UPS trashed my 520-30

[ww2imposter]

Just arrived this afternoon via UPS :icon_e_sad::eusa_wall: unbelieveable.
Does anyone have a 520-30 butt plate they would be willing to sell?
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/021_zps2b593a6b.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/020_zps00204e8c.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/019_zps73c39d10.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/018_zpse3d4a75a.jpg

[SPEEDGUNNER]

OUCH!!

[M1Riflenut]

That SUCKS. Can you at least get the wood to fit back together? Looks like you have all the pieces. That buttplate looks identical to the 720, are they the same thing? If so, those are not hard to find. As far as the shipper, I try not to use UPS but then I've had stuff damaged and/or lost by all of them. How well was the end of it protected? I've learned not to trust bubble wrap alone. I always wrap both ends of a long gun with a balled up rag and tape, then bubble wrap the gun. The ends take the most abuse, bubble wrap alone is not much protection from a direct sharp hit. I'll keep and eye out for buttplates.

Ebay has a few listed for 520's, will this work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stevens-Savage-520-620-Shotgun-Buttplate-354A-/111078596723?pt=Vintage_Hunting&hash=item19dccce073

[ww2imposter]

The shop this came out of, is as upset as I am. They have taken the lead here in getting this resolved with UPS. A claim has been filed. Now its wait and see. The SG was very well packaged. It just took one hell of a hit in the wrong spot. I found most of the wood except for one piece. I have to wait for the UPS inspector before I tear the box apart. I 've seen the butt plates on e-pay. They are repro's. I am going to try (for a while) to locate an original. Thanks.

[Dave L]

Good luck... they will dog you for awhile....a long while
Lost a model 12 trench gun that was stolen out of the Chelmsford Mass UPS hub.
Took a long time to get my money back.

[1563621]

Save all of the packaging. Sender will get the funds.

[Dave L]

Got an inspection period...send it back to the seller.
Let him deal with UPS. He will work harder if his money is one the line.

[bigskybound]

Bummer. I never ship UPS anymore. Too much tragedy. I also take the butt off any long gun that it will come off and wrap it up alongside the rest of the gun. But you never know what the dolts that work for these companies will do. From UPS I have received busted rifles that had clearly been stomped on - complete with boot prints. USPS once shattered the stock of a beautiful Tennessee Mountain Rifle I shipped to Alaska. I splinted it on both sides with wood and had heavy padding at both ends and had a very sturdy custom fitted box. The rifle would have had to be purposely thrown very hard on a cement floor or dropped on its end from considerable height to do the kind of damage this gun suffered. I agree with DaveL. Let the shipper do the work and get your money back. The gun will ever be the same in any event.

[westgard]

That is a travesty. That gun will now need to be repaired and will never be original anymore. As for that Chelmsford UPS hub, I never use them. One of the ladies that is a senior supervisor there is an anti-gun tyrant. She knows that I buy and sell guns, so whenever I am there, she opens up all my packages for 'inspections'. Complete PITA. I hope that you had an inspection period and that you can send the gun back to the seller. It's value is severely compromised.

[ww2imposter]

I agree the value has been seriously compromised. I bought this for 1200.00 and it included a 1945 dated canvas sling and a nearly perfect Winchester bayo with scabbard. I don't think this SG has ever been fired, it is that nice.. That being said, with all the replies so far I thought about sending it back. But for what I have into it and with some really good wood glue and patience I think its still a keeper. If I send the SG back for refund I'll get my money back and the shipper will get the SG and the insurance claim. If I keep the SG I should get at least some insurance $$$ to soften the blow . I also just got off the phone with the UPS rep (that I was convinced I would never hear from) and after a brief discussion, question & answer session and sending her the same pics I posted here, she agreed there was significant damage. The UPS rep said I should be hearing from the shipper in 4-5 days. Time will tell

[Dave L]

Let UPS know this is unrepairable,and this is a serial numbered stock to the gun.
Not any other stock would be correct.
Good luck.

[ww2imposter]

I informed them about ser#'s. I made my case to them.

[scosgt]

In my experience UPS does not make partial settlements. They will require you to prove the value of the gun, then they will take the gun as salvage and give you the full value.

[ww2imposter]

If that is the case then I'll probably keep the gun.

[1563621]

Depends on the amount of insurance purchased.

[ww2imposter]

UPS sent the shipper a response to the claim that, in a nut shell, they (UPS) were not the cause or responsible for the damage. Case closed.
So be it, lesson learned.
In the mean time I have been messing around with the pieces and this is the result;
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/006_zpsf8195ce0.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/005_zps05f4dd0d.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/006_zpsa3206ec1.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/boomerangsrd/Stevens%20520-30/007_zps2cd07e2b.jpg

[1563621]

Doesn't look bad.

