Author Topic: What happened to Springfield (Read 1794 times)

j two dogs · « **on:** March 08, 2006, 04:23:27 AM »

I used to think Springfield was number 1#, NO LONGER.
Recently purchased a 1911 fully loaded.
When I got it home the trigger was so rough I thought it was a 2 stage.
Broke it down, the barrel link pin fell out.
Try to load it, it would not even load ball ammo and forget about hollow point.
Took a sight picture with and the dot on the front sight was drilled off.
And here is the kick in the pants. Sent it back to them for service, got a bill for 150$ said they did not guarentee them to feed hollow points.

I am done with them. They sent a flyer out the other day to the gun shop
said buy 10 XD's get one free. With service and quality control like that you can keep'em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jimster · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2006, 07:02:27 AM »

Guess I can't blame you with all that stuff going on.
I would take the time to write a letter, outlining all these things, including them sticking you with a repair bill on a new gun...(I take it it was new)
And send the letter up the ladder as far as you can, with copies to a few others there.
As long as your letter is factual, and not swearing at them, I bet you'd get some results, or at least bring some things to their attention.

It never hurts to write letters to people in high places there.

Good luck on the next one

j two dogs · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2006, 07:14:20 AM »

Done did, excuse my english. I was very polite because they still had my gun, this was after they gave me the quote. They just ignored it. You know when you think of Springfield you kinda think American made, but I guess the suff is really made in Brazil. My gun safe is full of Rugers simply because they have always stood behind there product, and to me thats what makes a company not all the hype about "Tactical". You can call a ham sandwich tactical but if it don't work, its a ham sandwich!

Questor · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2006, 08:08:06 AM »

I agree with the previous post. These companies know they depend on repeat business and word of mouth advertising. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results I've gotten from some companies the few times I've had complaints. This is in general terms, I'm not referring to any gun companies.

However, I had such a revolting experience with one custom maker that I never called them or wrote to them. I just have been giving Clark bad word of mouth ever since. Perhaps you are in the same state of revulsion. I can empathize with that. My attitude about Clark was that after what they delivered, I wouldn't give them the sweat off my you-know-whats.

j two dogs · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2006, 09:25:47 AM »

Amen brother Questor, and I plan to do the same with Springfield, I know that my puny opinion dosent matter a hill of beans to them, but when I'm done I will have cost them more then 150$.

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #5 on:** March 08, 2006, 10:17:06 AM »

You might want to jump over to forums.1911forums.com and talk to folks there. They have a specific Springfield forum and the regulars there may have some solutions for you.

jimster · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2006, 10:43:50 AM »

I'm with ya Two Dogs...Service is everything. Without that, everything is worthless.
I've got half a mind to write them myself about how bad service to you is going to cost them money and ask if I am to expect the same treatment.

What bothers me most about this, is maybe I have not had problems with mine..YET, but what if I do?

I've had excellent service from Ruger also, those people blew my mind with the way they stand behind their products, no matter how old the guns are, or even if the guns went through several owners.
Shoot, they even reblued a Ruger for me once on top of the repair job, and it was my fault all the blueing was wore off from handling it...and yet another slip that said "no charge". I thought they screwed up and sent me a new one at first, could not believe my eyes. Guess that's why my vault is full fo Rugers too.

Service means a lot.

Okie_Shooter · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2006, 02:58:16 PM »

thanks for the heads up on the service, i was going to go buy a XD 1911
I think i will look some more, or go to the Kimber i was leaning to.
so you already are hitting them in the pocket book.

j two dogs · « **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:20:25 AM »

Kimbers sure are sweet lookin, it seems their qc may be a little tighter, there frame feed is built different also. I don't know how there service is, I kinda wish I would have spent the extra 2 bills to begin with a got the Kimber

1911crazy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 09, 2006, 01:35:45 AM »

Its with there M1a's too its iffy to get a quality one after spending $1,200 too. Some guys have shipped theirs back twice to get it right. I probably purchased my last 1911a1 springers they have been bad too(1 so far). I have a brazil made spring i'm afraid to try it because i still have a 90's springer thats NIB that still stove pipes to this day with new ball ammo. There quality has fallen way off. I feel the warrenty and service shouldn't matter because it shouldn't ever be needed if they put out a quality product in the first place. I'm paying top dollar for a gun that should function properly right out of the box with no rework or tweekin needed. My last job they would never tolerate putting out a bad product and someones butt would be on the line for it because warrenty work costs more money than if they manufactured it correctly in the first place. I'm guessing that springfield armory has no product relability or testing department heck i heard they don't even do inspections either so the bottomline line is they don't care what goes out the door? Where's the quality?

My first quality 1911a1 is a Chinese Norinco they sure made a great quality 1911a1 its the best one I have ever owned until i got an Auto-Ordnance.

