You're right about a deal on the older stock. I doubt they received a deal because they thought the whole batch of 100 were 2014 models. I have an email from September stating that they believed mine would be a 2014 because Huntertown assured them that these were their newest model.

I haven't heard anything from the rep at Huntertown yet. At this point I would be shocked to experience any help from them in upgrading my unit. I'll let you know if they do.

If this is true then this is all a bunch of BS that could have been avoided by SS. All transfer taxes are refundable, even after form approval, as long as the physical transfer hasn't taken place. Once SS knew there was a problem they could have contacted all buyers in the suspect group and told them to refuse the transfer if the model wasn't the new model. Yes, it would have been a logistical nightmare, they would have had to do a Form 3 back to them and sort it all out, but they could have gotten you the suppressor you paid for with NO extra expense except a few minor "cost of doing business" expenses. The difference would have been that you would have been waiting for quite a while (have to file all new paperwork to get the replacement model, and file paperwork to get your tax refund from ATF).

The fact that SS did NOT offer this as an option to you before the transfer even took place indicates to me that they were hoping that only a FEW people catch the issue and pitch a fit. Ultimately, their losses on this are chalked up to the cost of doing business. They are making a gamble that the cost of doing business by offering refunds to the few people that get upset by it is going to be less than the cost of doing business to deal with the logistical nightmare I outlined above. It seems pretty fishy to me.

Ultimately, I think the lesson here, that has been reaffirmed to me multiple times over the last year or 2 is, PEOPLE NEED TO STOP DOING BUSINESS WITH A COMPANY THAT IS AS SHADY AS HUNTERTOWN ARMS. I have heard many horror stories in the last couple years, they are NOT a company that takes good care of their customers, they are not an honest company. That is the bottom line, and when there are NUMEROUS competitors, why would anybody do business with a company like that?

 

[VSP1340]

Definitely a live and learn experience for me. Several folks are buying these because of the local nature of the product. It's really too bad that it's blowing up in their face. Maybe Huntertown will hire some CS folks, up their communication game, along with warranty turn around time.

 

[ol' poke]

I must be lucky. I purchased an older model HTA Guardian for my .22 and so far have avoided having to deal with their customer service. I bought it last year for a little over $150. It works well. Mine has the aluminum baffles. Cleaning aluminun baffles sucks, but it is what it is. I might upgrade to SS baffles someday. Either way, I got what I paid for.

 

[Clay]

I've got a couple, and had to send one in for a thread issues on a Kestrel. They paid both ways, turned it around in a week. For it, it was a great example of good customer service.

 

[VSP1340]

I've got a couple, and had to send one in for a thread issues on a Kestrel. They paid both ways, turned it around in a week. For it, it was a great example of good customer service.

Sounds pretty good. I paid shipping both ways on mine. What type of threading issue?

 

[Clay]

had a funky spot in a thread to separate the two outside portions of the can. Like they stopped cutting in the middle and started again. It wasn't an issue other than it had a sticky spot when threading either direction. I just wanted it looked at and fixed, which they did.

 

[Ahburns]

Does anyone know how much Hunter-town charges to upgrade the older model Guardian 22's baffles from aluminum to Steel?

 

[M67]

Does anyone know how much Hunter-town charges to upgrade the older model Guardian 22's baffles from aluminum to Steel?

Last time I talked to David and Steve (a long while ago), it was the difference in MSRP. Things may have changed since then though

 

[Hoosierman]

If they're having so many issues, could a guy even contact them to get the upgrade done? I'm in the same boat, I have an original guardian that I want to get upgraded.