Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 07:54:53 AM

Title: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms? ***update***
Post by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 07:54:53 AM: Back in March I won a Chiappa Badger .22 mag/.410 at our NWTF banquet in March. You won't find this gun in their product line but I have done a search and found that it is new for this year. The break action was not working correctly out of the box so our FFL holder (Steve at Outdoor Emporium) was going to send it back because he didn't want to release a broke gun to me. After going round and round with them about warranty repair it was finally sent to them mid April. So here we are end of July. I call Steve every week to ask status and he says that Chiappa is not getting back to him either via email or phone. Now I have gotten involved in contacting them direct. Anyone have any experience with them at all.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on July 24, 2014, 08:48:30 AM: I have a friend with a few Chiappa revolvers. He loves them! Accurate and balanced. I've looked at one but never shot it. The craftsmanship and fitment is superb! The trigger is terrific for a factory gun. I don't know how their factory repair or customer service programs work but as a smaller arms manufacture they may not be quite refined in that area as say... Ruger is. Taurus has a repair facility with dedicated smiths just for repair, and another line for current production. I'll bet that with Chiappa, a repair will end up with a production smith that is likely constrained by production demands. Since you also have a 'new' model, the process for repair might not be as smooth as possible.

-Steve
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 10:28:46 AM: I hear you there but a simple call and email stating that it is going to take this long to complete repairs would be nice. So far nothing has been said out of them.

*** As I was writing this I just got an email back from them. The got my gun May 8th and have a 10-12 week turn around. Received another email again saying that there is 2-3 guns ahead of mine and they will get to mine ASAP****
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: NW-GSP on July 24, 2014, 10:35:56 AM: A friend of mine bought a .22 from them and he says he has had issues with it since day one.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Knocker of rocks on July 24, 2014, 10:43:48 AM: Steve is also a problem
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 10:54:53 AM: Gone wasn't purchased through them. When the NWTF does a banquet they purchase guns and they need a FFL holder to ship the guns to and process the background checks. That is what the Outdoor Emporium is doing. I don't know Steve so I don't want to make this a bashing thread on them. I just wanted to know the experience anyone has had with customer service from Chiappa.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Special T on July 24, 2014, 11:31:38 AM: Where are those guns made?
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:37:48 AM: Sounds like check back next year. :sry: :yike:
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 11:45:26 AM: Quote from: Special T on July 24, 2014, 11:31:38 AM
Where are those guns made?
Italy but they have a factory in Ohio from what I see on there website.
Quote from: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:37:48 AM
Sounds like check back next year. :sry: :yike:
:chuckle: If that were true I will become very angry. They won't like me if I become angry >:( :chuckle:
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:50:50 AM: Quote from: russ_mcdonald on July 24, 2014, 11:45:26 AM
Quote from: Special T on July 24, 2014, 11:31:38 AM
Where are those guns made?
Italy but they have a factory in Ohio from what I see on there website.
Quote from: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:37:48 AM
Sounds like check back next year. :sry: :yike:
:chuckle: If that were true I will become very angry. They won't like me if I become angry >:( :chuckle:

10-12 weeks per gun X 3 guns ahead of you plus 10-12 weeks for your gun = 48 weeks. :yike: :yike: :yike: :bash: :bash: :bash:

or 10-12 weeks to get to your gun???
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Special T on July 24, 2014, 11:54:38 AM: Some cool products and ideas, but thier website could use some help... I thought they also made some 22lr and 22mag wheel guns?
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:58:55 AM: Quote from: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:50:50 AM
Quote from: russ_mcdonald on July 24, 2014, 11:45:26 AM
Quote from: Special T on July 24, 2014, 11:31:38 AM
Where are those guns made?
Italy but they have a factory in Ohio from what I see on there website.
Quote from: ghosthunter on July 24, 2014, 11:37:48 AM
Sounds like check back next year. :sry: :yike:

:chuckle: If that were true I will become very angry. They won't like me if I become angry >:( :chuckle:

10-12 weeks per gun X 3 guns ahead of you plus 10-12 weeks for your gun = 48 weeks. :yike: :yike: :yike: :bash: :bash: :bash:

or 10-12 weeks to get to your gun???

it would seem that they would just send you anew one since it has never
been fired than fix and sell yours. Would take the pressure off everyone. :dunno
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Russ McDonald on July 24, 2014, 12:54:33 PM: I would imagine that it is 10-12 weeks after receipt of gun. I am at 12 weeks now.

It was a custom gun with an engraved stock that says NWTF so don't know about replacing it.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on July 24, 2014, 10:07:23 PM: Some of the Chiappas are made by Uberti in Italy. Maybe all of them are. Saw a copy of a Colt SAA revolver made by Uberti for Chiappa. Looked to be a lot nicer quality gun than some of the other Chiappa stuff I have seen. :dunno: Uberti makes some nice replica guns, too. :twocents:
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Special T on July 25, 2014, 07:32:15 AM: Perhaps the replican guns I saw were imported by them.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on July 25, 2014, 07:46:31 AM: Quote from: Special T on July 25, 2014, 07:32:15 AM
Perhaps the replican guns I saw were imported by them.

Yup. They look good, and aren't cheap, either! Look in their catalog or on their website. The number of models they reproduce is amazing! my Walker Colt cap and ball revolver is made by Uberti, and they own Pietta now, so it's the same company now.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms?
Post by: yorketransport on July 27, 2014, 08:48:31 AM: I've had a Chiappa Rhino 357 for a few years now and it's been a great gun. I have heard that their customer service and repair departments are pretty slow though. So far I've never had an issue though after about 4000 full power loads through the gun.

Andrew
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms? ***update***
Post by: Russ McDonald on September 08, 2014, 07:18:44 AM: So I finally have time to pick up my gun that came in a week ago. I was told that the manufacture cleaned, oiled and replace the trigger guard on the gun. The trigger guard is also the cocker and breach break lever. I get it out make sure the barrel breaks and goes back together which was the problem and then put in back in the box. I get it home thinking I should go out a shoot this thing. I take it back out of the box and I hear something rattling inside. I figure it is the sling swivels. I hand it to the wife to take and look at it and she hear the rattling. I take it back and hold both swivels to the don't rattle. Low and behold something is rattling in the trigger mechanism. I know you not suppose to dry fire and weapon but I wasn't about to go out and have something blow up on me. I pull the bottom barrel trigger and a nice clean snap. Pull the top barrel trigger and nothing. Cock the lever again nothing. So I decided to pull the thing apart to check it out and see it the left and part loose or screw rattling around. Get it open and out falls a part. What it was is the ear off the cocking lever. There are 2 strikers side by side. The cocker has two ears one cocks each striker. Since the one was broken it would not cock back the top barrel striker.

I call Chiappa. I told them I just want the part. They inform me that I can purchase the part. I told them this thing hasn't been out of the box since I won it at the NWTF raffle. It should still be covered under warranty. Then they tell me Outdoor Emporium is the only one that can order it. I am so PO'd. I guess I am glad I won that gun but I want to make sure that everyone knows about their service and warranty department.
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms? ***update***
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on September 08, 2014, 09:18:23 AM: I would work my way up the chain of company ownership until I got results. Winning or buying the firearm should make no difference. They need to turn out safe and functional products.

-Steve
Title: Re: Anyone have experience with Chiappa firearms? ***update***
Post by: Russ McDonald on September 08, 2014, 09:27:33 AM: Quote from: JackOfAllTrades on September 08, 2014, 09:18:23 AM
I would work my way up the chain of company ownership until I got results. Winning or buying the firearm should make no difference. They need to turn out safe and functional products.

-Steve
In the process of doing just that.