Random Question about AWA?

[Zangetsu]

Anyone know if American Western Arms is still in business? AWA still has a site and working phone numbers, but they don't seem to be very good at responding to emails or messages. Are they still around? What's the deal??

 

[Kal52]

from what I understand the main gunsmith/designer whatever he was bought the company.
Id stay far far away. I had a gun years ago that needed repair after a very very low amount of rounds, basically charged me for the fix stating Normal wear and tear, BS after only a few boxes of shells.

Sold the gun after it got back, hated to it was a smooth and accurate gun
I hope you dont have one needing repair, you may be out of luck, they are most likely out of business, the CS was pretty bad, repair was good but the guy was a major jerk

 

[Zangetsu]

Wow...I had no idea; thanks for the info. Anyone else know anything about these guys??

 

[owlhoot]

AWA did go belly up several years ago. One of the people involved with the original company bought the name and continues to hang out a shingle. A few guns, mainly rifles, are sold through the company, but the company is very much a shoestring operation. It is operated by the owner and there is one gunsmith who has suffered a string of serious health problems over the past few years and has frequently been unable to work which probably accounts for the slow repair service that Kal52 refered to. So the company is a two man operation. My dealings with the company have been cordial and positive.

Although the company retains the AWA name, the company is not responsible for the warranty work on the many AWA revolvers and rifles that were sold by the old company. The gunsmith there is quite competent and can repair or slick most guns, but unless you bought your gun from the current company, you will be charged for repairs.

 

[DPris]

AWA is now on its fourth ownership, and is not the same operation as it was with the first three owners.
The ashes of the third ownership group were bought by Russell Simpson, who had been previously working there as a gunsmith.
Inventory offered is different in most cases from what was carried by the earlier incarnations, some of which may or may not be actually available.

There's been a long and interesting history to the AWA operations, too long to go into here.

Denis

 

[Zangetsu]

Ahhh...so that's why they still have the mateba autorevolver on their website when, by most accounts, that pistol has not been in production since 2007? Anyone know if it's still being made in Italy or by special order or something?

 

[DPris]

The website is not up do date.
This outfit is best approached with some caution, deal directly if possible on questions about current inventory and what they can & can't do.

The Mateba is long gone.

Denis