Rifle Warranty question .

[Leo]

This is a curiosity question, more than a need for help.

We often see different brands talk about warranty. In my immediate circle of friends and associates, I have known just two that had to return a rifle for clear cut warranty.

One was a new .308 Browning bolt action that the bolt was just plain made wrong. It would not function in the action without a lot of shaking and forcing. It took a few months, but they gave him a whole new rifle and paperwork showing the old one was no longer his.

Mine was an S&W 15-22 that spit the extractor out during normal firing. They fixed it pretty quickly.

I know Remington had a large recall for defective trigger safeties on the 700 center-fire rifles, but that was a mass recall, not a simple warranty of a defective firearm.

When I worked in the shop, we would send lower priced handguns back for warranty pretty often, but never rifles, even lower tier AR's.

How many have had to send a new rifle back for warranty because it was defective?

 

[Mij]

Sending one back today or tomorrow. Called last week to report the problem, received my return label yesterday. Was informed to ship via Fed-ex. NIB gun, purchased two weeks ago, and it’s also a bolt problem.

 

[Sphinx313]

Never for warranty, but definitely for out of box immediate replacement. When you pay thousands for a rifle and it shows up with tooling marks you'd expect from a $500 rifle it most definitely has to go back. I may have had 1-2 under/overgassed upper's, but I just fix those myself.

 

[sloughfoot]

30-35 years ago Ruger replaced a stainless mini 14 that slam fired with factory new ammo . They didn't have to do that for me. but they did.

 

[Mgderf]

I returned a new Henry H001 .22lr for a bent magazine tube.
I had to force the inner mag tube in to get it to seat.
The first time I removed the mag tube I thought it was just really dry (no lube) and/ or dirty.
Cleaning and lubing did nothing, so off it went.
Henry replaced the outer mag tube without question or charge.

 

[SmokingTrigger]

Never had to send back a rifle, pistols I always fixed myself.

I normally run when the selling point is a warranty.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

Recently sent my Henry H001M in for warranty work.

After putting about 200 rounds through it during my first range visit, I noticed that the magazine tube support slid freely in the dovetail slot. If this was a used rifle, I would have likely staked it myself, but since it was brand new, I tried the warranty route.

It was just over a week from the time I emailed Henry for a return authorization to the time I received my rifle back. Not sure if they simply used Loctite or similar product or replaced the part with new. For sure there were no new staking marks, and the part is now rock solid.

This is the only firearm that I've owned that's been sent back for warranty work.

 

[Hookeye]

My dads .22 250 Ruger #1 got a new bbl under warranty back in the 70s.

 

[bwframe]

I have a tendency to let others break in my guns, so I may buy used at a noticable discount.

This practice also seems to weed out the lemons. Along with usually sticking to high sales popular makes and models.

 

[ISP 5353]

Had a new Remington 700 that the receiver was just not completed. The bolt lugs would not close and the safety fell off the Timney trigger! It must have been a Friday gun. The wholesaler was no help as they claimed they did not take returns and advised that I contact Remington.

Remington sent me a form email and said to send the rifle back for their evaluation. A phone call to Remington said they were backed up for 30-40 weeks. I spent the money to have a gunsmith do the work. It is a shame to have to spend a lot of extra money just to get a bolt action to actually close the action. I will never buy another 700 that I cannot handle first!!!!!

 

[Mongo59]

I have a friend that owns a LGS. He had a low end rifle that wouldn't chamber a round. He called the company to report the problem and they told him they would not warrantee their product after it was taken out of the package.

 

[2in1evtime]

springfield m1a loaded, shot 3 rounds and noticed a bump in brass rising out on the shoulder, had a little chunk missing in chamber Springfield did me good on this!

 

[Cameramonkey]

Had a PSA (hold your groans) 9mm AR that would jam consistently on flat point bullets. There was absolutely no ramp. Just a flat face with a tiny 45* bevel that would guide RNs or JHPs into the chamber just fine.

