If this isn't the correct place to post this, I apologize. Perhaps it will be moved by the moderators.
I just had a great warranty experience that I’d like to share.
I have a 1970’s vintage 50 cal. Thompson Center flintlock Hawken rifle. I am the original purchaser . Some time back I loaned it out to a cousin. It was recently returned to me, with a broken frizzen. I’ve read a lot of “internet chatter” on various sites concerning Thompson Center parts and repair service since they were bought out by Smith and Wesson. There have been some comments posted that they no longer support the older Thompson products, no parts available, etc. In an effort to find out for myself, I called Thompson Center’s customer support line at Smith and Wesson in Connecticut. The lady I spoke to was extremely helpful. She informed me that they certainly did honor the lifetime guarantee on my old Hawken rifle. She emailed me a prepaid FedEx ground shipping label and instructions to send the lock in, with her name on it as “
Attention to:” so it didn’t get lost in the shuffle at their facility.
At the time of my call, she advised me that they didn’t have any spare frizzens in their parts inventory, but that they were expecting some. She warned me that it might take a while to get it repaired and returned to me. I told her it didn’t matter, since it was of no use to me as it was.
I dropped the small box off at my local FedEx office.
In less than a week, I received a notice from FedEx that a shipment was coming to me from the repair facility. It arrived yesterday. When I opened it, I found that rather than repair my old lock, they simply shipped me one of the new production, improved replacement locks. An entire lock, ready to remount on my rifle. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased with how this was handled, and felt it appropriate to share.
I put one of the new vent liners in this rifle as well, and for ignition speed, I have to say folks...it's about as good a flintlock as I've had. It seems to like a fairly generous priming charge of the 3f powder I'm using for both the main, and priming. Still shooting the original 1 in 48 barrel but I'm open to options if someone has a true RB barrel in 50 cal. or less they would part with.
