Bergara single shots

[Lawyer Daggit]

Does anyone have any experience with the Bergara Scout. Seems to me a single shot stainless synthetic could be a useful rifle.

I know a lot of shooters don't like single shots, but at this stage of a lifetimes development as a hunter, it seems to be that a lever action or single shot is where I am at, I get in close and like to give my game a sporting chance.

I am thinking of one in 35 Whelen. Seems far cheaper as an alternative to a TC Encore. I already have a TC Contender carbine which I love, but if I can get a quarter price Encore, all well and good. especially seeing as this gun is to be a wet weather gun and won't be one to get special wood or any wood for that matter.

[86er]

I personally make it a point to stay away from BPI products. BPI is Spanish owned and operated. The brands that are peddled in the USA are CVA, Beartooth and Winchester Muzzleloading, Powerbelt and Traditions. Bergara is the same factory that factory that made the defective barrels on the CVA's and Traditions that causes a flurry of deaths and injuries in the 90's. A rep from the Bergara factory testified that they stamped a Spanish Proof on the barrels even though they never went to the proof house because "they were told to do so by management". He also stated they only tested one in every forty barrels by submission to the proof house in spite of the fact that every barrel they was exported into the USA had a proof marking. When lawsuits started, a smart BPI attorney figured out a great strategy. If you settle out of court, the court never gets to issue a mandatory recall. So the announcement of a problem was "voluntary" on their part and much less costly than a total recall monitored by the courts. It also eleviated any class-action suit. These were barrels made by Bergara and some say with the same technology and same steel they still use today. Let disclose my personal experiences. I was given a rifle in 1993 made by Bergara and eventually I got notice of a recall. It was replaced and a few years later I found out about another recall. Then somewhere around 1998 or 1999 I found out of another recall on my existing rifle and got yet another. I shot these quite extensively and never had a problem. As I learned of the people that did have a problem, and talked to the maimed and relatives of the deceased I got uneasy about continuing to use my Bergara made products. I had never been a big T/C fan for no other reason than the limited offerings and middle to upper end pricing. However, I spoke to them at length about their manufacturing process. They use the best steel, conduct in-house testing on a regular basis, and on most products they sort of over-do it as a precautionary matter regarding durability. Then their warranty is a solid "we'll make it right" and the product I have has a Lifetime Warranty. I took the plunge and bought the T/C and since have purchased more of their products. They have each exceeded my expectations and my mind is at ease using them. I know I bought a 100% American made product from an American run sub-company (the parent company has ties to foreign investors). Customer service is outstanding. Based on the BPI history being a foreign company that played (plays) charades, outright lied about product proof and took as little action as possible to correct a known problem, I just can't give them my money or my time - no matter how good the reviews. Lastly, I admit I have not heard of any recent (2000's) Bergara mishaps that were repetitive or product-wide. But I can't get past the uneasy feeling that I don't want to be the one person something goes wrong with. What if something did get in my barrel like snow? I have confidence the T/C would make it through something minor but I just lack that confidence with the Bergara. Sorry for the long rant but I did so much homework and research regarding Bergara and was torn for quite a while trying to decide. I passed up free guns and even hunts in exchange for reviews and endorsements because I could not get my head and heart into endorsing this company and its entities.

[Hobie]

I think that most often you get what you pay for. Comparing the Bergara and the Encore seems to confirm that. Bergara barrels for the TC products were highly publicized for a while but I've yet to see but one and that one was being sold so the owner could get a TC barrel in the same chambering...

[6pt-sika]

Seems to me someone told me recently that Ed Shilen set up Bergera's barrel making line or whatever one cares to call it .

Also seems to me I was told that Remington was getting their barrels from Bergera . Well maybe not all but atleast some of the 700 barrels .

[Hobie]

Seems to me someone told me recently that Ed Shilen set up Bergera's barrel making line or whatever one cares to call it .

Also seems to me I was told that Remington was getting their barrels from Bergera . Well maybe not all but atleast some of the 700 barrels .

That's interesting. I hadn't heard that.

[edwardyoung]

A customer asked me to find him a stainless CVA Apex 50 cal BP rifle. He had struck out at several gun stores before getting to me. I made a few phone calls and was able to find one. He was very happy, but wanted to be sure I could get a Bergara barrel in 7mm Mag before I ordered. I called CVA on Thursday and was told the barrels had arrived from Spain that week and would be available by the following Wednesday, after the QC inspections were completed. The customer was happy and gave me the nearly $1000 for everything. $1000! Long story short, it was 8 months later before the 7mm Mag barrel showed up. And it took three tries for them to get the right forearm shipped to me.

I never heard any negative feedback From the customer about the gun's/barrel's performance, but would never consider going through that again for a Bergara barrel.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I love the TC product. I know American's think it fairly high end there, but by the time the firearm has been imported into Australia and export agents, freight, importers and dealers who do not deal with US style volume take their cut, firearms here are quite dear. For example a run of the mill Remington 700 is about $1500 dollars here- and a Contender carbine with one barrel is about the same.

All at a time that our dollar is very good against the US dollar, so the opportunity to save a few dollars is particularly attractive.

I had heard about problems with CVA barrels and had not realised the link between CVA and Bergara.

I suppose if one were keen enough one could always 're proof' the barrel yourself before using it for sporting purposes.

[6pt-sika]

I love the TC product. I know American's think it fairly high end there.

I like TC products and actually own a older Contender frame at the moment . My barrel however was made by an independent maker in Idaho back about 1981 . But to be honest I've never thought of them as a high end item .

[vancelw]

Glad to learn about the Bergara so I don't repeat someone else's mistakes.

