Is there a conspiracy against this company I didn't get a memo on?
I have seen AO take a lot of bashing here, IMO undeservingly so.
So, when a manufacturer screws up in a big way, like what they did with Zombi's gun, we shouldn't discuss it- because it was just a fluke of some sort, a one in a million thing, and never happened to anyone else, right?
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
For a bit of perspective, I own a variety of guns made by about 7 different manufacturers, and if I got concerned every time someone came up with a concern, problem, gripe, whine, etc about a product I owned, I'd quickly be checking myself into the funny farm.
There's an unwritten law... doesn't matter what object you have, what car, computer, etc... someone will hate it, sometimes for legit reasons, and sometimes for stupid ones.
FWIW, Here's my direct and indirect experience with the
AO1911s....
I own a gun built off the frame of one of those guns. The frame is fine, it is very durable. It does lead me to wonder, why the previous owner built a racegun off of that particular frame... monetarily speaking, the act of doing so makes no sense, unless his AO 1911 was a POS and he was just trying to recover some of his costs by reusing the frame......
I've run into at least 3 people (other than Zombi's posting) that have had serious problems with these guns. One was that guy who posted the pic of his messed up barrel on a gun board- maybe it was THR or someplace like that, I forget offhand. That one threw me for a loop- that's how bad the fitting was.
I've seen one run live before at a pin shoot... it worked fine about 98% of the time, but seemed to jam once in awhile too, all while digesting factory 230 gr hardball.
I ran into another person at (FS?) that I was talking about 1911s with... he said he had an AO but gave up on it after sending it back to the factory twice and still not getting the intermittent jams resolved.
As a point of balance, I also have run into a couple of people who
said they had no problem with their AO1911s. It would appear to me that the QC on these guns must "blow hot and cold". If you're lucky, you get a perfectly good working firearm. If you're not lucky (like what happened to Zombi) you get something which is a dog.
I realize every manufacturer sends out a dud once in awhile, but the dud rate just seems a lot higher than what I'd consider normal with the AO 1911. It might just be appearances, too, given
that the sample rate for that gun in MA is probably pretty small
overall.
I have both the WWII 1911A1 and the M1 carbine. The only issue I ever had with the 1911 was a broken extractor after about 40 or so rounds of the one time I used steel cased Wolf ammo.
I generally don't like wolf, but there's no real reason it should have "hurt" the extractor- you probably just got a bum extractor. Remember that, long ago, the mil-spec 230 gr .45 ACP ball loading was often loaded in a steel cased cartridge.
I dropped it off in Worcester and they had it back to me via UPS in about 4 days (the lady there was very helpful, pleasant & friendly). I haven’t had a problem with it since. I have put about 4000 to 5000 rounds through it over the last 4 years (shooting the factory recommended 230 ball). The front sight hasn't fallen off. The rear sight doesn't move. It goes into battery and its accurate. It puts bullets where I want them to go.
I'm glad you have a pistol that works to your satisfaction. It's also good to know that their CS is decent. A friend of mine had trouble with his thompson and they fixed it promptly... and FWIW,
I don't hear of very many issues with those, overall.
The M1 Carbine is beautifully made for what it is,, a $600-$700 carbine. I got it about a year ago and only put a few hundred rounds through it, but it hits where I point it and is a lot of fun to shoot. The trigger is stiff, but I am confidant that it will smooth out the more I shoot it. I haven't really shot past 100m but with the groups I have shot at 50 to 75m, I am sure it can out shoot the capabilities of the ammo
Maybe they're making them a lot better now, but I asked lots of questions about these guns, to a lot of different people, as I was really interested in an M1 carbine at the time... and I was consistently getting reports of "stay the hell away from it" or "I bought one and it was a pile of crap" etc... At first I only took these claims with a grain of salt, and was skeptical... then when I held one in my hands, I realized why that commentary was made... the rifle just seemed like it was not the same level of quality as the USGI one sitting a row over from it. For starters, the wood seemed like it was inferior, the action felt funny, and the trigger
was terrible.
Edit: After doing some limited research, this product does seem to have changed manufacturing- Kahr actually makes it now instead of the crappy IAI product it used to be. Maybe THAT was the rifle that I held. Given that, I might be willing to give the product another look. Maybe they've turned over a new leaf- but I'll say one thing, they certainly didn't do anything for their image by being associated with that IAI product.
Sorry but my experience with AO and their products just doesn't match the criticism.
That's fine, you're obviously entitled to your opinion.... that's
what we're here for.
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
FWIW I am not critical of all their products, but it is readily apparent to me, especially with the 1911s, that they have some serious QC issues at play to be letting guns out the door like the
one that Zombi got. I guess his gun was made on a friday at 4:50 pm or something.
I hear a LOT of positive comments about the Thompsons they
make, etc. Most of the people I know that own them generally
don't have very many bad things to say about them.
Some of all of this is why I sometimes get cold feet about
recommending anything to anyone anymore. Murphys law almost
says that someone will have better or worse luck than I do with
something.
-Mike
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
