SCCY Industries, LLC had one of the best warranties in the gun business. Unfortunately, it is now a thing of the past. On March 17, 2016, the company announced on its website that the warranty was changing in a way that will, unfortunately, impact the buyer in a negative way.

Prior to March 17, the company offered a warranty that would replace guns that were stolen or even lost as long as the customer reported the missing gun to the appropriate law enforcement agency. With a police report, SCCY would provide the customer with a new pistol. This was unheard of in the firearms industry.

However, like many good things, a few bad apples really sours the barrel for the rest of us.

According to the company, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) contacted SCCY regarding “an unusual amount of SCCY pistols becoming traced pistols as the result of being used in criminal activity.” Specifically, there was an unusually short amount of time between when guns were purchased and when the guns showed up at a crime scene.

The long and the short of it is SCCY believes that a few customers have been abusing the theft warranty. Presumably, Straw Purchaser A would let Convicted Felon B “steal” the recently purchased gun. Then Straw Purchaser A would simply get a free replacement gun while Convicted Felon B was off committing acts of thuggery.

The warranty definitely set the company apart in the industry. What is your opinion? Did SCCY make the right call, or should they have devised a better approach?