Its funny my brand new Auto-Ordnance Army WW2 copy 1911a1 45acp functions flawlessly right out of the box. We hammered over 250rds+ thru it with no problems and its manufactured in the USA right in Mass. Its a no frills, no bells and no whistles, plain jane 1911 for only $389. This proves you can get a quality, dependable, reliable, flawless when it cycles and it even shoots when you want it too 1911 at an affordable price you don't need to spend big bucks for one to have one this good.

liv2shoot · « **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2006, 04:10:56 PM »

J two dogs

You posted a 22-250 barrel in the classifieds I have been trying to get a hold of you for a week and you dont answer your PMs. May be let me know if you would like to sell this barrel or not.

Thank you.

Randy

NYH1 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 19, 2006, 04:57:21 PM »

I was comparing two Springfield's to a Smith & Wesson SW1911 last year at my local Gander Mountain. I have to tell you the Springer looked like garbage compared to the Smith. It looked like who ever machined the slides on the Springers did it with a tool that was broken. I have 8 years experiance running and setting up (so the operaters can run) Okuma and Mori Seiki CNC turns (lathes) so I know bad machining when I see it. I was extremel turned off by the craftsmanship of the Springers. I just hope the two I looked at were machined at the same time by the same person. I don't even look at them anymore. I was even gonna let made in Brazil thing go! :shock:

longhunter44 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 29, 2006, 11:56:23 AM »

I guess I'll have to both agree and disagree. My custom loaded micro (3 inch barrel) would FTF or FTE on 2 rounds out of three with both supplied magazines. I had a very sick feeling over this $1000 pistol.

I shoot a lot of 45 acp, so I tried everything in inventory from cheap ball to reloads to light hollowpoint and all were awful.

I got a Return Authorization Number from SA and shipped it back. They said, rough chamber, weak extractor. Took a month, but since I got it back two years ago, it has been absolutely positively flawless - not one FTF, FTE - goes bang every single time with a variety of ammo. My carry ammo is Rem Golden Sabre 185 grain +P, but I shoot whatever cheap stuff is on sale at the range. I don't reload much acp anymore, but might start back.

j two dogs · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2006, 03:26:25 AM »

Well its back at Springfield right now I don't know how long they will keep it this time, I am pretty sour on them right now. Maybe they can help heal that sinking in the gut feeling ( I payed >500 for a pos) feeling, if it actually comes back and feeds ammo the way a new gun should.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #14 on:** April 01, 2006, 11:50:40 AM »

dont get angry to you give them a chance to fix it. Ive had kimbers and springfields that werent right out of the box but they were fixable. Ive seen just about every brand and model of handguns and rifles that needed a trip back to the factory. Now if they dont fix it for you thats another thing all together. Then tear them a new +++++++

S.S. · « **Reply #15 on:** April 03, 2006, 09:09:38 AM »

The last SpringField I bought was in 1987. It was a TRUE copy of the
1911 in every detail and parts were even easily interchangable.
TRY THAT WITH ONE MADE TODAY!... Ain't Happnin'
You will need a file set and a good buffing wheel to interchange some of the parts. Beware of the statement: "SOME FINAL FITTING BY A COMPETENT GUNSMITH MAY BE REQUIRED"
Final Fitting My Butt, "REFORGING BY A COMPETENT BLACKSMITH" would be a better statement for them to use. Man what is happening to the
confidence you used to could have in "MADE IN U.S.A."
I'll bet very little of the Springfield is actually made in the U.S. anyway
though. I agree with bigbill, The Norinco was a reliable 1911. It's a Shame
when China builds a better 1911 than an American Company can.
It is also a shame that you can no longer get them from China!

j two dogs · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2006, 01:17:28 AM »

Well I may have to take back everything bad I said, we will have to wait and see. Got a call from springfield the other night, said my gun was not fixable. Said they would replace it, I asked for a M.C. Operator because I have heard some good reports on it. They said that they would be making a run of those this month and I should recieve mine by mid-May. We will have to wait and see, if they make good, and the Operator functions well I will stand corrected.

slink · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2006, 08:34:10 AM »

Cause there's no such thing as a 1911 I can't fix. I've built them out of 2 dewat slides that I welded together with a cutting torch, cut the locking lugs in the slide with a Dremel, etc.

j two dogs · « **Reply #18 on:** April 19, 2006, 11:08:24 AM »

I stand corrected my wife just called me from home while I was at work.
A brand new M.C. Operator has just arrived., functioned tested for hollow-points, I recend everything I said, and give them salute for going above and beyond the call of duty. With that kind of service maybe they will get the next gov. contract. Frogive me for my anxed, thanks for every-one that listened to my whining!

rbwillnj · « **Reply #19 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:14:46 AM »

Well, I'm happy for you, and I'm glad that things have worked out....but to say Springfield went above and beyond is a bit of a stretch.

The minimum we should expect from any firearms manufacturer is that their product functions out of the box with commercial ammnunition, and if it doesn't, they fix it at no charge. Any manufacturer who doesn't meet that low standard doesn't deserve our business.