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Old April 25, 2013, 09:02 PM   #1
cajun47
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in general, does it cost the customer something to send a gun in?

do most firearm companies fix newish guns for free? is the customer expected to pay shipping or other fees?
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:05 PM   #2
JWT
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Most gun manufactures will repair a gun at no cost IF you are the original owner. Many will not cover a second owner. Most also cover the shipping costs both ways.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:18 PM   #3
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I can only speak for Smith and Wesson. I had a 642 that broke. I contacted S&W and they sent me a mailing label, pre-paid to fed ex the back to S&W.

Before I got notification that they received the gun, I got a call saying the gun was beyond repair, and they were replacing it, at no charge.

Since the new gun had a different serial number they had to send it to an FFL where I'd pick it up.

Didn't cost me a penny.

I also had to send my PPK to Smith under the recall, again, they sent me the mailing label, didn't cost a penny.

Other then that I don't know, haven't had to deal with any other.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:19 PM   #4
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Depends on the gun maker. Ruger, S&W and Springfield will cover shipping off the top of my head. Taurus will balk at covering those costs.

Repairs are generally free.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:29 PM   #5
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how do they determine im the original owner? i bought a naa mini revolver around 1991 and im 90% sure i would not find a receipt.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:56 PM   #6
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I have only sent two firearms in. The first was a Bersa, and I had to pay the shipping cost to their repair represenative. They shipped it back after repair on their dime.

I sent my Remington R1 in for the first year free inspection and cleaning. Remington paid the freight both ways plus they state they will pay all shipping cost for warranty repairs.

It appears to vary between manufacturers and is another thing to possibly consider when buying a new firearm.

I always register my new firearms with the manufacturer for the warranty plus I keep a copy of the sales receipt.

Sig provides you with a 15% off coupon for the next thing you buy from them when you register your new firearm.

I just read on the semi-auto pistol forum where Beretta paid all the shipping cost for a forum member with a warranty issue on his pistol.

HiPoint and/or Haskell has a lifetime of the firearm warranty to any owner no matter if you are the fifth owner. So, you can buy their guns used and have a full warranty. I do not know who pays the shipping cost.
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Old April 25, 2013, 09:59 PM   #7
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You don't have to be the original owner with Ruger.
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Old April 25, 2013, 10:32 PM   #8
James K
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Most makers will cover shipping costs for warranty repairs. Some will pay shipping for any repairs. All makers will cover warranty repair free. Most will charge for repairs if they feel the customer was responsible for the damage. All will charge for custom work, such as shortening a barrel or installing non-standard sights.

Jim
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Old April 26, 2013, 08:32 AM   #9
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c-47,

I've had to deal with a few Customer Service departments over the years and the quality varies with the manufacturer.

EAA- cracked slides and frames on two metal framed pistols. I had to pay shipping both ways. They refused to honor their "lifetime" warranty as the parts had been hard-chromed because of a corrosion problem.

Smith Wesson- cracked frame between sear pin and hammer pin causing hammer follow on a used 5906. They said they couldn't repair it and offered to replace it with a new plastic M&P 9mm. I said I'd rather have the 5906 Tig welded if possible but they insisted on the new pistol. That was 6 months ago and several emails ago. I think my pistol is lost in their paperwork pile. They did offer to pay shipping both ways however.

Taurus- broken locking block on a PT-99. They said to mail in the broken part at my expense and they shipped me a new part at their expense- three months later. At least it works well now.

No problems with my other brands- Glock, CZ, Springfield, Sigs, HK's, Berettas, Remington, Howa, Winchester.

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Old April 26, 2013, 09:14 AM   #10
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I have only sent one in, it was a Beretta less then 1 week old. They paid shipping and repair, Beretta has a 2yr warranty and I filled out the registration which is supposed to make it a 3yr warranty.

After this experience and a couple of other problem guns I am going to always try to read the warranties and customer feedback. If a company won't stand behind their product I will spend my money somewhere else.
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:35 AM   #11
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Real easy, call them and see.
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Old April 26, 2013, 09:37 AM   #12
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You are looking to ship a 22 year old gun back to the maker? Are there no gunsmiths in your area? If not, most likely you will be having to pay something - whether shipping one way or both or repairs or all of it
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Old April 26, 2013, 10:13 AM   #13
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I shipped a Kahr in for warranty repair and Kahr paid shipping both ways.
I sent a SIG in for custom work and I paid shipping both ways.
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Old April 26, 2013, 10:57 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kraigwy
I can only speak for Smith and Wesson. I had a 642 that broke. I contacted S&W and they sent me a mailing label, pre-paid to fed ex the back to S&W.

Before I got notification that they received the gun, I got a call saying the gun was beyond repair, and they were replacing it, at no charge.

Since the new gun had a different serial number they had to send it to an FFL where I'd pick it up.

