RMA & Other Service Experiences

I've had some really good experiences in the past from multiple companies in the gun industry and wanted to share.

1. Smith & Wesson
Problem: I was trying to remove the muzzle brake/flash hider from the M&P 15-22 and ended up twisting the barrel inside the receiver and bending some internal parts (my fault)
Solution: I sent it to S&W with a free prepaid fedex label, they replaced the broken parts, loosened up the muzzle device, and then shipped it back to me free of charge

2. Ruger
Problem: Recall on the LCP when it was new
Solution: I sent it to Ruger in prepaid packaging, they fixed whatever was wrong with it, gave me an extra magazine, pinky extensions, and a free hat for my troubles.

3. Hornady
Problem: one of the parts on my reloading dies broke--I can't remember which
Solution: emailed hornady and they sent me the replacement parts for free

4. Midwayusa.com
Problem: one of my Lee bullet molds was faulty and lost an alignment pin
Solution: I emailed midwayusa and they sent me a "one-time" fix of a replacement mold free of charge without having to send the old one back.

5. Lee
Problem: One of my bullet molds was out of alignment
Solution: I mailed it back to them (on my dime) and got a free replacement.

6. Taurus
Problem: My taurus judge fell apart while shooting it at the range--lost some small pieces
Solution:  I had to mail the revolver next day air and it took them 2-3 months to fix and ship back (next day air is EXPENSIVE)

7. RCBS
Problem: Broke a piece on one of my dies
Solution: I emailed RCBS and they sent me a replacement part free of charge.

8. Kahr/Auto Ordnance
Problem: newly purchased m1 carbine had too tight of chamber
Solution: Carbine was sent back (through the gunshop) to the factory where they reamed out the chamber and shipped it back free of charge

I was surprised with all of the great service that MOST of these companies have given me.  With the exception of my Taurus experience, all of the customer service either met or exceeded my expectations.  Can you imagine if non gun industry companies offered the same service?  FYI, I sold the Taurus Judge immediately after getting it back and will not be buying any Taurus guns again (with the exception of those Rossi Levers).  Smith and Wesson and Ruger have made a life customer out of me.  I will continue to purchase their products with confidence.  As far as the reloading component companies go, I think all of them offer awesome service for their products.

What experiences have you guys had--good and bad?

Nice Corn.

I personally don't buy any "second tier" guns. I don't say they are bad, nor appropriate for the people that wish to purchase them, but for me, it's first line guns only. That means Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Sig, and for rifles Winchester & Remington. I know the recent Remi stuff is questionable, but truth to tell, I have rarely bought a new rifle. The exception was a new Winchester Model 70 in .300 WinMag. I have a Dakota, and levers from Winchester, Uberti, Browning, and Marlin (old-er).

I have an old J.C. Higgins .22 rifle that just shoots really nicely, and a High Standard (I think - not my usual line) that is supposedly a target rifle in .22 but I've never been able to make shoot really well. ?Perhaps ammo.

I ought to add USFA. They DO make some of THE best Single Action pistols around. They are every bit as good as Colts, if not better. I have 4 of them, and they are really wonderfully made.

I have some Spaghetti-Single Actions (2) and while one was great out of the box, the other took some serious gunsmith work to make reliable. I then modified both with Colt backstraps, making them non-stock in grips for anything. So I ended up putting ivory on both. They DO look kool, and they actually shoot reasonably well, although they aren't built like USFA's.

?Shotguns. Ah, well. Browning and Winchester, plus one Valmet and a chink 97 that I use for cowboy shooting. It's been breathed on, and has spin-in chokes, but I really don't care a hoot for it so it's kind of like a Glock. It only cost about $300 + $100 for the gunsmithing I think it was.

This does not, of course, include any battle rifles. The AR's, Garands, M14's, M1 carbines, and FAL's are in a separate category. No Kraut rifles, and no M-G's, no matter HOW much CF loves them. (Or Doc Wesson either.)

Interesting thread Corn.

I've had really good experience with S&W. I once dropped am S&W 642 into a bucket of water. Like an idiot I decided it would be fine, no need to take it apart. Couple of months later it ground to a halt. S&W sent me a shipping label, fixed it as good as new, and the work report they sent back said "replaced rusted parts". No charge.

Another time, I had a part break on an S&W 638. S&W sent me a shipping label. Called me a week later and said it was an internal part which they didn't have in stock at the moment. Said they'd send me a new one for free if I was ok with that.

On a different occasion, I was convinced that the trigger on my old Glock 23 didn't feel as fresh as the trigger as my then-new Glock 17. E-mailed Glock and they said send the frame back and they'll replace anything that looked worn-out or in need of replacing.

Ruger gave similar service on a part that broke on a Blackhawk.

However, I've found that the customer service dudes at Alliant Powder and Ramshot Powder are the best of all. I've had e-mail dialogs with them about things such as how to avoid leading in 38 special ammo, and good handloads for lower-than-minimum velocities. I'd love to spend an evening drinking with those guys.

Interestingly I have had very little exposure to broken weapons and returns to the factory. My Shield was NOT in the bad trigger group. My PPK was on a recall, but while there was a missing spring for the slide hold-open, they did not repair that but ended up charging me for getting the part. I was a bit miffed.

I sent a worn out Remington 700 .30-'06 to have the barrel replaced. Cost me $100 - not bad for replacing a barrel I thought. Local guys wanted in the $300 range, and I doubt it would have been either a better barrel or better job.

I had problems with an AWA single action, but gave that to my gunsmith to fix. Just didn't trust the Italians to know what to do with it. It works now.

Right now I am waiting to hear back from S&W about my big 460 revolver. I first noticed something was wrong when the accuracy dropped dramatically--I thought it was my loads, but they had not changed. Later on, I saw that the front sight was canted a bit. I hand twisted it to see if it was loose, but the whole barrel ended up twisting slightly. I checked the barrel nut and it was loose. I just sent it off prepaid via fedex to them to see what they say. I didn't feel like I should mess with it myself--as that gun is truly a hand cannon. If I were to do something wrong, I would hate to blow off my arm or something.

Interesting about glock, I haven't heard many people talk about their service before (I think primarily it is due to the fact that they rarely have problems).

Yeah, Glock was SPEEDY in their response. I thought it was probably because they were bored and had nothing else to do.

Just wanted to update a few experiences I had.

1. Hornady - The base of the power cord on two of my hornady powder auto dispensers began to wear out and you could see exposed copper (the rubber/plastic covering had split). I called hornady today and was off the phone within minutes with replacement power adapters being sent to me free of charge. Love it!

2. Smith Wesson - I got my 460 magnum back from smith and wesson. They paid shipping both ways and fixed the loose barrel problem free of charge. Awesome!