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  #1  
Old 05-09-2008, 05:45 PM
Bughole Bughole is offline
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Default Anyone hear from Richard Corbin?

I ordered a Walnut Hill press and dies from Richard Corbin at RCE, LLC January 9, 2008. Today is May 9, 2008, making it 4 months I've been waiting. I have called and/or emailed him 4-5 times, sent him jackets, cores and finished bullets for what I wish my dies to make, then sent those a second time after he claimed not to have received the first set, and now I've tried all week to reach him by email and phone, and left a message. Since I sent email with a read receipt and he hasn't even read my email, and he hasn't answered my phone message, I'm wondering if he is OK and still in business. Has anyone talked with Richard recently, like within the past couple weeks? Is he alive? How long is normal for me to wait to get my order? Should I be patient or pursue this? Thanks.

Bughole
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  #2  
Old 05-09-2008, 07:10 PM
DittoHead DittoHead is offline
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Has he taken your money yet?

If so, you should begin communicating via certified letters with a return receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. You may need such proof if you have to take legal action.

If not, there are other tooling makers.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Bughole View Post
Since I sent email with a read receipt and he hasn't even read my email...
It's not automatic -- most email clients give the user the option to send the receipt, so he may have read your email and declined to send the receipt.
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  #3  
Old 05-09-2008, 08:03 PM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
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Default Rce

I have dealt with Richard on several occasions but not within the last year. He seems to be rather busy and it may take a while to get through to him but he has always replied in the past. My last email from him was December 22 and he was talking about a ship date in April for the item I was considering. I think all of these guys are pretty busy.

I couldn't even get an estimated ship date from his brother Dave. He basically said he will ship when he gets done - could be six months or twelve months. He offered expedited service at 2X the standard cost. He tried to convince me that his costs doubled when he had his guys on overtime so he wasn't making any more money with this arrangement! I may have been born at night but it certainly wasn't last night!

Richard has never charged my credit card before shipment and seems to be a pretty straight-forward guy. It seems these things take much more time than we can imagine - much worse than waiting on a new barrel and we all know how that is.

Good luck,
Gary
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  #4  
Old 05-09-2008, 10:45 PM
gunhaus gunhaus is offline
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I spoke to Richard about a week ago. He's been working just about around the clock on a long standing order that had to get done. He's going to take a short break and then start hitting the back orders hard. Four months, frankly, is nothing from most of the die makers. We always figure 6-12 months depending on what we've ordered. You gotta be patient.
-John
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  #5  
Old 05-09-2008, 11:05 PM
wwbrown wwbrown is offline
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Default Corbin's service

I think you will pleasantly surprised with the results as I waited a few months longer than he originally quoted me but the end product made it worth the wait.
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  #6  
Old 05-10-2008, 03:16 AM
Bughole Bughole is offline
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OK, thanks guys. No he hasn't charged my card yet and I expected to wait, but didn't really know what the normal wait was, and he didn't give me much of a timeline last time I asked him. He actually said, "sometime in my lifetime." I'll sit pat and just hope his equipment is outstanding and well worth the wait. Dave's stuff looks nice as well, but I started my business in January and waited until I was an LLC to order. Dave had a major price increase and Richard didn't, so I went with him. I'd love a set of Niemi dies, but I really can't afford them, plus they did not respond to my 10 phone messages and 15email requests. I guess they have all the business they want.

I know some people believe carbide dies are better than tool steel, but from all I have researched, the steel dies make ONE million bullets before they run out of specs, and the carbide dies make THREE million. I expect the carbide would present less drag which results in a need for less lube and less arm pressure, but I'm not willing to pay 10 times the cost for them. I'm 55 years old and I plan on manufacturing about 500,000 bullets over the next ten years, and figure I will have only used the steel dies half up. I have all the materials and supplies and absolutely everything else ready and waiting to start my bullet bussiness, but obviously can't really start selling bullets until I get my press and dies set up. I also wish to make a few thousand before I actually open my business for orders so I don't start with back orders right off the bat. Hopefully RCE will finish my equipment and I can get started without much problem. Thanks again for your comments.

Bughole
www.PrecisionBallisticsLLC.com (still under construction for now)
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  #7  
Old 05-14-2008, 02:38 PM
Crooked Creek Crooked Creek is offline
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Larry Blackmon makes excellent quality dies also, you didn't mention if you had considered him, or tried to contact him (?). I have some 30 cal. steel dies that I got from Larry in the late 1980's. I have made 135 and 150 grain bullets with them, using Sierra jackets, with excellent results (benchrest quality). I haven't talked to him in years and I don't know what his lead time is, but it may be worth a try. I also have Dave Corbin steel die sets in 7MM and 30 Cal and Dave's vertical press, also made in the late 1980's, and personally, I like the Blackmon dies better. A number of other guys in my club bought Blackmon dies with excellent outcome. Good luck.
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  #8  
Old 05-14-2008, 07:01 PM
Bughole Bughole is offline
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Thanks. Yes I have heard about Mr. Blackman but figured I'd just deal with one source. I just heard from Richard last night as he answered my email. He took a rush government job ahead of mine to design and create two semi-auto presses. Sounds interesting and one day they may be available to us common folk. He has my press fabricated an off to the powder coater. Trick is the powder coater is moving locations to a larger building so there will likely be a hold-up on my order from them as well. No mention of my dies so I hope they are done and waiting for the press. I never thought this would be such a long process! Next will be thew stainless steel plates to get fabricated for mounting to my new bench and I have EVERYTHING else ready to start swaging. I do want to make up 20,000 bullets before I start taking orders so I am not behind with back-orders right from the start. I know most people here use smaller bullets than I'll be making but I'll let everyone know when I'm actually ready to take orders. Mine will be 6mm, 8.5 ogive, roughly 65.5ish grain match grade bullets. Thanks!

Bughole
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  #9  
Old 08-28-2008, 05:25 AM
Bughole Bughole is offline
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After 8 months Richard still will not give me an expected completion time, even though he said the press was done in May and sent to the powder coaters. That was over 3 months ago. He also told me he took two government jobs ahead of mine, as well as some 50BMG jobs ahead of mine. Whatever happened to "first in, first out"? I'm sure if I didn't mind waiting forever he would send me a nice outfit, but I'm trying to start a business and waiting 8 months with absolutely no idea how much more time to wait, is absolutely the WORST excuse for a businesslike approach to customer service I have ever encountered in 56 years! I called Dave Detsch, who has everything I need except my point-up die and I should be all set in 6 WEEKS! I certainly would never recommend RCE to anyone! I am not in a position to comment on Richard's products, which are probably just fine, but I am certainly unimpressed by his business practices. Good luck to anyone waiting on their order.

Bughole
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  #10  
Old 08-28-2008, 12:39 PM
swageall swageall is offline
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Default Anyone hear from Richard Corbin

Bughole;

I have been dealing with Richard Corbin for several years, and have never had a problem, and if you ordered your tooling on Jamuary 9th of this year, you are way back in line as there are a lot of us who have custom orders from 2007 yet to be delivered. Richard puts out extremly fine custom work well worth waiting for. You knew you had to wait, why complain??

swageall
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