"I'm curious as to how the op ultimately fared. Did EEA finally make good on their problem pistol?"
I got tired of dealing with EAA and decided to approach the vendor. The place where I bought the gun was very understanding and gave me a full refund. I feel very fortunate that they were willing to go the extra mile for me. They also informed me that they were no longer going to sell these particular pistols due to a number of issues that they had to deal with. Apparently It wasn't just me.
I wound up sticking with what I know and found a S&W 4006 in very good shape. It has been an absolute pleasure to shoot. I kicked myself for not just going this route in the first place
I really like shooting .40 and will be adding more. Thinking about a Sig 229, Beretta 96 or CZ 75B. Naturally more 4006s would be an option as well.