Iron Brigade Armory
- Thread starter Chuckman
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Chuckman
Senior Member
Old man Chandler and his people had a combined 200 years of precision rifle/sniper experience. He was a bit of an ass and I thought his built rifles were too expensive, but I always wanted one none the less.
I attempted to do business with them back about 04 I think it was. I wanted a Savage 110 action bedded to an HS Precision stock.
I got told that both my choices were JUNK, and they didn't waste time with either one, and to call back when I got a Model 700.......
I got told that both my choices were JUNK, and they didn't waste time with either one, and to call back when I got a Model 700.......
That's because Hart Barrels installed the barrels for them on every order.
That explains a little, but doesn't excuse the stellar customer service.....
No kidding.
Back in the Savage FP days of 2002-2009, it was worst to shoot a Savage then kick your mother. I know because I ran a Savage FLP10 in a Choate stock
Oh the hate I had gotten. Just like you.
Not when I worked there...the XM-3 project was in FULL swing and Jack was barreling actions in house as quick as possible.
That being said, "Jr" and "Sr" could be major as***les!
XM-3 was a DARPA project I was told by Steve that you guys used 18" #7 .30 cal 1/10 short chambered from Hart with the shank and recoil lug provided. Once in the shop the chamber was finished.
Btw,
The A1-3 is my favorite McM stock, still the only one I currently use.
Probably so, never spent any time in the corner with grumpy Jack. Pretty sure I finish reamed no less than 500 recoil lugs though. Tiny Briggs and I did bedding and the UNS bridge mounts, Greg Cann did most of the final assembly work. Greg and I also took turns doing coatings and doing trigger assemblies. Plenty of range trips to the Jacksonville PD range and Camp Butner for testing. After 5pm there was copious amounts of Jaeger and Red Bull consumed.
My first month there was spent catching up the backlog of M14/M1A's that needed to be bedded in stocks.
Funny part is, I was originally hired as the Chief of R&D for the ill-fated Bushmaster Custom Shop!
All of that was well over 15 years ago...and when I left that was the end of the firearms industry for me.
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It was fun and hell all in one place. I'd venture to say you and I have probably met at some point...any dealings with Ray Helms?
Lol yes
Customer service with them was DEFINITELY rough, unless you dealt with Abby.
No, I was actually the only person there that wasn't a 2111/2112. They liked my history and my previous work, so I considered myself lucky and honored to be chosen. The Chandlers were a rough bunch, but they paid us well and treated us like family. I have no qualms with them as people, but the business model burnt me on the firearms industry. I left there and promptly returned home to become a "dumbass fireman" lol.
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Chuckman
Senior Member
That's very cool. I know Marines are...picky...about their 2111/2112 guys and using guys who weren't. We used the MEU(SOC) 1911, those cats (2111) kept them humming like sewing machines; not to mention the sniper rifles (I was not a sniper), SAM-R rifles, etc.
Your assessment of their shop is consistent with other things I have heard.
The first time I met Old Man Chandler was at the gun show in Raleigh; he was a dick. I thought, "how are you going to make money if you piss off your potential customer base?"
john galt
Well-Known Member
You should have run tables at a gun show next to them. We were selling HK 91 psg1 and he was badmouthing them. My partner invited him to Butner with whatever they wanted to bring- best group at 600 yards wins. Loser cuts his receiver in half right then and there. Not another peep out of them. Probably helped my partner went out and got his cut all out and put it on our table.
Picky, is definitely a nice way to put it. Tiny Briggs welcomed me to the family after I bedded the first M14...said he had never seen anyone outside of the PWS/RTE shop be able to get one right. What set IBA's work above the rest was the attention to detail...no matter how minuscule! GAP was our main competitor back then and they were damn proud to state they could build as good a rifle for considerably cheaper...take them apart and the proof showed quick. The IBA guns were just a finer product.
We had KC Crawford there at IBA doing pistols, and I know he was one of the big guys from the RTE Shop that did MEUSOC 1911's. His work is EXCELLENT, but his personality and mine did not mix well.
Did some work for me also on a Rem 700. Have to agree Work was excellent Customer service not so much.
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Chuckman
Senior Member
I did want one of their rifles, but they were just out of my price range then (still would be, but for different reasons lol....then I had no money, now I do but it goes to multiple college tuitions).
Chandler ate alot of crow after he dissed USMC Scout Sniper Chuck Mawhinney in his "Death from Afar" books and in public. He claimed that because HE had never heard of Chuck and his 103 confirmed kills,then Chuck did not exist. Chuck had 103 confirmed and Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed. Chandler dissed that statistic hard. Norm Chandler ate a bucket full of crow when he was proven wrong on all counts.
I ran a few tables at gun shows all over NC in the early to mid 1990's and also had the misfortune of being pitted next to Chandlers tables. He totally slammed my stuff over the course of several gun shows to the point that I also called him out and challenged his gear vs. my stuff. At the time I was doing prototype work for Master Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Owens who was one of the head guys at the Scout Sniper School at Quantico. Jimmy suggested that I bring my stuff to him and he would have some of his instructors run my gear against the Chandler stuff. Chandler seemed a bit surprised that little ole me and my junk would be allowed to run against his at Quantico. Especially when he found out who would be running my gear. He never accepted the challenge and I never heard any BS from him again. He was much more cordial to me after that, but I kinda avoided him at all costs from there on out.
I ran a few tables at gun shows all over NC in the early to mid 1990's and also had the misfortune of being pitted next to Chandlers tables. He totally slammed my stuff over the course of several gun shows to the point that I also called him out and challenged his gear vs. my stuff. At the time I was doing prototype work for Master Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Owens who was one of the head guys at the Scout Sniper School at Quantico. Jimmy suggested that I bring my stuff to him and he would have some of his instructors run my gear against the Chandler stuff. Chandler seemed a bit surprised that little ole me and my junk would be allowed to run against his at Quantico. Especially when he found out who would be running my gear. He never accepted the challenge and I never heard any BS from him again. He was much more cordial to me after that, but I kinda avoided him at all costs from there on out.
McCaskill, is it really you?
Oh, ok...didn't know if you were Isaac McCaskill from Cassat Gun Works