Had this co. build a Krinko pistol for me. Charged 650.00 for the service. Had to send it back. headspacing was dangerously wrong. Bolt carriier was damaged at the charging handle. Looked like a hammer and chisel was used to get the bolt to move rearward because it was siezed. Dents on the reciever, no spring in the gas tube retainer pin, sling swivel not installed, damage to the wood due to extemely poor shiiping prep. Keith the lead and only gunsmith there told me he did not build it. The persone who did was fired, headspacing was way off. A week later after the owner got back in town then I was told the headspacing was perfect. But they would replace the bolt carrier due to the chisel damage. When I got the pistol back there was more damage of the wood due to reallly poor packaging. I had to completely refinish it again. The bolt carririer was not replaced but only filed and sanded. Elk River replaced the reciever, don't know if the barrel was replaced, they replaced the front trunion due to the fact that the barrel hole was hogged out so badly via a drill press being used rather than a mill. This company cannot be trusted the are butchers. I have a 1300.00 pistol that I hate. Thanks so much for the lousy job you jerks did for me. You lied to me, insulted me, damaged my virgin pistol kit. Hector is the owner of this co. I hope that you and yours go belly up. YOU deserve it. I felt lucky just to get my pistol back albeit not what I expected or paid for. BEWARE BEWARE of this poorly run co. They don't return email at all. Keith told me that they are working on the problem. Hey Keith, the ship has sunken already, nothing left to save!!!
ELK RIVER TOOL AND DIE
1 - 20 of 72 Posts
Joined
·
48 Posts
Armory USA?
Isn't Elk River part of the old Armory USA?
If so , what the hell happened? My sympathies jmon1490 I hope there is away to salvage your pistol.
Good Luck - American-47
Isn't Elk River part of the old Armory USA?
If so , what the hell happened? My sympathies jmon1490 I hope there is away to salvage your pistol.
Good Luck - American-47
Joined
·
90 Posts
Sorry to hear about that. I have been down that road and it is frustrating to say the least. I have known Hector for a while now and thought he would run his ship tighter after he got screwed over by the infamous Informer AKA Gary Gucciano from Kansas as I did too.:kick:
If you're looking for a good AK smith in the Texas area, I would recommend South Texas Armory. Andy is a good guy to work with and started this company when Arsenal USA changed over and him and some other smiths left. He did a Romy G build for me that was top notch. I have a Russian PLO AKM kit with him now and wouldn't trust that kit to anyone except him since I seen his work first hand. His turnaround time is about a month. Prices are reasonable even with this panic mode we're seeing.
If you're looking for a good AK smith in the Texas area, I would recommend South Texas Armory. Andy is a good guy to work with and started this company when Arsenal USA changed over and him and some other smiths left. He did a Romy G build for me that was top notch. I have a Russian PLO AKM kit with him now and wouldn't trust that kit to anyone except him since I seen his work first hand. His turnaround time is about a month. Prices are reasonable even with this panic mode we're seeing.
Joined
·
1,529 Posts
Elk River is not any part of Armory USA.
The assets of Armory USA were sold to ERT&D.
How ERT&D operates those assets is coming to light (this is not the first complaint I've heard).
Armory USA no longer exists.
Joined
·
15,189 Posts
:useless:
SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIANCE. WHEN YOU REFER TO THE BARREL HOLE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BARREL PIN HOLE I ASSUME?? NOT SURE WHY A MILL IS REQUIRED ON A VIRGIN KIT?? A DRILL PRESS SHOULD BE OK IF DONE CORRECTLY. IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE WAS SOME SERIUOS MISHANDELING OF YOUR PARTS. DID YOU CHECK HEAD SPACE YOURSELF?? IF THEY HAD TO RESET HEAD SPACE THEN THE BARREL PIN WOULD LIKELY BE OVER SIZE TO REUSE THE BARREL. PLEASE POST SOME PICTURE SO WE CAN ALL SEE WHAT YOU GOT.
SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIANCE. WHEN YOU REFER TO THE BARREL HOLE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BARREL PIN HOLE I ASSUME?? NOT SURE WHY A MILL IS REQUIRED ON A VIRGIN KIT?? A DRILL PRESS SHOULD BE OK IF DONE CORRECTLY. IT DOES SOUND LIKE THERE WAS SOME SERIUOS MISHANDELING OF YOUR PARTS. DID YOU CHECK HEAD SPACE YOURSELF?? IF THEY HAD TO RESET HEAD SPACE THEN THE BARREL PIN WOULD LIKELY BE OVER SIZE TO REUSE THE BARREL. PLEASE POST SOME PICTURE SO WE CAN ALL SEE WHAT YOU GOT.
Joined
·
1,529 Posts
No, ERT&D owns the assets of the former Armory USA.
Someone else purchased the rights to the name "Global Trades".
Armory USA was the manufacturing side of the house.
Global Trades was the parts side of the house.
Joined
·
3,241 Posts
Geez, sorry to hear that. It gripes the hell out of me to pay top dollar for some work and they send in the Samsonite Gorilla to do the work.
Andre' (Andy) Varen is top notch. He managed the manufacturing area for GT.
Problem with the old Global Trades is that they would hire any bone headed kid they found off the street to build rifles for them. Looks like ERT&D is doing the same
Andre' (Andy) Varen is top notch. He managed the manufacturing area for GT.
Problem with the old Global Trades is that they would hire any bone headed kid they found off the street to build rifles for them. Looks like ERT&D is doing the same
Joined
·
673 Posts
i bought a lot of guns/receivers/parts/etc. from G.T. from when they started the business, sorry, but i never got anything bad from them.
either i got real lucky or some people didn't get so lucky or some people just like to complain.
maybe a few pictures of his pistol would have helped. let us all see what he is refering to. i have not done business with ERT&D yet, so i don't know about them.
