2aHawaii
General Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: drck1000 on December 12, 2017, 07:33:27 AM
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What problems have you experienced with "known quality" firearms and accessories? First hand experience is preferred, but witnessing or second hand info would be good.
I try to stick to the tried and true brands for most things with firearms and I generally subscribe to the "buy once, cry once" mantra. I am willing to test out more budget friendly things, but usually after I already have one "known quality" on hand. Like I have a beater PSA AR that was about $400 total to put together that I did so mainly to test with lower powered steel cased ammo.
I've experienced the following:
1) Aimpoint T-1 not able to zero. The windage adjustment didn't work. This was at a rifle class and with a good shooter. He ended up using the T-1 that I had on my backup gun.
2) Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 adjust POI on anything other than 1x. I don't recall what the explanation was, but it was sent back to Trijicon and they fixed it.
3) Aimpoint Comp M2 just quit. Tried new batteries, etc, but nothing. This was also at a rifle class and he ended up using the T-1 that I had on my backup gun. [my backup gun really "saved" a lot of folks]
4) The safety lever arm on my LMT broke off about mid way through Day 1 of a rifle course. Gun wasn't dropped or abused in any way. It was still pretty new at that time and probably about 1000 rounds.
5) The glass panel reflector/refractor (or whatever it's called) on an EoTech EXPS2 came loose.
6) BCM midlength upper with A2 FSP out of spec. I was able to zero the irons, but the rear aperture was maybe 2 clicks from the end. Technically ok, but BCM said to send it back to them and they corrected it.
7) DD lower from a complete DD M4 V5, the screw for the pistol grip was such that installing other "standard" grips would leave a gap. Even A2 grips from other "milspec" guns. Sent lower back to DD and they ended up bubba'ing my grip by filing the hole to fit.
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Elf Trigger (Match) having light primer strikes.
Called Elf and Art Sr. himself helped me. He sent me a new one. Haven't fired it yet.
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Two Viridian Green Laser Sights, model C5L, started displaying a large starburst pattern instead of a dot. The green light on the target/wall looked roughly like the Milkyway Galaxy.
Sent back to Viridian, and they quickly fixed the problem and returned.
I don't normally practice with the laser attached, so the concussion of firing the gun should not be a factor. I do, however, use them to play chase with the dog and cat, which is why I noticed the problem in the first place.
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Two Viridian Green Laser Sights, model C5L, started displaying a large starburst pattern instead of a dot. The green light on the target/wall looked roughly like the Milkyway Galaxy.
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Mount it to a shotgun :rofl:
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Mount it to a shotgun :rofl:
While you're bullshitting, I already have one on my KSG!
Not sure my slugs and 00buckshot will pattern like the laser, though. :wave:
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My Trijicon SRS crapped out twice and got fixed twice for just the cost of shipping it to Trijicon. Relatively low 5.56 round count each time it shut down. I treated it just like how I treat all my other firearms and optics... I sold it after it got fixed the second time.
Also had a Primary Arms T-1 clone shut off when it was being used on a 9mm AR. Amazon got me a replacement which now sits on an airsoft gun.
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S&W 625:
1 - The mainspring tension screw has a tendency to back out over time, ultimately resulting in light primer strikes and endless failures to fire.
2 - The screw holding in the cylinder release lever rattled loose.
3 - The extractor rod worked loose, jamming the cylinder closed.
Solved #2 and #3 with LokTite; #1 is a recurring issue.
HiPoint 9mm carbine: broken firing pin. However, the gun continued to operate with like 80% reliability!
H&R single-shot shotgun: broken firing pin. They're known for this.
Beretta Neos: soft steel in several of the trigger components yields rounded edges and decreased reliability over time.
Browning Challenger II: single-point mounting screw for the rear sight shoots loose.
RIA 1911: parkerizing not very robust. Prone to rust with little provocation.
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Years ago I was a member of Washington arms collectors.
Some of my guns are inherited, and the ones I purchased were
"Eclectic".
I do not own an AR platform.
I've fired hundred of thousands of rounds.
The only problems I've had was due to ammunition
failures not guns. My S&W model 940 is picky if you use
hot ammo. Run for the Internet. The 940 is a 9mm wheel gun.
Great for ladies. If you can find one they run 6-8 hundred dollars.
Had they been available in the day I'd choose an LC9,
But the S&W 940 doesn't leave brass behind.
That is important in anti gun Hawaii.
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Elf Trigger (Match) having light primer strikes.
