Gun Free Zone

On a previous post, I ranted about the sheer stupidity of Century Arms on having some of their WASRs with a non-standard thread for the muzzle brake and then trying to charge and arm and a leg for a replacement brake that could not be found anywhere else. I kept badgering AK sites wondering if a solution could be found and indeed one has.

Brian Smithwick of Dinzag Arms is coming up with an adapter for the WASR and at a reasonable price. No I am not gonna say how much but suffice to say that even the wife is happy and it is much lower than what Century was trying to stiff me with for the substitute slant brake. If you have the same problem, please visit Brian’s site and get in touch with him.  He has been very supportive and I do want him to profit from his effort. For those who are more technical and proficient, he recommends to change the whole FSB with one of his design and with the threads ready. It is not available yet in the website, but Brian has them and also at a very good price.

WARNING: If you are a Saiga Shotgun or Vper Rifle fan, you may end up shelling lots of moola when you land in Dinzag Arms. All kinds of accessories and tools to convert and improve your guns are available.

Brian, thanks for everything!

One of the joys we have a gun owners in the USA is the ability to customize our weapons to improve on the original design & performance. The internet is full with aftermarket parts at great prices and variety and both the manufacturer and the client share in the benefit. Of course, there are those companies that are bent on screwing their good names with lousy customer service. One of those is Century International Arms, Inc who seems incapable of doing things right.

Century Rams are the importers/assemblers of the WASR 10, a semi-automatic Romanian variant of the AK 47 and the most inexpensive of the AKs in the market out there. The WASR 10 developed a reputation for shoddy workmanship due to a problem it had with the Front Sight being canted right after the Assault Weapons Ban disappeared and as we know, once you get a reputation soiled in the Internet, it is very hard to have it cleaned and pressed back to purity.

Still, there were some of us that love the ugly Romanian duckling. We were forced to clean it up, refinish it and trick it out which help us develop a greater knowledge about the AK system and in doing so we became ardent defenders of the WASR in Internet forums everywhere and where it count the most: the range where it held its ground against the best stamped & milled AKs built anywhere.

I decided that my WASR needed a compensator to make it complete. So after much research I settled for two: the AK 74 type and the JTAC47. Both highy regarded by AK shooters for their recoil and muzzle flip taming. After purchasing the comps, I proceeded to remove the original slant brake according to standard AK manuals that indicated that you must turn it clockwise to loosen it up as it is a left handed thread. The brake refused to move no matter how much I tried. I went online to several forums searching for an answer and I found an obscure reference by another poor soul that found out the hard way that WASR brakes are threaded right handed. Of course, by now my brake was damaged and it had to be removed which I did cussing my stars and wondering about finding some sort of adapter. To my surprise I found out that the only adapter available was for a bigger diameter (24 x 1 1/2 RH) but the threads of the WASR were actually smaller than the standard 14 x 1 LH!

It was again to the forums and gunsmithing supply websites but this time I came out empty. Nothing could be found. Some caring soul suggested that maybe my rifle was threaded for the AR brakes but again after a research I found out that it was not the case. I decided then to contact Century Arms about the issue and I got a prompt and enlightening answer:

From:    “Bernie” <TechSupport@centuryarms.com>
To:
Subject:    [CIATECHSUPPORT #15xxx]: WASR 10 Muzzle Brake thread
Date sent:    Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:58:38 -0400

Some WASR rifles had a smaller than normal muzzle diameter and were fitted with a US made copy flash hider using a .5 x 20 RH thread. We still have this part available for replacement, but I am afraid that some work will be needed to fit another type of muzzle break. To my knowledge, there is no factory part that uses this thread pattern.

Good! We are making progress now! The mistery is solved about the darn threads. After a little thought I decided that the smartest cours of action was to get another slant brake and replace it saving the acquired brakes for a future projec that is in the planning process. I emailed back asking how could I get one and now I got an answer back from Michelle Mesa:

From:    “michelle mesa” <mmesa@centuryarms.com>
To:
Subject:    RE: [CIATECHSUPPORT #15xxx]: WASR 10 Muzzle Brake thread
Date sent:    Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:33:36 -0700

We do not have them for sale…what we do have is being used for our current projects. Try:

Gunparts:845-679-4867

Bama:334-277-7846 (surplus & new parts)

brownells:515-623-5401 ( new & replacement parts)

park & sons: 800-992-6504

lees: 972-790-0773 (some surplus)

dealer warehouse: 209-545-2800

jkf: 928-289-6429 (ak parts)

tapco: 800-554-1445 (ak parts)

Huh? Your tech just told me that you have the replacement part and now you say no and ask me to check outside companies some which I already razed through? What the heck is going on here? I did try the list even going back to the companies I already checked before so no doubts would remain in my mind. The first one she mentions I never heard before but after a Google search of the phone number I found out that it is Numrich Gun Parts Corporation, so I started with misgivings and went on. I found out that a couple are no longer in business, one does not answer the phone and one does business with companies only.

