swingset 0 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Sorry to start a new topic, but I need to...In my "firing pin" thread, I told of my problems in dealing with EAA over a missing firing pin in my new Saiga-20. So, before I begin my rant, I have a specific purpose....let me ask everyone who has attempted to contact EAA or has tried to obtain replacement parts from them if you were at all successful, and what that part was. The reason for this is will be explained in my rant...but please oblige me if you can. Ok, now on to pissing my pants. Ok, first off, EAA is obviously a rinky-dink outfit. Crappy phone tree, only a couple employees, and they're too busy for their own good. Adds up to having to pester them for any service - and I can be very stubborn, luckily. That's crappy service to begin with. I knew from the first call that it was going to be a pain. Anyway, first through phone then 2 emails, I inform customer service and their gun tech that all I need is a simple wear part sent to me to get this gun running. They tell me in a lengthy and explanative email and I quote: "policy is the entire gun will have to be returned but call 1-800-536-4442 ext 226, ask for sharon and she may be able to fix the problem for you" unquote. So, I return call, only to get answering machine for probably the 8th time. Email back again, pleading with them that I should not have to send the entire gun back, at my expense for a simple 1 minute repair on a simple, cheap part. PLEASE, I beg, send me the firing pin so I can have this gun operable by Christmas. Today, I finally receive a call from Paul, the gunsmith/tech guy. Here is a summary of our conversation: Him: "Sir, regarding your email, you'll have to send the gun back" Me: "For a simple fix like a firing pin needing dropped in? I can do that fix in 1 minute, and I can function test and check protrusion on this gun if that's the issue..." Him: "Doesn't matter, it's policy" Me: "Well, it's a retarded policy. What if I just lost the pin? Can't I just buy one? What if I needed something, parts wise, you don't just sell parts?" Him: "Sir, you'll have to send the gun back" Me: "Are you saying you refuse to sell me any wear parts for this gun?" Him: "In this case, you'll have to send the gun back" Me: "Not likely, I can buy the entire bolt assembly from a company in Texas cheaper than I can send the gun back, and this gun will be operable in less than a week - I'd bet my life's savings you won't even look at it for a month" Him: "We should have a turnaround of only a couple weeks" Me: "You are, by the customer service's own admission, swamped...I'm positive you can't make this right fast enough. I'll just get the whole bolt assembly" Him: "I don't think you can get those parts" Me: "Watch me!" Him: "A company, here in the US, is selling them?" Me: "Yes, in Texas straight from Russia, thank god someone other than you is doing so, too." Him: "Well, good luck with that" (in a very sarcastic tone) Dialtone. *%&$#%@$%$#*!!!! Stupid, lawyer-happy, CYA policies! It's a good thing Numrich doesn't have this retarded logic. Imagine every gun part company in the world suddenly unwilling to send you a part or sell you one!? Sorry, you'll have to send your gun in to us. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!? Yeah, I can see the very complex, easy to screw up AK bolt assembly causing many a death when some bubba puts in a new firing pin....that's why AK's kill so many people every year, after all. Idiots. So, this begs my question - does EAA sell any parts to anyone? Has anyone tried to obtain anything from them for a Saiga, or any other gun they distribute? I'm going to fire off a letter to their management detailing my disgust at them, and in it I'm going to mention that had they sent me a $2 part, I would have been happy and remained quiet. Now, however, I'm going to make it my mission to steer people away from doing business with them and make sure that they lose money....vastly more than the $2 to cover THEIR FUCKING MISTAKE. Ugh, so mad, must remain calm....must not climb water tower....must take meds..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardcorps1775 1 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 hahahaha little chip there, huh? can't say i blame ya though. my emails to them have been hit and miss (some answered, some not). my last one was asking about 8rd mags and being told they were illegal and they had no intention of breaking the law. i've basically written them off and have gone to tantal (for parts-still looking for 8rd mags...can't get in touch with oleg at fsu). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 well 8 rounders are illegal in a couple states. new york and cali among them, so I can at least say they know SOMETHING if only very much. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
