Just Bought a Tanfoglio P19L, 40 S&W, and Well...

It has problems. When I purchased it from Budsgunshop.com it said it comes with checkered walnut grips and two 14 rd magazines (which it still says as of this posting). It came with neither. The grips are polymer and the magazines only hold 12 rds. My son thinks he could force 13 rounds into the magazine but that might damage the magazine. I've contacted Bud's about this and am awaiting to see what they'll do. I also wrote a review about the gun and it still hasn't been posted to their website.

If that wasn't bad enough I took the gun to the range and ran into the problem where the round won't chamber properly. Not just occasionally but 97% of the time. At first I thought the problem was with the extractor preventing the back of the round from sliding up to a horizontal position with the back flush to the firing pin; now the round stops at an angle into the barrel. I could push the slide forward to chamber and fire the round. After firing the next round did the same thing. When I got home and told my son about the problem he looked at the gun and saw that the slide says "9x19" instead of ".40" (like my CZ P-07 says). So it looks like the slide is for a 9 MM and not a .40 S&W. (Fortunately the barrel says .40.) I contacted IFG about this and they said to send it in. I'll have to pay to send and if they determine there is a problem with the gun they'll pay to send it back; if they find no problem then I'll have to pay to get it back.

Before sending it in I'm planning on making a video of the problem and posting it to YouTube to be followed by another video when I get it back.

Was it a used gun?
If it is, will Bud's take it back, since it does not match the sales advertising?

I purchased it brand new. As for what Bud's will do, I'm still waiting for a reply. I'd settle for them sending me the checkered walnut grips to replace the polymer ones.

I have purchased firearms from Bud's and never had a problem.........when looking at their firearms, on their sight, they will say that the picture is for basic explanation only, and may not be the exact firearm you are getting..and to call ahead and verify that the picture matches the firearm your getting. If you read their feedbacks on different firearms, you will see people that did not receive the exact firearm that was pictured.......also, this time of year is unfortunately not a good time to be dealing with issues...they are SO busy........in saying this, I would not settle for anything but a different firearm, and I would tell them to send a call tag, which they can do, and pick up the firearm for inspection by them. I would also mention the mags, not being what was advertised. Grips, that might be a tough one.

I was going by the description that Bud's had for the P19L, which, interestingly enough, now shows it's a 12 rd magazine and the reference to checkered walnut magazine is gone. I did a screen shot of their page before they changed it. Interestingly they still haven't posted my review.

I received an e-mail from Nick, Call Center Manager at Bud's Gun Shop, and he asked if I've contacted the manufacturer if they feel it's necessary to ship it to them and if so, Bud's would provide a prepaid label. I answered yes to both and asked for the prepaid label.

Keep us posted..........

I responded to Bud's support request yesterday to let them know I still haven't received an e-mail from their shipping department with the label. I'll wait until tomorrow evening to see if they send it.

Rather than waiting to see if they would send an e-mail with the label today I decided to call their service department. After being on hold for about 30 minutes I finally got through and spoke to a rep named Will. Shortly after I hung up I got an e-mail saying I should get my label after 4:30 PM today. Now I have to make sure the label is to send it to IFG instead of Bud's. The subject of the e-mail says "UPS shipping label for the return of the IFG Tanfoglio 40SW to Italian Firearms Group" so I'm hoping the shipping address they put on it is correct.

:watching:

About 30 minutes after I got off the phone with Bud's I got the e-mail from UPS. I've been busy so it was a week or so before I sent the P19L to EAA who received it on 01/11/2013. Bud's provided a 2-day delivery which they weren't obligated to do but I appreciate that they did. Hopefully EAA will just replace the slide with the correct one (i.e. - replace the 9MM slide with the correct .40 S&W slide) and get it back to me soon. I've created a video showing the chambering problems before sending in the pistol. I'll post it soon.

I got the pistol back last Friday, 01/18/2013. Turn around was quick, which I would expect since all I think they'd have to do is replace the slide, which they did. The slide has no caliber designation on it. I haven't fired it but I did cycle some rounds to make sure they'd load and eject properly, which they did.

So far the only think I found wrong with the pistol is slide is tight. Most slides on the other pistols come off fairly easily - a finger and a thumb to siide it off. I have to make a fist around the slide and forcebly pull it off while holding onto the grip. I'm hoping after shooting it the slide will loosen up.

As for Buds, review still hasn't been posted. Here's my review I tried to post on their site:

Your Product Review has been received. Thank you for taking the time to share you experience with this item. Once approved your review will be posted to the site.
"Pros: Accurate, especially since the sight can be adjusted, and minimal recoil due to its weight. Fits my hand well; feels comfortable.\r\n\r\nCons: The description when I purchased the gun said it comes with walnut grips. It does not. I contacted Buds about being sent walnut grips to replace the polymer grips but I haven\'t heard from them. As for shooting, it has a problem chambering the rounds. The slide consistently stops about .5 inches from closing completely and the round is at a slight angle. I tried PPU, Blazer, Winchester, and Herter\'s and the problem occurs with all of them. To be able to fire the gun I have to push the slide to fully chamber the round. I believe the problem is due to the extractor which I think exerts too much pressure on the round and keeps it from fully sliding up and seating flush against the firing pin. I\'ve contacted IFG today and am waiting for their response. Depending on how quickly they respond and repair the gun will determine the rating I will give them in the future. For now, based upon Buds misleading description about the walnut grips, their lack of response, and the gun not working properly, I have to give it a rating of one. Hopefully I\'ll be able to update my rating once I get the repaired gun back."
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Lube it up, and keep us informed.....like I said in an earlier post, you might need some luck with the grips......things are wacko at Bud's right now.