Desperate I emailed Michelle once more begging for either the name of the supplier or to contact the supplier so a name of a retailer could be provided. Her answer was short, sour and less than helpful, maybe I was interrupting her lunch, the cell phone call to the significant other or her FaceBook time.

From:    “michelle mesa” <mmesa@centuryarms.com>
To:
Subject:    RE: [CIATECHSUPPORT #15xxx: WASR 10 Muzzle Brake thread
Date sent:    Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:22:49 -0700Michelle Mesa
Customer Service 800-527-1252, press 2

I'm sorry, Century does not divulge whom we purchase from...that is at the
suppliers request.

Earth Day, Every Day.
 Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

“If you do not wish to receive further emails from us. Please reply to
this email with a subject of “REMOVE”.

I am amazed that a firearms company would not give any help to a customer or even make the basic effort to solve a problem specially with a weird configuration such as the off speck thread of the slant brake created by the company itself. I guess I will be forced to come up with a creative and expensive solution to the problem that Century International has created and its Customer Service Department refuses to help with a way out. I am sure that Michael Sucher, Howard Sucher, Anna Sucher and Brian Sucher, all registered officers and directors of Century Arms at 430 South Congress Ave. Suite 1 Delray Beach, FL 33445  (Toll Free: 1-800-527-1252) are proud of their company and the way it treat the customers.

And to Bernie in Tech Support. Thanks for clearing the mystery. You were indeed helpful sir.

UPDATE:

I just got an email from Brownells:
Dear Sir,

I'm afraid we do not have anything to fit the 1/2 x 20 threads on your
gun. Sorry we can't help. Thanks for writing.

Steve Ostrem
Brownells Technical Support
www.brownells.com

UPDATE 2:

And Midway USA also chimes in:

Dear Mr. Gonzalez:

Thank you for your recent email, unfortunately I couldn't find that thread either. I tried to find some information on the internet for those and still came up short.  We apologize that we couldn't help you on this matter.
If you have additional questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-243-3220.  Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Friday and 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday (CT).  You may also email us at customerservice@midwayusa.com.

Thanks for your business,
Heather

MidwayUSA Customer Service Associate

Update 3:

After trying Bernie once more, I got another email from Michelle:

From:    "michelle mesa" <mmesa@centuryarms.com>
To:
Subject:    RE: [CIATECHSUPPORT #15XXX]: WASR 10 Muzzle Brake thread
Date sent:    Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:22:35 -0700

Miguel, it is not my intention to be “curt”. I give an answer & move along to the next question/customer, as there are hundreds of emails to attend to daily. The issue here is that when a part is not listed, with a part number - assigned for sale, there is not much I can do. I do understand that these particular breaks are hard to come by, and that you’re having a difficult time locating one from another source. Please do understand as well, that Century never gives out our suppliers information, that is a company policy and not my choice to grant or refuse. In any event, I have spoken with management regarding what we might be able to do for you. I have been authorized to offer the part to you at the price of $32.95, as well as a shipping cost of $12.95. (keeping in mind…all orders under $75 are allotted a $27.95 shipping fee - as we do not process orders - normally - that fall below $75) though I asked in this particular case, they waive that fee and give you dealer shipping cost. If this is an acceptable remedy for you, I will need your shipping address as well as payment information (visa or mastercard). Please let me know.

Michelle Mesa

Customer Service 800-527-1252, press 2

To which I replied:

Let’s get some things straight.
1) I asked you not only the name of the supplier but, in case you could not, to contact the supplier and ask them for a retailer I could purchase the item from. You seemed to ignore the second part of my request.
2) Century Arms came up with an off spec brake and did not have the foresight that somebody might need it in the future. The lack of availability to the consumer that might need it is inexcusable. Also ignored the fact that consumers might want to upgrade their weapons with aftermarket brakes but could not do so because the threads are not the standard known to AK -type weapons or any long gun available out there. That is a colossal failure besides the cant issue that WASRs are already known.
3) $45.90 for a slant brake with shipping when a regular slant can be found for under $15?   The J Tac 47 which is considered the best compensator for AKs can be bought for $54! That is totally unacceptable, it is highway robbery and you cannot expect a consumer to pay for Century Arm’s lack of foresight and irresponsibility.

I am sorry but you can keep it. I do not feel like giving away my hard earned money to your company.

And I am also sorry I will have to share this infortunate incident with other local folks that were interested in buying an AK-type weapon plus all others in many weapons forums and blogs that have been trying to come up with a solution to this problem. Your company does not deserve our money if we are are not respected as customers.

Good Bye

So there you have it folks. Century Arms really does not give a crap about customer service. Be sure to use your money wisely and accordingly when buying your next rifle. I know I am not will not be sending my monies that way.