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450no2,

I’ve had several problems with the rifle. They did not regulate the rifle when I ordered it with the load I asked for. I asked for 286gr norma Alaskans, they regulated it with the cartridge that they had specifically made for the French market for their guns in 232gr oryx. Ammo that is practically impossible to get here in the US. It just does not regulate with the 286s, shooting "apart" as Wright would say. I've been able to play a bit with handloads but not what I want. After delivery they refused to take the gun back or give me a new one. They got my measurements all wrong and gave me a rifle with a ridiculously long LOP something in the order of 16.5” (mine is about 14.5” for rifles, and little over 15 for a SxS shotgun).

After a year of using the rifle the interior latch/catch that holds the top lever open when the action is open broke two weeks before a hunt. I gave it to Greg Wolf and he told me that Chapuis had simply not bothered to finish inside of the action! Also the hammers were not properly hardened and had started to mushroom over, and had to be replaced by Greg. I am having the rifle re-regulated by JJ Perodeau. Total cost of having this rifle fixed the way it should have been as not made me very happy. After my experiences and talking to several French hunters, I have heard the same stories over and over again: soft hammers and incomplete finishing on the actions.

Customer service has been awful. Non responses to phone messages and emails. Now before the franco-phobes start explaining that away as anti-Americanism, I speak pretty good French and I’ve had French friends call them and their customer service is just plain rude, and incompetent to all… I’ve met scant few French hunters who think highly of their products, thier quality control, or their customer service (even meet some that quit the company because they were disgusted by their sloppiness), Chapuis seems to know this and is shifting their emphasis on trying to export more guns trying to become “the largest maker of double rifles in the world” and being the leader here in the US for doubles.

Really makes me mad, because when I was looking for a double rifle in 9.3 I had many options. I went with Chapuis over Demas, Rippamonti, Gaucher etc, because of this reputation they have over here. Boy was I wrong...

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In regards to action he should devote himself to hunting...
-Machiavelli

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