[1LoneWolf]

You have a great forum here and I have learned a lot. I just wanted to vent a little so here goes. I ordered a SA 1911 A1 black stainless last week. The gun shop called it was in Tuesday. I was in a rush picking up my son so I picked up the SA hurriedly. Upon getting home I found a groove/scratch below the slide stop lever and also arching up the slide thru the 1911 and .45 etchings. The barrel and mag well were coated with powder residue. The trigger had wear marks where it enters the frame and the trigger pull was horrible. I called the shop immediately and they stated I had to contact SA. The gun wasn't two hours old and it looked used or at the very least mishandled. I called SA and I had to send it back to them yesterday. They stated it is currently about a 4 week turnaround period. I can't understand why they wouldn't take back this "new" gun and exchange it. I now have layed out all my money I have been saving for my first 1911 and have nothing - I haven't even fired it.

 

[norman74]

Wow, I hate when that happens. Lesson to be learned here though. You should always inspect a special-ordered item in the shop to make sure it's what you want. Once you walk out the door with it, in many shops it becomes your problem. This was the policy at the store where I worked, as we had no control over what happened to you or the gun once you left.
Is Springfield issuing a call tag to pick the gun up and bring it back?

 

[Archer]

Sorry about your bad experience.

A few questions.

1. Was the pistol packaged in a clear blue Ziploc-type bag inside of a blue or black plastic case, and did the case have a sticker bearing the serial number of the pistol ?

2. Was the pistol delivered with a bright orange chamber unloaded indicator flag (piece of plastic) in the pistol ? Extra mag ? GI brush ? Other papers such as Owner's manual ?

3. Were you the first person to open the container and handle the pistol (normal if it was a special order) ?

In my opinion, if the answer to any of those was no then the problem MIGHT be between you and the gun shop.

If any of the answers were "NO" then the "idiot scratch" (common term for the scratch you describe) and "powder residue coating"- ESPECIALLY the latter- would more likely have been a result of someone at the gun shop playing with (including disassembling and then incorrectly reassembling) the pistol- not SA.

It would not be typical for an SA factory gun to be "well coated with residue".

If any of those answers are no, and SA takes care of you anyhow, then I hope you will come back here to tell us about it.

 

[ashop1al]

Sorry for the bad luck!!!

Had the same thing happen to me. I wanted a Beretta 9000S to compliment my 96 so when it went on sale I hurried to my favorite gun shop & picked it up. I looked over the display model but did not even open the case for the one I was taking home.

My Bad!!! Scratches on top of slide by front sight. Gun shop buffed them out a week later, a little paint now & the after cleaning, and a little holster wear and don't even notice anymore. It shoots good, so all is well.

Picked up my Black stainless Loaded SA 2 1/2 weeks ago & you can bet MY bottom dollar I was very particular in unwrapping that oily mess right there on the store's counter top and checking every inch of my new pistol.

It is a beautiful weapon & shoots like a dream. Stay close to the forum when you get it back & you can learn how to help that trigger pull. SA will take care of everything else I am confident.

Also agree with Archer, that's how they look when you open that case the pistol is shipped in.

 

[1LoneWolf]

As you said - Lesson Learned. I will never again leave the shop without a thorough inspection.
Yes it was in ziploc and had serial, etc.
It did have orange indicator flag and accessaries
I have no idea of who handled it-the gun shop ordered it in for me and it was probably from another shop-they got it in three days
According to SA (customer service) they don't clean the weapon after test fireing - my Sig was spotless when I recieved it.
SA told me to include a shipping reciept(I did) and they would re-emburse me
I will definitely post how the gun is returned but that will be approximately 4 weeks - purchase it before Thanksgiving and get to shoot it after Christmas !

 

[ddpelp]

My bet is..

Not SA. I have two from them and both are great. I had spots on one slide witch SA polished out and returned in <2 weeks.
However, my new SIG also had left=over rsidue (not much) from the SIG test firing.

I bet the gun shops (one of them) tookit apart and did the scratching.. easy o do espeically if doen quickly
When you get it back it will be like new and you will really enjoy the gun

 

[1LoneWolf]

I really hope so. The reason I went for the SA was because of all the good reports on customer service and the good reports on the firearms themselves. Before I forget -- Happy Thanksgiving !!

 

[TAG2]

Man! I feel the gunshop should be standing behind this. I understand their viewpoint, but they are a customer service business. Also, for future reference, SA will issue you their account number for shipping if you ask. I hope this gun turns out as nice as it should be for you. I love my Black SS Loaded.
Good luck.

 

[rick grigutis]

after my own experience [new loaded shooting not point of aim] and talking to sa i believe they ship the stuff and rely on people not going thru the hassle of sending something back and being w/o it for a month. nobody offered me free shipping on mine. i'm having night sights installed while it's there and jesus god i hope they zero them before they come back. i got my blued loaded for 568 bucks after looking a good while. i'd have rather paid 650 to receive a weapon that had been tested for some std of accuracy to include a target and a cursory inspection of the cosmetics of the gun. i just find it incomprehensible that they can let stuff like this out the door w/o correcting it! is demand that high that they'll ship duds to satisfy it. don't get me wrong, i really like the pistol i bought in every way except the sight problem. i hope they can identify and correct their problem. judging from what i've read here and my own experience it seems to be all too common.

 

[ddpelp]

you may want to call them before the return yor gun I think on another thread someone said they just put the new night sights in the same spot as the old sights. One reaons why many do not require the entire gun only the slide.. might save your self some time and trouble with a phone call

 

[rick grigutis]

there's another thing. i asked if the night sights were 75.00 w/or w/o exchange of the existing original sights. i was told it was an exchange, nothing about drilling the existing. now i don't care either way but they should tell you if you ask. i had to return the whole gun as they're checking it for accuracy. i would assume they would zero the sights at that point but i guess i'll call them to be sure.