Called Elf and Art Sr. himself helped me. He sent me a new one. Haven't fired it yet.
Saw your other post on that. Great customer service is definitely an quality of a company that will quickly earn my business. Especially how and when they take care of you when things aren't right.
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Two Viridian Green Laser Sights, model C5L, started displaying a large starburst pattern instead of a dot. The green light on the target/wall looked roughly like the Milkyway Galaxy.
Sent back to Viridian, and they quickly fixed the problem and returned.
I don't normally practice with the laser attached, so the concussion of firing the gun should not be a factor. I do, however, use them to play chase with the dog and cat, which is why I noticed the problem in the first place.
Haven't heard of that brand. One of my buddies has a green laser for his Sig 2022 and I think that might be the one. I've never shot with the laser though.
What did they say was the problem?
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My Trijicon SRS crapped out twice and got fixed twice for just the cost of shipping it to Trijicon. Relatively low 5.56 round count each time it shut down. I treated it just like how I treat all my other firearms and optics... I sold it after it got fixed the second time.
Also had a Primary Arms T-1 clone shut off when it was being used on a 9mm AR. Amazon got me a replacement which now sits on an airsoft gun.
Did Trijicon say what happened to the sight? I don't own any Trijicon optics, but I always thought they were pretty good quality. Seems like the MRO has gotten good reviews.
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S&W 625:
1 - The mainspring tension screw has a tendency to back out over time, ultimately resulting in light primer strikes and endless failures to fire.
2 - The screw holding in the cylinder release lever rattled loose.
3 - The extractor rod worked loose, jamming the cylinder closed.
Solved #2 and #3 with LokTite; #1 is a recurring issue.
HiPoint 9mm carbine: broken firing pin. However, the gun continued to operate with like 80% reliability!
H&R single-shot shotgun: broken firing pin. They're known for this.
Beretta Neos: soft steel in several of the trigger components yields rounded edges and decreased reliability over time.
Browning Challenger II: single-point mounting screw for the rear sight shoots loose.
RIA 1911: parkerizing not very robust. Prone to rust with little provocation.
I haven't shot my RIA 1911 much. I'll keep an eye out on the finish. I keep it stored in one of those silicone treated wool gun bag/sock things. I should take it out and inspect as I don't even remember when I had it out last.
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Haven't heard of that brand. One of my buddies has a green laser for his Sig 2022 and I think that might be the one. I've never shot with the laser though.
What did they say was the problem?
They didn't say why or how it happened. When I first called, the problem was the laser wasn't even activating with the ON button. Just before I shipped it, I tried again with another new battery, and it came on (of course). But, the "star field" was still an issue. I called and updated the RMA work order. They sent it back with no button or star field issues, and it's still good.
When it happened on another laser, I tried cleaning it per the user guide.The star field turned into a much smaller halo around the dot, so I'm assuming dirt/residue from shooting was the original issue. No matter how much I clean it with alcohol, the halo remains. It's tolerable and useable, but it's annoying.
The warranty that came with it was for 12 months, so I'm sure it'll cost me to send it in. I'll keep using alcohol and Q-tips. Maybe it'll wear the halo down.
EDIT: I checked online, and the warranty page says their products have a 7 year warranty. I'll have to find my receipt (my desktop PC is off now due to a warranty exchange for the CPU liquid cooler in process) and call Viridian. Hopefully they can remedy the issue with the dot/splotch. BTW, they send a shipping label, so you don't pay to ship to them under warranty. :thumbsup:
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A few years ago, I bought a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 rifle scope from Midway. After two brief range outings, the windage knob quit working. Called around and was advised by a terse CS rep at Carl Zeiss Sport Optic to mail it to them. . I did, and heard nothing for many weeks. After I emailed requesting an update, someone finally replied,, blaming "delays with the factory" and offering a Zeiss Terra 3-9x42 replacement. Their email did not mention that the Terra was a cheaper substitute for the Conquest line. By that time, I figured I better cut my losses, so agreed to take the replacement.. I finally got it, six months after I mailed the original one to them and only after minimal service from their CS department. No more Zeiss for me.;
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A few years ago, I bought a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 rifle scope from Midway. After two brief range outings, the windage knob quit working. Called around and was advised by a terse CS rep at Carl Zeiss Sport Optic to mail it to them. . I did, and heard nothing for many weeks. After I emailed requesting an update, someone finally replied,, blaming "delays with the factory" and offering a Zeiss Terra 3-9x42 replacement. Their email did not mention that the Terra was a cheaper substitute for the Conquest line. By that time, I figured I better cut my losses, so agreed to take the replacement.. I finally got it, six months after I mailed the original one to them and only after minimal service from their CS department. No more Zeiss for me.;
That's messed up to get a replacement that is lower on the line. Did you try going back through Midway? I generally avoid Midway due to their shipping policies as well as some other stuff in the past.
