K100 Grand Power - barrel failure

[blackhand1]

I was an owner of the handgun. I've found only the best recommendations regarding this gun and so I bought it.

Hard reality

The firing pin spring was twice destroyed and replaced during 3 months. The fatal failure came with the 1,236th bullet. The barrel was splintered during the last shot and his pieces were shot all round.

I’ve notified Grand Power management about this event and I was expected at least an apology for the fatal failure. Grand Power answer was shocking: It’s normal; we offer a new handgun or money back.

Guys, please save your eyes, health,… life.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111020536688433347051/albums/5922309659166570129

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u91mJRS8zYU

 

[Walt Sherrill]

I had a Witness .45 Sport Long Slide barrel crack (not splinter); that has been my only personal experience with a barrel failure -- but have seen others. The gun wasn't under warranty (I bought it used.) Great gun otherwise, and became a great gun again, when I replaced the barrel.

I was shooting standard, factory loads. What were YOU shooting?

 

[blackhand1]

I've used this commercially reloaded ammo: 9 mm Luger, 124 grs, FMJ, gunpowder Vectan BA9 5.3 grs, velocity 1 050 ft/s, primer SB

 

[greyeyezz]

What brand of commercially reloaded ammo?

 

[Walt Sherrill]

I’ve notified Grand Power management about this event and I was expected at least an apology for the fatal failure. Grand Power answer was shocking: It’s normal; we offer a new handgun or money back.

An apology would have been nice -- but they clearly did more than they had to. The response (saying "it's normal") was an inept answer, perhaps offered by someone a bit new to the customer serivce process. I don't think it's a NORMAL failure. If it were normal I think we would have heard more about catastrophic failures of the K100s...

I've also never seen a barrel SPLINTERED (or shattered). Even barrels that were damaged or bulged (by shooting a second round against a squib round) don't generally SPLINTER. That's a strange sort of failure. The barrel I mentioned cracked, and is shown, below. SPLINTERING or SHATTERING would be really unusual.



So -- what are you going to do? Get your money back or ask for a new weapon? And would your receiving an apology really change that decision?

Most gunmakers wouldn't offer to give you your money back -- just a replacement weapon.

.

 

[el Godfather]

Terrible. This is why I stick with quality firearms.

 

[tarosean]

^ gotta agree this needs to go in that second tier pistol thread. Looks like some sort of CZ knockoff but aim not familiar with the name at all..

 

[atomd]

The grandpower is not a knockoff and does not have the reputation of a non-quality firearm. These have been imported by various companies over the years. STI even had a grandpower and changed the name to an STI name for a while (they called it the STI GP6). They are not exactly popular but they do have a small following in the uspsa crowd (guys that put MANY rounds downrange). They are generally held in high regard and are known to have one of the best triggers around for a non-custom shop gun.

 

[mavracer]

Look's to me like round 1,235 didn't make it out the barrel before you touched off 1,236.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Look's to me like round 1,235 didn't make it out the barrel before you touched off 1,236.

I've seen SEVERAL examples of that situation -- and none of them resulted in a shattered or splintered barrel. I've seen a barrel bulged so badly that the gun couldn't be disassembled (i.e., the slide wouldn't move back far enough to begin the take-down procedure. I've seen barrels cracked (photo, above). I've seen ruptured revolver barrels and top straps (from excess pressure)... but nothing shattered or splintered. That suggests something pretty brittle.

 

[GrandPower]

Reply from the manufacturer

Dear fans of guns, shooting and stuff,

First of all, we understand, that brand Grand Power, founded ten years ago, is not familiar to all of you as other brands are. We started selling our products in US only five years ago, when we entered your market under the STI brand, our models labeled as STI GP5, STI GP6 and STI GP6C. We have been picking experiences from anyone who was courageous to buy an uknown brand manufactured somewhere in "Eastern" Europe from company without historical references. Our brand is, however, quite well established in Europe.

Customer service has always been on top of our priorities. As you can see, company CEO directly talking to any individual customer...