[westgard]

You did wonders with that. Doesn't look too bad at all!

[bigskybound]

It is pretty easy to find correct vintage buttplates at gunshows. I bought three and will use one to replace a busted one on an original 520-30 trench gun and another on my faux 520-30. So I may have a spare soon, if interested. Might take some new holes for screws and matching wood and buttplate contours, but the stock is a resto job anway.

[Darreld Walton]

The shop this came out of, is as upset as I am. They have taken the lead here in getting this resolved with UPS. A claim has been filed. Now its wait and see. The SG was very well packaged. It just took one hell of a hit in the wrong spot. I found most of the wood except for one piece. I have to wait for the UPS inspector before I tear the box apart. I 've seen the butt plates on e-pay. They are repro's. I am going to try (for a while) to locate an original. Thanks.

I'll take a moment and tell you my tale of woe as it relates to UPS vs. firearms.......
In the past several years, I've shipped a few firearms to a friend in Michigan, or rather, to his FFL holder. I prefer to send via FedEx, but, on two occasions, I had to leave the packages at a shop in town, and they shipped two freshly finished rifle stocks out for me, and they used "Big Brown". Between Idaho and Michigan, someone had left a big boot print almost directly over the wrist of each stock, that is, on the outside of the package. Both stocks broken cleanly through the wrist when opened, neither one repairable. Claims filed, as both were insured when shipped. Both claims denied. Both denials appealed, both claims again denied.
At the same time, I had to use UPS many times at work to ship items to and from my location at Hill AFB to units around the globe. Not long after Katrina hit, I had priority 2 requisitions made from the "storm hunter" outfit flying out of Keesler AFB, MS. The warehouse at Hill shipped the items out within minutes, via UPS. Several days later, I get emails, and phone calls from the good folks at Keesler wondering where their parts are. A call to UPS, and those folks told me that they had no idea where on earth those packages were, and couldn't help me out.....I shipped the only remaining assets on the planet that I had on hand out, and specified Fed Ex overnight. Now understand that this is within the first couple of days after the storm. Roads are closed, no utilities, no fuel, pretty much a war zone. Fed Ex DELIVERED the next morning with not a mark on the MILSATCOM uplinks that were installed on their C-130 aircraft. After six freaking weeks, UPS finally calls, and says they located the missing packages. $20,000+ worth of communications equipment had been left out on a dock in Georgia, where the packaging had deteriorated after being torn open, and the components were full of sand, water, and "critters", completely worthless and had to be repaired. Again. After all is said and done, UPS denied the claims the Gov't filed over the loss..........
Sorry to say, but I wouldn't look forward to being reimbursed in any fashion for your damages and loss. It just is not likely to happen.
And people will continue to ship via UPS.

[oldtirediron]

Where do I start?? Bought a PVS -4 and was due to be delivered on a FRIDAY- Didn't show up-- Called UPS they told me that the carrier had gone home early sick; said the package was in their secure lock up because of it's high value !! Asked if I could pick it up, then they say come and get it Saturday- go there and they can't find the package!! Monday comes, they are tracking the package now, and the original information has been erased off of their tracking website !! Then about 2 weeks later they find the empty package in their hub; told me that the contents "Must have fell out !" Another time I was waiting for another expensive scope and it was a no show-- I tracked it and they said I signed for it and it was delivered! I asked to see the signature and it was a scribble ! I then asked how I could have signed for the package in Florida when I was in Wisconsin at the time! They refused to pay for that scope $890.00 but paid previously for the PVS-4 !! Many years ago I was shipping a rifle barrel back to a barrel manufacturer, same day a deranged Individual shot up a school in Winnetka Illinois-- I went to the Glenview UPS drop off point-( Next town over)-- Well as soon as I dropped the package off the Idiot behind the counter started cussing me out about the rifle barrel, and the expected things like no one should own guns, then screaming at me ""ALL PEOPLE THAT OWN GUNS ARE MURDERER"S !"" I said to him ; stop the lecture and process the package ! Well he did and when it arrived at it's destination the barrel was bent in almost a "U"---Package was completely destroyed !! No doubt he did it somehow, couldn't prove it but after my Lawyer called UPS -- I was paid and never saw that ASSHAT there working again !

[oldtirediron]

A long time ago I bought a Maxim Kit and tripod on a group buy ! I was living in Florida at the time and the package never showed up?? WTF?? Anyway I had made specific instructions to ship it to Florida and about a month later I was in Wisconsin at my other home, I went on the side of the house and found the maxim stuff in cardboard boxes that were buried in the snow ! Luckily no damage and no thieve's ! Here I lucked out !! Nothing was even rusty! All the Heavy Finnish cosmolene worked !!