URGENT NOTICE RE: ATI Fat Boy .45acp !!!


.410
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:36 pm
Location: Northeast Alabama
PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:02 pm
URGENT NOTICE / WARNING !!

I feel like a real idiot having to do this just one day after posting about it being my new CCW, BUT
At the range today, about 30 rounds into firing with factory ammo....

IT LITERALLY CAME APART IN MY HAND !!

it is a design flaw using too small or brittle a screw to secure the recoil spring/barrel guide to the internal guide plunger.

The screw-head broke off at the end of the guide plunger and the plunger flew out of the front end of the slide, and evidently flipped on exit as it struck me in the forehead and I had to turn and search BEHIND myself to find it !!

This left the pistol locked up, 1/4 inch short of "battery position", with a live round inside the chamber.

I was able to "wiggle and work" the slide back far enough to disassemble the pistol and dump the live round......but hopelessly bending the plunger spring in the process.

This pistol goes back to the retailer in the morning, and i'll walk out with a "standard" 1911 design with external barrel bushing etc....or i'll go back to wheelguns.
my cheap a** Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl Snubbie has been faithful thru hundreds of rounds w/o issue, and i'll always have it as my "low volume life saver".

Then, this entire post will be copied and pasted into the "Review" section......before these pistols injure somebody or worse.

I'm glad my LIFE didn't depend on that round stuck "almost" in battery !!!

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.410
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:36 pm
Location: Northeast Alabama
PostPosted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:14 pm
I should have noted that this pistol is an "improved" 1911-ish design using an internal barrel (muzzle) bushing, and a full length "guide rod plunger system" employing a recoil spring AND plunger spring.
the recoil spring guide is attached to the plunger with a tiny screw, which is what broke.

sorry for any confusion, but at the moment i'm quite upset !!

now, for an absolutely GLOWING review of my new Winchester 1873 Short Rifle in .357/.38....
but that's another post.

.410
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:36 pm
Location: Northeast Alabama
PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:46 am
ok.....past time to post something really GOOD on ATI Cust. Service.

it was a 30 day (+/-) turnaround on the repair.........a somewhat thicker (2nd gen.?) guide-rod/entire recoil system was installed, at no cost, on a gun 2 yrs past warranty!!

it shoots fine now, but I still don't trust the "screwed together" recoil system and will be replacing it with the system for Kimbers "Pro Carry" when it comes off backstock at MidwayUSA on 12/8.
PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 12:49 pm
Thanks for the heads up...and glad you were able to get ATI to fix the problem.

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