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Thread: Chiappa FAS6004 - An unfolding horror story.....

  1. #1
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    Chiappa FAS6004 - An unfolding horror story.....

    So that it ties up all the loose ends, here is the thread I should have googled and found before committing a large chuck of cash in exchange for a FAS6004

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....iappa-FAS-6004

    So, if you are sitting comfortably I'll begin......

    Returning to 10m pistol after a considerable break brought on by the whole family/work/social pressures that eat into practice time I needed a pistol; budget was tight to non existent, which precluded going back to the Steyr LP10 I should never have sold, and wanted new, which further limited choices

    I'd used an old FAS as a club pistol many moons ago, so the FAS6004 was really the only choice

    Purchased one for less than the usual retail price having haggled over a couple of cosmetic marks on the pistol, and given the limited range of pellets the dealer had walked away with pistol and a tin of Bisley Practice

    First shot failed to leave barrel, recocked, still failed to launch, had been tight in breach, so seated it in a bit further using a plastic pen lid; tried this for a further three pellets before I gave up, all three had to be seated, and were visible in flight on way to target

    Closer inspection of pistol revealed elevation screw had been mauled (probably in an attempt to lift point of impact from the floor at 10m)

    Pistol was returned to dealer, and a replacement provided, with no fuss from dealer at all - was a bit worried about their product knowledge when they told me the replacement had been tested with a heavyweight FT pellet and had grouped well, so they retested it using Matchpell and assured me it was all good

    Separately purchased a tin of RWS Hobby and a 4.49mm sizer

    Tested the new pistol with the Matchpell, unsized and sized Hobby, with very poor results - the Matchpell were so inconsistently sized that some fell into the breach while others failed to fire because they were so tight, unsized Hobby failed to fire every time until seated into rifling, and when sized gave varied results

    Two separate range officers both commented (without any collusion) that the pistol didn't sound right, and even after a lengthy break I am experienced enough to be able to call shots that have gone off the mark, but experienced numerous flyers that simply dropped, including one that almost dropped off the card at 10m after two aims and rests before taking shot

    At 10m both pistols tear holes instead of punching them

    The finish on both pistols was poor, and the final nail in the coffin was when another member suggested I should replace the seals... on a brand new pistol?!?!?!

    Pistol duly returned to dealer, and went to collect a worthy replacement, which straight out of the box (heavy trigger aside) outperforms the FAS6004 at less than half the price

    Worryingly the dealer has both of the pistols I have returned as being not fit for purpose on the shelf labelled as new - So, in closing if you have money and time to spare to 'fix' a brand new £400+ pistol, buy a FAS6004, if you don't, either save for something better, go secondhand, or buy a Gamo Compact

    Not going to publicly name and shame the dealer, but any prospective FAS6004 purchasers should certainly be wary of how 'new' some of the items that "'The' largest gun dealer in Europe" are when you find them on Google, and the importer of FAS6004 is obviously not to be trusted either as they appear to have provided an elevation screw to make the first pistol purchased appear new and revoked my registration of both pistols.... caveat emptor!!!!

  2. #2
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    The 6004 seems to be living up to it's reputation
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  3. #3
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    I think I've said on here before that I can't see why anyone who has read the various forum posts about the Chiappa 6004 would willingly splash out £350 on a new 6004, when they could spend a hundred quid less on a used but still very nice condition 604.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    I think I've said on here before that I can't see why anyone who has read the various forum posts about the Chiappa 6004 would willingly splash out £350 on a new 6004, when they could spend a hundred quid less on a used but still very nice condition 604.
    That's the lowest price (SGC), they are £379 for the Ambi grip and £449 for the anatomical grip up north
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aimstraight View Post
    That's the lowest price (SGC), they are £379 for the Ambi grip and £449 for the anatomical grip up north
    Which is nuts.

    I bought two good condition 604s in the last 2-3 years. One working well and in standard format from a dealer for £250, one needing seals but with the sight extension at auction for a lot less (£150? Can't remember, but not much more). Both with the proper target grip.

    I can't imagine a near-mint 604, cased/boxed, with bits, making more than £350 in the private market (that is the top end of excellent FWB65/80 or Diana 10M money, so about the right area, I think). Still £100 less than a lower-quality 6004 new.

    And you can get an early-production Gamo Compact for £125-160 (or less). It's definitely not equivalent to a FAS. But it may be to a Chiappa. I mean, I have one, and it works.

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    Very interesting-

    several months ago I bought a FAS 604 off here. It had been rebuilt with parts supplied from Chiappa, the pistol wasn't especially cheap but I took a punt at it.

    When it arrived my initial thoughts were it looked scruffy but the packaging it came in revealed quite a lot of spares. Anyway I tried it and fell in love very quickly! Since then I've refinished the grip and I'm quite happy with its 'battlefield action finish' - let's face it these pistols are meant to be used not looked at.

    I used it tonight to shoot a couple of UBC targets for this months comps- very happy with the results!

    Oh, before anyone asks I use JSB match lightweights in all my target pistols- I find them the best without doubt.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    ....And you can get an early-production Gamo Compact for £125-160 (or less). It's definitely not equivalent to a FAS. But it may be to a Chiappa. I mean, I have one, and it works.
    Potential buyers should think of the 6004 as a Chiappa product, not as a FAS product; there does not seem to be much in common with the 604 in terms of quality and reliability.
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