Less-than-Impressed with My Newest Colt 1911 Series 70 Reissue

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I interact with customers for a living and that letter rubs me the wrong way, the tone is very "or else"ish and threatening. Now each person handles things in their own way, but from experience, a non threatening letter providing a list of solutions that will satisfy you works best. I would advise taking a day or so and then reviewing your letter.

Thomas
 
Looks pretty darn chopped up IMO..I'd definitely call 'em up and see if anything can be done. I mean a bad finish is one thing, but that picture clearly indicates that Colt employs a blind machinist or gunsmith:)
 
Letter discarded and new one written.
 
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Hunter:

I just left a voice message for Cindy. Before I enclose any letter I'll speak with her. As has been said, more flies with honey than vinegar. I think at worst enclose two letters, one for Cindy and one to be read by whomever inspected the pistol. Cindy may suggest cutting the letter back to mere details of the defect and call it good. Whatever her lead, that’s what I’ll follow.

Thanks,

Doc2005
 
Hunter:

I sent you a CC: of the letter that I sent to Cindy. She was very helpful! As you will see, I turned the tone way, way down in the letter.

Doc2005
 
I think you have an issue. The Gun needs to be replaced.

That said you are blowing it way out of proportion. I own a company and deal with customers all day long. When a customer comes at you with threats it does not make you want to help them. You come across as combative and insulting in your letter. Colt made a mistake. Please show me a company that doesn't. Show me a manufacturer that has never let something slip through? No manufacturer is perfect. If you are looking for perfection you will always be disappointed. It is what a company does once it has messed up that defines customer service. Good customer service does not come at the point of a gun which is what your letter conveys. Replace my pistol or else. Too many consumers take that combative approach from jump. Trust me it is not in your best interest. It is not professional.

Colt will take care of the issue. Take all the anger and all of the heirloom stuff out of the post. It does not serve your purpose. In my experience all you have to do is tell Colt that you expect more than this out of them and that you buy Colt at a premium because of the overall quality of the product.

You don't have to threaten them. It makes you not them look bad.

I had a Colt WWI Commemorative with off center plug. It also had a light carbonia blue finish that was streaky. I called my dealer he called Colt and told them I would be sending it in. I called Colt confirmed what my dealer told me and shipped the pistol. Colt told me to wait until after the holidays, 2006, so that it would not sit in the warehouse or at UPS since they shut down after Christmas. I wrote a letter asking for a replacement. No threats only praise for Colt and its standard of quality and thanking them for their attention to this matter.

4 weeks later a perfect Colt WWI showed up at my door with a refund check for my shipping cost. There was no yelling. There was no need for threats. They took care of it. No questions asked. That is why I continue to buy Colts and so should you.
 
Thank-you for the sincere feedback. I agree with you...completely. I rewrote the letter and toned it way, way down. If fact, the letter was quite friendly as it went out.

I too put a lot of genuine praise for Colt for what has been right, and how I came to Colt. The reason I don't post the rewritten letter is that is details my 35 surgeries, and how the doctor told me to get active in a shooting sport again. That's enough medical detail there though.

The letter in the end, was highly positive, and no negative.

Thanks again,

Doc2005
 
I am glad to here that. They will make it right. Remember to be patient. They may not have a 70 series in stock and ready to go and Colt runs guns in lots but I do truly believe they will replace it.

Again this is why we buy Colts instead of HKs.
 
Again this is why we buy Colts instead of HKs.
Click to expand...

Although if Larry Vickers and Ken Hackathorn had their original wish and built the elusive HK45 as a 1911 instead of a polymer, I might be interested... :D
 
I just wanted to add that I love 1911's, Colts being one of my favorites. I have a Stainless Custom .38 Super, a 9mm Colt Commander, and a .45 XSE in stainless. Of these 3, all 3 have minor issues.

The XSE slide appears to be to far forward, the result being the rear frame rails and ejector are "protruding" at the rear.

The .38 Super's manual safety does not work 100% correctly, and travels downward past the plunger detent on the manual safety.

The 9mm Commander has the grittiest and the most coarse feel when being cocked of any 1911 I have experienced, bar none.

