Blown up gun - New serial number? Will I need an FFL?

milktree

milktree

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I've got this gun that blew up. I'm sending it to Beretta to see what they can do for me. The frame (lower receiver of a CX-4 Storm) is trashed. Broken frame and fire control stuff is all messed up.)

So now I'm wondering what they're likely to do for me. I imagine it'll involve me giving them some money and them sending me replacement stuff. If they replace it, are they likely to send a new receiver with the same serial number, or a new one with a new number?

In either case, can they send it directly to me, or do they have to send it to an FFL? I'd think (based on not much) that if it was the same serial number they could send it to me, but maybe not if it's a new serial.

How does this usually work?





'cuz you're going to ask:

There were two CX4's at the rifle pins match at MRA on Sunday; one in 9mm, one in .40 S&W. The shooter (not me, the guy I loaned it to) picked up and inserted the 9mm magazine in the .40, stripped off a round, and pulled the trigger. "click." We figured out the problem and put in a .40 magazine. I noticed that the 9mm magazine only had 14 rounds in it, but failed to stop and think, "wait, where's the last round?" See where this is going? Someone else had been loading the 9mm mags and sometimes didn't put the last round in, and thinking back on it I thought I remembered a round falling out, so I didn't check. Oops.

The .40 chambered fine, and went "boom" with a bunch of smoke rather than the usual "crack". The 9mm cartridge got forced to near the muzzle (the bullet falling out like it would with an inertial bullet puller) and the .40 bullet stopped less than 1cm from the breech. The lower cracked in half, but didn't actually separate. The fire control group is all messed up. It's a blowback action, not a locked breech, so I'm pretty sure the barrel and bolt are fine. Any bulging or high pressure would be right at the chamber, and it looked fine. The case that came out was totally ruptured on the bottom. The bolt looks fine. Beretta is going to inspect it all anyway. The shooter is fine. his hand stung for a while, but no bruising or breaks or anything.
 
Yes you will need to file an FA-10.

No you don't need to go through an FFL IF it is a warranty claim directly through the manufacturer.

That being said; come up with a better story for Beretta if they ask.
 
I think the 9mm case stuck in the barrel is a pretty good indicator of what went wrong.

So, no, I don't think it went "KABOOM", unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean by that. "KABOOM" generally refers to .40 S&W case failure, right? No, it wasn't that.
 
glide said:
Yes you will need to file an FA-10.

No you don't need to go through an FFL IF it is a warranty claim directly through the manufacturer.
Click to expand...

Groovy, that's simpler.

glide said:
That being said; come up with a better story for Beretta if they ask.
Click to expand...

Why? Unless I work on the gun before sending it to them, they'll figure out what happened pretty quickly. I was hoping for the "I screwed up, what can you do to help me" tactic, and that maybe they'd recognize it as good PR to cut me a deal of some sort.
 
They're gonna ask: WERE THEY RELOADS?????

milktree said:
'cuz you're going to ask:

There were two CX4's at the rifle pins match at MRA on Sunday; one in 9mm, one in .40 S&W. The shooter (not me, the guy I loaned it to) picked up and inserted the 9mm magazine in the .40, stripped off a round, and pulled the trigger. "click." We figured out the problem and put in a .40 magazine. I noticed that the 9mm magazine only had 14 rounds in it, but failed to stop and think, "wait, where's the last round?" See where this is going? Someone else had been loading the 9mm mags and sometimes didn't put the last round in, and thinking back on it I thought I remembered a round falling out, so I didn't check. Oops.

The .40 chambered fine, and went "boom" with a bunch of smoke rather than the usual "crack". The 9mm cartridge got forced to near the muzzle (the bullet falling out like it would with an inertial bullet puller) and the .40 bullet stopped less than 1cm from the breech. The lower cracked in half, but didn't actually separate. The fire control group is all messed up. It's a blowback action, not a locked breech, so I'm pretty sure the barrel and bolt are fine. Any bulging or high pressure would be right at the chamber, and it looked fine. The case that came out was totally ruptured on the bottom. The bolt looks fine. Beretta is going to inspect it all anyway. The shooter is fine. his hand stung for a while, but no bruising or breaks or anything.
Click to expand...
 
Not that I agree with most gun manufacturers policies, but they MIGHT balk at any help just based on that one fact.

Even with factory rounds, you always have to be watching for the signs and sounds of SQUIB LOAD malfunction.

Typically, it's a much quieter pop, and the semi auto doesn't cycle properly.
 
milktree said:
Groovy, that's simpler.



Why? Unless I work on the gun before sending it to them, they'll figure out what happened pretty quickly. I was hoping for the "I screwed up, what can you do to help me" tactic, and that maybe they'd recognize it as good PR to cut me a deal of some sort.
Click to expand...

Because 1.) you were using reloads and 2.) you had a cartridge caliber in there that the gun wasn't designed for. I feel your pain, but this was your fault on several levels. No company should 'help you out' in any way. If they do, that's great, but don't expect it.
 
Ask the manufacturer. If they need to use an FFL they will let you know... and then you choose the one you will have it shipped back to.

-Mike
 
No you don't need to go through an FFL IF it is a warranty claim directly through the manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Correct, but manu manufacturers will insist that replacement with a different serial number receiver/frame go through an FFL.
 
glide said:
Because 1.) you were using reloads and 2.) you had a cartridge caliber in there that the gun wasn't designed for. I feel your pain, but this was your fault on several levels. No company should 'help you out' in any way. If they do, that's great, but don't expect it.
Click to expand...

Of course. I fully expect them to say, "wow, that sucks. That'll be $800 for a new one"

I'd really like them to say, "wow, that sucks. We can replace the broken bits for $450"
 
So, after a bunch of back and forth, Beretta inspected the gun and said, (more or less) "It's toast, broken, dead. No more. Pushing up daisies. Passed on. It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker. Kicked the bucket. Shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir"

Well, not all of that.

It has a bulged barrel, trashed lower. Used up, can't be repaired.

But they offered to sell me anything they have at a discount! That was very nice, except that the discount was off MSRP, not what you can get the same thing for from gunbroker or a local shop, which made their discounted prices not really a bargain.

So, they did more or less what I expected, (and what I'd consider reasonable) but it didn't do me any good.

Oh well. Overall it was a fairly inexpensive lesson.
 
+1 I'm really even surprised they did that.
Click to expand...

Not really. When a manufacturer offers a product for a "discount", it usually means it leaves the factory for at least as much as the factory would get from that gun if it were inserted into the distributor channel. It's a way to build up a little customer good will while having the customer pay for it.

It's similar to the Lee Reloading guarantee to rebuild any press at 50% of retail. Since the going rate through mail order discounters was about 1/3 off retail the last time I checked, Lee is in effect saying "we'll sell you a new press at the same price it would normally leave the factory for and expect you to thank us for our generosity".
 
Last edited:
op4guy said:
+1 I'm really even surprised they did that. It's a hard lesson to swallow but one that should stick like glue...
Click to expand...

by "that" you mean, "offer to sell something at a discount"?

I kind of suspected that they'd sell me something at actual dealer cost as Rob Boudrie suggested, but every price they told me was *higher* than what they were going for brand new on gunbroker. Clearly the "customer screwed up, "deal" price" is higher than wholesale.
 

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