ejg223 Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Up to now I've only owned one cheapy chinese copy of a Harris. Everyone tells me Harris is better,.... sooo I got a Harris. A friend brought a 25C from florida along. Last thursday eve, open country, high grass, sika at 220m. Up on the bipod and as I was going for the trigger the damn thing collapsed. No chance of a shot after that. Bipod was not extended and I only pushed very lightly forward. Not one shot did it survive. It was just badly welded. If there's one there will be more. Wrote to Harris, but the arrogant gits don't reply. Next bipod will have to have china written on it again. Check your weld spots. edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddieb Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I am surprsied that Harris have not responded. I broke a small clip that is part of the attachment device on one of my Bipods. When i wrote to Harris in America they sent a complete attachment assy to me free of charge. The welding does look ropey, did you send them a copy of your pic. Hope you get it resolved Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 That is crap welding, I am surprised they didnt come back to you. They are usually a quality item, mine ar about 15 yrs old and have been spot on. I would drop them a further note as your first one may not have got there. Or send them an email : Harris Engineering Inc. Private Company, Headquarters Location 999 Broadway St., Barlow, KY, United States (203)266-6906, (203)266-5706 fax, http://www.harrisbipods.com Redfox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I'm more annoyed not to get a reaction from Harris. No problem for me to go around the corner and get it welded being aluminium. I really liked the tall size which is ideal for my shooting in high grass or shooting across a valley lying downhill. Maybe my mail got caught in their spam filter because I sent the pictures and copy of the receipt. I'll give it a go without attachements. cheers edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streeker59 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Really suprised at this breakage. I've have 3 Harris bipods bought 10 plus years ago and never had a prob despite the rough treatment i give them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riflemanread Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Thats called lack of root fusion. You can still see the chamfer(weld prep)thats supposed to help the weld metal and parent metal fuse together and give good root and sidewall fusion. Bad welding and thats that. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 So after my second e-mail without pictures, I got a reply. Told me give em a call. wow! So I called them and after a couple of minutes of " no it is really a harris, not a copy" they believed me. Then they asked me what they should do about it.... I told them that I was hoping they could answer that. Anyway they will send out a part or two, hope the girl knows which part... we'll see Pity they never got the pictures would have explained it much better. edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Definetly a manufacturing fault either lack of root fusion as suggested or cold lapping where the parent metal fails to bond (melt) to the filler. The company has stood by the product, let us know the outcome when you receive your parcel? Inevitably there will be failures and you've just been unlucky. I have harris ( 14 year old) and the chinese one ( 3yrs old) and wished I'd have stuck with harris. The other one looks the same but the harris product feels better. Not very technical but you probably know what I mean. Beware If you take any of the bolts out , the leg springs go ping and the only way to rebuild it is to totally strip and start again with a bit of wire. A bit like a krypton factor test? remember them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 There you go Edi They should get it right, only bit of welding on them I think, nice to hear you got a result mate. Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 There you go Edi They should get it right, only bit of welding on them I think, nice to hear you got a result mate. Redfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Thanks lads, My chinese bipod had a couple loose screws in it's time and the rubber padding needed to be glued again, otherwise ok. The harris does look overall a bit better made. At the moment I'm just making a stock for my new howa so I don't mind waiting for the parts. Nice of Harris anyway to sort it out. If one thinks back, it's not too often that one get's non electronic equipment that is really faulty nowadays. rgds edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Just came home from the IWA, to find a brand new complette Harris S 25C had arrived. Now that is more than I had expected. I'll fix the broken one and end up with two. Thank you Harris!! Back to the harris problem, I still think they should improve the way they weld that area. Speaking to several people at the IWA it isn't uncommon for the weld to break!! The weld on the chinese bipod copies is better than on a Harris. Why can't harris copy that? edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 Not bad service that then. Glad you got it sorted and Harris stood by it's product. A lot of other companies would do well to take a feather out of their hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 17, 2008 Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 ed coz I have always found harris products to be spot on and have enjoyed their reliability and quality I will do the folowing for you post it to me and I will tig weld it to a completely flat finish and send it back to you the tiny tig weld on it should be able to lift about 