What Makes a Gun Company’s Reputation. How Do they Rank

[Doc_Glock]

I was thinking today about how or why a company gains a reputation and wanted to post more as a discussion starter than anything else.

I currently own Glocks, Berettas and Rugers. Of the three companies I actually like Beretta as a company best. At least I feel most fanboi affinity for them.

Why Beretta? 500ish year history. Generally good, reliable designs. Good customer service when needed. Plus the 1301 is just freaking awesome. They make everything. Main gripe is they are just slow to market.

Glock: I love the guns. They obviously work great. I have heard their service is pretty amazing but have never had to use it outside of checking a birthdate on a pistol. But they have a reputation as a scummy brand that used hookers and other aggressive marketing techniques, at least back in the day. Hard to like that sort of company. But I can’t argue the product is pretty damn good. All they make are Glock pistols and they do it well.

Ruger: stand up company that makes kinda cheap pistols that break a lot, kinda cheap rifles that work well and really good revolvers. They have outstanding service which I have had to use many times.

HK: love all their stuff. Don’t own any any more. Perfect German stuff with way too slow innovation. Too busy with the military for anything else.

Sig: fack Sig. Although the P365 is pretty cool.

[blues]

I sent two Glocks back to Smyrna in the last couple of years. One was bought in 1988 the other in 1995.

On one, they replaced the frame under warranty (due to a crack / chip at the mag well), replaced three 1988 version magazines, and updated all internals. Cost to me? Shipping, one way.

On the other, they updated the internals and replaced a spring I had launched and couldn't find. Cost to me? Shipping, one way.

Both guns were back to me within 7 days from date of shipping to them.

If that's not good service, I don't know what is.

Don't really consider myself a fanboi, but it is what it is, and good service speaks for itself.


I sent an AR back to S&W for a bolt replacement after an issue arose. Returned in one week. Again, stellar service.

Luck? Maybe.

[olstyn]

Walther is a weird one. I honestly believe that the PPQ, P99, and PPS series are excellent guns, and the few times I've had to call their customer service number either for service or just to buy some stuff, the people on the other end have been super helpful, even occasionally comping me small parts. (I openly admitted to launching a safety plunger off into nowhere in my garage, expecting to buy a new part, and they just mailed me one for free.) However, they also make some fairly weak-sauce guns like the PK380 and the P22, so...*shrug* I see them as much more good than bad, but it also pays to be well informed about which of their guns are good/desirable and which are less so.

[Clusterfrack]

My ranking is based on which companies consistently make reliable, well engineered, well tested designs.

Top Tier: Glock, CZ, HK, Ruger revolvers

Middle Tier: Walther, Beretta, FN, S&W, Sig

No go: Taurus, etc.

[RevolverRob]

My ranking is based on which companies consistently make reliable, well engineered, well tested designs.

Top Tier: Glock, CZ, HK, Ruger revolvers

Middle Tier: Walther, Beretta, FN, S&W, Sig

No go: Taurus, etc.

I agree with your criteria, but would just make it "Ruger" instead of "Ruger revolvers". Because although their semi-autos are usually clunky they are reliable and well engineered, just not widely adopted.

[Clusterfrack]

I agree with your criteria, but would just make it "Ruger" instead of "Ruger revolvers". Because although their semi-autos are usually clunky they are reliable and well engineered, just not widely adopted.

It doesn't take many dogs from a company to put them out of my tier 1. Ruger's SR9 was awful, and I'm not super impressed by the rest of their striker guns.

[RevolverRob]

It doesn't take many dogs from a company to put them out of my tier 1. Ruger's SR9 was awful, and I'm not super impressed by the rest of their striker guns.

Probably gotta take CZ out then. My experience with friends who have SP01s is - when they work they run awesome. And when they don't work they are good looking doorstops. And the numbers worked out to about 50:50 of good:bad across about a dozen guns. Enough that every time I think about buying one I hesitate long enough to talk myself out of it.

I know the P07/P09 seems to work well around here. But if I'm going to carry an ugly gun it'll be an HK.

[cheby]

But they have a reputation as a scummy brand that used hookers

I like this part the best about Glocks.

[spyderco monkey]

Walther is a weird one. I honestly believe that the PPQ, P99, and PPS series are excellent guns, and the few times I've had to call their customer service number either for service or just to buy some stuff, the people on the other end have been super helpful, even occasionally comping me small parts. (I openly admitted to launching a safety plunger off into nowhere in my garage, expecting to buy a new part, and they just mailed me one for free.) However, they also make some fairly weak-sauce guns like the PK380 and the P22, so...*shrug* I see them as much more good than bad, but it also pays to be well informed about which of their guns are good/desirable and which are less so.

The Walther one is because they were purchased by Umarex, and so are sort of 2 companies producing under one brand.

P99, PPQ, PPS, Olympic Pistols = Real Walther

PK380, P22 = Built by the Umarex plant under the Walther brand

[spyderco monkey]

Innovation, Quality, Performance, and Reliability, are what I look at.

Sadly, very few companies score well across all of those.

Ie Keltec is over the top for Innovation...yet score abysmally on QPR.

Glock is superb in QPR...and almost completely lacking in Innovation since their release.

Walther scores well on Innovation, Quality, and Reliability...yet the harsh recoil of the PPQ puts them lower on performance for me.

And on and on.

Ultimately its easier for me to point out why something is Tier 2 or 3 then it is to justify why something is Tier 1. Tier 1 becomes the pistols that survived the classification of Tier 2 or 3.