I haven't owned a Zeiss, but I've shot some bolt guns with some nice Zeiss glass. However, if their CS is like that, screw them. Plenty of other excellent quality optic companies with even better CS.
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I buy only name brand manufacturers products that I know I will get quality CS and service. Also, I buy from vendors like Amazon, Brownells, and MidwayUSA because if or when I have a problem or issue with the product I buy from them they will resolve it, period.
I had issues with XS Big Dot sights and Surefire weapon lights and all went well with returns or replacement.
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
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I have a S&W Model 547 which the tension screw for the hammer spring backs out after a few years and needs retightening. It gives me light strikes. I am sure a little blue locktite would fix it.
I have some Lee reloading equipment which I am always ordering plastic parts that wear out regularly. Lee doesn't warrantee the plastic bits.
I bought a Holosun red dot sight and the mounting screw broke. Their CS was great and they replaced it it immediately.
Ruger MK I, II and III .22 pistols are easy to disassemble and a real bitch to put back together. The MK IV is a huge improvement.
I have two High Standard .22 target pistols that have gold plated triggers and the plating corrodes and flakes off causing sticky trigger. It has to be taken apart and cleaned when this occurs. As well as the return spring needs to be replaced every 5 years or so. target guns can be finnicky.
My friend has purchased a S&W Model 686 used and is an older model with a firing pin. And the firing pin broke. S&W replaced it at their cost. He also purchased a used Ruger 45 auto of some sort that never worked correctly. It wouldn't feed reliably and would have light strikes. He sent it in to Ruger and they fixed it at their cost.
There are lots of other things but mostly involving known low quality and cheap products.
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Inspector - What gun did you shave the Holosun on? I don’t own one, if I’ve seen the mounting bolt shear off on a couple of them that were used on 5.56/.223 ARs.
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Inspector - What gun did you shave the Holosun on? I don’t own one, if I’ve seen the mounting bolt shear off on a couple of them that were used on 5.56/.223 ARs.
I put it on my 9mm AR. I set my fat wrench to 10 in lbs and tightened it. It sheared off while shooting. The sight comes with a low and high mount and they use the same mounting screw. So I replaced the broken screw with the other screw and it held fine. It was nice that CS didn't even ask any questions, they just sent the replacement.
I have since removed it and sold the upper. But I plan to put it on my 300 BLK AR.
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I put it on my 9mm AR. I set my fat wrench to 10 in lbs and tightened it. It sheared off while shooting. The sight comes with a low and high mount and they use the same mounting screw. So I replaced the broken screw with the other screw and it held fine. It was nice that CS didn't even ask any questions, they just sent the replacement.
I have since removed it and sold the upper. But I plan to put it on my 300 BLK AR.
I see. So a pretty soft shooting gun. I don't have a Holosun, but I know many folks who do and I recall generally positive responses. Though the mount screw breaking is something that I noticed. Easy fix, but seems like something that they should correct out of the box.
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I see. So a pretty soft shooting gun. I don't have a Holosun, but I know many folks who do and I recall generally positive responses. Though the mount screw breaking is something that I noticed. Easy fix, but seems like something that they should correct out of the box.
I suspect the screw cracked or was defective at the time of mounting. I specifically mentioned the 10 in lbs setting on my Fat Wrench because I think it was already broken as it only took the second shot for the screw to let loose. That and CS didn't even flinch. They just sent a replacement.
The sight itself is pretty nice. The mounting seems pretty solid. I think the screw was defective somehow.
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I suspect the screw cracked or was defective at the time of mounting. I specifically mentioned the 10 in lbs setting on my Fat Wrench because I think it was already broken as it only took the second shot for the screw to let loose. That and CS didn't even flinch. They just sent a replacement.
The sight itself is pretty nice. The mounting seems pretty solid. I think the screw was defective somehow.
With the number of mounting hardware problems I saw, I assumed something had to be up. Maybe cheaper parts, but I figured that hardware didn't need to be that tough. Just struck me as one of those things where I noticed it pretty often. I mean it's awesome that CS took care of it no problems. I just hope they correct things if there is something more widespread going on.
