National Bullet Company --- Problems and news

[Guy B. Meredith]

Try Xtreme Bullets. I am in the SF bay area, order one morning and KNOW that the UPS driver has a package for me the next PM. Like clockwork. I have used their product almost exclusively.

[BluesBear]

Do you have a link for Xtreme?
Can they come close to NBC's prices?
Do they have a full wadcutter .44?

[BluesBear]

Well, I just got off of the phone with Ken.

My order was shipped last Thursday (actually a day earlier than he had promised) except for 1500 bullets that aren't back from the plater yet. He said they should be delivered to them before the end of the week.

He seems to be genuinely trying to turn things around.
During our conversation we are beginnng to suspect that one of the communication problems lies with his home computer.
For example he says he sent me an e'mail about my order from home last night. Like many of us he brings work home.
Well that e'mail never arrived. It's not in my inbox, it's not on my trash, it's not in my spam septic tank.
The test e'mail he sent me from his work computer, while we were on the phone, arrived in my inbox about 45 seconds after it was sent.

It seems that there may also be a problem with his hosting site. He didn't elaborate but I got the impression that he was less than thrilled with their service. Perhaps this is where some of the e'mail problems are also.

It seems that if you go to the Contact Us link on the website and open a "Support Ticket" that message will get through to them.

I for one, am going to wait a month or two and then place another order and see what happens.
I really believe they are trying to give good service.
Maybe I'm a fool but I'll give them one more chance.


However if anyone else has any problems please post them.


I may be a fool, but I ain't stupid.

Well not totally.


wimmen just make me act that way




sometimes





most of the time

[Ausserordeutlich]

Fool me once,......"

http://www.xtremebullets.com/cast.htm

[mad_planter]

He is better at excuses than results. He has blatently lied to me three times on the phone in regards to when my order shipped. A week after it was supposed to have shipped "yesterday" (the second time I was told this)I cancelled my order. Two weeks after he was crediting my card "as soon as he got off the phone" I had a charge-back issued against him through my credit card.

Just being lied to is enough for me not to want anything to do with him, regardless of why he's having trouble filling orders.



Good luck!

[Guy B. Meredith]

Try

http://www.xtremebullets.com/index.htm

Enjoy.

[BluesBear]

Well the order arrived.
Most of it.

None of the .44 caliber bullets were in the order.
They were circled on the packing slip with the notation that there would "be shipped in a couple of days". Time will reveal the definition of "a couple of days". To me a couple means two.

I honchoed this as a group buy among shooting friends. Only a small part of this order is for me.

However I inspected everything as if it were for my personal use.

There were supposed to be five hundred 215gr .410" lead SWC
There were supposed to be five hundred 215gr .410" copper plated SWC
All 1000 were copper plated. So now I am stuck with 500 copper plated bullets even though I specifically wanted standard cast and lubed.

There was some .45 Schofield loaded ammo in the order. A friend has a S&W Schofield and was going to shoot this and then use the brass for reloading.
The ammo is loaded in nice new Starline cases. Except for two rounds that were assembled in Starline .45 Colt cases!
The funny thing about this ammo is that the bullets (well some of the bullets)
appear to have been nickle plated. I say appear to have been because most of them are seriously peeling or have had most of the plating peel off. Lots of tiny silver flecks, in the boxes, among the rounds. About two thirds look kike they used to be plated and the other third look like they never were.

Did I get the Lone Ranger's ammo by mistake?

And then there's the 125gr .38 Special +p ammo.
The boxes are clearly marked "REMANUFACTURED".
Which was expected.
It's of mixed headstamps.
Also expected.
But there are at least three different bullets used.
NOT expected.
And there were several that looked as if they had been,...
shall we say WET.
Looks like they were in a cardboard box that had gotten damp.
Not exactly corroded but very funky looking.
Certainly not expected!
I pulled those from the rest and put them aside for either my friend to shoot in his .357 and possibly pull a few bullets and inspect the components.
Well it was purchased as range blasting ammo anyway.

As was mentioned before the copper plated bullets look like they were dipped in red hair dye. AFTER they were lubed.
I have never seen plated bullets that were also lubed.
But then I have only used a very small amount of plated bullets.
However in NBC's defense they do appear to be harder than their unplated bullets. I had difficulty marking them with a scribe.