Didn't cost me a penny.
That's surprising. You didn't have to pay a transfer fee to the FFL? Or did S&W pay it?
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Old April 26, 2013, 11:58 AM   #15
newfrontier45
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I'm sure some states differ on this but there is no federal legal requirement for a replacement gun to go through a dealer. I think some manufacturers do so to simplify things on their end. A replacement gun can be sent directly to its owner, regardless of serial number.
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Old April 26, 2013, 03:36 PM   #16
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Quote:
I can only speak for Smith and Wesson. I had a 642 that broke. I contacted S&W and they sent me a mailing label, pre-paid to fed ex the back to S&W.

Before I got notification that they received the gun, I got a call saying the gun was beyond repair, and they were replacing it, at no charge.

Since the new gun had a different serial number they had to send it to an FFL where I'd pick it up.

Didn't cost me a penny.

I also had to send my PPK to Smith under the recall, again, they sent me the mailing label, didn't cost a penny.

Other then that I don't know, haven't had to deal with any other.
Hard to beat S&W CS.

One reason to keep your sales receipt and to register the gun with the manufacturer.

SCCY makes a 9mm auto that carries a lifetime warranty that transfers with the gun to who ever owns it.
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Old April 26, 2013, 05:26 PM   #17
lee n. field
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Depends on the gun maker. Ruger, S&W and Springfield will cover shipping off the top of my head. Taurus will balk at covering those costs.
My understanding is Taurus will cover shipping to Taurus in the first year. (They'll fix it for any owner, any time.)
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Old April 27, 2013, 02:23 AM   #18
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oldandslow

That's the risk of sending a damaged gun in. If it's beyond repair and deemed a liability risk to the general public, you're probably not getting it back. So I would just settle with Smith & Wesson.
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Old April 27, 2013, 03:47 AM   #19
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Smith And Wesson- you could be the 100th owner and they'd still fix it. Needed Glock for a warranty and they expected me to pay shipping to them. Smith& Wesson - pays for shipping both ways.
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Old April 27, 2013, 06:28 AM   #20
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NAA has lifetime repair, so that will be free.

The shipping on a 22 year old gun IN for repair, I'm sure will be on you. Shipping back out, I believe NAA would pick up.
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Old April 27, 2013, 09:59 AM   #21
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The only gun I ever had to send back to the factory was a Diamondback DB9 that refused to run through an entire magazine without several malfunctions. They refused to pay for shipping. The gun came back and if anything was worse then before. This was all with the very ammunition they recommended. Then they refused to take it back to fix again because they said they already fixed it once and they considered it done. Bad company, bad product, bad service.
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Old April 27, 2013, 05:45 PM   #22
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My experience with North American Arms (NAA) suggests that they will repair their pistols for free and pay shipping. I sent them my NAA .32 ACP Guardian which I had bought used. The mechanical problem involved relentless stove-piping. The legal problem was that my Guardian was only legal in Massachusetts because it was of pre-'98 vintage. No newer NAA guns are legal here. So if NAA couldn't fix the problem, I was stuck. As it happened, they put well over $400 in parts into repairing my pistol, sent it back to me working perfectly, paid postage, and even threw in a couple of free magazines. Great company!
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Old April 27, 2013, 06:00 PM   #23
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Quote:
My understanding is Taurus will cover shipping to Taurus in the first year. (They'll fix it for any owner, any time.)
I called Taurus to get a return authorization (required for warranty repairs) to get my new Gaucho repaired and they put me on hold and never picked up again. So I took the gun to a local gunsmith and paid to get it fixed. IMHO, their lifetime warranty is a fraud.
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Old April 29, 2013, 01:10 PM   #24
lee n. field
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Quote:
I called Taurus to get a return authorization (required for warranty repairs) to get my new Gaucho repaired and they put me on hold and never picked up again. So I took the gun to a local gunsmith and paid to get it fixed. IMHO, their lifetime warranty is a fraud.
You shouldn't need an RMA.

Quote:
Using our Repair Policy is as simple as we can make it. Simply print out and complete the work order and follow the shipping directions in this section. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service at

305-624-1115 or fax at (305) 624-1126.

http://www.taurususa.com/repair-policy-use.cfm
My old 66 went in a couple times. I called and asked, and they said "just ship it in".

What I had heard or read about Taurus paying shipping in the first year, I'm not seeing anything about on their site.
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Old April 29, 2013, 05:20 PM   #25
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I'm not that impressed with Ruger CS at the moment.

They didn't cover shipping when my brand-new 50th Aniversary .44 Mag Blackhawk had problems with the reverse index pawl. The guy on the phone just gave me the shipping address, and acted like he didn't understand my problem (or I was stupid). I should have asked for a return label, but just shipped it on my own dime. At least they fixed the problem correctly, and now it's one of my favorite guns.

Then, when I sent an email asking for a new front sight for my SR-22P, they just directed me to their website for purchasing a new one. The original fell off after it was intalled askew at the factory. The soft plastic was so mashed by the dovetail, that it wouldn't stay put.
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