1&1/2 ton so it will never break again in its life and I will be able to to do it the day I recieve it and send it straight back you will probs have to send it to harris anyhows and it will cost you postage either way the part you show is normally plug welded and the weld ground off leaving overspill of weld that prevents the part pulling through the hole rather than the two metals being welded together so its posible that too much weld was ground off which resulted in the break and pull through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2008 ed coz I have always found harris products to be spot on and have enjoyed their reliability and quality I will do the folowing for you post it to me and I will tig weld it to a completely flat finish and send it back to you the tiny tig weld on it should be able to lift about 1&1/2 ton so it will never break again in its life and I will be able to to do it the day I recieve it and send it straight back you will probs have to send it to harris anyhows and it will cost you postage either way the part you show is normally plug welded and the weld ground off leaving overspill of weld that prevents the part pulling through the hole rather than the two metals being welded together so its posible that too much weld was ground off which resulted in the break and pull through Now Jamie, that is a good idea! I'd weld almost anything, just not set up for aluminium. I would have a fella close by who welds aluminium but more very big stuff like rigging on trawlers, so I'm not too sure if he's good for the job. I'll also take a picture of the two ways these are welded and you would see the diff. Harris is a pull-out weld, the other one is pull-out and sides welded on which widens the weld and makes it exponentially stronger under bending load. Jamie could you pm your addr. again, think it went lost with a mail clean-up. D'ya need anything? rgds edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 pm sent I can weld alu down to 0.8mm sheet (havent tried smaller) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Thanks Silent, bits are in the mail . This is what I meant with the difference in weld. Now tell me if your life depends on it which weld would one trust!! The inside weld missing with the harris. The chinese one is welded inside edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I think you mean the chinese one is welded on the outside and the harris is only welded on the inside??????? my harris br swivel is welded from the inside (the bit that goes up under the stock where the stud gripper pokes through) I will weld it both inside and outside for you and at the same time I will weld the outside of mine to conform with your second picture which I take it is this chinese copy ja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 oh yeh and I will be honest and say that the welding on the chinese one would withstand a life time of battering but the harris is poorly blobbed from the inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 when the bipod is closed up or in its folded up position you can see two tabs that protrude out from the underside, these also act as stops as the legs get folded out/down I am goin to be drilling and tapping mine to except two small rubber buffer feet so that when shooting off walls, posts etc etc I dont have to fanny about with the legs so I can just rest and shoot my most recent trip saw me resting off a granite post to take a shot, the post was too high for the bipod to be deployed but the shot was far enough that resting the rifle ontop of my hand on the wall wasnt steady enough so I rested it direct on the wall and got the kill but it cost me some paint off my harris if you want me to do this at the same time as I do mine I will I owe you a favour anyhows mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Silent, you got it now, my explaining wasn't the best. Both bipods look welded the same from rifle or stud side, both welded through. From the side on view they differ. I'll print out the pictures and send em with my thank-you note to harris. The old rule applies, if one doesn't crib it'l never get better. Jamie it is a awkward enough job, I didn't remove the rivets or the rubber padding. u ow me notin. By the way, the replacement bipod accounted for a rabbit at 90m , rabbit at 150m, rabbit at 310m (first shot missed, second hit)) and a fox at 170m this eve. Fox was a mess. Starting to love that howa. edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 post some pics of her, the action, the bbarrel etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Silent just working on a stock at the moment, but have a plastic spare to keep me going . She is a bog standard howa stainless sporter in 22-250, Pete Lincoln checked her recrowned and did up the trigger. (best trigger I've had so far) At the moment I loaded a couple 52gr a-maxes with N140 didn't even look how she groups, I'll do that after a few rounds went through. Even so, she has missed very little up to 310m. Put a 3-12 x50 S&B Zenith FD7 on her . edi The stock plug in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejg223 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 I am goin to be drilling and tapping mine to except two small rubber buffer feet so that when shooting off walls, posts etc etc I dont have to fanny about with the legs so I can just rest and shoot Silent if you've got time please put em on. you should be receiving the bits today. thanks edi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentsoulsleave308holes Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 no post today ed but maybe sat morn as fri good fri back to work on tues, will do then - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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