I assumed it was a problem with the unique plated flat points I use, so I had AllenM fix it. He put the barrel on the lathe and put a GORGEOUS glass smooth bevel 360* around the barrel to act as a ramp.

That actually just changed how it jammed. Instead the bullets hit that smooth bevel and rocketed up to the top of the barrel and totally jammed at a higher angle. We were both convinced it would work. (I'm still pleased with his work regardless)

Sent it back to PSA expecting them to wag their finger at me and demand payment for a new barrel. Nope. they put a new barrel in, and cut an actual ramp this time. I suspect they knew the original rampless barrel got out accidentally.

 

[Dean C.]

Never needed it but I have had to call with a question about my LWRC and their CS team was great when I talked to them. The warranty is nice but I want to never have to use it, just like my Staccato, they have some of the best CS I have ever seen, but will never have to use.

 

[nipprdog]

Had a PSA (hold your groans) 9mm AR that would jam consistently on flat point bullets. There was absolutely no ramp. Just a flat face with a tiny 45* bevel that would guide RNs or JHPs into the chamber just fine.

I assumed it was a problem with the unique plated flat points I use, so I had AllenM fix it. He put the barrel on the lathe and put a GORGEOUS glass smooth bevel 360* around the barrel to act as a ramp.

That actually just changed how it jammed. Instead the bullets hit that smooth bevel and rocketed up to the top of the barrel and totally jammed at a higher angle. We were both convinced it would work. (I'm still pleased with his work regardless)

Sent it back to PSA expecting them to wag their finger at me and demand payment for a new barrel. Nope. they put a new barrel in, and cut an actual ramp this time. I suspect they knew the original rampless barrel got out accidentally.

Why do you use flat point bullets?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Why do you use flat point bullets?

They leave a large neat hole like wadcuttters. Easier to call my shots in competition. My holes are almost as big as a 45 round nose.

 

[Mgderf]

They leave a large neat hole like wadcuttters. Easier to call my shots in competition. My holes are almost as big as a 45 round nose.

Yep wide meplat = big hole

 

[DadSmith]

Never needed it but I have had to call with a question about my LWRC and their CS team was great when I talked to them. The warranty is nice but I want to never have to use it, just like my Staccato, they have some of the best CS I have ever seen, but will never have to use.

Yep LWRCI are good people.

 

[Bleachey]

This is a curiosity question, more than a need for help.

We often see different brands talk about warranty. In my immediate circle of friends and associates, I have known just two that had to return a rifle for clear cut warranty.

One was a new .308 Browning bolt action that the bolt was just plain made wrong. It would not function in the action without a lot of shaking and forcing. It took a few months, but they gave him a whole new rifle and paperwork showing the old one was no longer his.

Mine was an S&W 15-22 that spit the extractor out during normal firing. They fixed it pretty quickly.

I know Remington had a large recall for defective trigger safeties on the 700 center-fire rifles, but that was a mass recall, not a simple warranty of a defective firearm.

When I worked in the shop, we would send lower priced handguns back for warranty pretty often, but never rifles, even lower tier AR's.

How many have had to send a new rifle back for warranty because it was defective?

I know of 2 warranty issues. My son had a Savage 308 Hog Hunter that we could not even get on paper with a good quality scope. We tried MOA rails, everything we could think of and it would just not come down low enough. Even had the scope exchanged, same issue. Contacted Savage, sent it back and it turns out it was a problem with how the barrel was made, they replaced it and sent it back no cost.

A friend had a problem with a Thompson Center Hawken trigger. Same thing, they fixed it with no questions.

Luckily those are the only 2 experiences I know of with warranty issues on firearms. I have purchased a couple I did not like, but not because of anything broken or not working properly.

 

[Michigan Slim]

The Thompson Center reminded me of my dad's Renegade muzzleloader. It shot really well and had nice sights but looked "off". It was. The barrel was bent but the bore was straight! He sent it back and they sent him a new barrel. It shot OK but it had crappy sights on it.