How much was your new pistol shot from the factory -Got a STI GP6 and it appears alot

[tjhj]

Hello,
I just got my STI GP6 yesterday and I took it home, it was looking quite dirty so I stripped it down to clean it and was surprised at what I found. I would hope every manufacture shoots the weapon to make sure it is functioning and working correctly, but not to the point you can see wear marks in rails, like it was run without any oil. Of all the new guns I have purchased I don't remember seeing one with this much shooting on it new. I have heard STI has a policy of "Ship" them dirty, but really this dirty???? This is how I would expect my gun to look after a few thousand rounds. I am anal about cleaning and oiling my guns after every range session.

So the question is am I being ridiculous? Is this normal? I was also concerned because of metal flakes in the residue, both brass and steel in appearance.


So here is what I found aside from a large amount of powder residue.
1. Metal flakes in the left over grease
2. The finish is gone from parts of the main rails on the frame from wear.
3. There is finish missing from the upper part of the slide where the barrel seats (Upper locking lug, if that is a correct term)
4. Slide rails are missing finish.
5. Scaring on the underside of the slide where the hammer rides.
6. Scaring on the hammer.

I had cleaned the slide by the time I took the pictures, I didn't clean the frame in the pictures.

This is a gun I have not shot yet it is "factory new"

Thank you for your time and help,

[Dakotared]

For a "new" gun that seems like a lot of wear I just bought a new EAA witness 10mm and it looked like it had never been shot, no wear at all that I could see so I would say that is not normal.

[C0untZer0]

My Glock 17L came with two spent casings, but the pistol was very clean.

I know two rounds don't dirty the pistol that much anyway, but I'm just saying the pistol came clean, and with a smear of copper anti-seize.

I also had no wear... one of the first places to show wear on a Glock is the front of the barrel hood, and then a couple of places on the barrel where the frame and the recoil spring rub against it... But I had no wear.

IMO, what you have there is ridiculous.

I fault Kahr for their break-in statements to customers, and always said if the springs need to be broken in they should get a robot at the factory that does that (an industrial robot not the Robbie the Robot kind of robot).

If a company is going to do some inital NEEDED break-in then that's cool.

But then they should clean and lube the pistol before they send it out.

And if a pistol needs THAT MUCH break in that the finish is worn off of some parts, then something is wrong with the tolerances to begin with.

I know pistols get better with use, but there has to be a balance between the pistol functioning after leaving the finishing line versus having to be shot 500 times to assure functionality.


OMG !

[dgludwig]

IMO, what you have there is ridiculous.

I agree-and for all of the reasons COuntZerO so succinctly enumerated.

[Dashunde]

I can only guess it went through your FFL?
Maybe someone spent some time with it before you picked it up?
A guy can burn up quite a few rounds in just a couple hours.

It might just be a gun STI identified as too tight after it was coated, so they worked it over real good before shipping?

Did you check your numbers? You took home your gun, right?

No matter what... its weird.

[tjhj]

Yes the gun was sent from the manufacture to a distributor, to my FFL. Then to me. As I was unable to get one through an STI dealer (long story), I used an FFL to perform the transfer.
I am not sure what happened but I am writing an e-mail to STI to see what they say.

[TXAZ]

Was it possibly a refurb?

[BurkGlocker]

STI manufactures their pistols to pretty tight tolerances, and I have heard of them being 'broken in' at the factory, but of the dozen or so STI pistols I have personally seen, that one looks like it needed some more TLC than some of the others...

Burk

[Auto426]

The dirtiest guns I've received were my new S&W revolvers, as Smith's current policy is to shoot a cylinder and then package the gun up for sale. There is visible powder residue on the face of the cylinder and forcing cone, but there are no wear marks anywhere.

That to me looks abnormal for a new gun that was tested at the factory.

[KyJim]

STI manufactures their pistols to pretty tight tolerances, and I have heard of them being 'broken in' at the factory, but of the dozen or so STI pistols I have personally seen, that one looks like it needed some more TLC than some of the others...

Burk
_____

STI doesn't actually make the GP6. The GP6 is a re-branded Grand Power K100 made in Slovakia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Power_K100

[KC Rob]

And if a pistol needs THAT MUCH break in that the finish is worn off of some parts, then something is wrong with the tolerances to begin with.

^This was my first thought when I saw the pics.

[tjhj]

My assumption is that by buying an STI they inspect the guns prior to sale after they get them. If this was done at the GP factory I would expect STI to catch it, and not put their name on a damaged product.

[GLI45]

I'm really surprised. While I don't have a GP or a Spartan (the only STI pistols not produced in their Georgetown, TX. facility), I do have eight of their single and double stack pistols and have never received one that was in anything less than pristine condition. I'm sure if you contact them they will be helpful. I've found them to be outstanding folks to deal with and having visited their facility several times I know they take a great deal of pride in anything that leaves with the STI name on it.