This would be the American Spirit Arms ASA, (gunkits.com).  For those of you who are not
familiar with them, they clone AR's and have a really bad reputation for customer service.

I've been wanting to get a flip-up rear sight for my M4 for some time..something like the GGG MAD, If you know what that looks like.  I work close to ASA, and I hadn't heard anything bad about them LATELY, so I figured (hoped) they had gotten their act together.  

I saw their copy of the GGG sight, and was pleased to see it was about $50 bucks cheaper than the GGG unit.  I threw down some cash, and prepared to walk out when the sales guy (who was actually pretty cool [No, it wasn't the infamous 'bob', but I didn't get the guys name])mentioned that the sight would not actually fold completely flat on the upper because the rivet head that secured rotating aperature was 'on the wrong side'.  Well, it didn't stick up much, I said to myself, and I can file it down a touch to make it fold even lower..for the price, it's Ok (NOT!).

So I'm driving home, playing with my new toy.  I notice the small aperature is not round.  No sir, it's shaped a lot like an old fasioned key-hole.  I hang a U-turn, and head back.  

Exchanged without question, I'm off again.  Wow, that was easy.  Maybe they are OK, I think to
myself.  I quickly run in and install the unit (I've wanted one to park behind my trijicon reflex II for a while now).  I look through my reflex and dial the windage knob until the front sight, reflex aiming reticle and the rear sight all line up.  Nifty, I'm zero'd I think to myself.  But when I back off a bit and take a look, the sight is almost all the way to the left of the adjustment range.  And the flippy-up-and-down part does not go straight up and down.  It's listing heavily to starboard.  I thought I didn't have it mounted properly, so I double checked.  Yup, on correctly.  When looking at the weapon from the top, the sight did not lay down on the top of the weapon square (or parallel the bore axis).  The hole drilled in the flippy-up-and-down part was drilled at an angle.  

Next day, I take it back.  I hear 'Did you know we have a 20% restocking fee?'.  On defective
merchandise? I queried, slack-jawed with a gasp.  Immediately, I knew I'd been had.

My choice was a new flippy-up rear sight, a refund minus $20 dollars for the priviledge of
driving their defective product across town, or any other fine product in the store of equal
or lesser value.  I wouldn't sell this thing to anybody for more than a dollar, so there was
really no other way to get my money out of it.

Realizing it was a management problem, and not the guy that was helping me (I could tell they
were all shell-shocked from bob screaming at them), and not wanting to donate my $20 bucks
for the aforementioned privelege, I picked an equal value of product with as few moving parts
as possible), and left.

On top of all of this, the sight had some other flaws I won't waste time discussing that makes
it even less desireable.  I did take lot's of pictures of it mounted on my weapon, though, and
soon they (along with this story) will be on my web page.


/whiney bitch mode

Doug

Stay away from that chinese cast junk.
It's worth the piece of mind to pay for quality.

Well, at least they did'nt throw it at you.  Another ASA horror story.

Post the pics when you can dude.

Now that's one I gotta hear. [smash]

Nuckles.

I have been completely unimpressed with the quality of the smaller AR rifle/accessory makers, and that includes DPMS.  Poor fit, and ugly finish is what you'll get 95% of the time.  I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw the Olympic Arms table at a show last year.  Either they were selling off all of their "mistakes", or they just plain suck.  The ASA stuff was equally laughable.

Eodinert,

Yeah, I don't really blame the employees.  Maybe they can't find a job elsewhere.

Nuckles,

Alas, I am the unfortunate soul that had his AR15 thrown back into the showroom by "Butthole Bob".  It is a long story and I once posted it under the ASA forum to warn others to avoid them like the plague.  A long story short - after 9 failed attempts to get a rifle they built to cycle, I had the audacity to ask for my money back.  Bob had the gall to try and blame the failures on me (using USGI mags and ammo he  designated).  Rifle was fixed first time by Accuracy Speaks (gas hole defect).

Bottom line for those new to ASA - don't do it.

James