Am I knocking Colt? No. But I have other 1911's that are of equal, if not better overall quality. I am saying this because I get tired of others bashing other non-Colt 1911's.

Doc2005,

I hope you get your issues resolved to your satisfaction. Let us know.
 
So far pretty much everyone I've heard of who had to send a gun back to Colt received a better-than-perfect gun in return.

I have to admit though, the anomaly I see in the pictures isn't something that would bother me unless I could actually feel binding in the action. I've seen quite a few factory screwups that were a LOT worse.
 
dsk:

To be certain I tend to be a perfectionist. I have thought of that fact a lot this week. I don't expect perfection in people, but I do in products. But oddly, the unlinked part is that people put together this parts. :scrutiny: There seems somewhat a disconnect, doesn't there?

I am confident that Colt will make the pistol right. I think I tended to over-react in part because in these past two years I have received entirely too many defective firearms. In total, I think I have had 10 defective arms in two years. That is a lot. In closing, the people where I usually purchase my firearms know how I am and they usually had me work with one sales person...who was like me...overly perfectionist.

Sitting here working on my tolerance,

Doc2005

P.S. This is why I like The High Road...it's a great reality check!
 
My Colt Series 70 Reproduction JUST arrived back from the factory.

I have to admit, that when I sent my Series 70 reproduction back to Colt for a warranty repair to the receiver, I never expected that it would look right upon return. While that expectation is based in receiving a total of 10 defective firearms from several companies in the past couple of years, I must admit, Colt has shocked me nearly beyond words!!! However, that the receiver looked beautiful meant little...that is subjective.

I broke-out the electronic digital caliper, brought out every 1911-A1 that I own, and commenced to measuring the receivers. Okay...I'm officially wowed! I'm shocked! And so, Doc must admit,

Ya'll told me so! You told me Colt would do my 1911-A1 right! You were right! I am thrilled to eat my words, and dish myself up a gigantic slice of humble pie! I was wrong! Only problem is that now it looks too purdy to use!

Sorry to rush, but I owe Colt a letter of very sincere gratitude!

Doc2005
 
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Yes, I just returned from sending a nice letter of thanks.

Doc2005
 
Well Doc good news. I am glad Colt took care of the problem and made you happy. I have never had to send a Colt back but I have done a lot of business with Colt and several articles. They have always been more than helpful. Mark Roberts (before he left Colt) proofed a few of my articles for correctness and Cindy helped me with the time line on my tour article.
They have always done right by me and I am glad they done right by you as well (though I expected nothing less).
 
Hey Hunter!

Yes, the receiver looks new. The entire pistol is flawlessly refinished! The rails' variance across 50 points of measurement (25 points to both sides) was only .0005 at any point!! My word, my other 1911-A1s aren't that precise!!! The fit to the slide is impeccable and smooth! I seriously thought that they had put a new receiver.

In fairness to my previous doubts, this Colt pistol is the first of the 10 defective firearms (various companies) which was factually and properly repaired. None of the other 9 defective firearms were ever repaired.

Colt broke the mold! They really have restored my faith in QC. True enough, perfection does not exist, and an error may get through. However, if I ever have another issue with a Colt (doubt I will), but if I did, I would be 100% confident that Colt would make the pistol right. :D

Doc2005
 
Gee whiz---I’m late on this one! Here it is, 12-18-07! I had a new series 70 several years ago. It malfunctioned a bit! Did every thing a 1911 could do: fail to feed, failto extract, fail to eject, stove pipe, etc. I took it to a local gunsmith here, not famous, but in business for about 30 yrs. He changed the bushing, recoil sring, tweaked the extractor, lowered the port, and re-blued. Looked like it had just come from factory, and ran smooth as silk from then on, no more malfunctions! And you could do knot-holes with it. Ate any ammo I put in it. Just needed a bit more tlc than the colt boys did.
 
Dan may still have a point. The tolerances on the one Doc got back are magnitudes tighter, it would seem. So if he sends it back again, he should get one regulated to .00005 inches. ;)
 
I can't believe how good the receiver looks, and how well it measures.

Thanks all,

Doc2005
 
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