1911's - Springfield PRO, STI, or Wilson Combat?

[Ura-Ki]

Ignore, by by!
Before you open your yapper, take a look around here and see how many members participate on this forum, now ask your self if 40k plus potential customers can make or break your business!
And I AM in business, 12 mil in profits and counting this year alone, so don' make statements and call out members as stupid!

 

[bbbass]

STI... because it's worth what they're asking.

 

[Koda]

Maybe someone here with an FFL can answer how the "pro model wait list" ordering works on the FFL level. Until we know what the dealer paid, we cant judge the shop for jacking the price up.

 

[USMC1911]

Well, it's clear that some people are not in business and never have been. Some are ignorant and can learn. And, then some are just plain Stupid.

And its clear who not to do business with.

 

[Mistman]

So you ordered it through the dealer? When I order customs from SA I call the custom shop and work it through them, pay the deposit to them and have it shipped to the agreed upon FFL. $50 isn't much of a deposit on a $2600 gun, SA requires a min. of $1k depending on the project.

Since they've gone away from full custom builds and have made some poor choices, IMO, I haven't talked to the custom shop in a while. I'm sorta jumping on the Fusion wagon currently, excellent quality and prices that are hard to beat. Robert Serva seems to have things moving in the right direction w/his shop. Check them out, 1911 Parts & Pistols | Fusion Firearms.

 

[Ura-Ki]

+1 for Fusion! Awesome customer service, and equally awesome prices. Hadn't bought a pistol from them. but have spent prolly 5k on parts!!! You want nice and you want quality, Fusion is hard to beat!

 

[Alexx1401]

I wouldn't ask the shop to take a loss but if they said they could get it at a certain price and sale it to you at a certain price they should honor it even if they just break even

YES!! If it was my shop and I had done this? Then when pistol came available that is what I would do. I would tell the customer, price was (making round #s) $500 my price when I made the deal and I was quoting %15 over my cost. Then when I finally got the pistol price to me was now $800 I would tell customer. Sorry we finally got the gun in but price jumped $300 bucks. I will give it to you at my price or refund your deposit. Doing this makes for a LOT of good will which comes back as more business. Rather than having someone walk out mad, to never return, and tell others. Now it's their shop and they can do as they please. I keep going back to the way Davidsons treated my Wife when the local shop here were less than stellar. They treated her like she was a family member or something. That little bit of money could not make a drop in the bucket to them but the owner got involved and treated her like she was a close friend. I have tried to pay him back for that with my repeat business along with recommending them everyone else I shoot with. In my opinion this shop is shooting themselves in the foot the way they treated this customer. I too would like the name of the shop made public.

 

[Alexx1401]

how does the "pro model wait list" work? Does the gun shop pay in full in advance or do they place their order and when its available pay in full at that time?

VERY few if any manufacturers sell directly to an FFL. They sell their stuff to a distributor. Now the FFL's have to make deals with whichever one they chose to work with. When something is in short supply the Distributor will of course make deals with what they have. No way for me to know but best guess the shop put in a request from the one they use and when it was their turn they got a call that they could now have one. Now distributor no doubt had many of them before that but they are going to not sell them first come first served. The distributor is going to sell to the best customers first. After all they are trying to make a buck here too. Each distributor can also of course do things any way they wish. So no two may work exactly the same way.

 

[kensai]

TLD: Treat other "right" and you know what "right" is... It's how you win and keep long-term business.

To be clear: I have never asked the shop to take a loss. I did ask for 10% above cost, I was told to go pound sand, because the owner doesn't want to do that.

1) I am not able to "screw" the gunshop out of money, because this gun shop has no concern about moving the gun. Someone will buy it at MSRP or higher (It's a 2 year wait!).
2)I think 10% margin is fair. especially given what I was 'told' that they can "cut me a deal" better than other gun shops.

The bull I was sold, and I bought, which wasted 2 years of time.
3) [Gunshop] buys a lot from Springfield, [Gunshop] has preferred service and can get the gun quicker, and at a lower cost than I can (Demonstrably false... I have e-mail from Springfield)

I am not going to post the gunshop's info online... however, the more I talk, the more I find out this isn't an isolated incident. I will PM people who ask for the gunshop info. This gun shop does not put a priority on customer service, they compete on quantity, selection, and perceived cost/value (I would say they misrepresent value/cost), but they do have a big selection.

I have been pretty blessed/lucky in life. I have also worked hard. I've probably spent around 15K in the last two months on guns, not a normal occurrence by any means. (*15K total through online/instore purchases* Guns, Optics, and Ammo)

I try to treat others "right" and do the "right" thing. Example, I have a boner for Les Schwab. I got a flat in Tillamook OR, Les Schwab patched my tire for free, and gave me a consult on snow chains. When I need new tires, I'm going to Les Schwab.
For this stupid gun: I'm not going to go broke over $200... but I ain't going to trust [Gunshop] if they won't find a way to meet me half way. If [gunshop] act like an bubblegum over $200, I am not going to trust [gunshop] with more...