I have and have had several TC encores. They are by far the most accurate rifles/pistols I have ever owned.
My .243 15" pistol would group 3 shots at 100 meters that you could cover with a nickel. All day long.
That's a bargain in my book.

I killed a nice 5 x 5 muley with it at 175 yards.

If the TC is too rich for you, what about a handi-rifle?

[Lawyer Daggit]

TC Contender carbines in Australia are not much different in price guns like Sako. European firearms are much cheaper and often of better quality than the Rossi etc.

I am not going to bag out the Handi rifle- I have used them and they are fine utilitarian firearms- but I am a bit of a sucker for a nice bit of Walnut.

[6pt-sika]

TC Contender carbines in Australia are not much different in price guns like Sako. European firearms are much cheaper and often of better quality than the Rossi etc.

I am not going to bag out the Handi rifle- I have used them and they are fine utilitarian firearms- but I am a bit of a sucker for a nice bit of Walnut.

I'd kick a TC to the curb in a minute for a nice Sako !

[Lawyer Daggit]

Sako do not make break open single shot rifles unfortunately, and Sako rifles are also not what they once were in terms of build quality- but then nothing is.

[6pt-sika]

Sako do not make break open single shot rifles unfortunately, and Sako rifles are also not what they once were in terms of build quality- but then nothing is.

I'd rather have a bolt gun then a break action single !

Personally the Sako's I prefer are all pre 1980 or so

[Lawyer Daggit]

I appreciate a bolt gun myself- I have five- three Remington's ,one Winchester and a Savage- as well as 7 lever actions and a Contender carbine with 22LR, 223 and 30-30 AI barrels.

Hunting has been a journey over the last forty years or so, I started with a single shot, moved through a lever action, a bolt action, then came a semi auto phase (stopped by anti semi auto laws here),a pump action 7600, a bolt action phase, a lever action phase- and now I am at the stage of making it harder for myself and giving the animal more of a chance- hence the desire for another single shot.

[6pt-sika]

I appreciate a bolt gun myself- I have five- three Remington's ,one Winchester and a Savage- as well as 7 lever actions and a Contender carbine with 22LR, 223 and 30-30 AI barrels.

Hunting has been a journey over the last forty years or so, I started with a single shot, moved through a lever action, a bolt action, then came a semi auto phase (stopped by anti semi auto laws here),a pump action 7600, a bolt action phase, a lever action phase- and now I am at the stage of making it harder for myself and giving the animal more of a chance- hence the desire for another single shot.

I have nothing against signle shot rifles !

As a matter of fact we have no less then 18 of the Ruger #1 in variouse configurations at the moment !

Also have been known to own a H&R Handi Rifle in 444 as well as a couple H&R 20 gauge rifles sluggers and all three shot very nicely .

But I can't say I've ever formed a lasting bond with an Encore or Contender for that matter . Actually all the Contenders I've owned have been pistols and the Encore was a rifle/shotgun . Have fired a friends Encore 375 JDJ a bit (I prefer my Contender in 444 over the 375 JDJ).

[adirondakjack]

Seems to me someone told me recently that Ed Shilen set up Bergera's barrel making line or whatever one cares to call it .

Also seems to me I was told that Remington was getting their barrels from Bergera . Well maybe not all but atleast some of the 700 barrels .

Remington does their own barrels in house.

[6pt-sika]

Seems to me someone told me recently that Ed Shilen set up Bergera's barrel making line or whatever one cares to call it .

Also seems to me I was told that Remington was getting their barrels from Bergera . Well maybe not all but atleast some of the 700 barrels .

Remington does their own barrels in house.

I am pleased to hear that !

However the person that told me Bergera was making some for them , is a person that "is" in the know about such matters . Now they could have misunderstood what they heard and then relayed to me or I could have from this person . But I doubt that !

[Lawyer Daggit]

I read here that Bergara got Shilen to do the profiling for them- big difference between that and in effect getting a Shilen barrel.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I must say I don't warm to the Encore either- it feels like a scaled up Contender- but it lost something in the upscale process. Somehow it does not balance right.

I like the look of the Ruger no 1- but years ago I swore not to buy another Ruger- I have found them to be indifferent shooters- some shoot well and others poorly. I recently read an article in a US mag that said Ruger used to source barrels externally and would source them cheaply, but that they now make them in house. The problem is, If I got a No 1 I would want an older one because the wood is better than on current ones.

I think the No 1 did well in the Timber department when Bill Ruger was around because it was his flag ship. Now he has gone the bean counters seem to have moved in,

[FWiedner]

Maybe look for a TCR '83.

[6pt-sika]

If I got a No 1 I would want an older one because the wood is better than on current ones.

I think the No 1 did well in the Timber department when Bill Ruger was around because it was his flag ship. Now he has gone the bean counters seem to have moved in,

Of the 18 or so #1's we have a good portion of them are older .
However I ordered one of the new #1B's that came out last year and the wood in that rifle was as good or better then any of the stocks on the older guns . And we have some pretty nicely figured stocks . That #1B in 264 WIN MAG has also turned in some sub 3/4 MOA groups with my handloads !

[Stan in SC]

WOW! All of the various comments.I own and use a T/C New Englander in .54,an H&R in 45/70 and an H&R "Partner" 12 gauge single for turkey.They are among my favorites and get a lot of use but then so do my lever and my bolt guns.Regarding SAKO.I have a Finnish Model 39 Mosin Nagant made by SAKO in 1944 and it is one of the best shooting most accurate rifles I own.
I guess everyone has their own likes and dislikes based on their experiences.

Stan in SC

[marlinman93]

I heard the same rumor about Rem. barrels and Bergera. Called up Rem. and talked with their tech, and he emphatically assured me that they have never gotten barrels from Bergera, and do their own barrels in house.