New Limited+Henning grips+ factory QC gripes

[pivoproseem]

I bought my first new Tanfo last week, after months of deliberation. I have supersighted Match .40 I bought used, and it's been perfection with Henning grips and fiber front sight. I also picked up a set of used Henning grips for a Match several months ago, since it was too go of a deal to pass up. Yesterday, I chopped them with a band saw to Limited length, and finished them off with a hand file. They fit TIGHT, and look and feel great!

However, I'm less than impressed with the quality control on this gun. I've found several flaws from new...

1) Slide stop... The shaft of the stop is gnarled in one spot, destined to break and the inside of the lever had a burr which cut into the finish of the pistol. I am going to run a Henning tightfit pin in it, though.

2) Barrel crown...WTF? Visibly FUBAR see pic. I will probably have Rich at Canton Creek re-crown it when I send in the slide for weight reduction. Not sure I want to send it to EAA, they would probably want me to send the whole damn gun.

3) Scratches....Came with several scratches, including the one previously mentioned. A 1911 newbie style scratch and another in front of the safety.

I had to order one from out of state (from a large internet gun store) so I couldn't look at it beforehand, and the flaws weren't obvious when I picked it up.

At least the slide to frame fit is pretty good, as is the barrel.

it just po's me when I buy something new and it should have never left the factory in the first place.

[NoSteel]

My Limited had the same issues behing the slide stop as yours. I found the edges of the lever were burred. Cleaned the back side up with a file and now I know they won't get any worse. My barrel crown is better than yours but not by much. I don't know if the type of rifling they use makes this a difficult task or if it is just a quality issue. For the price, I'm more than happy with mine but it does seem that if I had been supplied the parts in a box I could have put it together better. As for the grips I'm currently working on making a set that will extend just over the flats of the factory magwell. I have large hands and my grip ends up down that far anyway and I currently run grip tape down there..

[Mo Hepworth]

I bought my first new Tanfo last week, after months of deliberation. I have supersighted Match .40 I bought used, and it's been perfection with Henning grips and fiber front sight. I also picked up a set of used Henning grips for a Match several months ago, since it was too go of a deal to pass up. Yesterday, I chopped them with a band saw to Limited length, and finished them off with a hand file. They fit TIGHT, and look and feel great!

However, I'm less than impressed with the quality control on this gun. I've found several flaws from new...

1) Slide stop... The shaft of the stop is gnarled in one spot, destined to break and the inside of the lever had a burr which cut into the finish of the pistol. I am going to run a Henning tightfit pin in it, though.

2) Barrel crown...WTF? Visibly FUBAR see pic. I will probably have Rich at Canton Creek re-crown it when I send in the slide for weight reduction. Not sure I want to send it to EAA, they would probably want me to send the whole damn gun.

3) Scratches....Came with several scratches, including the one previously mentioned. A 1911 newbie style scratch and another in front of the safety.

I had to order one from out of state (from a large internet gun store) so I couldn't look at it beforehand, and the flaws weren't obvious when I picked it up.

At least the slide to frame fit is pretty good, as is the barrel.

it just po's me when I buy something new and it should have never left the factory in the first place.

OMG,...your pistol is nice, but is WAY to clean. Time for more bang-bang! You are right, qc is very sketchy sometimes. My first stock2 9mm small frame was good to go, but my LC needed some mag and slide stop adjustments (.40). My new stock2 9mm small frame needed some tlc around the extractor area.

[shooterbenedetto]

Sorry to say, but I said the same thing when I got my Eaa open. expect more scratches ifyou use it to shoot.

I know I have another one in the safe as a show gun or ION BOND that sucker.

[CHA-LEE]

Quality Control from the factory can be sketchy on the fine details. I had a chance to handle 4 different brand new EAA Witness Limited's and they all had a different trigger pull weight/quality, safety function feel, slide to frame fit and barrel lockup quality. I was honestly shocked at how different each one was from one another. I really expected them to be a lot closer to one another given the price of the guns. But that is also part of the fun in my book. Taking a new pistol and making it function/feel how you want it to.

Everyone has a different expectation of quality as well. I could care less about little scratches here or there as using them in match conditions will put them through some pretty brutal conditions anyway. My current work horse looks like it has gone a couple rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson but it still functions 100% of the time and is capable of shooting far beyond my abilities, so I could care less of how it “Looks”. As long as it goes boom when I pull the trigger and the shots go where I intend them to go, I am happy.

