What are my chances of getting screwed in this deal with Gunsmoke Enterprises?  I was told I would have my order shipped by last Friday and Id get a tracking number that same day.  Friday I sent this Email.


Hi my name is Devron Limerick and Wednesday I ordered:

Bushmaster 14.5" M4 1/7 twist barrel only
Bushmaster Flat top upper reciever stripped
Bushmaster Bolt carrier complete
Bushmaster Bolt complete
Bushmaster Charging handle

You informed me you would be shipping this order out to me today at Friday the latest.  Could you please Email me my tracking number as soon as the package leaves today?

Thank you,

Devron



His response the next Tuesday was this



From: "Gunsmoke" <[email protected]>
To: "Devron Limerick" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Order status
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 18:38:51 -0500

Sorry Devron, but we have been over whelmed here with orders for barrels. We are running about a week behind. Will get it out as soon as possible. Saved one M4 for you.   Thanks.



Then my reply to his Email...



OK since the order has not been shipped yet Id like to ammend my order.  I will take JUST THE 1/7 M4 barrel.  Cut everything else from the order.

My CC# is xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx exp date is xx/xx

Shipping address is:

Devron Limerick
xxxx "Insert Street Name Here"
xxxxxxxx TX xxxxx

That was the barrel only, not the full barrel assembly.

I hope this will expedite the process.

Thanks,

Devron Limerick

His response


OK,  Ed.


So what will happen next?  Double charge?  Get the full order anyway?  Charge a restocking fee for an item never mailed to me?  Cancellation of my order completely?  Or will he mail out the barrel this Friday and everything go smoothly?   What do you think wil happen?

Your odds are 50/50.  Lately Gun Smoke has had some quality control issues.  I received a complete upper that did not have a firing pin, and the barrel was not torqued properly (sights could not adjust to hit point of aim).  Further, shipping dates have been repeatably later that estimated.  Having said that I like to buy from Gun Smoke.  They have corrected all of the aforementioned problems with out complaint.  They are also cheaper than buying from Bushmaster direct.  These are also the only problems I have had with them to date out of 20+ orders.

DeVL:  Why did you order from Gun Smoke in the first place if you harbor so much doubt about them.  If it makes you feel better Bushmaster has wrongly estimated there shipping dates on several occasions.

The Azalin

He is the only person to have the rare Bushmaster 1/7 twist M4  military contract over run barrels.  He said shipping would be the next day or 2 days max so I added the upper/carrier/bolt and charging handle.  Then 5 days later its still not sent.

I'd say 90% odds that you will get your barrel in a couple of months

I liked Gunsmoke, and I liked recomending them. But two things happened to me and I try to avoid them now. First, I ordered a complete Bushmaster M4 flat top upper with carry handle, and bolt assembly. It was supposed to come with a charging handle. When it came, the charging handle was missing. I called right away, told them, but the guy made me feel like he didnt believe me and I was trying to goet something for nothing from him. They did send one out, but it took a while to get here. When it arrived, it was clearly not a Bushmaster charging handle. I know, I know, how can you tell? Well, if you saw this thing, you'd know it wasnt a Bushmaster one. It's just a charging handle and I've lived with it since then. That was about 2 years ago.

Last summer I ordered a Phantom Suppressor from them when they were on sale. I ordered over the phone and told him I absolutely positively needed it by a certain date. There was plenty of time for him to box it, mail it and get it to me in time. Even he said it wouldnt be no problem. Well, the deadline came and went without a Phantom. I called to ask what happened, a woman picked up the phone and I told her my problem. I sat and listend for about 5 minutes while she and him argued over where the order was and what happened. She finally came back and told me it was sitting on a desk or table or something, boxed up, and never shipped. It was probably sitting there for close to a week. I just cancelled the order.

I've tried to avoid them since then. If they could get it together, I would love to order more from them.

They argued while you were on the phone? That is really unprofessional!

One more dealer to be avoided.

The one order I ever placed with them was properly filled and shipped in a reasonable time, but something about the guy's phone manner kind of turned me off, and I haven't felt the need to buy anything from them since then.  I've since dealt w/Pete in NH, and been more than satisfied.

