Oh, for the opportunity to receive a blemished firearm for testing. How horrid to be expecting to have a firearm arrive in mint condition and then not get it. Oh, darn, Dave. How disappointing. Oh, shucky darn, drat.
The excitement is underwhelming me.

Bubba

I take exception to that unwashed bit.

Lesser privileged - sure, but I wash once a week thank you very much!

I am getting upset - I haven't made GREG spit on his keyboard in 2008 yet.
GREG - got your ears on?

Dave,

You are so right! Last year I ordered a Marlin 1895 Cowboy in 45/70. Since I live out in fly over country with the rest of the great unwashed masses I could not walk into the local gunshop and fondle the prospective purchase from several on the rack. When I received the rifle it looked OK; however, I did notice a large knot hole in the butstock which had been filled with wood putty before staining and finishing. Once I drove it off the lot other maladies came to light. The biggest problem was that the hammer bounces off of the right side of the slot at the rear of the bolt before striking the fireing pin. Upon close inspection the factory's solution was grind away part of the underside of the bolt to let the skewed hammer fall reach home base. The gun shoots high with all but the most pedestrian factory loads. The octagon barrel did not have the tooling marks polished out before blueing. Several screw head slots were marred from ill fitting factory screw drivers. The fore end is not symetrical along with oversized inletting, and of course it has a trigger pull more suited to King Kong! Marlin says the gun is up to specs...

I ordered a CZ 452 American in .22 LR last month. The gun was fitted out and finished very well. The checkering was well executed on a very nice piece of walnut with tiger tail figure. Metal polish and blue were also good. I had to stone the trigger parts to smooth up the trigger but over all it was OK out of the box. The little gun is a shooter even with cheap ammo!

The Czech's seem to have a sence of craftsmanship and pride that have been lost in America. Several 336's I have had from the 60's and 70's were built like Swiss watches compared to the glorified crow bar I received from Marlin's latest efforts!

I think that some of the public's perception is that gun writers get a cherry from every lot for testing. I can't remember the last time I read a gun review where the trigger didn't break like glass, the gun didn't shoot a 1/2 inch group with all ammo tested, the wood to metal looked like Dale Goens ran the shop and the optics were as clear as tap water.
I've seen the crap on the racks at the local gun emporium, and unless the writers are getting different guns than I see, most of them need glasses or a serious dose of reality.
Glad DEP keeps it real.

When it comes to water I can either flush or wash. I flush. What is a privilege?

Dave and others are right when it comes to buying a mass produced item, it is a crapshoot. But for something that is produced in the millions or hundreds of thousands, what do you expect?

Im out here Tommy. 2008 just been unbelievably busy so far. Kids dont go back to school till Mon. Ever chase a 3 year old with a bum leg? Im gettin my spitter warmed up though!!!!LOL

seems everywhere you go, there you are, huh?

Aw, com'on every body cheer up. At least Hitlery lost in I o way, and a lot of the political gurus are ready to shovel dirt on her
campaign. I just hope that they drive a stake in her heart first.

Having worked for the first time in almost three weeks today I can assure you that I am unwashed and lesser privileged... and slamming Colorado Koolaid at a breakneck pace. I also am in the mopery with intent to loiter mode. Slung the door open, asked the three rug rats when in the hell they were going back to school and unceremoniously kicked them off the computer and out of the room... oh, and bring me two more beers. Basically everything is shit now. How's that for a crap shoot? You play, you lose... end of story. I have a 2005 Silverado and when it hit 58,000 miles it dies on the interstate. No problem tow it to my ace mechanic and fix it. Right? They call me back to say the fuel pump went out and it's $800... I say you mean $180, $280? No sir that fuel pump alone is over $500. I call every parts store in the book and $480 is the cheapest and it's a re-man, so obviously they now make gold fuel pumps and hide them in gas tanks. Get it back and bam 200 yards from the house dead on arrival. AGAIN!!! Turns out it was a rotor button after all. And they were so nice they didn't even charge me again. Want to know why I haven't been hunting with the .257 Mag this year???? Cover your ears if your last name is Weatherby! Took it in for a trigger job and got it back, man was it smooth and light.... only thing is the safety would no longer engage. Turned around and drove straight back to my local gunsmith of unparallelled repute and said "what the heck?" Got it back a week later AFTER opening day and it was worse than before I took it in! Less pull but creepier and feels like sand paper then you hit a smooth spot and then the paper again then bang. Got to looking on the web and someone else had the same problem then another... then someone said Weatherby got a bad batch of springs and when the trigger was adjusted properly the safety would not engage. NO SHIT..

I came up with the crap shoot theory a while back Dave, so watch out or I'll sue you for copyright infringement. I discovered this after telling my next door neighbor to buy a Remington 700 because it was the best deer rifle in the woods. Damn fool buys the .300 Ultra Mag with bullets that remind me of the Empire State Building and asks me to sight it in. The piece of crap couldn't shoot an 8 inch group at 100 yards so I took the scope off, re-mounted it and was rewarded with 10 inch groups... we shot three boxes of .300 Ultra Mag with the best five shot group over five inches! Pain, but no gain.

Yoop-
Stake through the heart, water, abra-ca-dabra juice, West Indies Voo-Doo or chicken bone. Whatever it takes. How hard can one be on the Antichrist??

DEP; I'm sure you greatly appreciate all this sympathy from your fellow gun nuts, but remember, it all comes from the heart. Me, I,m also sympathetic.
The fleas from 1000 camels? You could start the mother of all flea markets.
Keep 'em comming.