inparidel 4 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 As always, there is more to most things than meets the eye in a complex world. You didn't start asking for a replacement firing pin. If you had, they wouold probably have sold one to you, or, in the alternative, would have asked you what the problem was and when you bought the gun. In that case, you will still be in the same place because of liability. That's a primary moptivating force in nearly all businesses--the sane ones, that is. If they send you a firing pin, especially in light of you saying that the gun didn't come with one, and you install it improperly (I Know, but this is reasonable liability thinking) and get hurt, it all comes bak to them for negligently selling an incomplete gun, and then on top of that allowing you to make it right and getting hurt in the process. That's a guaranteed legal crucifixion for them. I am not saying that it's not a pain, but in their shoes, to guarantee (1) that you really need a firing pin (You could be lying or just plain wrong. They can't know), and (2) that you don't blow your head of, you would do the same thing. My gripe with them is that even though they display a BATFE letter that says that they can legally sell 8 rounders, because if we put them in non-parts-count compliant guns, it's our funeral, not theirs, they still refuse to import or sell them. That's just being a slave to "maybes" and political correctness. I can't abide that. But, as far as your gripe goes. . .chill, that part is reasonable, albeit annoying. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swingset 0 Posted December 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 chill, that part is reasonable, albeit annoying. I don't buy the liability concerns on this, at all. If they were so worried about liability, they would have checked the gun was operable before leaving the factory, including test-fire. Kimber sent me parts on an inoperable 1911 so I could service it myself, free of charge no less. Don't tell me they're just a small player to EAA's vast 3-employee outfit. What about Numrich? Every critical fire component they sell is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen, no? Every sear, firing pin, barrel etc. could potentiall kill someone who doesn't know what they're doing? If you have diassembled the 20-guage bolt, you'd realize it's literally impossible to get this wrong. It will only go in 1 way, the striker is self-limted, it cannot overtravel no matter what you put behind it. This is a foolproof fix and EAA's tech should know it. Liability should not override common sense, and that's my gripe with EAA. Anyway, on to my question, has anyone actually received any wear parts from EAA...that's what I'm really interested to know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnnymceldoo 0 Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 JEEZ! What a crock of shit! If you had a print of that pin Id make it for you Craig. Kinda sucks to think that replacement parts will be a pain to get. Hopefully these will catch on and there will be more vendors with parts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rowdy1124 0 Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 would it not be a good idea to make and exchange files with all of the measures and prints of all of the parts in our guns now... before those sort of things get outlawed... remember, the best way to stop shooters is to break their guns... ammo is cheap and can be imported easily... try to find an sks firing pin when they become illegal to import... Im just thinking it would be nice to have the ability to domestically manufacture these sort of parts... ~Rowdy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
edgo 0 Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 My question is this, has anyone had a part actually break on their Saiga shotgun? What spare parts should I have? Probably just a firing pin, right? Ed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomac 0 Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Contact my friend Tantal: http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/ , for $35 I bought a new Saiga-12 recoil spring assy, receiver cover, bolt carrier & complete bolt (w/firing pin, extractor, etc). Tomac Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cesiumsponge 0 Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Yup Tomac posted a month back or so about these parts. I quickly followed up and asked Tantal for the "Tomac special". Got the same parts in under a week What you get will cost a fraction of what EAA wants in their listed parts diagram. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
topmaul 42 Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 there are always more than one side to a dispute, the point is that there is more than one place to get parts I can't believe that EAA will not sell parts to us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swingset 0 Posted December 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 I wasn't suggesting EAA wouldn't sell parts to us, just stating they wouldn't sell them TO ME, to fix their fuck up. That's why I asked if anyone had any success doing so, to know if it's a problem with them or if I was an isolated incident. Anyway, I ordered a complete bolt assembly from Tantal. Hopefully that doesn't take too long, still dying to shoot this puppy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 swingset: I predict it will put the biggest smile youve had on your face all year when you finally get to pop off a few shells with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swingset 0 Posted December 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 swingset: I predict it will put the biggest smile youve had on your face all year when you finally get to pop off a few shells with it. I'll let ya know in a few days! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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