Defective parts in brand new handgun - Page 2

AZJeepGuy · March 28, 2025, 12:53 PM

After sending the certified letter to Beretta’s VP of Ops and threatening to contact an attorney I was contacted by a “Parts Technical Manager” from Beretta. The guy seemed genuinely interested in helping me. He explained that my request to have the gun sent back to France for rework was unrealistic simply due to the import/export fees. His exact words were, “It would be easier to just send you a new gun”. (I’m not sure whether or not this implied their willingness to go that route).

Anyway, this guy said that he had been to France for a week undergoing training on MR73’s and that during the training he actually built one from scratch. He asked me to send it to him and he would personally do the rework. I agreed but I made it clear that, despite his best intentions, I still had reservations that his work would equal that of the gunsmiths who built these things day in/day out.

I’m still waiting to hear what they found when they looked at it and STILL waiting for my certified letter to be delivered (going on day 6).

MC 1911 · March 28, 2025, 03:06 PM

From the sound of things the factory didn't do such a good job to start with why would you think he could do worse?

AZJeepGuy · March 28, 2025, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC 1911

From the sound of things the factory didn't do such a good job to start with why would you think he could do worse?

The factory did a fine job. The issue with my gun was almost certainly an ammo issue (demonstrated by the fact that the gun ran smooth as silk with snap caps loaded and only experienced a problem when the spent casings were loaded). Regardless of this fact, this gun means so much to me that when Beretta wanted to take a look at it I took them up on their offer - just to get a clean bill of health.

When I got the gun back after Beretta replaced some parts (parts that the factory admitted to modifying as part of the normal manufacturing process), the trigger had two very noticeable sticking points during the reset. On two occasions, the trigger actually stuck to the rear when I was dry firing it - actually STUCK until I jiggled it loose and it snapped forward. This is NOT the performance of a $4100 gun.

(I tried uploading a video of this but was unable to do so).

MC 1911 · March 28, 2025, 04:28 PM

Ok. France did fine & it was an ammo issue but you sent it to Beretta in the US anyway & they screwed it up using new parts.Maybe this guy can get it right for you. Either way that's a lot of money to have to go thru this.

Hopefully they will correct it.

AZJeepGuy · March 28, 2025, 04:48 PM

I agree. I realize that it’s unusual for parts modifications to be required during manufacturing but I would expect Beretta to know this about MR73’s and to at least to check with the factory before replacing them.

On a side note, Scopelist (the folks I bought it from) were the first to point out that these may have been factory mods. Surprisingly the customer service rep from a company selling tons of guns from all different manufacturers seems to know more about MR73’s than the guys doing warranty work on them. Scopelist even followed up yesterday to ask me how things were going with this issue. This is unusually good customer service!

jetinteriorguy · March 28, 2025, 05:25 PM

My guess is that certain parts are purposely built over spec with the plan to hand fit them later in the assembly process. Thus comparing them to a new unfitted part would appear to be a modified part. To me my concern would be the hardness of the fitted part, possibly after fitting they are surface hardened again somehow. If this is the case whoever is working on it now better know these things and have the capacity to perform this procedure.

AZJeepGuy · March 28, 2025, 06:03 PM

“My guess is that certain parts are purposely built over spec with the plan to hand fit them later in the assembly process. Thus comparing them to a new unfitted part would appear to be a modified part.”

I think you’re correct. The guy who is working on it now explained to me that brand new (unmodified) parts would not work.

I don’t fully understand this. Smith & Wessons have beautiful triggers without all the custom fitting. Still … MR73’s have a solid reputation and the GIGN used them for a very long time.

March 28, 2025, 12:53 PM	#26
AZJeepGuy Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2025 Posts: 14	March 28, 2025 Update After sending the certified letter to Beretta’s VP of Ops and threatening to contact an attorney I was contacted by a “Parts Technical Manager” from Beretta. The guy seemed genuinely interested in helping me. He explained that my request to have the gun sent back to France for rework was unrealistic simply due to the import/export fees. His exact words were, “It would be easier to just send you a new gun”. (I’m not sure whether or not this implied their willingness to go that route). Anyway, this guy said that he had been to France for a week undergoing training on MR73’s and that during the training he actually built one from scratch. He asked me to send it to him and he would personally do the rework. I agreed but I made it clear that, despite his best intentions, I still had reservations that his work would equal that of the gunsmiths who built these things day in/day out. I’m still waiting to hear what they found when they looked at it and STILL waiting for my certified letter to be delivered (going on day 6).

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March 28, 2025, 03:06 PM	#27
MC 1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 416	From the sound of things the factory didn't do such a good job to start with why would you think he could do worse?

March 28, 2025, 04:28 PM	#29
MC 1911 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 416	Ok. France did fine & it was an ammo issue but you sent it to Beretta in the US anyway & they screwed it up using new parts.Maybe this guy can get it right for you. Either way that's a lot of money to have to go thru this. Hopefully they will correct it.

March 28, 2025, 04:48 PM	#30
AZJeepGuy Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2025 Posts: 14	I agree. I realize that it’s unusual for parts modifications to be required during manufacturing but I would expect Beretta to know this about MR73’s and to at least to check with the factory before replacing them. On a side note, Scopelist (the folks I bought it from) were the first to point out that these may have been factory mods. Surprisingly the customer service rep from a company selling tons of guns from all different manufacturers seems to know more about MR73’s than the guys doing warranty work on them. Scopelist even followed up yesterday to ask me how things were going with this issue. This is unusually good customer service!

March 28, 2025, 05:25 PM	#31
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,456	My guess is that certain parts are purposely built over spec with the plan to hand fit them later in the assembly process. Thus comparing them to a new unfitted part would appear to be a modified part. To me my concern would be the hardness of the fitted part, possibly after fitting they are surface hardened again somehow. If this is the case whoever is working on it now better know these things and have the capacity to perform this procedure.

March 28, 2025, 06:03 PM	#32
AZJeepGuy Junior Member Join Date: March 4, 2025 Posts: 14	“My guess is that certain parts are purposely built over spec with the plan to hand fit them later in the assembly process. Thus comparing them to a new unfitted part would appear to be a modified part.” I think you’re correct. The guy who is working on it now explained to me that brand new (unmodified) parts would not work. I don’t fully understand this. Smith & Wessons have beautiful triggers without all the custom fitting. Still … MR73’s have a solid reputation and the GIGN used them for a very long time.