Hesse Arms rcvrs?
Got a chance to buy an AK-style rifle with Hesse Arms receiver; it looks as though it was made in the dark by left-handed macaques on crack, all the hammer marks and dings in the metal from bending the stamping around a 2 by 4 or something. The pins look OK, but homemade, and it shoots very well at 175yds.
What kind of reputation does this Hesse Arms have?! Or do they buy Tapco stampings and beat them into rifles?
It's only gonna cost me $225, so that's cheap to get a companion for my SKS's! (I can hear them whining in my safe that there's not enough room!)
If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!
What kind of reputation does this Hesse Arms have?! Or do they buy Tapco stampings and beat them into rifles?
It's only gonna cost me $225, so that's cheap to get a companion for my SKS's! (I can hear them whining in my safe that there's not enough room!)
If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!
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If you know about Century Arms...Hesse is very similar in their quality control from what I hear. Sometimes you get a good one...sometimes you get a piece of junk. Its a crap shoot at best.
"The only way American citizens can adequately be protected from terror and violence is when" those in authority protect us from those who would harm us, instead of protecting us from ourselves.0 -
I'm gonna post some rumors I've heard about Hesse. I saw recently that Hesse had bought all of Profesional Ordinance's Carbon 15 rifles when they declared bankrupcy. I know that FAC wholesaler had Hesse Carbon 15's for sale a couple monthes ago in their flyer. I also know that Bushmaster recently purchase Professional Ordinance. I get the feeling that Hesse will buy up old stock that doesn't sell, relabel it, & resell it kinda like CDN.
Side note: If you want to know how a gun company is doing check out CDN. If you see their whole gun line there and they are cheap, you can make a good bet that company is going out of business. Such was the case with Profesional Ordinance.
Back to Hesse. I've never heard anything good about Hesse. I get the feeling that they are a wholeseller that does a little butchery gunsmithing on the side. I did a little searching for ya on another AK specific site. Seems like Hesse took post ban Saiga single stack mag rifles and reworked them into full capacity guns. Not that that is a bad thing. Though I hear Hesse Aks won't accept aftermarket stocks or other add ons.
Heres a link or 2 for ya.
http://www.gunboards.com/forums/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Read&BID=7&TID=17009&P=1&SID=1039414#ID13
I did a search for Hesse over at that forum & came up with this info. Lots of threads but should help you make a more informed decision.
http://www.gunboards.com/forums/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Result&tmp=1053530711
Let me know if the above doesn't work for you.
Regards,
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CAN YOU SAY JUNK!
SAVE YOUR MONEY0 -
Very trouble prone firearms and I would adivise you to steer well clear of anything produced by Hesse. Quality control took a backset to quantity production and customer service was near non existant. The company has folded (now Vulcan Arms) and you'll be on your own with whatever problems this rifle may have.
Mark T. Christian0 -
drobs, some clarification please. I didn't know that Hesse ever made a firearm called the "carbon 15". The Hesse composite rifles/pistols offered (even under Vulcan name) were different from the Professional Ordinance Carbon 15's, in that they (Hesse/Vulcan) attempted (stress attempted) to make their rifles/pistols compatable with MIL-SPEC parts, Professional Ordinance parts are, to a large extent, proprietory to Pro-Ord firearms. Can you direct me to the wholesaler who had the Pro-Ord parts? I've been looking for a Pro-Ordnance pistol upper, and waiting for the surplus stock to be offered.
In several months, perhaps a year, the only things I have seen CDNN offer that were really Pro-Ord was a single muzzle brake. Outside of that, they had a carbon fiber machine gun upper. It looked like the upper was a Pro-Ord item, but not identified as such. That's not a lot of Pro-Ord parts. Again, who else has them?
To err is human, to moo is bovine.0 -
Bushmaster just anounced that they bought Pro-Ord. Joesy over in the Discusion Forum posted this:
quote:Originally posted by Josey1
"Bushmaster is proud to announce that it has acquired the assets of Professional Ordinance Inc. in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. We are very excited about the addition of this new product line to the Bushmaster family. These innovative, featherweight firearms offer Bushmaster quality and accuracy in a whole new high-tech package. Imagine 5.56mm/.223 caliber power in a rifle weighing under 4 pounds - or a pistol weighing 46 ounces!" ...
http://www.bushmaster.com/westernbfi.asp
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
The above Bushmaster link no longer works but I immagine it would be worth giving Bushmaster a call concerning parts. Hesse never made the Carbon 15 but I saw a FAC wholesale flyer recently with Carbon 15 pistols labelled as Hesses. Looked identical to me. Maybe FAC just grabbed an old pic.
It might've been a year ago... time flies. But CDNN had Carbon 15 pistols & rifles new in the box for $500 to $600. I'll keep my eyes out for Pro Ord parts for you.
Regards,0 -
Ah yes, I recall CDNN having complete guns, but several people have those! The Hesse pistol, which I have seen in photos of in prototype but never for sale to the public, is suppose to have the standard AR buffer and bolt, not like the Carbon-15. It is good to know Bushmaster bought them out. Professional Ordnance refused to sell uppers, you had to buy the complete gun. I've been looking for a pistol upper to complete a 7.62X39 AR pistol, and Professional Ordinance was no help.
One thing I've thought of as a reason why Hesse/Vulcan has never, to my knowledge, actually sold any AR pistols. The Profesasional Ordinance pistols had a longer distance between the front pivot pin hole and the rear take-down hole than the standard AR. You couldn't put a Professional Ordinance pistol upper on any AR rifles, even their own, I believe, because the distance between these holes was different. My guess is this was done at the request of the alphabet soup guys. I'm thinking the Hesse/Vulcan pistol never made it to open market because they wanted it to be interchangeable with standard AR parts, and the ATF discouraged them from continuing with the project. I've still never seen a complete Hesse/Vulcan AR pistol actually offered for sale.
Actually, Pro-Ord was advertizing a 7.62X39 AR style pistol (and rifle) just shortly before they went belly-up. I think it was suppose to take AK mags. Maybe if Bushmaster bought them out, they will continue with this project, as the more stable financial condition of Bushmaster may be what they really need. All in all, there's no sense in me making an AR pistol in 7.62X39 if Bushmaster is going to be selling one that takes AK mags! Guess I better contact them and see....
Thanks for the info!
To err is human, to moo is bovine.0 -
Well, went ahead and blew my money (casino winnings) on this POS from Hesse; "shoots fine at 175" was the sales pitch-front sight is canted right about 1/2" and doesn't even line up w/ the barrel! I'm gonna scope it, but Sheesh!
If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!0
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