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Best handgun company?

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  • Vellcrow

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    Let's hear your thoughts on the best handgun comapany out there. I don't mean the best handgun, I'm talking about the company itself. What company makes a great product, backs that product (and the customer who purchases it), and will be there through the good times and the bad?
    Guns International
     

    robocop10mm

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    Small company - STI. I have known Dave Skinner for a number of years. he is a stand up guy who is dedicated to producing a quality product.

    Large Company - S&W. Even though they have gone through several ownership changes and experienced painful transitions, they always stand behind their products. I have sent duty guns in for repair and never had to wait more than 5 days to get them back (and that was when you could ship handguns regular UPS ground).

    Many folks got a bad taste in their mouth after their parent company (Tompkins) started negotiating with the Brady Bunch during the Klinton years. That was not a S&W decision, it was a Tompkins decision. Now that they are owned by a US company again (Safe-T-Hammer) that sort of BS is unlikely to happen again.

    S&W has made some mistakes. They have made some crap. They always move forward and correct the mistakes. The M&P series is a classic example of their forward thinking. Many officers around here are trading their Glocks for M&P's.
     

    dadoo

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    good company

    The only company I have had to contavt so far is Taurus. My front sight flew off my PT145 and when I called them they sent me a new one immediately. When it happened again a year later, I sent the whole slide to them and they reinstalled a new one. All of this at no charge. Easy folks to work with and a lifetime guarantee to rely on.
     

    photofreeman

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    The only company I have had to contavt so far is Taurus. My front sight flew off my PT145 and when I called them they sent me a new one immediately. When it happened again a year later, I sent the whole slide to them and they reinstalled a new one. All of this at no charge. Easy folks to work with and a lifetime guarantee to rely on.

    I also vote for Smith & Wesson. They are in it for the long run.

    DADOO: How long did it take to actually receive your parts from Taurus. I'm waiting for the screws that hold down my sights. I hope they are quick.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    I would definitely say STI. After hearing Alan's experiences with them, as well as several other people in the past, the customer service is second to none and they really stand behind their product. Truly an excellent group to deal with.

    As far as large companies, Sig Sauer. I love them so much I changed my screenname. ;) lol
     

    juwaba98

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    I would definitely say STI. After hearing Alan's experiences with them, as well as several other people in the past, the customer service is second to none and they really stand behind their product. Truly an excellent group to deal with.

    As far as large companies, Sig Sauer. I love them so much I changed my screenname. ;) lol


    About time too! Of course when I noticed the change I thought there was another among us and instead realized it was just you.
     

    Vellcrow

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    As far as large companies, Sig Sauer. I love them so much I changed my screenname. ;) lol

    Are you basing your decision on the gun or the company? There is a wealth of info that shows SIG is just as bad as HK when it comes to caring about the customer.

    Remember, this thread is all about the company and its policies.
     

    Brembo

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    Let's hear your thoughts on the best handgun comapany out there. I don't mean the best handgun, I'm talking about the company itself. What company makes a great product, backs that product (and the customer who purchases it), and will be there through the good times and the bad?

    Charles Daly.

    For my preference, I choose SigSauer pistols as tops (and they are a fine company), but no one goes to the lengths CD does to help customers.

    Some companies talk a good game, but don't deliver. You name a single company that hosts a forum for its consumers and where the CEO will come and personally offer aid to the consumer who needs help. I've never found any to do that in my 42 years until I found Charles Daly. For a little company, they deliver big on customer service.

    There's some people who cry a lot about having to wait for repairs, but this is generally people who are never happy no matter what and will never appreciate anything done for them. After dealing with Remington, Winchester, and S&W for warranty issues before, I can say I will stick with CD for a lot of future purchases.
     

    Texas1911

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    Smaller company is STI hands down. They have been receptive to me as a nobody with a camera since day one, and when my STI had extraction problems David Cup fixed the gun on the spot while I waited.

    Large company, I would argue either Springfield, or Kimber. Everyone I've seen on the net has enjoyed working with Kimber, and the one time I called them with a question I got an in-depth answer. Springfield even goes out of it's way with M1 / M1A owners to identify serial numbers so you know when the gun left, and how it left.

    I'd say Benchmade and Leupold need honorable mention. Two of the best companies to deal with, hands down. (I know they aren't gun manufacturers).
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Oh, can't believe I forgot about Charles Daly. All of the stories I've read about, it really shows the excellent quality they have when it comes to customer service.

    I've heard my fair share of horror stories with Sig customer service, however I've also heard some excellent stories where their CS has really gone above and beyond. Honestly, no company is perfect, and you tend to find stories both good and bad with pretty much any company. I would say the majority of what I have heard of Sig CS is good though. One thing you'll see with the internet is usually bad experiences get a lot more "air time" and played out a lot more. For the most part, when people are happy, you don't hear quite as much as when people are steaming angry over even the simplest thing. tEh 1Nt3rN3t$, take it with a grain of salt. ;) lol
     

    claymore504

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    STI is a great company from my experience with them so far. As for one not mentioned yet, I have had great results with FNH. The times I have emailed them they called me back that day and helped me out free of charge.
     

    JKTex

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    You really need to split the question by smaller/custom and production.

    I can only speak for Kimber, but for the largest 1911 manufacture, they stand behind their stuff. They have a 1 year warranty that they ignore. I had some major work done on one of mine (primarily a new slide) and I'm the 3rd owner and it's about an 7-8 year old gun.

    If you handle them right, they are awesome to work with.

    I've heard Springfield is equally as good.
     

    Vellcrow

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    You really need to split the question by smaller/custom and production.

    Not really. My question was geared more towards the company and their policies, not the manufactured product. Not everyone here can afford/owns a custom 1911, so not all answers will come from that source.

    I will say S&W has treated me and my dad very well over the years.

    Smith and Wesson +3
    STI +4
    Springfield +3
    Les Baer +1
    Taurus +1
    Charles Daly +2
    SIG Sauer +1
    Kimber +2
    FNH +1
    Nighthawk Custom +1
     

    JKTex

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    It's still very different.

    You have results from Kimber and Les Baer both.

    So you're including Kimber that sells 50k-60k 1911's a year that probably averages $900 and includes big box retail stores as dealers to Les Baer who sells a fraction of that through boutique dealers (est word I could come up with right now) and average well over $2000. Baer is scaled to a level and at a price point where very close personal service is expected and delivered (most of the time. I know of some Baer haters based on bad experiences)

    Kimber is a large scale and mass produced (100% American made) that you might not expect that kind of service from, yet often you get just that. Sometimes not so much, especially if you call pissed off or telling them how to fix your gun.

    Custom may be a bad word to use because in that sense, I haven't seen anyone comment on a $7500 Chuck Rogers yet, but....

    But I'm splitting hairs. I don't think any fully America made (wait, that eliminates most of the list so far ) production 1911 manufacture has any real CS issues. And I know this isn't scientific.
     

    kingofwylietx

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    The only two manufacturers I have ever had to contact are Glock and Taurus. The Taurus disassembly pin snapped, I contacted them, they sent 2 for replacement. I had the pins in a week. I called Glock for a FTF issue on my 36 and had to ship the pistol to them. They turned it around in 2 or 3 weeks, with parts replaced. No problem.

    So, both the manufacturers I have had to deal with were professional and helpful.

    A buddy had his Kahr go kaboom with a reload, they fixed it for him at no charge. It took about 6 weeks, but we were both surprised that they covered it under warranty. He was honest with them about the cause.....
     
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