Crooked Backstrap on new Stock 2

[Bean]

I recently bought a new Stock 2 OR 10mm, my first Tanfo after a lot of CZs.  I’m hoping to get some thoughts from people who have been around these guns for awhile.

 

The picture really tells the story, but the shadows might make it hard to see.  The backstrap is really crooked resulting in gaps between the frame and grips.  Arrow point to the gaps and call out my measurements.  The grips were checked for flatness and they are held tight to the outer flat surface at the front of the grip.  It gets a little better when the grip screw are tight, but still very noticeable once you see it.  

 

My questions:

 

Do you think this is worthy of a warranty claim with IFG?  I’ve always heard people say some amount of quality problems are common with these guns, but this is my first Tanfo.  Everything else inside and out looks great and had me almost regretting choosing CZs years ago. 

 

How is the customer service & warranty process with IFG?  Am I in for a fight or 6-month wait if I go that route?

 

This isn’t a match gun or self defense gun for me, just a range toy and something to tinker with.  I could just live with it as is, but also would like it to be right because it wasn’t cheap (more than any of my Shadow2s).    

 

Thanks for any input!

[Polymer]

I would definitely contact IFG. I was told their customer service/warranty isn't great. EAA was terrible when they were the importer of tanfoglio. 

[IHAVEGAS]

9 hours ago, Polymer said:

I would definitely contact IFG. I was told their customer service/warranty isn't great. EAA was terrible when they were the importer of tanfoglio. 

 

+1. They might turn out to be useless but I would give it a try. 

[DBX1987]

Is it a large frame? My OR grips are spot on. So are all my other stock 2 factory grips. I've only have Quality issues with armanov grips wich aren't perfect and have a slight gap at the front of the grip meeting the frame(différent sides, while originals are all perfect flat). All mine are SF. I can hardly believe those are fitted at Factory ! Looks like s#!t 

Edited December 15, 2023 by DBX1987

[Joe4d]

Is it the frame or the grips ? Pic makes it look like the frame is bent,, Maybe try another set of grips first, but if the frame is bent I would want another

[Bean]

36 minutes ago, Joe4d said:

Is it the frame or the grips ? Pic makes it look like the frame is bent,, Maybe try another set of grips first, but if the frame is bent I would want another

 

Yeah it’s 100% the frame.  I checked the grips against a machinist square and they are flat so far as I can tell by eye. 
 

Cranking down on the grip screws improves it a little by flexing the grips to match the frame. 
 

It’s notably worse with a set of LOK g10 grips that were also verified to be flat and straight. Something about how they sit on the frame makes the gaps about 50% worse. 

[zombywoof]

take the left side grip off and make sure the right side grip is sitting in the cavity correctly.

[Dr Mitch]

Yikes!  Not surprising though.  Tanfoglio quality control is more of a conceptualization than a reality.

 

Checkering on backstrap on your gun is crooked also.

[Bean]

6 hours ago, zombywoof said:

take the left side grip off and make sure the right side grip is sitting in the cavity correctly.

 

BTDT, they’re on there correctly.  I about drove myself crazy at first thinking I didn’t have them in the correct spot.  Especially since they attach *almost* the same as my CZs but just slightly different.   Then I thought there was something wonky about the new LOK grips I was installing and went down the rabbit hole of checking them for flatness.  Did not even occur to me that the frame could be that out of whack.

[Bean]

1 hour ago, Dr Mitch said:

Yikes!  Not surprising though.  Tanfoglio quality control is more of a conceptualization than a reality.

 

Checkering on backstrap on your gun is crooked also.

 

 

Good to know.  This is exactly the kind of info I need, thanks.

 

 If this is par for the course and their customer service/warranty sucks, I might just elect to live with it.  The bend is pretty localized in a thin section, so it could be feasible build a fixture and press some of the banana out of it so the grips fit better.  (I have the equipment/skill to do so)

 

I know I should make them deal with it, but I’m fighting my own impatience.  I’ve got a baggy full of goodies waiting to go into this thing & I like the tinkering as much as the shooting.

[Bean]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:36 PM, Polymer said:

I would definitely contact IFG. I was told their customer service/warranty isn't great. EAA was terrible when they were the importer of tanfoglio. 

 

I decided to contact them and see where it goes.  They got back to me pretty quick, within a few hours.  But I’m not that impressed with the response.  “Based on the images provided, it’s highly unlikely the pistol has a bent frame”   Yeah dude, I’m making this all up.  They’re sending my comments to the factory so we’ll see.  

[Dr Mitch]

I think Tanfos are more of a gun store purchase kind of gun, if that makes sense.  The kind of gun to evaluate in person.  They are inconsistent, sometimes wildly so.  This is why when the Shadow 2 came out from CZ, Tanfos started disappearing from matches amazingly fast.  
 

I bought two Stock 2s about four months apart when I was shooting Production for a handful of years, and they had very different beaver tail shapes, different quality of checkering, completely different hammers, and on one of them the trigger guard was incredibly sharp and cut my left finger all the time during dryfire. One of them I had to reshape the extractor hook to make it correct, and I also did that to several shooters guns in my region for the same reason.  I am a person who switched to the Shadow 2.

[bulm540]

Too much Chianti at the factory. 

