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Old September 12, 2013, 11:00 AM   #1
blackhand
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K100 Mk7 Grand Power - barrel failure

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/1...09659166570129

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u91mJRS8zYU
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Old September 12, 2013, 12:42 PM   #2
SoilworK777
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What ammo were you shooting? Did you have a squib round and not realize it?
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Old September 12, 2013, 12:47 PM   #3
blackhand
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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.
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Old September 12, 2013, 12:58 PM   #4
TxFlyFish
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Im so sorry to hear that its difficult to predict when and how such accidents can happen, but one thing we can do is buy good quality eye protection
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Old September 12, 2013, 01:12 PM   #5
Skans
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Is the K100 identical to the STI GP6? Or do they just look and function the same?
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Old September 12, 2013, 01:28 PM   #6
blackhand
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Wikipedia: The first pistols were exported in 2008. They were K100 Mk6 pistols under the commercial name GP 6.
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Old September 12, 2013, 07:03 PM   #7
Pukindog12
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That sucks. I was contemplating getting one of those.
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Old September 12, 2013, 07:51 PM   #8
Walt Sherrill
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Don't think the OP's experience with the barrel can be considered TYPICAL or even common. (I'm pretty sure we'd have heard more by now if it were a common problem -- especially as dramatic as the failure was he mentioned.)

Many barrels are heat treated -- especially stainless or hammer-forged barrels. If the heat treatment is too intense, the metal can become brittle. That sounds like what happened in this example -- as barrels far more often fail in a different manner: bulging (not really a "barrel" issue but a problem caused by bad/defective ammo and shooter error), rupturing, or cracking.
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Old October 5, 2013, 01:08 AM   #9
GypsyGirl
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There are rumors about planned recall

Never chose rival company to be supplier of critical parts, e.g. gun barrels. As it was published by the czech review writer cover72, there was a shipment of raw barrels manufactured in CZ (Uhersky Brod) which are responsible for this failure. This is caused by the mess from the rolling mill. Contamination could not be detected without cutting the barrel. As I heard from rumors, the shipment of buggy barrels was the last one from Ceska Zbrojovka, delivered along a document, containing cancellation of future shipments... According to my info Grand Power started to use barrels made in USA and planning recall. Hopefully it will be ASAP
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Old October 7, 2013, 12:33 PM   #10
GrandPower
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Email communication between Blackhand and Grandpower

Here is the communication from other point of view. Blackhand wrote to Grandpower and he got a response from founder of company peronally. 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


Blackhand:
Sending photos, shooting at target range with roof, reloaded ammo from reseller of gun. http://www.reloading-solar.cz/
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

Blackhand:
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
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Old October 7, 2013, 01:27 PM   #11
Sevens
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Correct me if I am wrong...
But it appears this is what we have in this thread:

1) Shooter Pavel Kos is European and hasn't registered with TFL before, but shows up on this site in mid-September to relay his experience with the catastrophic failure of a pistol, and his version that the manufacturer won't stand behind it's product.

2) He offers his evidence in three posts in this thread, in a calm & rational manner, but is otherwise not posting elsewhere on this site

3) There is a bit of discussion on it, and then the thread sits dormant

4) A new poster from eastern Europe arrives to resurrect the thread with a related nugget, and posts elsewhere on the subject of the pistol. Perhaps a new regular poster?

5) A third new poster likely representing the manufacturer posts his version of the communication between the two parties, which has been translated. And it appears as if the manufacturer is STILL willing to replace the pistol even though the original poster admits using reloaded ammo (commercial or otherwise)

6) Original poster will not accept full replacement of the pistol, but instead wishes for a more expensive one in the product line -AND- 10,000 rounds of free ammo

Hey, you can't say this isn't at least a little entertaining.
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Old October 7, 2013, 01:35 PM   #12
Walt Sherrill
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Quote:
Never chose rival company to be supplier of critical parts, e.g. gun barrels.
I don't know if they're considered CRITICAL parts, but Ruger provides a lot of parts for a number of different gun. We're seeing this sort of thing across all industries, nowadays. I was reading about one today in an auto mag: Mercedes Benz engines in Japanese luxury cars, built (both car and engine) in the U.S.
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Old October 7, 2013, 02:03 PM   #13
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Old October 7, 2013, 02:19 PM   #14
TxFlyFish
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10000 rounds is this how they handle things in europe? Perhaps next time i should ask more than just shipping
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Old October 7, 2013, 02:28 PM   #15
Sevens
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Hey, not to worry. When you figure out the exchange rate, that's only about 135 loaded rounds!
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Old October 7, 2013, 04:56 PM   #16
Skans
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Grand Power's response sounds reasonable. Does Blackhand deny being offered a completely new gun, even though he blew his up with reloaded ammo? Does Blackhand deny demanding an upgraded pistol + ammo???

If there is no further response from Blackhand, then I'm taking Grand Power's response on face value. Sounds like they are standing behind their product - more so than another manufacturer might.

On another note, manufacturers must expect people to use factory reloads. The Grand Power is 9mm and is no smaller than other guns that can handled +P+. Hopefully it is rated for +P+.
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Old October 7, 2013, 07:16 PM   #17
James K
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I have no dog in this fight (in fact this is the only set of posts I have seen on the brand) but that burst barrel does not appear to be the result of a bore obstruction. It appears to have simply shattered, usually the result of brittleness due to improper metal or improper heat treatment.

Jim
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Old October 8, 2013, 06:38 AM   #18
Skans
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Jim, why do you speculate that there was no bore obstruction? I'm not challenging you, just curious.

I ask because I was seriously considering purchasing an STI GP6. My hope was that it would be as durable and reliable as a Glock 17, but with all of the features I want in a gun that the Glock doesn't have.
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Old October 8, 2013, 07:01 AM   #19
Walt Sherrill
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Quote:
Jim, why do you speculate that there was no bore obstruction? I'm not challenging you, just curious.
I'm not James K, obviously, but I have seen a few barrel failures. (Even had one, with a Witness Sport Long Slide (in .45 acp, shooting factory loads) -- photo, below.) This failure was in a used gun, not covered by warranty. I just heard an unusual report, opened the slide, saw nothing wrong, saw light (not obstructed) and started to shoot again -- but, instead, took off the slide, and saw this:



When there's an obstruction, it typically results in a bulged barrel. When it's something else, it often results in a crack. A shattered barrel would seem to indicate something more primal, like improper metal processing.
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Old October 11, 2013, 10:52 PM   #20
GrandPower
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Final statement of Grand Power

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
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Old October 14, 2013, 03:50 PM   #21
Skans
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It's been almost 1 month since Blackhand's last response, and no response to Grand Power. I'll check back on this thread, but if no further response from Blackhand is forthcoming, then I think we got the true story from Grand Power.

I genuinely like the design of this pistol - I hope it proves out to be a tough, durable, reliable workhorse.
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