TY43215
NES Member
I don't post a lot but feel the need to share an experience I had with Gray Guns Inc. Now, as a caveat, I understand this company and the owner have a very good reputation and I have seen some very nice work from the shop. My experience was less than perfect to say the least.
I own a Sig 226 that I carry in 357SIG. I have always liked the gun but over the last year, I experienced light strikes. After some thought, (Obviously not enough) I contacted 2 friends that know Mr Gray personally. They both recommended him. I called the shop and after some convincing, I was allowed to speak to him. Told him my name, told him who had sent me to him, and then explained the problem. We discussed that the light strikes could possibly be related to an ammo problem so I agreed to spend a little extra cash and send him samples of the ammo with light strikes and 100 rounds for test purposes.
A local FFL friend agreed to send the gun US MAIL to save me some cash so off it went to Spray Oregon. Week later I received a call from someone in the shop (I will not be using names of anyone but the owner) I was told I had the worse DA trigger pull he had ever seen and that there were firing pin problems along with timing issues. I did not ask for a price but told him to "Do whatever you think this needs to make it a reliable carry gun again" He said he understood and the work would be done along with their duty/carry action job.
A very short time went by and I was advised the gun was competed, had been test fired, and was all set. I gun back on a Friday and shot a USPSA match with it the following day. First stage, second round misfired. I was not a happy camper but figured maybe it was a bad round. Looked at the round after the stage and found almost no primer indent. Finished the match but had problems on 5 out of six stages. Now I was down right IRATE. I had about $500 into a trigger job and repair with a renown gunsmith and the gun did not run.
I called the shop and the office manager answered. I explained the situation and asked that he have Mr. Gray call me Monday. On Monday, Mr Gray called. He told me he had used all my ammo to "Shoot the heck out of the gun" and all was fine. He could not understand what had gone wrong. I had already dropped the gun at my FFL and told him it was on the way back. I also explained that I was very unhappy with the trigger job that was done on the gun and asked him to please check it. I asked that while he had it could he add his mag release. He said he would do that at no charge for my inconvenience.
A call later in the week and I was told they tested more with my ammo (I thought they used it up the first time, it must have been reproducing somehow) This time, Mr Gray stated it was an ammunition problem caused by bad primers. He said there had been a known issue with some Remington ammo and felt I had some. He also stated the trigger job was within specs for what I had ordered but he would look at it.
I received a call asking for my credit card number so the gun could be shipped back to me. I was charged return shipping and I was charged for the complementary mag release. I believe in paying for what I get so I did not complain about the mag release.
I got the gun back and dry fired it a little. It now had the action I expected the first time and I was pleased with that. I sent Mr Gray an e mail and explained I was satisfied with the work this time but I was unhappy with me having to pay shipping the second time to correct an oversight. I received an e mail back from him that told me it was ammo problems that he proved. He told me his "Preferred Customers" understand the process and appreciate his work. I felt he was insulting and told him so.
I had a chance to go to the range a few days later and the gun fired good for the first 5 rounds then the trigger did not reset. I de-cocked and fired and all seemed to be OK. Then while firing, the mag dropped out. (I have never experienced that problem with any gun in over 30 years shooting) I figured that when I had a chance to shoot a match with the gun, I would give it enough of a test to be confident enough to use it for carry again.
I shot USPSA at Harvard Sunday and had nothing but trouble. Reset trouble related to the action work completed by Gray Guns Inc. Mag dropped out on several occasions. I have no faith in their ability to properly repair this gun so it is being repaired by others who have found the trigger was not fit to the gun and the mag release was defective.
I am not contacting GGI again as I feel I will be met with more excuses and rude answers. I am not telling anyone not to deal with them but I feel with all the comments that say "Send it to GGI" I needed to give potential customers the other side of the story. As it stands. my Sig 226 will be repaired. I will shoot a match somewhere with it when it is done and I am sure it will be fine. It will NOT have a GGI custom trigger job but it will run and I will be able to confidently carry it again.
I made a costly error in this transaction and learned a lesson. I hope you consider my experience before dealing with ANY custom shop. A custom shop is only as good as their worse employee. In this case, I think that is the guy that worked on my gun.