[DBX1987]

10 hours ago, Dr Mitch said:

I think Tanfos are more of a gun store purchase kind of gun, if that makes sense.  The kind of gun to evaluate in person.  They are inconsistent, sometimes wildly so.  This is why when the Shadow 2 came out from CZ, Tanfos started disappearing from matches amazingly fast.  
 

I bought two Stock 2s about four months apart when I was shooting Production for a handful of years, and they had very different beaver tail shapes, different quality of checkering, completely different hammers, and on one of them the trigger guard was incredibly sharp and cut my left finger all the time during dryfire. One of them I had to reshape the extractor hook to make it correct, and I also did that to several shooters guns in my region for the same reason.  I am a person who switched to the Shadow 2.

 

Everyone started shooting shadow 2's because of the price. You could buy a shadow 2 for 930 to 970€ at 2017-2018. 

While a tanfo is still around the same price it was back then.

 

I've got 3 different generations and they all are fine to me. The only difference is beavertail rounding. Which has small differences between them.

 

I was doing equipment check's a while ago on a match, and had around 4 recent shadow 2's, that moved the sear cage all over the place when the safety was engaged and the trigger was pressed.....

 

One was brand new and stock...

 

 

[DenC]

I would try to have them make it right, if I were in the USA.

 

In my country its a different story. Its like you are married to your gun and have to get a divorce if you sell it. Forget about having the dealer replace it. 

Here is my SF Stock 1 9mm. 

The lines in the front strap weren't done right, the magwell is not properly centered, and the bottom of the grip seems to be askew.

 

Looking at a few samples in a gunshow, including a more expensive Extreme Stock 2, magwells seemed to be off center sometimes,  but I guess that does not affect performance or durability.

I still like the gun though and hope wont be getting a divorce anytime soon. 

A bit surprising that my other Tanfoglio, an Armscor/Rock Island MAP1 FS (An Armscor-assembled Tanfoglio Combat F) seems to be much better built overall.

If I were getting another Tanfo, I am going to be more careful in inspecting it.

Edited January 11 by DenC

[Bean]

So thought I’d update this as it’s been resolved and I think IFG and Tanfoglio did a pretty good job handling it.  IFG responded to emails quickly and a bit gruff, but they also called me a few times to let me know what was going on and were totally cool on the phone.   I even got a personal email and apology from “Giuseppe Tanfoglio, Production Manager”.  After consulting with the factory, IFG sent me a prepaid shipping label. They inspected my gun the day they got it, and shipped out a replacement the same day. Couldn’t really ask for anything more.

 

 

On 12/15/2023 at 4:02 PM, Bean said:

 

I decided to contact them and see where it goes.  They got back to me pretty quick, within a few hours.  But I’m not that impressed with the response.  “Based on the images provided, it’s highly unlikely the pistol has a bent frame”   Yeah dude, I’m making this all up.  They’re sending my comments to the factory so we’ll see.  

 

[Polymer]

Holy s#!t, that's a miracle. Glad you were taken care of and hopefully their customer service truly has improved over the years.

[bulm540]

This is awesome customer service. I’ve read some not so good customer ( I’m being nice) service from the previous importer. 

[blfuller]

On 12/15/2023 at 3:44 PM, bulm540 said:

Too much Chianti at the factory. 

And fava beans.

 

Glad your situation was taken care of

[bulm540]

8 minutes ago, blfuller said:

And fava beans.

 

Glad your situation was taken care of

Ohh yes... forgot the Fava beans. 

[Endall]

  IFG must be 180 in customer Service from EAA. EAA would tell you;    
    1. Grips defective.

    2. wrong grips.

    3. your wife must have sat on gun. 
    4. The pictured gun  is not a Tanfoglio.

Edited March 26 by Endall
Spelling

[bulm540]

56 minutes ago, Endall said:

  IFG must be 180 in customer Service from EEA. EEA would tell you;    
    1. Grips defective.

    2. wrong grips.

    3. your wife must have sat on gun. 
    4. The pictured gun  is not a Tanfoglio.

Lol

[Bean]

3 hours ago, Endall said:

  IFG must be 180 in customer Service from EAA. EAA would tell you;    
    1. Grips defective.

    2. wrong grips.

    3. your wife must have sat on gun. 
    4. The pictured gun  is not a Tanfoglio.

 

Well they did start out with ”based on the images provided, it’s highly unlikely the pistol has a bent frame”  so maybe 179, not fully 180. 

[IHAVEGAS]

On 3/25/2024 at 4:18 PM, Endall said:

IFG must be 180 in customer Service from EAA.

 Not in my one experience with a stock 1. In general I think given Tanfo's sort of random luck of the draw quality and obvious lack of inspection before shipment it would be hard to find somebody that could be top notch on dealing with gun issues , like Ruger for example, and still stay in business. 

 

I do like the guns when you get a good one though. 

[DenC]

On 3/27/2024 at 10:29 PM, IHAVEGAS said:

 Not in my one experience with a stock 1. In general I think given Tanfo's sort of random luck of the draw quality and obvious lack of inspection before shipment it would be hard to find somebody that could be top notch on dealing with gun issues , like Ruger for example, and still stay in business. 

 

I do like the guns when you get a good one though. 

Got me wondering about that tag that came with my tanfo which includes the name of who inspected it 

Edited Thursday at 03:50 PM by DenC