We were sorry to hear what had happened to the piece of our customer in Czech republic, who has decided to tell the story on this forum. Despite the customer admitted to had been shooting reloaded ammo which, more often than not, might under adverse circumstances lead to barrel rupture of any gun, our company offered the customer a brand new replacement pistol of the same model. Even in this case, we simply decided to follow our no-questions-asked approach to each warranty issue as ever.

Despite being generously offered a replacement gun of the same model, the customer demanded so much more – an additional compensation in form of our top line sporting model the X-calibur (more than double the price of the replacement model) and a pack of 10 000 rounds of ammunition. You be the judge.

This is where our communication with the customer has ended. Other than bashing the brand on many firearms forums, the customer has never contacted us since. However, we will still be happy to handle the matter in our standard warranty procedure.

Many thanks for hearing our side of the story.

Grand Power Team

_____________________________________________________________

Here is the communication as it was. Blackhand1 wrote to Grandpower and he got a response from founder of company personally. Translated from Czech and Slovak languages. Everyone can make its opinion now.

Grandpower:
Sept 10th 2013 12:58
Good day,
Could you provide some photos, type of ammunition and the way you used the gun? Our philosophy is 100% support to the clients. Doesnt matter what was the reason of failure, we will send you a brand new gun for free. Let your reseller contact Us
with respect
JK

Blackhand1:
Sending photos, shooting at target range with roof, reloaded ammo from reseller of gun. Reloading Sola? - p?ebíjení
According to a fatal failure of your product I do not find a new gun satisfactory. In case of sending me a new gun I rather switch to more reliable brand with better customers support. The only way to make me satisfied would be Grand Power X-Calibur and 10 000pcs of ammo.
With regards
Pavel Kos

Grandpower:
Sept 10th
Dear Sir,
Now I understand, why you reseller did sent us any complaint. Reloaded ammo is not reliable as original one. Internet is full of information about accidents caused by reloaded ammunition. This happens to all brands. I am very sorry about your experience, but we cannot take responsibility for something, what's responsibility of ammo manufacturer. Anyway, our offer of K100Mk7 is still actual. If our offer is not good enough for you, please, contact your reseller and ask money back. I wish you good luck and enjoy higher quality handguns from manufacturers with better support.
with respect
Jaroslav Kuracina

Blackhand1:
Thank you, I had enough. Your company is unable to be correct and admit poor quality of barrel. You know very well that reloaded ammo is undersized
with regards
Pavel Kos

Grandpower
Exactly, the fact of smaller size often leads to obstruct the barrel and such obstruction leads ALWAYS to a destruction of barrel. By the way, raw barrels were manufactured by "golden Czech hands" from CZ UB Uhersky Brod. Your email sound like blackmail.
with regards
Jaroslav Kuracina
CEO
www.grandpower.eu

 

[RussB]

Thank you for sharing the other side of the story Jaroslav. Pavel (blackhand1) should be ashamed of himself

 

[Owen]

Realizing that both parties are outside of the US, so the noraml commercial warranties are most likely very different if the issue was bad ammunition, shouldn't the ammo manufacturer be on the hook for this to some degree?

I don't understand the comments about the ammunition being undersized in the exchange between Grand Power and Blackhand1

Also, I've blown up a few guns in my time, on purpose, as part of my job, and that barrel looks like it was awfully brittle. It's not at all the type of failure i would expect to see from a 9mm.

 

[RussB]

I think some words get lost in translation (undersized = underpowered?)

Here's what I understand,

1. Pavel blew up the gun firing reloads

2. GP replaced the gun

3. Pavel said he wants an apology, but really wants a more expensive gun instead of the direct replacement plus a lot of ammo

4. GP said no, take your new replacement and be happy

5. Pavel went to the internet to discredit GP, but it backfired

 

[Sam Cade]

Here's what I understand,

I'd say that it is more accurate to say that Pavel Kos attempted to blackmail the GrandPower folks and is now vindictively copy pasting identical posts on every firearms forum that he is able to register with.



Using THR as a tool of extortion is NOT COOL. '


I'm going to close this thread for the time being.