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STI BLOW UP


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Foremost, you are OK. Everything thing else can be replaced. I had a similar problem with a Glock and what I still think was a double charge. I now shoot an STI Eagle 6" 40 caliber. I have not gotten into reloading as of yet. But eventually I will have to reload. These guns are not made for factory loads. First for them to function at 100% longer loads are much better. Then of course custom loads can be so much more efficient. So everything points at reloading.............

Glad that your are in one piece !

Pumagsd@yahoo.com

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I had my smith look at before we shipped it, he thinks the barrel was hardened to much making it brittle.

That has got to be a metallurgical flaw. I can't imagine even a double charge doing all that damage.

Hate to burst your bubbles, guys, but that looks like a very classic overcharge and/or massive setback problem (they result in the same issue - catastrophic detonation). A failure in the barrel metallurgy would not bulge out and deform the slide - there's simply not enough pressure in a load within spec to do that kind of damage even if the barrel splits or breaks out the hood unless something else happened (like an obstruction, or an overcharge, or huge setback) to boost up pressure...

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I talked to STI today they recommend I call PMC as this was an ammo issue and will not be covered under warranty. Cant wait to talk to PMC, I already have a feeling how that will go.

anybody have a barrel and slide for sale?

You might be surprised what they may do. I have seen this happen a few times with other factory ammo manufactures and they have taken care of the customer.

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I'd ask them to send the the whole gun back including the barrel and have it tested somwhere else. While they have it though you might as well have them fit a new top end to it.

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they are suppose to be sending part of the barrel out to be tested. I left a message with PMC for haha's. my smith here who i trust whole heartedly offered me the parts to fix the gun at cost and he would fit for free.

either way I am still pissed about the whole situation. It would be 1 thing if i did something wrong like a double charge, but it was factory ammo. I mean anything could happen it is just discouraging you think because you buy factory ammo there should be no problem.

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Weak sauce, I would've expected more from STI, being that it was factory ammo they could've taken it upon themselves to settle up with PMC and set you straight and got you back out shooting. JMHO, or maube just my experience, but most guys I know who spend the kind of scratch it takes to to pick up nice upper-tier guns like STI's are not usually the kind of guys who are trying to swindle free stuff or trying to get over on anybody... Taurus might even make it right (might take a while), but if they didn't it wouldn't be that surprising, from a company like STI, it is.

Wonder if this has anything to do with the new management?

Look, If all of us sent in our STI's where their crappy bluing wore off in the first week, or when their MIM safeties broke, they'd have to shut down their production or hire more staff to turn it around... we put up with them, you'd think they'd give shooters the benefit of the doubt...

This bothers me a little, could've happend to any one of us.

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Weak sauce, I would've expected more from STI, being that it was factory ammo they could've taken it upon themselves to settle up with PMC and set you straight and got you back out shooting. JMHO, or maube just my experience, but most guys I know who spend the kind of scratch it takes to to pick up nice upper-tier guns like STI's are not usually the kind of guys who are trying to swindle free stuff or trying to get over on anybody... Taurus might even make it right (might take a while), but if they didn't it wouldn't be that surprising, from a company like STI, it is.

Wonder if this has anything to do with the new management?

Look, If all of us sent in our STI's where their crappy bluing wore off in the first week, or when their MIM safeties broke, they'd have to shut down their production or hire more staff to turn it around... we put up with them, you'd think they'd give shooters the benefit of the doubt...

This bothers me a little, could've happend to any one of us.

Just how do you figure its STI's fault? Your leaning on them pretty hard here...

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Weak sauce, I would've expected more from STI, being that it was factory ammo they could've taken it upon themselves to settle up with PMC and set you straight and got you back out shooting.

So if I got a bad battery from Duracell that kills my c-more, c-more should fix the sight and try to settle up with Duracell, on my behalf, for the repair costs?

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Why would STI have any reason to believe his story about factory ammo? Just sayin'

I wouldn't think that STI is responsible for any of this unless it was proven to be bad parts, which I am sure they would want to be tested independently.

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From STI's perspective, it's sort of like buying used guns, isn't it? Every used gun only has 500 rounds on it, ya know... Every blown up gun was on factory ammo, etc... Even if it is factory ammo, they're right - it's the ammo manufacturer's problem, not the gun manufacturer's.

STI will replace defective parts, BTW - a broken safety qualifies. A gun that blows up due to clearly bad ammo does not.

That said, it is of course their choice whether they want to go beyond what's minimally required - in this case, they didn't...

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I guess it's just caveat emptor mixed with a little luck then... if your gun blows up, sucks to be you.

I know for a fact that not all manufacturers do business this way and am entitled to my opinion just as those that disagree are entitled to theirs.

I honestly am kind of surprised though by the lack of empathy for a fellow shooter and that so many so readily have STI's back in this instance, as if they're really getting so many guns returned with ruptured barrels and slides that even if every single one of them were all caused by double charges it would sting them very much... I mean even the OP's gunsmith offered to replace the slide and barrel at cost and he had nothing to do with it and is just "the little guy" compared to STI, I don't know, guess I'd expect at least the same or more from the original manufacturer.

I bet you might feel differently if it had happened to you. Maybe I'm totally wrong, I've just read of many cases where Glock's have went kaboom and the shooters just got a new Glock instead of an excuse or a "sorry, had to be the ammo" is all, and other things as well...

Edited by ck1
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The Gunsmith is just being a nice guy. That is not uncommon (at least where I am from).

If I was a gunmaker, I would eliminate all other vaiables before I offer to replace something. That is just being a safe business person. There is no way of knowing their parts were defective unless they test them. I would never just ASSUME my gun/parts are defective and offer a replacement.

Having said that, if my parts were found to be defective, I would more than make up for it. I would offer a upgrade and something to make the shooter happy at ZERO expense to them.

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I don't know, guess I'd expect at least the same or more from the original manufacturer.

I think its more of going after the actual company, person, that caused the issue.

If your local jiffy lube put ATF instead of engine oil in your engine and your engine blew, would you actually go after or expect the manufacturer of your car to replace the engine?

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If your local jiffy lube put ATF instead of engine oil in your engine and your engine blew, would you actually go after or expect the manufacturer of your car to replace the engine?

+1

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I would think STI would at least make him a great deal on new parts. I mean they donate complete guns for prizes they can at least help him out. I'll stick with my CZ I'm confident that they would at least make the blow a little easier.

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Obviously nobody including STI has to believe me that I was using factory ammo. If I was reloading and I screwed up I would never post this or send the gun back to STI, I would be to embarrassed.

PMC emailed me yesterday the forms that I need to fill out for them. So we will see were that ends up.

Between my friends that I shoot with and myself we probably own 2 dozen STI's.

Honestly if STI said we think it is an ammo problem we are not going to cover it, but we could give you a really good deal on the fix I would have told them to just fix it.

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It does not matter that it was factory ammo. It was a ammo problem. Why should STI guarantee their product against something totally out of their control?

The only thing factory ammo gets you is recourse against the ammo manufacture.

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I would call PMC's legal department. A double charge in factory ammo is a serious safety issue. They should be more then willing to buy you a new gun - they could be paying your wife/family your life insurance had this gone terribly wrong.

Lawyer up if they give you any crap - no reason you should have to come out of pocket for their issue. I have a feeling they will take care of you - much cheaper to fix your gun then deal with lawyers.

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