Not having a wad is by no means the end of the world. I hunted for 20 years without them and never had problems. I just find with the new powders they do sometimes come in handy. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3838 get a 1/2 in hollow hole punch and go to the lumber yard and get some 100% wool felt insulation strips and make your own. They work fine. Since they are wool you can shoot them unlubed or lubed. I do lube then.

As for the barrel wedge, you want a good tight fit on the wedge. Not just for the reason that it will not slip out on you, but it is pulling that barrel into the stock nice and tight each and every time you shoot. I actually will take some packing tape and make layers inside the barrel wedge lock so when I put the wedge pin it, it is nice and tight...

It's nice to know that Thompson Center stands for such customer Service. They took care of you even though it was not their problem. Had they denied to help no one would have blamed them. The fact they did help with the problem says tons for their dedication to their product. Now you know why I buy a lot of Thompson Center rifles. They might not be the most PC rifle in the rack but they are all good shooters.