Things you didn't know about gun manufacturers

[urbaneruralite]

Ruger:
A customer of Ruger will not get the firearm back if the firearm had to be replaced with a new one. They send it the FFL of his choice for a transfer.

Browning:
Browning does not offer a warranty on their firearms. What you get is sort of a general statement of willingness to consider repairing guns if they think it was their fault. From what I can tell, whether or not your defective Browning is repaired at their expense or yours comes down to the decision of a shop foreman with no basis on a known company policy.

What are some other things about gun manufacturers that may not be commonly known? It'd be best if we just stated the facts and avoided ranting, flaming, etc.

 

[DPris]

S&W now uses MIM parts & sticks locks in most of their revolvers.
Denis

 

[oneounceload]

Ruger does not offer a written warranty either.

A customer of Ruger will not get the firearm back if the firearm had to be replaced with a new one. They send it the FFL of his choice for a transfer.

Unless the new one has the same serial number.

 

[DPris]

The new one will not have the same serial.
They don't do that.
Denis

 

[Sam1911]

One thing most buyers don't know about AR15s is that the receivers are built by a small group of companies that make them FOR all the other makers out there. You can find receivers with Colt, DPMS, Bushmaster, or whatever other logos engraved on them, but they're all made by five or six firms, most of which you've never heard of.


(Not counting billet or other very specialty designs.)

 

[DPris]

I was told by one outfit I won't mention that they were one of three suppliers of AR lowers to Bushmaster, about 15 years back.
Denis

 

[Arizona_Mike]

One thing most buyers don't know about AR15s is that the receivers are built by a small group of companies that make them FOR all the other makers out there. You can find receivers with Colt, DPMS, Bushmaster, or whatever other logos engraved on them, but they're all made by five or six firms, most of which you've never heard of.


(Not counting billet or other very specialty designs.)

This list is outdated:
A (splintered) = Anchor Harvey Aluminum
AF = Alcoa Forge
C AF = Colt Alco Forge
C MB = Colt / Mueller Brass
Cardinal (stylized) = Cardinal Forge
CH = Colt Harvey Aluminum
CK = Colt / Kaiser Aluminum
Circle/Crosshairs w/"AR" = ArmaLite
CM = Colt / Martin Marietta
D (stylized) = Diemaco
DK = Diemaco / Kaiser Aluminum
E = Emco
EK = EMCO/Kaiser
E MB = EMCO/Mueller Brass
F keyhole = FNMI / Cerro Forge
FA = FNMI / Anchor Harvey
FK = FNMI / Kaiser Aluminum
FM = FN/Martin Marietta
FMB = FNMI / Mueller Brass
Keyhole = Cerro Forge
L = Lewis Machine & Tool
LK = LAR / Kaiser Aluminum
LM = LAR / Martin Marietta
M (under diamond) = Mueller Industries
PA = Capco / Anchor Harvey
PM = Capco / Martin Marietta

I've seen a lot of Cerro Forge lately.

Mike

 

[Drail]

Currently in this country firearms are manufactured to sell in large volume. That's all. They do not have to last or even work straight from the box. They only have to sell. It didn't used to be this way.

 

[Sam1911]

Currently in this country firearms are manufactured to sell in large volume. That's all. They do not have to last or even work straight from the box. They only have to sell. It didn't used to be this way.

That's neither a universal truth, or anything new, or any real unknown secret. Firearms are made to sell. That's all they ever have been and all they really ever will be. No maker likes to replace a whole lot of defective guns, but all have to from time to time, and they always have had to.

 

[Drail]

Unless you are one of those manufacturers that simply keep telling the customer that the gun just needs more "breaking in". And if you tell them that long enough - they will believe it. It's not defective - it just needs "breaking in". Seems like everyone I meet now believes that "logic". If the gun doesn't work as manufactured ,shooting it more isn't going to "fix" it.

 

[jmr40]

Ruger makes more golf clubs than firearms. Can't confirm this, but rumor has it that part of the reason for them discontinuing some firearms is to be able to devote more resources into golf clubs.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Hornady....

I think it was the CEO of Hornady that claimed during the worst part of the recent gun/ammunition panic(approx 2012-2014 or so) that government contracts(military-sworn LE) comprised only about 10-15% of their FY sales.


