Warranties and Warranty Experiences

[Dusty44]

How have the manufacturers been treating you with gun troubles that might or should be warranty issues?

I joined 1911Forum.com a long time ago.  The password/user name was in my computer 'favorites' file and subsequent computer problems wiped out that file.  :(  Tonight I got an Email from the forum saying they were celebrating 'more that 100K members.'  114K+ according to the notation at the forum.  So I added the forum to my listing again,  will be a 'read only' member until I get the energy to re-register.

I was browsing the posts briefly and found a person who bought a 'Para' (Para Ordinance?) pistol second-hand.  The gun has a problem and Para refuses to provide support or parts or repair because he is not the original purchaser.  Responses to this post within the thread seconded that Para will not honor any warranty beyond the original purchaser.  He said,  and I agree,  he will not buy any Para again.  I also will try to remember to never buy Para, either.

I own a Taurus PT1911.  It had a problem out-of-the-box.  (Described in other threads.)  I read the warranty information and decided that the much touted warranty was a bad joke.  Taurus appears to make getting warranty work so difficult and involved that most of us will not be able to obtain real coverage. As best I recall,  some posts when I was researching my own problem said that the warranty work,  after the paperwork gymnastics,  is done by unqualified people who go through the motions and the result is often no actual fix along with the gun being gone for a very long time.  I went to the forums,  found similar problems and solutions and bought my own (high end) parts and fixed the gun on my own.  It is a unique & limited blessing that the PT 1911 is one of the guns made to mil-specs so parts are readily available.  I will not buy Taurus again and would suggest to anyone else to use real caution and to find a more responsible manufacturer.

In contrast,  in the 1970's I bought a Thompson/Center Hawken.  It was a kit gun,  built by an unknown third party.  The gunshop that sold it to me put some effort into resolving problems with the gun (finally determined that the barrel wedge was too loose).  More than 30 years later I had a lot of age related corrosion and wood stock deterioration.  I contacted T/C by letter and explained that it was a kit gun and I was at least the second owner.  T/C sent me a bunch of parts. Free.  The troubles with the stock cropped up later.  This time T/C asked me to return the rifle (Fed Ex,  my nickle),  which I did.  What I got back was some brass fittings in a bag because they do not fit the newer design stock.  Otherwise, T/C sent me a complete brand-new (assembled) rifle for free,  using my original barrel. They paid the return shipping.  Turn-around was,  to the best of memory,  a couple of weeks.  Anytime I am thinking about buying a gun or parts and accessories that T/C might offer,  their website is my first stop.  Whatever it might cost above other vendors,  if any,  is well worthwhile for me.  :)

I would stress that the above is my personal opinion and my personal experience.  In making any purchase,  use your own independent judgement and information. 

Please post your own good and bad warranty experiences?

[imschur]

Well i had originally good experiences with Para when they were in  Canada.  Last years LDA does not work and they will not acknowledge the form i have filled out. I believe they are now under new ownership, Freedom Group. Maybe I have slim hope for resolution

Ruger screwed me good. Sent in my Redhawk for a new barrel. The kind with the notches for scope rings. They butchered the top strap, then denied they did it. Got obnoxious and blamed me.  That was Bill Ruger SR days. Maybe things changed with him dead

Krieger as in Accu Rails made good on a hack job by another licensed gunsmith installing his system

[edgecrusher]

Along the same lines, my personal experience, may not be the case for anyone else.

My first handgun was a m&p 40 s&w. I hated the trigger, I was always 2 o'clock high and right, just plain thought I was awful at shooting pistols. So in an effort to remedy this I contacted s&w about their performance center package. Sure, just drop it off.( I live 20minutes away).

A few days go by and I get a call from a tech. He was very unprofessional, but that's another story. Anyway it came down to this : my gun was just fine. They won't work on the action in my state, the sights were on when the gun was locked in some sort of vise. The trigger had a 14.2# trigger pull and they won't touch any Massachusetts gun, so that's it, come pick it up. I was livid. Yes Massachusetts law is a 10# trigger pull for all current manufacture guns made after 1998. You can have it worked on after the fact only never to sell it. I thought I was fucked

Not long after we were at our club and my buddy said to try hid Glock. I prepared for embarrassment and fired away.  Holy bullseyes Batman. I could shoot a handgun

The next day I traded the MP in towards a Glock 19, then I got a 26, and they both collect dust because I grabbed a Gen 3 21(45acp) that is lights out to 50 yards.

Needless to say, Smith and Wesson pissed me off enough not to buy any of their brands. They wouldn't even bring my trigger pull to 10#

[Tripledeuce]

  The Tarus warranty pissed me  off over 30 years ago.  I haven't bought, sold, or reccomended one since.

  Respectfully

    Terry

[unforgiven]

Would this situation apply if you get you firearm from davidsons gallery of guns they say they back there products lifetime? The only dealing I had with S&W was with a 22a .22LR. pistol FTE and FTF they sent new reciever springs and recoil pads [3] free.Rock River is known for good customer service and had a good experiance with Palmetto Arms.But negitive results should be brought out so the rest of the members will be made aware.If someone treats anyone here shitty I will NOT use thier products.

[imschur]

I think it's to safe to say there are bad experiences for folks with all companies. No companies products and services are infallible.

Lets stick to the question of warranties as asked in the original post. Customer service and service after the sale is a whole other ball of wax.

[unforgiven]

Fair enough brother Drew,back to Davidsons warrenties/garrenties are they true. <dontknow>