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"Some finish problems , bluing missing here and there, I touched up with bluing touch up pen. Some scratches on stainless steel, nothing bad, I will eventually add my own scratches.Only real problem, shot 6-7 inches low at 40 yards. I talked with Butch 3-4 times, have replaced front sight with lower ones to get back to where it should be hitting."

I'm sorry, that -- at least to me -- is not what I would call acceptable in a gun I had built for me, had to wait a year for, and for a gun which, at bare bones, PH (plainest and least expensive model) is at least a thousand dollars more than the 'street price' of a Chapuis, Merkel, or a Kreighoff.

Now, these latter are 'production' guns, it is true, but what sets the Searcy apart that makes it worth more or worth a wait of a year when any of these three can be picked up right now from one of several sources? Fit and finish? I have owned and used 'entry level' Chapuis and Merkels in 470 and 500NE respectively. (Entry level defined as scroll engraved and/or case hardened and engraved) and while perhaps done in part on machines, the bluing was deep and well applied, and they both arrived with no scratches, etc. (Pardon me, the Merkel had a shipping scratch from someone at the dealer end. Merkel and the dealer replaced it by overnight with a new gun.)

The Searcy? After a year's wait, the poster above had to 'touch it up with cold blue' and it had scratches. Great quality control on a hand built, wait a year gun. Would you want to buy a used gun with cold blue, let alone a new one? I would find that unacceptable in a $400 H&R HandiRifle and ludicrous in a $12000 hand built and 'wait in line for it' double.

Accuracy? The Chapuis and Merkel came with targets. The Chapuis is said to be regulated the 'old fashioned' way, the Merkel more by an assembly line process. Both shot fairly close to the factory targets with the ammo they were regulated for. If either was 6 or 7 inches low at 40, I'd be ashamed that they left the builder that way, and I would expect him to correct it, not leave it to my customer to do the final fit and regulation.

Sorry, while this may be the only way to 'buy an all American double', that appears to be all these have going for them, and an attitude on QC that is donwnright silly. I thought the sloppiness I saw on one example shown for sale at Heym USA as a trade in (where EXPRESS on the barrel was spelled "EXPRESE" and I was told that Searcy said that was simply too bad when the customer beefed) was an fluke. Guess not, and I will spend my money elsewhere, thank you. I suggest you should too. Any gun that arrives with bluing missing and scratches, and clearly never regulated, should go back for a complete refund. Far better for less out there and a lot better for not a lot more in Heym, etc.

My opinion, and I may be wrong, but I am welcome to it. Dave

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Time Wounds All Heels

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