Yeah right.
And if you buy that, I have a beach front condo in Death Valley I can sell you.

Rusty

 

[Sam1911]

Yeah right.
And if you buy that, I have a beach front condo in Death Valley I can sell you.

Oh, good! So you have proof then that he was lying. I'd also like to know why he lied to us if you have that info, too.

 

[lilguy]

Surprise, surprise. You think guns are just made to sell. I spent 35 years as a European dealer auto tech and you can't imagine what that Multi billion dollar industry tries to get away with. That's modern business.

 

[DPris]

JMR,
No, not true.
Ruger did not reduce gun models to increase golf club volume.
Denis

 

[bangswitch]

One thing most buyers don't know about AR15s is that the receivers are built by a small group of companies that make them FOR all the other makers out there. You can find receivers with Colt, DPMS, Bushmaster, or whatever other logos engraved on them, but they're all made by five or six firms, most of which you've never heard of.

I did know that one, but only because my local GS owner told me when I was shopping for AR parts for my first build. These manufacturers will even engrave a gunshop's name on the receiver so they can have their own "house brand" parts, as long as there is a volume purchase. My upper/lower receiver is a Mega.

Ruger is like so many other firearms manufacturers regarding written warranties. As stated in any Ruger Firearms Operating Manual:

"WHY NO WARRANTY CARD HAS BEEN PACKED WITH THIS NEW RUGER FIREARM"

"The Magnuson-Moss Act (Public Law 93-637) does not require any seller or manufacturer of a consumer product to give a written warranty. It does provide that if a written warranty is given, it must be designated as "limited" or "full" and sets minimum standards for a 'full" warranty. Sturm, Ruger, & Company, Inc, has elected not to provide any written warranty, either "limited" or "full", rather than to attempt to comply with the provisions of the Magnuson-Moss Act and the regulations issued thereunder. There are certain implied warranties under state law with respect to sales of consumer goods. As the extent of these implied warranties varies from state to state, you should refer to your state statutes. Sturm, Ruger & Company wishes to assure its customers of its continued interest in providing service to owners of Ruger firearms."

And, if you send a firearm back to a manufacturer for repair or replacement, they are required by law to ship it back to a dealer or individual who possesses a FFL.

 

[DPris]

No, they are NOT required by law (unless some sort of local ordinance) to ship a REPLACEMENT to an FFL.

Several of us have gotten REPLACEMENT guns delivered right to the front door at home.
There are NO Federal requirements stating a REPLACEMENT gun HAS to go to an FFL.

If you ship for a REPAIR yourself, there is NO Federal law that requires the same gun to be returned via an FFL.
I comes straight back to whoever ships it.
If you shipped, back to you.
If FFL, to FFL.
Denis

 

[12Bravo20]

And, if you send a firearm back to a manufacturer for repair or replacement, they are required by law to ship it back to a dealer or individual who possesses a FFL.

When did the law change on this?

18 USC 922(a)(2)(A):
(a) It shall be unlawful—
(2) for any importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector licensed under the provisions of this chapter to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm to any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, except that—
(A) this paragraph and subsection (b)(3) shall not be held to preclude a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector from returning a firearm or replacement firearm of the same kind and type to a person from whom it was received; and this paragraph shall not be held to preclude an individual from mailing a firearm owned in compliance with Federal, State, and local law to a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector;

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title18/html/USCODE-2010-title18-partI-chap44-sec922.htm

 

[45_auto]

And, if you send a firearm back to a manufacturer for repair or replacement, they are required by law to ship it back to a dealer or individual who possesses a FFL.

You may want to inform the ATF and US Government of your requirement above, and have them change the laws to reflect it.

Current law:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922

18 U.S. Code § 922 - Unlawful acts

...

(A) this paragraph and subsection (b)(3) shall not be held to preclude a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector from returning a firearm or replacement firearm of the same kind and type to a person from whom it was received; and this paragraph shall not be held to preclude an individual from mailing a firearm owned in compliance with Federal, State, and local law to a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector;

Edit - LOL, lots of people posting at the same time!

 

[Robert]

This is going nowhere fast.