Edit to add: The ammunition in question was sent back to the manufacturer for testing. They advised it was all tested and found to be withing specs and it worked for them. They replaced the 400 rounds I sent them as a courtesy. Was the ammo bad? we will never know
I own a Sig 226 that I carry in 357SIG. I have always liked the gun but over the last year, I experienced light strikes. After some thought, (Obviously not enough) I contacted 2 friends that know Mr Gray personally. They both recommended him. I called the shop and after some convincing, I was allowed to speak to him. Told him my name, told him who had sent me to him, and then explained the problem. We discussed that the light strikes could possibly be related to an ammo problem so I agreed to spend a little extra cash and send him samples of the ammo with light strikes and 100 rounds for test purposes.
A local FFL friend agreed to send the gun US MAIL to save me some cash so off it went to Spray Oregon. Week later I received a call from someone in the shop (I will not be using names of anyone but the owner) I was told I had the worse DA trigger pull he had ever seen and that there were firing pin problems along with timing issues. I did not ask for a price but told him to "Do whatever you think this needs to make it a reliable carry gun again" He said he understood and the work would be done along with their duty/carry action job.
A very short time went by and I was advised the gun was competed, had been test fired, and was all set. I gun back on a Friday and shot a USPSA match with it the following day. First stage, second round misfired. I was not a happy camper but figured maybe it was a bad round. Looked at the round after the stage and found almost no primer indent. Finished the match but had problems on 5 out of six stages. Now I was down right IRATE. I had about $500 into a trigger job and repair with a renown gunsmith and the gun did not run.
I called the shop and the office manager answered. I explained the situation and asked that he have Mr. Gray call me Monday. On Monday, Mr Gray called. He told me he had used all my ammo to "Shoot the heck out of the gun" and all was fine. He could not understand what had gone wrong. I had already dropped the gun at my FFL and told him it was on the way back. I also explained that I was very unhappy with the trigger job that was done on the gun and asked him to please check it. I asked that while he had it could he add his mag release. He said he would do that at no charge for my inconvenience.
A call later in the week and I was told they tested more with my ammo (I thought they used it up the first time, it must have been reproducing somehow) This time, Mr Gray stated it was an ammunition problem caused by bad primers. He said there had been a known issue with some Remington ammo and felt I had some. He also stated the trigger job was within specs for what I had ordered but he would look at it.
I received a call asking for my credit card number so the gun could be shipped back to me. I was charged return shipping and I was charged for the complementary mag release. I believe in paying for what I get so I did not complain about the mag release.
I got the gun back and dry fired it a little. It now had the action I expected the first time and I was pleased with that. I sent Mr Gray an e mail and explained I was satisfied with the work this time but I was unhappy with me having to pay shipping the second time to correct an oversight. I received an e mail back from him that told me it was ammo problems that he proved. He told me his "Preferred Customers" understand the process and appreciate his work. I felt he was insulting and told him so.
I had a chance to go to the range a few days later and the gun fired good for the first 5 rounds then the trigger did not reset. I de-cocked and fired and all seemed to be OK. Then while firing, the mag dropped out. (I have never experienced that problem with any gun in over 30 years shooting) I figured that when I had a chance to shoot a match with the gun, I would give it enough of a test to be confident enough to use it for carry again.
I shot USPSA at Harvard Sunday and had nothing but trouble. Reset trouble related to the action work completed by Gray Guns Inc. Mag dropped out on several occasions. I have no faith in their ability to properly repair this gun so it is being repaired by others who have found the trigger was not fit to the gun and the mag release was defective.
I am not contacting GGI again as I feel I will be met with more excuses and rude answers. I am not telling anyone not to deal with them but I feel with all the comments that say "Send it to GGI" I needed to give potential customers the other side of the story. As it stands. my Sig 226 will be repaired. I will shoot a match somewhere with it when it is done and I am sure it will be fine. It will NOT have a GGI custom trigger job but it will run and I will be able to confidently carry it again.
I made a costly error in this transaction and learned a lesson. I hope you consider my experience before dealing with ANY custom shop. A custom shop is only as good as their worse employee. In this case, I think that is the guy that worked on my gun.
Edit to add: The ammunition in question was sent back to the manufacturer for testing. They advised it was all tested and found to be withing specs and it worked for them. They replaced the 400 rounds I sent them as a courtesy. Was the ammo bad? we will never know
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