doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Galazan: Love-Hate Relationship

It's been a while since I've posted, but wanted to point up my most recent Love-Hate experience with the good folks at Galazan. This one involved $1895 worth of their new extra barrel sets for original Parker 0 frame guns.

First, the Love: I unabashedly love Galazan/CSMC. Nobody else does what they do, and nobody else could even consider offering a product like this. I'm grateful to even have the chance to dump this much money on a "new" set of Parker barrels.

Now the hate: Their customer service stinks. Especially when I'm phoning in, ready to drop nearly two large on a set of barrels they haven't even made yet. My issue? A simple question. Will they make these barrel sets with extractors or ejectors as you wish? And do they come with a "wedge bite" or the old solid steel bite?

Simple stuff. But the lady who answered the phone didn't know. However, the fellow she transferred me to in the shop said they would make them either way, as I liked. Cool. Now about the wedge... he told me most 0 frame Parkers didn't have the wedge. What did that mean? I said mine did. He said they didn't know if these barrels would have a wedge bite or not yet. I said I'd order them anyway, and I got the lady back.

I told her I wanted a set of 28-bore barrels with an extractor. She said they didn't offer extractors. I said the fellow "out back" just said they did. This went round and round for five minutes. I eventually asked for Tony Galazan, assuming he might be able to clear it up for $1895.

I got someone who I assume was Mr. Galazan. He told me it was "ejectors only" but they would work like extractors if my gun was so built. True enough. He then hung up. And I was cut off.

In a dogged effort to enrich Galazan by a measly $1895, I phoned back. I got the original lady. I then put my $500 deposit down on the barrels against an indeterminate delivery day.

I also ordered a few other Galazan goodies, then said "goodbye."

My point here is this: Grace, appreciation and deference to the customer seems to have evaporated in today's world. And, sadly, the shooting world as well. It was almost like Galazan couldn't be bothered by some bumpkin who wanted to spend only $2000 with them for a product that doesn't exist yet. Amazing.

Nonetheless, I'll still deal with Galazan. I've been married before. And I can take the abuse.

Best, Kensal

Know how you feel. I get miffed when certain well known gun dealers get all hussied up when you ask them barrel specs.

"We didn't measure that" well could you?
If I am getting ready to spend 6500.00 on an antique gun with damascus barrels then you had better well answer to the best of your ability without the attitude. or better yet like some of the lesser known dealers, put the barrel specs in the listing and avoid all these "pesky" questions from us tire kickers.

H&H

Sir;
For $1895 are these barrels fitted to your receiver and forend or just taken off the top of the stack and sent to you parcel post...leaving the fitting and all the added expense in your lap??..."I said Id order them anyway" They know when they have a addict in there sights....promise him nothing and make him pay 4 it...

...all in the name of "fun" too. Why do we do this to ourselves????

I like Kensals attitude. When we lose our sense of humor we lose something that is essential in this world of ours.

I'm going to buy the barrels. Every time I've bought a set of barrels that don't fit my gun, I wait seven years and either I find a gun that they do fit or someone offers me three times what I paid for them. I thought the Skeuse .410 barrels were expensive at $900. Today, I'd like to have a set for three grand.

Friends:
Thanks for your humanity. I try to look on the brighter side of things -- arduous as that may be at times.

And no... the barrels allegedly come totally finished, blued and ready to fit right-out-of-the-box. I trust whatever fitting is necessary may not endanger the finish, etc. But if there are "glitches" I expect that to add that expense to the outlay.

But what the heck. This is supposed to be fun, right?

Best, Kensal

If the CSM barrels are supposed to fit "...with minor fitting..." as they claim, you'd think they would offer the fitting service?

Sounds like the guy I met several years ago.

I believe they do offer to fit them, or at least that's what they told me when they first came out with 16ga barrels and I asked a few years back. They were quite up front that some fitting would be necessary.