I don't know if it's just a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease of if NBC is really working to get their act together. They still need to address their e'mail problems, but once I finally got a hold of Ken promises were kept.
If my friends are satisfied with the products we'll probably try again in a couple of months. And find out for sure.

[boxcab]

I used to love National Bullet. I'd get my package within two weeks of ordering.

I now hate National Bullet. I ordered 500 45 Colt Cowboy loads back on May 27th. I have had many email back-n-forths with "Ken". They did not have the brass, then the brass was just in, then my order would ship in a day or two. It has been 12 weeks. All I have gotten are empty promises. I have tried to give them the benifit of doubt because of past performance. Not any more. I'll be calling NB and my CC Monday to cancle my order.

Anyone recommend a good 45 colt Cowboy ammo manufacturer??

-Boxcab

[Mal H]

BluesBear - so there was a problem with every single item ordered except for 500 plated .410's, and you say: "... NBC is really working to get their act together" and "... promises were kept"? We must have different connotations of those phrases.

[BluesBear]

No, the 255gr SWC .452 bullets are fine
The 215 gr SWC .41 bullets are fine (they're just all plated)
The 158gr SWC .358 bullers are good.
The Schofield ammo is good it just has some funky looking bullets.
Maybe I should keep them just in case I'm attacked by Werewolves?

I just came back from the range where one of the group shot 200 rounds of the .38+P reloads without a hitch. She liked them. They look funky but they were very accurate. The empty cases look fine for reloading.
I took the five that looked like they had been in a wet box and put in my tumbler for 2 hours and they cleaned right up. I suspect they had been stored in a cardboard box sitting on a Concrete floor. I've seen ammo stored that way that looked just like it. I personally shot those five rounds through her gun and they performed just as well as the others.

So even though some little things were screwed up, all in all I am happy with the order.

However, if the .44 SWC bullets don't arrive on Monday I will be on the phone again.

[BluesBear]

I'm STILL waiting for the 1500 bullets that were supposed to be "Shipped in a couple of days".

My friend who ordered 150 .350" cast round balls received 150 .385" round balls!


Primer seating depth on their .38 reloads are very inconsistant. 8% high primers. 12% flush.
We were having so many failing to fire the first hit out of the first 300 that Barry had I went ahead and reseated all of the primers on the remaining rounds. But the "duds" did all fire on the second strike. And since reseatng the primers there have been no further problems.

[Mike P. Wagner]

I now hate National Bullet. I ordered 500 45 Colt Cowboy loads back on May 27th. I have had many email back-n-forths with "Ken". They did not have the brass, then the brass was just in, then my order would ship in a day or two. It has been 12 weeks. All I have gotten are empty promises. I have tried to give them the benifit of doubt because of past performance. Not any more. I'll be calling NB and my CC Monday to cancle my order.

I am getting a bad feeling about this. I ordered on August 1st, and I am getting the same run-around.

Mike

[BluesBear]

Mal H, I will ammend my previous statement to SOME Promises were kept.

I have the feeling that us small fries with out piddly little 2000-3000 bullet orders aren't important to them.

It's those who order 10,000+ at a time that get preferential treatment.

Now having been a commercial ammunition manufacturer in a previous life I understand that those ordering 10,000+ should get preferred pricing..
But they should NOT get preferred treatment.
EVERY customer is important.
And 10 small fish odering 1,000 each will make you more money in the long run than one shark ordering 10,000.

And this past weekend they offered 35% off with free shipping.
These guys are so far behind and they're drumming up more business so they can get even further behind?

Perhaps what NBC really needs is a Community College night course in Business Managment 101.

[ledavatar]

Tell me about it, I have since ordered from masterblastersbullets.com and thebulletguy.com and received the order within days. The best thing to do is take your business elsewhere. They'll get the hint.

[BluesBear]

NBC is still sending me a weekly e'mail "special" advertisment.
This week they've added something new;

We will no longer charge any order until the day before it ships. If there is a delay in shipping your order you won't be paying your credit card bill before you receive your order. Now you can take advantage of any sales without having to pay up front. We are working very hard to get all our back orders shipped. We thank all of those we have been understanding.

