Springfield Armory & UPS

[hankrearden2000]

My experiences today.

The following's an e-mail from me to Springfield Armory.

In August 2004 I purchased a new Springfield Armory 3 inch Micro Compact 1911 .45 ACP. From the beginning the pistol was unreliable, even with several different brands of Ball ammunition. In January 2005 I returned it to the factory to have it checked. The factory reamed the barrel and recut the barrel ramp and polished it. That cured most of my feeding problems.

Last week I noticed that the plunger tube is loose and that the barrel link pin is loose and falls out when the pistol is field stripped. Today I contacted Customer service about returning it for repairs. I was given RMA# XXXXX. I then went to the same place from which I sent the gun to the factory to ship it, but was told that it was illegal for them to ship handguns. At this point I remembered that, in January, I was given a UPS account number by Springfield Customer Service. Thinking that this information would be helpful in dealing with shipping franchises and expedite the process, I telephoned Springfield Armory Customer Service again and this time was given a UPS # XXXXXX. I then went to a second shipping store and was told by the clerk that US Department of Transportation regulations require that firearms be shipped disassembled. In January I didn't have to disassemble it and it was returned by UPS fully assembled. But, in order to get the thing shipped I tried to humor the little fellow and field stripped the pistol. The only problem was that there was no way that the pistol pieces would fit in the plastic case the gun came in from the factory without the parts banging on each other and damaging the gun. So, I reassembled the pistol and left.

I have since e-mailed UPS to find out from what location I can ship a handgun to the factory. I'm still awaiting a reply. All the while I keep reminding myself that had I made the right choice, and purchased a Glock instead of a Springfield Armory 1911, I very likely wouldn't have had to return the pistol to the factory even once, much less twice; and wouldn't be having to go through these trials and tribulations at all. In fact, if this situation doesn't resolve itself very soon, and very painlessly, that Springfield Armory Micro Compact 1911 .45 ACP is going to become a Glock and I'll never purchase another Springfield Armory product ever again. Oh, I will be posting my story on all the Internet firearms-related sites that I'm familiar with too. So, how does Springfield Armory want this story to end?

Sincerely,

Edgar Garrett

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. No problem with your telling your experiences but it might be better not to include the numbers as some might be able to misuse them.

That's why they were removed.

Good luck and best to you and yours.

 

[Technosavant]

The best place from which to ship a firearm?

A FedEx service center. UPS isn't worth a bucket of warm spit.

 

[rick_reno]

Find someone with a FFL, give them $5 and have it shipped from the post office.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

Best of luck getting your problem resolved. Sorry you had to get the rotten apple out of the barrel.

That being said, it's not like we've never heard of Glocks going back for service here.

I'm still waiting to hear about a manufacturer who doesn't have pistols returned for service/warranty issues. Glocks, S&W, Ruger, CZ, etc. Go to those forums and you'll find more then a fair share of service and repair issues.

As for UPS, your problem with them is unrelated to Springfield Armory. If possible, I recommend you return it via the FFL dealer who sold you the pistol as they do not have to use UPS or FedEx. That is one advantage of purchasing from a store front. I've also had enough FedEx problems to know neither company excels in service.

 

[hankrearden2000]

Sorry to disagree Jeff, but had the pistol been worth a damn in the first place, I wouldn't have to be dealing with stupidity at UPS now. The chamber could have left the factory cut to the correct specs, the feed ramp could have left the factory at the proper angle, and the barrel link pin could have been pinged so that it doesn't fall out before it left the factory. As for the plunger tube becoming loose after only 800 rounds, well I guess that's about hafl-assed common in a 1911 and I should have expected it.

I'm sure that every manufacturer has quality control issues. It's just that, of the dozens of Rugers and Smith & Wessons I've owned, I've never experienced any. One SA and 800 rounds later and I've experienced it twice in less than a year.

 

[glocker1911]

Man I know how you feel. My new Chevy is broke and I can't get AAA to tow it in. I will never buy another Chevy in my life! After all, if it hadn't quit, I wouldn't need AAA, so there's no use in blaming the tow company, is there? Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go put this story up on every website I can find.

 

[Doug S]

I do understand how you feel. For me it was Taurus. I like Taurus handguns, & have had some good ones. That said, unfortunately it was not uncommon to have to send one back for repairs. Like you, once per gun was tolerable, but having to send the same pistol back twice, waiting months for it to be returned, & then returned without an explanation of the problem or fix, didn't build confidence in the product. After having to send 3 of 6 Taurus firearms back to the factory, I got frustrated & went with other brands. I could be tempted to purchase another Taurus, but I would do so knowing that I had a good 50% chance of it being defective. I don't know about Springfield, other than a good friend bought one of their GI models. He rarely gets through two magazines without a malfunction. He seems to think these bugs will work themselves out. He also tends to collect firearms, and doesn't seem to worry about an imperfect one. He has others for self-defense. I have limited funds and do not want to collect firearms. I want the ones I buy to work.

 

[hankrearden2000]

I too thought that the failure to feed bug would work itself out after two or three hundred rounds. I finally talked to enough people who convinced me that the bugs would never fix themselves, so off to the factory it went. A reamed chamber and recut feed ramp later and the gun is fairly reliable.

Some will suggest that the inability to feed Ball is what you should expect from the lowest quality pistol in the lineup.