r/canadaguns • u/Ok-Atmosphere4900 • 3d ago
Misc sks rant
I just need to rant for a second. I bought an SKS with an ATI stock from Bass Pro because it was on sale. I didn’t get a chance to shoot it for about a month. When I finally sat down to clean it, I realized it was missing both the gas piston extension and the spring.
Essentially, I bought a bolt-action SKS.
I emailed Bass Pro customer service, and their response was incredibly disappointing. They told me that next time, I should completely strip the gun down at the retail counter. They basically said, "Too bad, so sad." It really sucks because now I am out almost $1,000, but I guess that’s life. and cant find the parts online
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u/Practical-Mix69 3d ago
That’s straight bullshit, I would take it up to corporate. They sold you an incomplete firearm, surplus or not. Especially if it’s the one that are installed with the ATI stock because someone had to assemble it and double check.
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u/Calsx 3d ago
Try going back to the specific Bass Pro location and speak to the manager there. They sold you an incomplete product so you might be able to get some sort of compensation or gift cards. A full refund might be difficult due to their dumb policy.
If that fails then you can chargeback on your credit card as a last resort. But they might blacklist that specific card in the future.
You can also check gun post for SKS parts. A quick google search got me this. Looks like this person is selling piston + spring for about $38.
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u/Ok-Atmosphere4900 2d ago
Yeah, I'm just not sure about shipping items on GunPost. No one locally has them and idk, I just heard bad things about shipping on GunPost.
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u/BowFella 3d ago
"Should have completely disassembled the gun"
The mouthbreathers that work there will barely even let you dry fire the thing.
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u/Ok-Atmosphere4900 2d ago
Well, I asked if they could take the trigger lock off so i could test the trigger. They said thats against the law. I thought it was pretty bullshit
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u/ProtoJazz 3d ago
That is unfortunately the reality of buying surplus items. Everything is very much as is, no warrentys beyond maybe getting shipped something completely different.
Some places are really good about checking them over, some not. I've had good luck with Intersurplus but bass pro is usually not much help. In my experience the people working there are nice enough, but they have little idea what they have, where it is, or how it works.
I remember going in there one day and everything I asked for the guy said wasn't in stock. Despite it being right there on the shelf behind him.
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u/Dickastigmatism 3d ago
Might be worth asking the manager at the store you bought it from but I wouldn't be surprised if Bass Pro has an "as-is" policy on surplus firearms. You can definitely find the gas system parts you need online, this is one of the most popular firearms in the country, we have spare parts.
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u/Ok-Atmosphere4900 2d ago
I've emailed pretty much every gun store from nfld to alberta 4 weeks ago and never heard back. Honestly, I've had a hard time finding the parts. I am new to the firearm world, though.
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u/fkj001 3d ago
Could have been worse and came with a bent firing pin.
Mine did and I didn't notice while I was cleaning the cosmoline or putting it back together. Thankfully it didn't jam and instead only caused light primer strikes before I figured it out. Lucky for you those are probably the easiest parts to find replacements for.
I bought a K11 with a broken firing pin (apparently you should never dry fire a K11) and there wasn't a single one available in Canada. Managed to have one shipped from the US, which I don't think I'd get away with now.
Interestingly enough, they would ship me the firing pin and other parts over the border, but wouldn't ship me a K11 stripper clip because it's concided a magazine in that state and they won't ship magazines out of state.
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 3d ago edited 3d ago
They basically said, "Too bad, so sad."
I wonder if consumer protection or a credit card chargeback will help, as stores are supposed to sell items in working condition. Bass Pro Shops has a final sale policy, but that should not override statutory rights, at least in Ontario.
Bass Pro Shop does not label these SKSes as milsurp or put any caveats regarding condition or parts.
In Ontario, there are three main sections of consumer protection law that might apply:
- Implied Condition of Merchantable Quality: If you buy goods by description from a seller who regularly deals in those items, the law implies that the goods must be of merchantable quality. This means the product must be in usable condition, free from hidden defects, and perform as a reasonable person would expect for its type and price.
- Implied Condition of Fitness for Purpose: If the buyer makes known the specific purpose for which the item is needed and relies on the seller's expertise to choose it, the item must be reasonably fit for that specific purpose.
- Correspondence with Description: Items sold must match their description or any sample demonstrated before purchase.
The caveat with merchantable quality is that this protection does not apply to visible defects if you had an opportunity to inspect the goods before buying - which is what Bass Pro Shops might hide behind. Whether or not it is reasonable to expect you to strip a SKS to see the visible defect is up for debate (personally I think it's unreasonable).
Sure, you can buy replacement parts, but I would nevertheless reach out to your local consumer protection office and open a case with them.
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u/Water-Foul 2d ago
I dont think disassembling to any degree is reasonable, though you should of certainly worked the action a couple times. Lucky for you the parts shouldn't be too expensive to replace, but I think you are going to have a hard time getting bass pro to pay for it. I assume someone made a mistake before it went on the shelf. But yea, in the future, your first handling of the firearm should involve some test of the action. Ask the staff if they have snap caps if they dont want you dry firing it. also test any moving parts like folding stocks, sights, safety and all that. If anything wiggles, or floats when it should be taught (spring) don't buy it, or ask for a different unit.
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u/Ok-Atmosphere4900 2d ago
i pulled the bolt back and all looked fine but then tear it apart, and its missing parts. I took it to my local gunsmith buddy. He couldn't believe Bass Pro did that but hey now i got a bolt action sks
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u/Water-Foul 2d ago
you pulled back the bolt and it felt fine even though it didn't have a spring in it? did it close on its own?
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u/vARROWHEAD 2d ago
In future. Don’t buy from big box stores
You overpaid and you got poor customer support, and no original stock.
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u/pr0cyn1c 3d ago
Sure you did…. It took me all of thirty seconds to source the sks parts you mentioned in canada. Try true north arms