Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Freedom Group, the owners of Marlin, Remington, and many others, has acquired Para Ordnance. I hope that improves their customer service. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 This may not be such a good thing. Concentration of the arms industry into one company ... all they have to do is go bust and several manufacturers and suppliers all go away. Drop the basket and all the eggs get cracked. It's especially suspect when you look at the CEO of Freedom Group, Robert Nardelli. He's the guy who ran Chrysler into bankruptcy, turned Home Depot into the non-profit haven for part-time employment, and has been voted one of the worst CEO's in America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 This may not be such a good thing. Concentration of the arms industry into one company ... all they have to do is go bust and several manufacturers and suppliers all go away. Drop the basket and all the eggs get cracked. It's especially suspect when you look at the CEO of Freedom Group, Robert Nardelli. He's the guy who ran Chrysler into bankruptcy, turned Home Depot into the non-profit haven for part-time employment, and has been voted one of the worst CEO's in America. Capt.: I think Nardelli went to an advisory panel at Cerberus, Freedom's parent; I don't believe he's running the show at Freedom. My best read is that Cerberus, which has a solid record, is not going to give him the keys to Freedom; he's already broken his share of expensive toys. I agree that amalgamation of so many manufacturers into one group raises a risk of joint failure; on the other hand, a larger entity may be able to weather economic storms that the smaller individual units may not have survived. And there is certainly something to be said for the increased political clout that comes from being an industry force. Para definately needed capital, and could have benefitted from some more sophisticated management. I guess we'll see. LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I hope that improves their customer service. Given their record at Marlin and Remington, I would be surprised if that did happen. Loophole. Quality and Customer Service are both issues at both entities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Well Para went thru some issues and I hope this gives them a kick up the backside to get stuff squared away. Have always wanted a Para in either, or both, 10mm and 38Super. That double stack in Super would be a real corker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashpowder Hal Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I bought my Para GI Expert after Para moved from Canada to the SE-USA and had GREAT service. Like other things on the WWW, a few negative comments can go viral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hal a dealer friend of mine had horrible problems with a bunch he got for a local PD. Guns had multiple issues on arrival, during testing/transition and were finally returned to him for replacement. These problems included safety, functioning and QC among other things. He got such a huge run around from Para he gave the old guns back to the department and worked for several months to return the Paras to Canada and get his money back. Not sure if he lost money on the deal but IIRC the department he was working with got Sigs instead and he never placed another order with Para. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I hope you are correct, Hal. Over on another forum, Marlin got kicked around pretty good and so did Remington. I can't say that I have first hand knowledge, because I have not had occasion to call upon either of them. I did speak to Remington a few months ago about a techinal matter but they were courteous and helpful. But then I would expect that from a Customer Service Department. Don't always get it, but I expect it. It doesn't cost a company ANYTHING to be courteous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 I bought my Para GI Expert after Para moved from Canada to the SE-USA and had GREAT service. Like other things on the WWW, a few negative comments can go viral. All stories about service problems are anecdotal, unless they are independently investigated...and who is going to do that? I bought a Slim Hawg just as Para made the move from Canada. I loved the feel in my hand, the size, and the apparent quality. I developed some relatively minor operating problems after about 500 rounds, and the dealer suggeted that I return it to Para for repairs - they do advertise a lifetime guarantee. Long story short, HUGE delays; never-ending excuses; different person every time I called; then a report that "they had no record of receiving my gun"; ultimately, a very nice young lady found it "in a box on top of the gunsmith's bench", and steered it through repair and return. It took 8 months. I have no way of knowing if this was typical, unlucky, or something inbetween. But it was the lousy communication that got to me, not so much the delay. My local dealer tells me he has stopped carrying their guns due to unresponsive service and failure to honor warranties - leaving him with unhappy customers. My gun was returned fully repaired, and apparently good as new. I remain happy with it. And if something else goes wrong, I'll probably pay for a local smith to work on it, rather than going through that process again. We don't have as many choices in MA for smaller 1911As - no Kimber, no SA, no Colt, etc. Para is one of the few that makes it through the State's requirements. I hope to have it a long time, and I hope this new ownership marks a new beginning for the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Well Para went thru some issues and I hope this gives them a kick up the backside to get stuff squared away. Have always wanted a Para in either, or both, 10mm and 38Super. That double stack in Super would be a real corker. If you want a double stack 38 Super on a 1911 platform, I'd suggest having one built. I see a lot more negative compliants then positive comments about Para reliability on the various boards I frequent. http://www.gunsandgearllc.com might be someone to talk to, he's in MA and builds IPSC and other 1911 platform guns. I've shot with him before and his guns always run. Nice guy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Thanks Chantry, this is one of those Bare Naked Ladies song guns, eg If I had a million dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtwater Doc 17941 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 One of these days the large corporations will want to circumvent the 2A as a means to pacify the population. One of the steps will be eliminating production of new FAs. DD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 One of these days the large corporations will want to circumvent the 2A as a means to pacify the population. One of the steps will be eliminating production of new FAs. DD Doc...???? What corporations are we talking about here? Ultimately, a corporation is about profit, and you don't make profit by abandoning what you manufacture....or am I misunderstanding you? LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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