Sorry to hear about your problems, I have a 2001 stainless loaded and love it! No ftf and I don't find the 'memory pad' to be uncomfortable (I like it better than the smooth one on my friends mil-spec). I don't beleve mine to be a retrofit could this be part of the problem? I feel confident that springfield will make it right if you send it back. My friend just had to send in his mil-spec due to following (from a bad trigger job he had done when he got the gun 3 years ago) They not only repaired the gun and paid shipping but when he got it back it had the trigger pull he wanted in the first place!