 

[Ed_n_Kentucky]

I just picked up a black stainless Springfield "loaded" model
PX9152L today. The weapon itself has powder residue internally - mixed with the usual excess of oil found on new Springfields. Externally there are no scratchs or blemishes.

I found no powder residue on or in the magazines supplied with mine. Neither do the followers show any marks suggesting they have ever beel loaded or used. That makes me thing SA uses house magazines for test firing.

Your report of residue on the mags makes me think you are right. Someone fired yours - likely at the shop your dealer obtained it from.

Sorry you had to have hassles on a new pistol.

 

[1LoneWolf]

I just got off the phone with SA. They advised me it would probably be a week or two before they would even get to my 1911. At this rate I probably won't be able to shoot it (for the first time) until January !

 

[1LoneWolf]

Last Friday(1-2-04) I finally got my 1911 back from SA. I was not impressed with the situation or the service. Don't get me wrong they did a great job buffing out the groove from the slide but that's about all. I recieved a note in the case saying the trigger is a moving part and will get scratched. The powder is normal from test firing. They said they checked the play in the slide.
I want to mention again this was a brand new gun and never fired by me. I purchased it before Thanksgiving and only now have fired it. The slide play is exactly the same. A new mark is now on the slide : on the top and directly behind and to the right side of the ejection port. It appears to be brass dimples - like a tooling or clamp mark.
I contacted SA on Monday and my message was supposed to have been forwarded to a supervisor - I haven't been contacted at all. What really gets me is at no time did I hear we're sorry for the inconvenience or anything. I would also have expected a hat, shirt or something in the box for the inconvenience - there was nothing.
I have come to the conclusion that they just don't care and that is fine by me because I'm not sending it back and lose it for another month. When I do make my next purchase it will not be a SA and if anyone asks for my opinion I think you know what that would be. I forgot to mention I won't get my shipping re-embursement for about another week.

 

[TAG2]

My Black Stainless has exactly the same "brass dimples". I think it from the brass ejecting and making marks. I have heard of other 1911 owners with this problem. I even tried a little copper solvent (sparingly) with no results. If it bothers me bad enough, I will bet some black gun touch up and cover it myself.

 

[TAG2]

My trigger is also showing rub marks. It is aluminum and it shows wear. I don't think there is anything you can do about it.

The powder residue is probably from them test firing the gun.

I am sorry to hear it didn't work out better for you.

Maybe it's time to get a Wilson Combat CQB.

 

[AFMan]

One would sicerely hope you never recommend the shop where you purchased it either!

I think they are more guilty here than has been presumed.

Your dis-satisfaction with SA over this may be a bit over-done.

From their side, for free: SA took back a pistol and refinished the slide, based only on your word that it came that way from them.

I'd bet a dollar against a donut that it was in better shape before it reached the first dealer's hands, than it was when it reached your own.

 

[guy sajer]

Find a new dealer !

I'll assume that you immediately contacted your dealer about the problem and he said that the issue was between you and SA ? His reponse was what ?

You said that the gun shop ordered it for you [from another dealer???] . He would have ordered it from a distributor . All he had to do is call them up and say it was damaged and return it for exchange for another pistol . Unless the dealers policy is sold "as is" , it was their responsibilty to replace it .

I handle these situations on a regular basis . As a dealer , it means more work for me , but as a dealer it also means a happy customer that will return for more .
Your dealer delivered to you a blemished firearm that was contracted between you and he to be a new firearm . No way you should have had to deal with this !

The brass mark you describe will only happen if you fire it . It's from the brass casing being ejected after firing . No big deal .

The powder residue is common to most new handguns I see and we sell a couple thousand each year . No big deal .

The initial scratches from the slide stop on the frame and slide is wrong ! It is a big deal ! But , SA took care of it .

Your dealer took your money for a new gun . It was blemished . It should have been replaced immediately (given time to order another) by him and the blem gun returned to the distributor who would then return it to SA .

I'm not an SA bandwagon hopper . When they're wrong , I'll call them on it . But , in this case , they aren't the bad guy . imo

 

[Ammo]

1911-A1 40 S&W

I recently purchased a 1911-A1 40 S&W in Stainless via gunsamerica. As soon as I took it out of the plastic case and wrappings, it was easy to see that condensation must have gotten into the packaging. On top of the slide around the front sight there was some surface rust and even some very minor pitting. Since the gun was brand new I didn't want to remove this myself and be left with various pits in the slide. I called SA and told them the situation. They told me that it would be about 4-6 weeks before I had the pistol returned. Two weeks later FED EX knocked on the door and delivered it. Upon opening it up I noticed that the gun had been totally refinished, (sand blasted on top to remove the rust/pitting and buffed all around the slide and frame to bring out the SS shine). They didn't send me a call tag, nor did they offer to reimburse me for the shipping. I wish I had thought of asking . However, along with the 1911 they sent me a SA T shirt. I was very pleased at their level of customer service and response.

 

[deezulsmoke]

The original shop that you bought the gun from should have stood behind it. They could have returned it to their distributor and gotten another. Hindsight being 20/20, I always make sure that when I buy something that I cannot inspect that they will take it back if it is not 100% when I get it. Most of the online dealers that are recommended on this sight will deal with you in an honest and straight forward fashion.
On the black stainless, the only way to keep it perfect is to not use it. I bought one about 4 months ago and have had to polish the slide myself about 3 times already.
I have not had to deal with SA service yet, but from what I read here, I would rather have them keep the weapon 2-6 weeks and make sure that it is fixed rather than turn the weapon around in 1 week and not have it fixed when returned.

Deezul