Quality guns? - Letters to the Editor

I'm finally home after my usual 12 hours at the store, and enjoying some peace and quiet, hoping a big problem doesn't occur that requires one of my managers to call. This gives me time to write in response to the "Shoddy Products" letter from Mr. (Tim) Ellwood at Southern Firearms ("Letters," November 2002).

I was under the impression that most of the firearms sold to our customers over the last 18 years were of a high quality with very few problems. Well, that was before we opened our new Indoor Shooting Range last year. Now, all handgun purchasers receive one-half hour free range time with any handgun bought.

I agree with Mr. Ellwood regarding customer dissatisfaction when they buy a reportedly quality handgun and it doesn't work right out the box. We have had a growing number of malfunctioning firearms from many different manufactures. I could mention the specific manufacturers, however, I do not think that would be fair.

Malfunctioning handguns are an expensive problem for our stores. We can not tell a customer, whose gun doesn't work, that it's a warranty problem, when he hasn't even left our store. So we give the customers another new handgun and we send the now used handgun to the manufacturer for warranty repair.

When the manufacturer returns the new/used gun, we have to sell it at a 25-percent reduced, used-gun price. As I said, this can get expensive.

Here's a suggestion to the manufacturers: "A call to excellence" program, like you mentioned in your reply to Mr. Ellwood. Manufacturers, if a dealer sends you a new/used handgun, replace it with a new one. After all, we didn't make it, we just sell it. Perhaps in this way, you will see first-hand the cost of our operation.

By the way, my employees and I always appreciate your publication.

Michael Hilton, President

POPGUNS Inc.

www.popguns.com