I.K.: hiring bone headed kids?, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?. i never saw any when i was over at there shop. what does one of them ( bone headed kid) look like? you got a picture of one of them? :lol:
Joined
·
3,241 Posts
Bone headed kid;
Young male, typically shaved head, low sloping greasy forehead, bluejeans slung down around their knees with silver chain low hanging attached to leather wallet, zit faced (heavy infestation generally around mouth area from eating heavly greased fast food), dense bone from ear to ear, dazed look in their eyes as if hit squarely in forehead by the end of a long 2x4, speaks in combination of pops, grunts and clicks, drips drool from the corner(s) of mouth.
Back in the dark ages (pre Plinkers riveting jig) I would pay GT to rivet in front trunnions into receiver shells. The riveting was generally poor quality with large gaps under several of the preformed heads, trunnion installed off at an angle (eg barrel not in line with receiver), receivers warped, axis pin holes egg shaped, poorly formed rivet heads, countersunk receiver holes not countersunk, on and on and on. I grew weary of paying top dollar for poor quality worksmanship. Then the clouds parted and there was Frank with his newly finished riveting jig and the rest, as they say, was history........
FWIW, for the ERT&D AKs I've fondled at local fun shows, they look to be of good quality, but then again I have not had the chance to fondle many.
Young male, typically shaved head, low sloping greasy forehead, bluejeans slung down around their knees with silver chain low hanging attached to leather wallet, zit faced (heavy infestation generally around mouth area from eating heavly greased fast food), dense bone from ear to ear, dazed look in their eyes as if hit squarely in forehead by the end of a long 2x4, speaks in combination of pops, grunts and clicks, drips drool from the corner(s) of mouth.
Back in the dark ages (pre Plinkers riveting jig) I would pay GT to rivet in front trunnions into receiver shells. The riveting was generally poor quality with large gaps under several of the preformed heads, trunnion installed off at an angle (eg barrel not in line with receiver), receivers warped, axis pin holes egg shaped, poorly formed rivet heads, countersunk receiver holes not countersunk, on and on and on. I grew weary of paying top dollar for poor quality worksmanship. Then the clouds parted and there was Frank with his newly finished riveting jig and the rest, as they say, was history........
FWIW, for the ERT&D AKs I've fondled at local fun shows, they look to be of good quality, but then again I have not had the chance to fondle many.
Joined
·
673 Posts
hey! i have seen those guys before. i just didn't know they had jobs any where.
i guess i must have gotten luck with G.T.'s.
i'll look at the next gunshow at ert&d stuff. i only go to the houston gun collectors show any more and the last 2 of them i only bought a $10 item just to say i bought something and the last one i didn't buy anything. but i renew my NRA membership in jan. each year there and get in free to the show. my wife does the jewlery show just down from it, so it give me something to do and i get to see a bunch of old friends.
Joined
·
3,241 Posts
I'd always thought GT's quality was hit or miss..........not all gloom and doom. Did I mention that I don't really miss the old musty, dog piss smelly, crappy carpet they used to have in the receiption area 
Haven't seen Mr. Streetman around any more but do run into that all around nice guy and super service salesman Ron at some of the local fun shows. He oozes of warmth and kindsmanship. :usuck:
Haven't seen Mr. Streetman around any more but do run into that all around nice guy and super service salesman Ron at some of the local fun shows. He oozes of warmth and kindsmanship. :usuck:
Joined
·
673 Posts
i have not seen jimmy in a couple years, i saw ron at the last houston gun show. i have know him for almost 30+ years and he is the same today as he was 30+ years ago.I'd always thought GT's quality was hit or miss..........not all gloom and doom. Did I mention that I don't really miss the old musty, dog piss smelly, crappy carpet they used to have in the receiption area
Haven't seen Mr. Streetman around any more but do run into that all around nice guy and super service salesman Ron at some of the local fun shows. He oozes of warmth and kindsmanship. :usuck:
Joined
·
6,306 Posts
I would NEVER use anthing but a 7mm, carbide end mill in a Bridgeport, to "cut in" a barrel pin hole. MANY years ago, I used to use a very sturdy drill press...to "drill" them in..no more. You get unacceptable "drift" and "wobble" by drilling them instead of milling them. Just my opinion.
Joined
·
13,512 Posts
Jim Streetman moved over to Elk River. Talked with him for an hour about getting AK parts in from Cambodia.I'd always thought GT's quality was hit or miss..........not all gloom and doom. Did I mention that I don't really miss the old musty, dog piss smelly, crappy carpet they used to have in the receiption area
Haven't seen Mr. Streetman around any more but do run into that all around nice guy and super service salesman Ron at some of the local fun shows. He oozes of warmth and kindsmanship. :usuck:
Nice guy.
Joined
·
1,529 Posts
It's funny the way you put that.
Elk River purchased the assets of Global Trades / Armory USA, so it was more like "going home from GT and coming back to work at ERT&D".
ERT&D kept the majority of employees of GT/AUSA, fyi.
Joined
·
840 Posts
Gentlemen,
Not to disagree with the gentleman from Florida or my good friend and custoner from Texas,...but...
1) Jimmy Streetman is still operating as "ArmoryUSA" and is not involved with either "Global Trades" (Ron Yates) or Elk River Tool and Die (Hector Bennett) other than on a purely professional basis.
2) Elk River Tool and Die (Hector Bennett) purcahsed the manufacturing side of ArmoryUSA and is a Federally licensed manufacturer.
3) In years past Global Trades/ArmoryUSA were associated with each other, but as of now they are corporations operating independently of each other.
Sorry to add my interference to this thread, but there are enough threads containing confusing information on Gunco that I felt the need to clear the air.
Bob
1 - 20 of 72 Posts
