Proper reviews

[longsider]

At least 15 such rifles 'arrive on my desk' every year, Ricky. The manufacturers and importers genuinely want to find out what needs to be done to make their products marketable. Others provide the same service, I assure you. I get to see prototypes at all sorts of stages, again as do others, and 'ready to go' is one of those stages.

I'm not disputing that Terry and I don't doubt that manufacturers value your opinion but I think you are missing my point about yours not being a independent review of the rifle after having your own input in to its build at multiple stages . if they are sending you a rifle for your advice as to how it can be improved in any of its stages imo that's a different matter. I can understand you refusing to review a rifle due to faults in any safety features but if a manufacturer has chosen to send you a rifle with poor balance , a heavy trigger or anything that makes it unfit for purpose but in their mind is "ready to go" I think your input should end there and a review of that rifle should start . you can argue that every stage in production is a chance for you to comment on anything negative you foresee and allow the manufacturer to respond by eliminating these problems or you won't review the finished article . if the manufacturer hasn't asked for your advice then run a review without giving them any , if they have asked for your advice or you have told them you won't proceed unless they take your advice I thought you might see that any review that followed wouldn't be impartial as you have worked on the rifle as a consultant. Just my opinion and I value yours too . I value yours so much I pay £4.00 a month for the chance to take it . I trust your knowledge of each rifle you review so much that I don't even need to read any of them because I can move on to one of the hunting pieces now safe in the knowledge that if a rifle has your name under it its as good as it needs to be . I'm not questioning your technical knowledge just having a opinion on how I would do it differently . I suppose there could be a argument that a "test" is different to a "review" on account of a tester helping to prepare the rifle for general release where a reviewer gives his opinion on the rifle after it is launched . if this is the case can we have more reviews please . atb Terry.