Quotes from phone order customers about the drawings and service;

     I got to know Steve from my early FX days where I was desperate to get my leaky Gladiator fixed.  The US distributor tried several times but gave up and stopped answering my calls.  I sent the gun back to them twice and it was empty both times when I received the gun from them.  I was also denied a new replacement gun.  I was trying to sell the gun but thought I'd buy a replacement first.  I called Steve about a new Rapid MKII and during the conversation he said to drop the Gladiator by and he'd fix the leak.  I live a few hours away and dropped the gun off on a business trip and got a call a week later that the gun was holding air...  I heard this before so I had Steve send the gun over and it was still holding 200BAR !!!!!  FIXED!!   I only buy from PAG now.  Hey why haven't I won anything yet??

     I've only got a few springer airguns and Steve just got me into PCP's this year (2010).  I've always had a tough time getting ahold of Steve on the phone but once I did I came to appreciate his service and knowledge.  I'm an engineer by trade and tend to analyze everything to death - "analysis paralysis" as my wife puts it...  After doing my own thorough investigation I only now trust Steve from PAG since every bit of advice he's given me has been the best advice.  The chance to win another gun or scope or pellets puts this shop in a league of its own...  I've been making sure I buy something on every drawing period !!!!

     "I'll keep buying my airguns and supplies from PAG, and I might get lucky and win a great R9, Bushnell Scope or air tank plus get the lowest price/best service in the business.  The odds have got to be better than your average drawing.  One DAMN thing for sure - I'll NEVER EVER win anything buying from anyone else!  I figure I just can't lose with PAG"

     "Many of the airgun retail prices are regulated by distributors or manufacturers but Steve tries hard to save you a few bucks when he's allowed to.  I like Steve cause he's got the best airgunsmith services even on brands he doesn't sell and having a chance to win even a tin of pellets would be great.  I went to him with an $1000+ airgun bought at another dealer who tried to fix my air leak several times and finally paid Steve to fix the issue.  He was very reasonable (funny thing is he charged less than the total shipping for the multiple times I had to send back the gun to the original "Reseller"/"Authorized Dealer**") and the gun has been working fine for over two years now.  When I heard you could win a drawing and that it was a R9, PCP Tank or Scope I was amazed and will NEVER buy from anyone else." 

** In this case Authorized Dealer = charge $100 more than PAG but could'nt fix the leak in 3 returns.  Pure marketing puffery in my book.  The gun was returned each time either still leaking or completely empty of pressure by the glorious "Authorized US Dealer".  After the 3rd return and a dead gun my phone calls were ignored and I was left high and dry.  Those authorized dealers sure know how to use the fear tactics to steer you into their realm...  Now I know better.

     "I bought an Air Arms PCP from another dealer based on recommendations from others (big mistake on my part) and the gun would never group at 30 yards.  After sending the gun back several times and many phone calls both the dealer and I gave up until I sent the gun into PAG to fix and possibly sell since I was convinced the gun was trash and just wanted to salvage the situation.  I was very upset at Air Arms and furious at spending a thousand dollars that cause me nothing but grief and was told the gun was working fine when it was sent back to me each time by the dealer.  The authorized repair station was in another state but was never sent back there!  Steve found the issue was glue squeezed out between the brass o-ring holder and barrel and scoring the pellets when pushed through by the bolt.   There was also some clipping on the shroud.  He figured this out and called 3 days after I sent the gun off to him.  He talked me out of selling the gun and into giving the gun another try and returned the gun to me.   It was shooting very tight 3/4" and smaller groups at 50 yards and this is the gun I was expecting to get in the first place!  I know this is not your typical consumer issue but man it sure helps to have an active airgunsmith on your side with these very expensive and intricate guns.  I'll never buy from an internet reseller who tells me to send the gun to another guy who is the "authorized repair station" again.  I want to deal with the guy who finds the root cause and has the ability to do upgrades and mods if I want them.  And I don't get stuck with $50-100 in shipping costs and taking time off work to drop off/pick up guns at the FEDX office only to unpack the gun and it still has the same issue when I sent it off!  NEVER %$%#&@%ing AGAIN!  PAG is the only airgun shop for me.  I hope I win the drawing this time!  

     Steve-O sent me a few replacement breech seal o-rings for my AA400 and told me to catch him next time for payment.  The dealer I bought the gun from didn't have them in stock or made any effort to get them from me.  "Get them from the hardware store they told me".  Steve also sold sold me a FX valve pin kit for $15 or so.  I was told by FX USA that I would have to replace the entire valve assembly for $50.  No mention of a pin kit option for less money.  RIPOFF!!  Steve has my trust and my business.  He's currently out of Theoben Rapid MKII's I want but I'll wait as long as it takes to buy from him.

    I bought my Rapid E-type from another vendor and Steve suggested I wait for the consensus on this gun.  But all the owners who had one did not tell me about the leak issue and only mentioned the accuracy/balance of the gun which it surely has.  Sure enough mine leaked too.  After the second return I realized I should have listened to Steve but was a bit upset that he didn't "get on the new gun bandwagon" and get me one.  After going through all the hassles of now the third return and upon return I'll try to get a trade deal I'm going to listen to Steve even when he tells me something I don't want to hear.

     I've read all the Airgun Boards and Blogs that I could find including the BOI on the Yellow Forum and Airgun Advice.  I had bought an airgun or large ticket item from all the major dealers but never noticed PAG except for on the rotating banner at the Yellow Forum.  Then when I started looking at their website I realized they appeared to be different from the other dealers as they were both a dealer and offered airgun services that only a few respected airgunsmiths did.  So both guns and mods in the same house.  I could have a custom shroud added on a Rapid and save on shipping and possible damage to my new gun.  (I've gone through this with one of the well known names in Airgunsmithing and unfortunately no one wins in a UPS/FedX damage claim)  Then I realized the prices very competitive and they offered a RAFFLE as well!  Its a funny thing that no one mentions this and the last posting of the winner went by almost unnoticed on the Yellow Board.  Well, I noticed!

    I've realized that Steve doesn't always get the latest and greatest gun in and sometimes he flat out refused to order a certain model.  He has contacts in the UK distribution network that keeps him up to date on any issues.  Up till now I always bought from the dealers who did and would.  I wanted the hype and to be the first one to post results and pictures!  What I've found after about 7 years of buying the latest hype and about 5-6 thousand dollars in lost value and guns sent back and forth I realized that what Steve told me back in 2002 was essentially brutally true...  He said he didn't want to go through sending guns back and forth fixing first gen problems on guns that should be right out of the box.  Sometimes the issues can't be fixed easily if at all to function to the expectation of an extremely high cost gun.  If the design is good time will honor it.  At the time I thought this was pretty lame but after dealing with many of the dealers out there who tried their best in all fairness I realized he was saving ME the pain and ANGER of sending back hype guns that sometimes NEVER get fixed right and the disappointment of paying over $1000 for a gun doomed for failure.  I might get swapped out with the later gen debugged gun that I should have waited for in the first place;  that is if I'm lucky enough to get that swap option offered.  Sometimes you just have to sell for a loss on the boards.  Having a lemon puts you in a bad situation.  You can't get it fixed and you can't sell it without disclosing the issues to the buyer.  But once you disclose the issues you can't sell the gun without giving it away.  This is tough on a $1000+ lemon/gun.  7 years later I GET IT!