As the king of impulse purchases of dumb things, I thought I'd post this PSA on a lever gun I've wanted for ages, but am disappointed about in real life. Enter the Chiappa LA322 "Kodiak Cub". QC must be terrible over at Chiappa. First, the good:
Functioned flawlessly for the first 200 rounds of .22. Pleasure to shoot and super fun with the lever. Only had 50' to play with today, but it was easily outperforming my accuracy. Takedown is a huge plus and a motivation for buying, not having to walk out of my Cambridge condo with a rifle case (yes, I know..). About the price of a Goldenboy in our current pricing climate.
View attachment 399118View attachment 399119
Now, the bad and ugly:
Machining is terrible. I was so giddy after the transfer right at my range that I started shooting even before giving it a really good once-over. Yes, stupid, but I never claimed to be smart.
Lip bulge on curved section of receiver joint.
View attachment 399120
Over milling on takedown screw hole.
View attachment 399122
C'mon...look at that screw mill. Also light pitting on receiver on a brand new gun.
View attachment 399123
Chroming finish issue? (look at weird bulge on the lever), plus pitting, scratches, and general sh*tty finish.
View attachment 399124
Again, I realize this is a takedown and, as such, fit won't be perfect, but look at that joint and the varying degrees of fit tolerance. This is more of a superficial issue, as the surface does not play into the integrity of the functioning joint, but still.......take some pride in your work Chiappa.
View attachment 399125
Anyway, I think I'm kicking myself for not going Goldenboy now. This is all cosmetic for the most part, but still--new gun. For you Goldenboy owners: Ever see anything like this?