Sometimes things with materials are counter-intuitive. We did a house in WA where the owner also owned a steel fabrication plant, so of course he had hookups on the raw steel. He would arbitrarily up the sizes on members and this was AFTER we had reviewed and stamped the shop drawings. Given your line of work, I know you know how O.o that is. In general, that's not that big of a deal, but in some cases, you actually want certain members to be more flexible and going to a larger/stronger size can hurt at times, so there were cases where we had to rush and verify things were ok. Anyways, we then got reports of threaded rods busting when they were bolting down nailers to the tops of them. When they were bolting the 3x nailer to the tops of the beams, the bolt would snap off above the weld. WTF? Come to find out, the owner had them "upgrade" the bolts from A307 to I think A193. Well, the A193 is heat treated and becomes brittle if you heat it up and don't cool in a controlled manner. :facepalm: So they had to redo hundreds of threaded rods.
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With the number of mounting hardware problems I saw, I assumed something had to be up. Maybe cheaper parts, but I figured that hardware didn't need to be that tough. Just struck me as one of those things where I noticed it pretty often. I mean it's awesome that CS took care of it no problems. I just hope they correct things if there is something more widespread going on.
Sometimes things with materials are counter-intuitive. We did a house in WA where the owner also owned a steel fabrication plant, so of course he had hookups on the raw steel. He would arbitrarily up the sizes on members and this was AFTER we had reviewed and stamped the shop drawings. Given your line of work, I know you know how O.o that is. In general, that's not that big of a deal, but in some cases, you actually want certain members to be more flexible and going to a larger/stronger size can hurt at times, so there were cases where we had to rush and verify things were ok. Anyways, we then got reports of threaded rods busting when they were bolting down nailers to the tops of them. When they were bolting the 3x nailer to the tops of the beams, the bolt would snap off above the weld. WTF? Come to find out, the owner had them "upgrade" the bolts from A307 to I think A193. Well, the A193 is heat treated and becomes brittle if you heat it up and don't cool in a controlled manner. :facepalm: So they had to redo hundreds of threaded rods.
I had no idea there were any problems with the mounting hardware? Guess I missed that while doing my due diligence. The second screw that came with the low mount worked fine so I only suspected it was an isolated incident. It says China everywhere. I suspect improper manufacturing techniques so I imagine it would probably be a widespread problem rather than what I originally thought as an isolated one. Thanks for letting me know.
Had similar issues with a contractor using an incorrect epoxy for post installed bolts in masonry. It apparently had higher strengths in concrete than what they normally use, but was not appropriate for use in masonry. Contractor had good intentions but poor execution as they did not get approval from the engineer of record before installing hundreds of bolts. I was not a very popular person on the jobsite after I caught it.
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DPMS
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i also have had a viridian x5l and a pa/holosun break on me. both warrantied quickly and at no cost to me. holosun windage knob was hard to adjust in one direction. i havent had a problem with the crossbolt because i always change the mounts on those things. i like my scalarworks but they cost as much as a holosun. the fortis f1 is a better buy.
ive sent in a lot of repairs to s&w and have never paid a dime. i felt bad sending it back for broken .22 firing pins but that was their procedure. they eventually agreed to send me a firing pin to install myself after the third time.
ive had a cheap bushnell scope break and they bullshitted with me so i never sent it in. supposedly they provide a different level of service if you mention you have one of their elite models, which i have many of but havent had any problems with yet.
most recently my msa supreme pro x's died.. seems like itll be around $120 to get it fixed and shipped back to me if its a common issue and nothing major. kind of a bummer since i can buy 3-4 howard leight impact's for that amount. i dont think i can recommend those headsets anymore. ~$280 for initial purchase plus ~$120 4-5 years later is kind of much for the gel seal comfort. if they say itll cost more than 120 to fix ill tell them send it back as is so i can just use them as passive protection.
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Did Trijicon say what happened to the sight? I don't own any Trijicon optics, but I always thought they were pretty good quality. Seems like the MRO has gotten good reviews.
No idea. The solar panel seems like a gimmick and makes the electronics overly complicated. I loved the huge field of view but wished it was lighter and ran off strictly a battery.....probably why the MRO was created.
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No idea. The solar panel seems like a gimmick and makes the electronics overly complicated. I loved the huge field of view but wished it was lighter and ran off strictly a battery.....probably why the MRO was created.
Interesting. I was curious about that solar powered feature.