[NoSteel]

Edited because posted to wrong thread.

Edited January 3, 2010 by NoSteel

[pivoproseem]

Yeah, I'm just whining because it's the most money I've spent on a pistol. I expect everything to be correct at the price. My SP-01 I've been using for 4 years looks pitiful, but it works. I get to see how it works in a match today. I've put a 14lb hammer spring and Henning firing pin. Trigger pull is nice, but I'd like to get a Henning LONG trigger whenever he gets those ready.

Quality Control from the factory can be sketchy on the fine details. I had a chance to handle 4 different brand new EAA Witness Limited's and they all had a different trigger pull weight/quality, safety function feel, slide to frame fit and barrel lockup quality. I was honestly shocked at how different each one was from one another. I really expected them to be a lot closer to one another given the price of the guns. But that is also part of the fun in my book. Taking a new pistol and making it function/feel how you want it to.

Everyone has a different expectation of quality as well. I could care less about little scratches here or there as using them in match conditions will put them through some pretty brutal conditions anyway. My current work horse looks like it has gone a couple rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson but it still functions 100% of the time and is capable of shooting far beyond my abilities, so I could care less of how it “Looks”. As long as it goes boom when I pull the trigger and the shots go where I intend them to go, I am happy.

[Chris Spiess]

I have the same issue with my slide stop and the same type of marks created by it. You'll probably find the same type of thing under one or both of the thumb safety levers. I polished up the back of both safety levers and the slide stop. The condition of the muzzle chamfer doesn't look bad IMO. The polygonal rifling used on these barrels is partly to blame for the uneven appearance of the muzzle.

Fit and finish of my pistol seems to be similar to yours and with the exception of the scratching caused by the slide stop lever seems to be mostly on par with 1911 style pistols in this price range IMO. You get to a point where you have to start looking at whether or not you'd be willing to spend and extra $200-$300 for such minor improvements. Personally, my biggest complaint is the quality of the chrome finish - it seems more like a semi-hard chrome finish to me. I had a need (don't ask) to run a file across the side of my slide to clean something up and it cut into the chrome in the first couple of strokes with very little pressure. I have a hard chrome open gun with a finish that is practically impervious to a file. My guess is that the quality of hard chrome that is feasible for gun finishing in the EU is simply less hard than what you can have done easily here in the states. I'd rather have the option stainless, but that's mostly personal preference. I am going to have my gun stripped and then redone with either NP3 or Ion-bond at some point.

[pivoproseem]

I've found the matte areas of the tanfos are more prone to staining than the polished parts. THese guns in stainless would be awesome. One of these days, when the gun is looking a little ragged, I'll probably spring for an Ion Bond job. The crown on the muzzle looks sharp and even around part of the circumference , then suddenly get much wider and less sharp. I slide stop burr is really only an issue because I am running a Henning tightfit pin, so I can see the gouge it caused.

I shot my first match today with it, and it was 100% reliable. Not sure of the final score, but had a pretty solid match, and it was snowing.

I have the same issue with my slide stop and the same type of marks created by it. You'll probably find the same type of thing under one or both of the thumb safety levers. I polished up the back of both safety levers and the slide stop. The condition of the muzzle chamfer doesn't look bad IMO. The polygonal rifling used on these barrels is partly to blame for the uneven appearance of the muzzle.

Fit and finish of my pistol seems to be similar to yours and with the exception of the scratching caused by the slide stop lever seems to be mostly on par with 1911 style pistols in this price range IMO. You get to a point where you have to start looking at whether or not you'd be willing to spend and extra $200-$300 for such minor improvements. Personally, my biggest complaint is the quality of the chrome finish - it seems more like a semi-hard chrome finish to me. I had a need (don't ask) to run a file across the side of my slide to clean something up and it cut into the chrome in the first couple of strokes with very little pressure. I have a hard chrome open gun with a finish that is practically impervious to a file. My guess is that the quality of hard chrome that is feasible for gun finishing in the EU is simply less hard than what you can have done easily here in the states. I'd rather have the option stainless, but that's mostly personal preference. I am going to have my gun stripped and then redone with either NP3 or Ion-bond at some point.