I recently purchased a new Springfield Trophy Match .45 at a local gunshow. The pistol had all of the new "loaded" features. It was tight, nicely finished, and had a 20 lpi machine checkering on the frontstrap to boot. I have several other Springfields and had previously found them to be accurate, reliable and well-made. Upon disassembly of the blue Trophy Match, I found scratches beneath the slide stop. These were not the semi-circular "swoops" caused by careless reassemlbly, but square scrapes covered by the slide stop itself. Something had rubbed it the wrong way. Then, when I fired the pistol for the first time, the slide was reluctant to return to battery without a nudge from my thumb. Hmmmm. On the 15th round, the slide stuck with a loaded round in the chamber. No effort could move the slide rearward more than a quarter inch or so. The hammer was back, and the trigger would not release as the slide was not in battery. I had an anxious moment as I tried to figure out how to get my cocked, loaded, and locked up pistol from the indoor range at Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World through the merchandise stoor and to my car. I finally wiggled the slide far enough rearward to get the thumb safety out and remove the hammer, strut and mainspring. Nevertheless, I was escorted through the store to my car with a live round in the barrel and the slide captive on the stripped frame. I thought they were going to call the bomb squad. This morning, my gunsmith removed the slide by gently tapping on its face with a brass hammer while pushing down on the barrel. We found nothing broken inside, no shaving of metal, etc. He ascertained that there was insufficient clearance between the oversized slide stop and the barrel to allow the barrel to swing the full length of its arc. After a few strokes with a file and some polishing on the barrel, the pistol fired 15 rounds in a limited function test at his range. During our inspection, we discovered several other problems. In addition to the scraped bluing (which may be attributable to the binding of the slide stop on the barrel), we noticed that the blade on the LPA adjustable rear sight could be rocked from side to side with finger pressure. We also noticed that the slide stop was more plum colored than blue. When I returned home, I called Springfield Customer Service and was immediately connected with Frank. No voice mail, no "leave a number or take a number and we'll get back". Frank immediately offered to do whatever was necessary to fix the problem. No hassle about having another gunsmith make a field expedient fix. No questions asked. The attitude was "tell me everything you want done". He offered to check the entire pistol for function, reblue the frame and small parts, and replace the rear sight. Next Day Air shipping both ways would be on Springfield's dime according to their warranty policy. Basically, Frank said they would do whatever was necessary to make me happy with my purchase. It's going to Illinois tomorrow for them to do just that. In these times, it's often difficult to carefully inspect a firearm prior to purchase. Gone are the days when you could take an automobile or pistol home for the weekend, give it a test drive, and be sure it met your needs. Crowded gunshows where guns are entwined in electronic alarms, cable locks and tie wraps inhibit disassembly. Still, there are those function problems that don't show up until there is brass on the ground. For many with limited access to places to shoot, that may be days or even weeks after large sums of cash have changed hands. Many custom gunmakers offer this sort of satisfaction guarantee and I commend them for their policy. Production guns are often a whole 'nother story, and complaints about poor customer service and uncaring personnel can be found all over the firearms forums. It's reassuring...no, it's downright comforting to know that Springfield Armory is committed to rectifying problems with their products at their expense and making the customer feel good about his/her purchase. Their willingness to absorb the sting of the new UPS charges indicates that Springfield Armory takes their Lifetime Guarantee seriously. This is my fourth SA pistol. It will not be my last. God bless,
Hugh
Hugh