I also don't want to wait 2 more years... I'm going to look at STIs. I'm not decided on a course of action yet.


Suggestion: Check out Curt's Discount Shooter Supply... I trust them more than this [title omitted] gun shop.

 

[kensai]

VERY few if any manufacturers sell directly to an FFL. They sell their stuff to a distributor. Now the FFL's have to make deals with whichever one they chose to work with. When something is in short supply the Distributor will of course make deals with what they have. No way for me to know but best guess the shop put in a request from the one they use and when it was their turn they got a call that they could now have one. Now distributor no doubt had many of them before that but they are going to not sell them first come first served. The distributor is going to sell to the best customers first. After all they are trying to make a buck here too. Each distributor can also of course do things any way they wish. So no two may work exactly the same way.

I agree with everything you said. However, the wait list is direct through Springfield for the pro. As an individual you can also get on the list without a gunshop (but you need an FFL). If that were the case, I would transfer this gun to a different FFL, buy it, and be done.

 

[kensai]

Holy cow! Was this Kieth's? That's a crazy increase. Does the gun makers website show the MSRP going up like that? I certainly wouldn't pay the extra. Hopefully the shop will refund your $50.00 too. I can see the price of a gun increasing in two years though. And if it did increase that much it two years you couldn't expect the shop to pay YOU to get a gun at below MSRP? If that's not the case and the shop won't return you deposit then a POX on them!

They have been open about refunding the deposit. I told them I would think about it over the weekend. There is some potential that I could still buy it... I don't want to wait 2 years. Two issues: 1) They ordered the wrong gun, I wanted a pro with a rail. 2) the price is way off. I'm pissed because I literally turned down a gun from Springfield who would have shipped to a FFL I trust/like to buy this gun because this questionable [gunshop's] quote was $500 less!.

 

[kensai]

STI and never set foot in that shop again make sure they no why. Terrible customer service.

I don't think their business model is reliant upon customer service. It's like the Chinese Dim Sum places I used to eat at in Seattle... Foods good, cost is right, but we ain't refilling your tea... someone else will sit in your seat.

The problem is, the cost ain't right. And because the "street value" of the gun is higher than what we agreed to they don't want to honor the original deal, or even attempt to make amends. pffffft

 

[kensai]

anything in writing? if not then its a tough choice but if they said they would sell it to you at a certain price and are now recanting, it really shows lack of integrity/customer satisfaction on their part.

F'm

original receipt is pretty sketchy: shows I put down $50 bucks non-refundable and that it's for a Springfield pro. I have check in on the gun over the last two years. They never really wanted to talk to me about it. They actually ordered the wrong gun (I wanted a rail)... and I wanted to talk to them about it shortly after the original order... They didn't want to talk about it.

 

[L84Cabo]

Sorry, but after the stunt that Springfield pulled earlier in the year, throwing gun owners and 2A under the bus, they will never get another dime from me. I would happily go with STI or Wilson. Either company is far more deserving of your money.

 

[nammac]

Based on the OP's recent posts, the gun shop low balled the original quote by $500... Only to now jack the price up by $500... Sounds like they're going to make all the money either way... I'd take $50 in ammo and consider it a lesson learned... Never darken their doorway again.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

yeah go with a wilson combat.

the dan wessons are nice too

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

which gun shop if you dont mind?

 

[Heywood]

If the shop always sells at a certain percentage over what they pay and it cost them more than they expected to pay in the past. Well you have to accept it or move on. Business' often charge for product/service based on what it will cost to replace, not what it cost to acquire.
If we all got what we wanted in this free market based on a handshake or a persons word, that would cause the speculation on the market most here would whine about.
As individuals we may buy an object and sell it based on our purchase price, but business must buy and sell based on the future.

 

[Alexx1401]

I agree with everything you said. However, the wait list is direct through Springfield for the pro. As an individual you can also get on the list without a gunshop (but you need an FFL). If that were the case, I would transfer this gun to a different FFL, buy it, and be done.

Can you post a link to that? I can't find it on the S/A Website. Would be curious to see what they actually say about it and how they work it. May shed more light on what they shop was doing or trying to do.

 

[Murphy]

I have been on the Springfield Pro wait list for 2 years. Dealer just got the pro in, and won't honor original price, is only willing to sell at new MSRP. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, they can probably get MSRP (or more). But I am the one that waited to years... They could have placed their own damn order...

So what to do:
Buy a STI
Buy a Wilson Combat
Buy the Springfield Pro, and don't do business with that shop any more.

I am looking for suggestions.

Look at the resale of the three above.

My suggestion is to get the Springfield Professional. You won't be disappointed in the pistol.

There is also one that was listed yesterday in the classifieds.