“Supporting The Companies That Support Us”
Paul Bastean walks a customer through a purchase at the Ultimate Defense gun counter.
Companies that back up their products are the backbone of the industry. Those that both back up their products and take care of the retailers who sell those products are gems to be treasured.
Sergeant Paul Bastean, lead instructor and managing partner at Ultimate Defense in St. Peters, Mo., shared SIG SAUER is at the top of his list.
“Any time we have a problem with a product from SIG, they take care of it immediately,” he said. “They do a really good job of taking care of warranty return stuff.”
Bastean noted Ruger also excels at standing behind its products.
“For both of those companies, turnaround is really fast,” he confirmed. “When you send them a gun, they don’t take months to get it back to you. The other thing they both do is entrust us to know what part we need, and they’ll send us the part when we ask. A lot of companies say, ‘No, we need to look at it’ — so you end up having to send the gun off and it’s gone a couple weeks or more. But SIG and Ruger both pay attention to the timeliness of repair.”
Bastean mentioned suppressor manufacturer HUXWRX Safety Co. (formerly OSS) also stands squarely behind the products they manufacture.
“Sometimes a customer will put a suppressor on a gun and cross thread it,” he noted. “It causes a baffle strike, which destroys the can. This isn’t a warranty deal; like someone who ran their car into a pole. But HUXWRX will send them a repair can or a new can on a pretty routine basis — they’re pretty phenomenal.”
“If you ask for something, they send it — no questions asked.”
At Fuquay Gun in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., Owner Clay Ausley shared the company that’s stood behind their products for him the best is Smith & Wesson.
“When times get hard, many manufacturers change how they operate,” he remarked. “Smith & Wesson does not. They continue turning the product as well as they can, but without changing what the dealers are getting. They’re very reliable about getting product out to customers during those times. And even during those times, when there’s a problem with a gun, they get it fixed and get it back out.”
Ausley echoed Bastean’s views on Ruger, praising its “phenomenal” customer service.
“They truly stand behind their products and always have,” he emphasized.
One local company Ausley appreciates is DNZ Products.
“This man came to me 18 years ago and wanted me to carry his scope mounts,” he shared. “I’m ashamed to say it, but when he came to me, he didn’t have a name and I turned him down.” Within five years, however, Fuquay Gun was carrying DNZ scope mounts.
“He’s a super nice guy who’s developed a better mounting system,” Ausley asserted. “It’s rare we have a problem with his scope mounts, but when I call him with a problem, he doesn’t send me a solution. He sends it directly to the customer to cut out some time.”
Two other companies that stand behind their products in every way, Ausley added, are Vortex and Springfield Armory.
“My experience with Vortex is if there’s any kind of a repair situation, they send us out a new optic immediately,” he said. “With Springfield, if you ask for something, they send it — no questions asked. They’re a great company to deal with.”
Mike Humphries is the media relations manager for Springfield Armory. According to Humphries, Springfield has made a company commitment to stand behind every firearm they produce.
“Springfield Armory proudly stands behind every firearm it makes with its limited lifetime warranty,” he informed. “This is a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser that protects against defects, and the customer will receive free shipping and handling on the return for repair for any valid warranty claims. The warranty covers any defects in the firearm, but doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, unauthorized repairs, disassembly, adjustments or modifications or use with inappropriate or unsuitable ammunition.”
Beyond its warranty, Springfield also supports retailers through a variety of promotional programs.
“We take pride in running what we believe to be the most robust consumer pull-through programs in the market, particularly through our Gear Up Packages,” Humphries stated. “To ensure the success of these promotions, we take extensive measures to protect existing inventory by allowing online redemptions for all qualifying models already stocked by our dealers. This approach ensures dealers can participate seamlessly, even with products already on their shelves.”
Springfield also encourages customers to activate their warranties.
“Activating the warranty entitles the customer to a 15% discount on a Springfield Armory webstore purchase as well as a free two-year subscription to The Armory Life quarterly print magazine,” he added.
Humphries said the company’s stance ensures retailers can be certain they’re selling a safe and reliable firearm Springfield stands behind.
“Springfield Armory will ensure the customer receives a firearm they can count on,” he noted. “Both this and our consumer pull-through programs allow the company to support our retailers.”
“They stand by everything they manufacture.”
Marna Tracy, owner of Tampa Tactical in Riverview, Fla., noted one company that always stands behind their products is Hi-Point Firearms.
“There’s also KelTec and SCCY,” she added. “SCCY makes affordably priced 9mms. If one of their guns gets lost or stolen and you have a police report, they’ll replace it for you. If you have a problem with it you send it in, they’ll take care of you.”
KelTec’s approach is somewhat different.
“If you have a problem with one of their guns and you go on one of their factory tours, they’ll fix it right there and hand it back to you,” Tracy said. “They stand by everything they manufacture.”
Charlie Brown is president of MKS Supply, the only distributor of Hi-Point Firearms.
“Hi-Point guns have always had a lifetime warranty,” he pointed out. “New and used, the warranty follows the gun; even with that we still have less than a 2% repair or return rate. In most cases, we can repair a firearm and have it shipped back to the customer in less than four days.”
Brown’s background in retail contributes to his commitment to support retailers in their relationships with their customers.
“Having come from a retail gun shop background, I know how hard it is for a retailer when a customer has a problem with their firearm,” he recalled. “Whenever possible, we try to work directly with the customer to help take the time and employee costs and hassle of a repair away from the retailer.”
Brown highlighted Hi-Point’s commitment to supply both retailers and their clients with the ultimate in customer service.
“Hi-Point makes all of their firearms and most of the parts in their guns,” he said. “We’ve made a commitment to stand behind our products. Hi-Point makes the most affordable firearms being sold in the marketplace, and there’s a perception the least expensive product is the least quality. That said, we all know there are always exceptions to that price versus quality bias, so we know we must give the best customer service experience. This way, the dealer can have confidence selling our products, and the end customer can have confidence in purchasing and using our products, as well.”
There you have it: companies that produce reliable products and take care of their dealers make for fantastic partners.
We want to kick this back to our readers. Are there other products or brands you would add to this list? We want to hear from you and share your praise with the rest of the industry. Send emails to: comments@shootingindustry.com.
