To: Existing and Potential PTR Customers:
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This post is intended to make existing and potential PTR customers aware of a quality control issue that was recently discovered by our company involving stress cracks forming in the Trunnion on some of our products, and explain that issue in detail as well as our intentions to remediate it.
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PTR makes many of the parts for its rifles here in the United States, however, for economic reasons, when high quality surplus military parts become available PTR does make use of those parts as well. Prior to 2011, the Trunnion was one of the parts that was interchangeable between US Made, and military surplus. Most military surplus Trunnions that can be acquired come with a barrel fragment from the original rifle already pinned into it. To use these Trunnions in new production, the barrel fragment must be milled out, and the existing pin extracted. The extraction of the existing pin, and subsequent cleanup of the pin-hole results in a pin-hole bore size that is larger than the original print. Thus, a larger diameter barrel pin must be used with the surplus Trunnions than with new production (to print) Trunnions.
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The above situation necessitated that PTR stock two different sizes of barrel pins to accommodate the two differing diameters of hole. Due to a clerical error in inventory in mid-2010, one box of oversize barrel pins got mixed in with the standard size barrel pins, and used in production with new Trunnions. The total amount of oversize barrel pins that were used is 50. These oversize barrel pins have a +0.004” press-fit in a standard diameter pin-hole; which may result in over-stress on the Trunnion itself leading to cracking.
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Please note, the fact that an oversize pin was used does not necessarily mean that the Trunnion will crack. It does mean that it is possible for it to crack. The absolute maximum number of affected rifles is 50, but that does not mean that 50 rifles will develop cracked Trunnions for certain.
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Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, it is not possible for us to determine exactly which rifles were affected by this error. This issue MAY be present in firearms that left the PTR factory between July 1, 2010 and November 30, 2010. Please note that PTR shipped over 1,500 rifles and pistols during this time period, which means that there is a maximum of a 3.3% chance that your rifle may be affected if it falls into this category. It is the opinion of our gunsmiths and engineers that this issue does not pose any immediate danger or safety risk to users of the firearm. Given the above facts, PTR will not be issuing a recall as a result of this situation. However, PTR advises customers with rifles in the below serial number ranges to check their Trunnions for signs of cracking:
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WK0001 – WK0250
DK0001 – DK0360
DW0430 – DW0710
AW7950 – AW8360
GI0001 – GI0260
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A crack in the Trunnion, if present, will look like a hair-line fracture (usually linear but not straight). This can be detected with the naked eye by removing the hand-guard from the rifle, and looking at the exterior of the Trunnion from the muzzle end of the barrel. Please, as always, make sure that your rifle is unloaded and safe before performing this inspection.
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Another sign of a cracked Trunnion is continuously decreasing bolt-gap over time. The proper bolt-gap for a PTR-91 rifle or pistol that has been fully “broken-in” is between 0.010” and 0.018”. If your bolt-gap falls under that specified range, you may have an issue with your Trunnion. Also, if your bolt-gap is within specifications, but continues to decrease AFTER more than 250 rounds have been fired through the rifle, this may be an indication of a problem with the Trunnion.
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Please note, on the specific issue of bolt-gap: As mentioned above, the acceptable range for a fully broken in PTR is between 0.010” and 0.018”. A new in box rifle received from PTR will have a bolt-gap of between 0.014” and 0.019”. This manufacturing tolerance is based on the fact that prior to shipping the rifles are test fired with 20 rounds of ammunition. This is not enough firing time to completely “break-in” the rifle. It is NORMAL AND EXPECTED for a new in box rifle from PTR to lose between 0.002” and 0.003” of bolt-gap during the break-in period of the first 250 rounds, so this should NOT be interpreted as a reason for concern. Only if the bolt-gap continues to decrease after that number of rounds should there be cause for concern. Please note as well that the German military specification range on bolt-gap for issued G3 rifles was 0.004”-0.020”. Of course we maintain a higher standard for new production rifles, however, the rifles are safe to operate at much lower bolt-gaps.
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These stress cracks are most likely to develop between 50 and 150 rounds fired through the rifle. If you have fired more than 250 rounds through your PTR and do not notice a visible crack or a decreasing bolt-gap, than it is extremely unlikely that your rifle will ever develop this problem – even if an oversize pin is present.
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Currently PTR is aware of seven issues with cracked Trunnions. These have all been replaced at no cost to the customers. PTR takes pride in, and stands by its product. As such, any customers that have noticed cracks on their Trunnion are encouraged to contact us so that we may correct this problem. Additionally, any concerns or questions will be addressed by our customer service staff in a timely manner and they can be reached at 860-676-1776 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Eastern Time.
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PTR-91 Inc. policies and procedures with regard to this issue are as follows:
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For any rifle that falls within the serial number ranges listed above, PTR will issue a return authorization, repair and/or replace the rifle, and cover all shipping costs regardless of warranty status, if either of the following conditions are present:
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1.) Visible crack in Trunnion
2.) Bolt-gap below 0.010”
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If a customer owns a rifle in the serial number range listed above that does not currently exhibit one of the above criteria, PTR will be happy to inspect his/her rifle (and repair if necessary) free of charge if the customer so desires. However, in this scenario the customer will be responsible for shipping costs unless the PTR inspection reveals a problem – in which case shipping costs will be refunded.
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PTR would like to offer its sincere apologies for this inconvenience. Our goal is to make sure that every customer is 100% satisfied, and we plan to offer our full support to clear up this issue for any customers who are affected.
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PTR-91 Inc. Management
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