Lousy QC and rewarding failure: A rant.

[Tamara]

So someone I know bought a Para LDA and is... (you may want to sit down here) ...having problems with it.

As you probably know, Paras use that proprietary "Power Extractor" which is like a giant AFTEC and uses a larger-than-normal extractor tunnel in the slide, ensuring that you can't fix the problem by replacing it with a quality aftermarket part. He's sent the gun back to Para twice for new extractors, and the gun is still a malfunctioning ball of fail.

When I pointed out to him that this did not surprise me at all, due to Para's notorious history of spotty QC, he remained staunchly supportive of the brand, stating that he had two other Paras that had fired several thousand rounds each without any issues, and this one must be a lemon.

This is a 33% failure rate he's experienced, yet he remains staunchly brand loyal. That's like finding a dead mouse baked inside every third donut at Krispy Kreme and giving it a pass as just a fluke.

And you'll find that repeated all across the internets with lots of brands, from Taurus revolvers to certain high-end 1911 manufacturers: "I've had (3,4,5) of them and only had to ship (1,2) back for repairs!"

Is there any other industry where these kind of failure rates are tolerated? I swear, normally you have to go to a battered women's shelter to find this kind of rationalization. "My Kel Tec isn't malfunctioning; I walked into a door. Honest!"

[JV_]

Is there any other industry where these kind of failure rates are tolerated?

Politics?

[Kyle Reese]

Procuring a firearm is much like anything else- the key to success is being an informed consumer. Far too many people (for whatever reason) simply swallow the malarkey served up to them at some gunshop counters, or gun rags.

As a result, they have ______ issue with their _______ handgun, and of course some are more problematic than others. Most of the time, this can be mitigated by

-Going with a manufacturer known for quality/durability/accuracy

-Said manufacturer has a sound customer service / support network for end users

As for the Para Ordnance series of handguns, I know that while I was stationed in Hungary they were very popular with sport shooters.

Given P/O's track record, you'll never see me with one in my holster.

[Tamara]

As for the Para Ordnance series of handguns, I know that while I was stationed in Hungary they were very popular with sport shooters.

They are a bullseye on a very narrow target market, which is "People Who Want A Limited or Open Gun But For Whatever Reason Can't Quite Swing An STI"...

[Pistol Shooter]

Procuring a firearm is much like anything else- the key to success is being an informed consumer. Far too many people (for whatever reason) simply swallow the malarkey served up to them at some gunshop counters, or gun rags.

As a result, they have ______ issue with their _______ handgun, and of course some are more problematic than others. Most of the time, this can be mitigated by

-Going with a manufacturer known for quality/durability/accuracy

-Said manufacturer has a sound customer service / support network for end users

Very well stated.

[ToddG]

The industry gets away with low QC because:

• A very small percentage of guns sold actually get shot enough to notice problems.
• A very small percentage of gun owners blame their guns for the problems they see.
• A very small percentage of guns identified as having a problem ever actually get returned for warranty service.

If I remember my junior high algebra, I think that means a really, really small percentage of guns are ever returned to a manufacturer for repair. As such, they can claim great success.

[DonovanM]

Is there any other industry where these kind of failure rates are tolerated?

Yes, they're called Volkswagens

[Joe in PNG]

The industry gets away with low QC because:

• A very small percentage of guns sold actually get shot enough to notice problems.
• A very small percentage of gun owners blame their guns for the problems they see.
• A very small percentage of guns identified as having a problem ever actually get returned for warranty service.

If I may add:
-Every single gun maker has rabid fanbois.
-Rabid fanbois excell at making excuses for various failures.
-That is, if they remember the various failures in their favored firearm.

[SecondsCount]

Is there any other industry where these kind of failure rates are tolerated? I swear, normally you have to go to a battered women's shelter to find this kind of rationalization. "My Kel Tec isn't malfunctioning; I walked into a door. Honest!"

The auto industry.