Certainly don't knock you for going to the one place that had the barrel you wanted, though.  Sometimes you have to put up with less than perfect service to get the item you want One of life's little frustrations [:D]

if you want a genuine bushmaster parts, order from bushmaster directly. Last year, I ordered an M-4 upper from Gunsmoke, the receiver did not have the inner film coated specifically by bushmaster. Therefore, I suspected the upper was assembled from other parts. I can't make the statement that "this is definitely not from Bushmaster". I only suspected.

there is one thing I find. If you order any upper less bolt and bolt carrier assembly from bushmaster, the price for this upper is pretty much the same from Gunsmoke or CMMG. You may go to ebay to buy the bolt/bolt carrier. The price range is about $100 or so. I believe the bolt and bolt carrier are not much different from bushmaster for from other venders.

I had heard concerns of the Bushmaster parts he sold not being Bushmaster in some cases.  Whether that is true or not I have no idea. The barrel is marked so I knew I was safe there.  This is my first purchase through Gunsmoke so I decided to just get the barrel and see what happened before ordering more parts from him.  I will keep everyone informed about my purchase to see what happens.

I ordered a complete BM M4 upper from them.The bolt, carrier and charging hammer I do not believe are genuine Bushmaster.

If it was me and I felt that I was gonna get screwed or have to wait several months to get an order I would call my credit card Bank and explain the situation to them and tell them that you have not authorization the company Gunsmoke to charge your account.  And then of course you should cancel or attempt to cancel the order from Gunsmoke



...remember that the Bank that issued you your credit card is there to protect the consumer not to condone illegitimate business practices...

If Gunsmoke only knew how they were hurting themselves.  I ordered some lowers from them also.  No shipping information and poor phone manners on their part.  I won't deal with them again.  They are hard to get to answer as well.  I know what that is like on our end, so I sort of sympathize with them on that angle.  

I never had a problem with them. I saw them at the CGCC gunshow and Ed seem real nice. Sometimes when companies grow they go thru growing pains. How unfortunate. I would not hesitate to buy from them at a show, but I will not order since I will have to pay tax because I live in FL. Otherwise I doubt their parts are not Bushmaster, why would they do that when they can volume buy.

When I had ordered my barrel I had lost my cell phone so I used my moms phone for a number to call during the day since I am not able to be reached sometimes.  A few days ago a woman called from Gunsmoke complaining my CC did not work and wanted another form of payment.  My mom told her I was at work and she call me and leave a message for me and I would contact them back with another form of payment.  The woman (according to my mom) was upset that my mom would not give her a CC#.  She told her "Do you know how many people want this barrel?"  "If you dont give me another form of payment and he does not contact me by 5 then we are just going to send it to someone else"

Oh lets just forget the fact that I was the first person to order said barrel and that they are like 10 days behind schedule.  Why dont we get an attitude to and threaten to sell the thing out form under me!

I called them back within an hour with another CC# and recieved my barrel today.  It came in a cube box and was packed with newspaper.  The barrel itself looks like it has been sitting around a bit and was showing a little surface rust but it was obviously never fired and it WAS a 1/7 Bushmaster M4 barrel as advertised for $175 so I cant complain.  I will be installing a PRI front sight on the barrel so the barrel will have to be refinished anyway.  All in all I rate Gunsmoke right next to Botach.  Great prices and slow, poor customer service.  You will worry your ass off as to whether they will screw you over but neither has done me wrong.  I order from them when I have to but I dont like it.

I noticed something weird too.  The indexing "nub" (forgive me I dont know what to call it) that is on the barrel and fits into the "slot" on the upper reciever was too wide on the Bushmaster to allow it to fit into a Colt M4 upper I have.  Is that normal for Bushmaster or is the Bushmaster out of spec.  A Colt barrel fit in fine when I tried it.  WIll the BM fit a BM upper better?

I have ordered 3 or 4 times from them and got what I ordered.  The Bushmaster uppers had the dry lube.

Shipping was sometimes slow, but I was not in a hurry.

I can tell you some bar owners I know substitute knock off brands in their top shelf bottles.  Buyers beware!