What I'm trying to understand is where in the heck my 1,500 bullets are that were supposed to be shipped "in a few days" FIVE WEEKS ago?!?!

[Bobshouse]

Wow, just happened upon this thread doing a search for bullets. Thanks for the heads up, I won't be ordering any from this company anytime in the near or distant future.

Don't want to hijack your thread or anything, but if you noticed all these "oddities" with your order, aren't you the least worried about powder throws?

Bob

[BluesBear]

Not at all.

The accuracy of the ammunition is good. Better than I expected.
The cast bullets themselves are very consistent too.

I think everyone here who has considered ordering from NBC but then changed their mind should send a PM to bulletman telling them so.

Now I doubt they'd read it, since they only selectively read their e'mail, but at least there would be a forum record showing that the messages were sent.

[T-Bear]

Why are people still ordering from NBC? You will get ripped off in the end. Even after reading this thread, they will order from them. I just don't get it. I've heard the story, weve been in business for 30 years, we have lots of good customers that keep comming back, BULL CRAP!!!!! I was ropped over 8 months ago from these guys. I;ll never make that mistake again. Even IF they get there business straight.
In the end there a bunch of law breakers, screwing over customers.

GODD LUCK with your future purchases from NBC.

[flutedchamber]

I was first a customer of NBC in the late 70's. Prices were great, product as advertised, and shipping was fast. After reading various emails written before mine, it seems that NBC has gotten in over their head.

Well, I have just found a new (to me) cast bullet company, called The Bullet Barn. They are based, I believe in Canada. After emailing them a question about Postell style bullets, they said they would be happy to send me a 5 bullet sample for free. The shipping of free bullets was quick, and they were packaged well. I also noticed that it cost them over $4.00 Canadian to ship them to me....a person who is not even a customer.

I will buy bullets from this company because of how professional they are in dealing with people, and especially because they thought nothing of spending more than $4.00 of their money to send me samples of bullets I may be interested in.

Best of ludk to all involved with NBC at this time. I hope it all works out for you.


When you get a chance, drop a line to Lois Ross at The Bullet Barn. She can answer any questions you may have, in a friendly manner.

[T-Bear]

Got any links or numbers for this company??

[BluesBear]

http://www.thebulletbarn.com

[Nephilim-777]

Well as a NooB I didn't find this thread in time. Luckily, I am cautious when ordering from a company the first time. I figured for the price I’d give them a try and I placed a small order on 9/29.

[deadeyejeff]

I placed an order with them july 30 2006 after five weeks and phone calls with differant stories each time I called so I reported them to the BBB I still have not got my order I also removed my name from their email list I think NBC should be charged with false advertising I am calling my CC company today to get my money back if all of you out there would report NBC to the BBB we might do some good i have inserted the link to the BBB in the same state as NBC thanks for all the info http://www.cleveland.bbb.org/reports...12000028001293

[PsychoKnight]

[Primer seating depth on their .38 reloads are very inconsistant. 8% high primers. 12% flush.
We were having so many failing to fire the first hit out of the first 300 that Barry had I went ahead and reseated all of the primers on the remaining rounds. But the "duds" did all fire on the second strike. And since reseatng the primers there have been no further problems.]

Reseating primers in live ammo.

Isn't that a big reloading no-no-no-no?

I figure BluesBear is a highly experienced reloader and knows the potential consequences, but I just feel beginners need to be advised that this is a very high-risk undertaking. Likelihood X consequence = total risk

I pull bullets and empty out the powder before reseating primers; its a pain, but I think the only safe way.

Safe 'loading everyone . . .

PK

[silicon wolverine]

"Reseating primers in live ammo.

Isn't that a big reloading no-no-no-no?"

Yes and no. if the primer is oblviously out of the pocket you can press it in alittle witout worry. if you do and put on excessive pressure it is possible to fire the round just by pressing on it with a primer tool. I use a lee hand primer to do this cause you can feel the primer seat all the way. i dont like doing it and im VERY careful if i have to but im not scared of it.

SW