Call the gunsmith or not?

[Buffinnut]

I dropped my barreled action off at the gunsmith 4 weeks 3 days ago to get threaded and a brake installed.

They told me 2 weeks at the most and that they would call me.

I live on the opposite side of town and after 2 weeks 1 day I was nearby running errands and decided to call in just in case because it would be convenient to pick it up. They said its threaded and they are just waiting for the brake to get back from getting cerakoted. They said next week.

Now it's been 2 weeks and I'm trying to decide if I should be the squeaky wheel or if I'm just going to annoy them by calling. They are pretty big operation with multiple employees.

 

[archp625]

If it were me I would call him. He told you a time period and it’s past that.

 

[B23]

If it were me I would call him. He told you a time period and it’s past that.

I agree with archp625 and I'd probably call or better yet stop by so they have to talk to you ftf. There very well could be something out of their control that is causing the delay but being able to see them ftf when they give you the reason/s will give you a better indication of if it's truth or bs. Of course, as my wife often reminds me, attitude and how you talk to someone generally reflects back on how they treat you so going in hot probably won't be a good strategy. Something about bees and sugar versus vinegar, I don't know I'm usually not listening when she says that stuff. lol

 

[iHunt*]

Agreed, hopefully the adverse weather across the states isn’t contributing to the delay. I’m planning on have this done to my wife’s rifle, what did this set you back?

 

[Buffinnut]

Agreed, hopefully the adverse weather across the states isn’t contributing to the delay. I’m planning on have this done to my wife’s rifle, what did this set you back?

$150. Seems reasonable. One other place said $60 to cut the barrel, no brakes in stock. Another local place that's a 1 man operation that makes his own brakes said $200. I would have used him for the small business reason and he was very friendly but he called back after I had already dropped it off with the other guys.

 

[k80Titus]

In my experience, they are often late. Goes with the territory. Except recoil pads, always on time for some reason

 

[Buffinnut]

Finally called them and they claim they had the wrong phone number for me which I don't understand how that's possible but whatever. Guy acted odd trying to explain it. The cerakote is chipped off on the edges of the brake from when they tightened it down with a wrench I thought I was going to the right place. Every Google review is 5 stars (17 reviews). They just earned their first 2 star. I was gonna use them as my dealer on silencershop when I order a can in the next few days. Not now.

 

[Dalmore1263]

Finally called them and they claim they had the wrong phone number for me which I don't understand how that's possible but whatever. Guy acted odd trying to explain it. The cerakote is chipped off on the edges of the brake from when they tightened it down with a wrench I thought I was going to the right place. Every Google review is 5 stars (17 reviews). They just earned their first 2 star. I was gonna use them as my dealer on silencershop when I order a can in the next few days. Not now.

Did you bring that up with them? Were they not willing to fix it or discount you for the damage? I think most places would rather give you 50% or redo it than have poor reviews Google and the forums!

 

[FOS373]

I’m amazed you could get a ‘smith to do anything these days. I called / emailed 4 different ones and not a single call back. Bought a new gun instead......

 

[dieselchessy]

Something seems wrong. A decent brake runs $150 or so. Generally you’d pay $60 to $100 to have a barrel threaded.
But your paying $150 to have a barrel threaded, purchase a brake, and have it cerakoted, and installed?

What brand/model of brake?
Baked or non-bake cerakote?
Stainless barrel, or what metal treatment are they putting on the threaded section?

 

[MallardSX2]

Swing by and ask him whats going on. If he says he hasn't started it yet, get your money, take your gun somewhere else. Gunsmiths are a PITA...

 

[bradb]

I think when they say weeks they often mean years!!

 

[Hunt eat repeat]

Every gun smith in the country seems to be totally slammed all the time. I have never got anything back in a timely manner. If I need something done I drop it off right at the end of season hoping to hear from them before the next season roles around lol. But I would keep bugging him if he gave you a time line. Especially for a small project.

 

[Buffinnut]

Something seems wrong. A decent brake runs $150 or so. Generally you’d pay $60 to $100 to have a barrel threaded.
But your paying $150 to have a barrel threaded, purchase a brake, and have it cerakoted, and installed?

What brand/model of brake?
Baked or non-bake cerakote?
Stainless barrel, or what metal treatment are they putting on the threaded section?

This is an hour and a half from Phoenix and therefore a ton of smiths. Competition brings prices down. Other local place charges $60 to cut so the same as you quoted. So that leaves $90 for the brake. There are plenty of brakes out there for $90.
They supposedly make their own brakes. I didn't ask them to coat it and don't know anything about their process.
I showed up and gave them the barreled action and asked them to put a brake on it. They said that will be $150 and 2 weeks time max I said cool and left.
This place has the best Google reviews locally and one of the other places I called said they outsource gunsmithing work to these guys.
There were 3 guys working in there when I dropped it off and plenty of firearms/parts around.
A different local Smith called me back after I had already dropped off the action and quoted me $200. He's working out of his garage as a side hustle. Pretty comparable to the $150. Especially since high volume usually allows you to charge less.

 

[Buffinnut]

Did you bring that up with them? Were they not willing to fix it or discount you for the damage? I think most places would rather give you 50% or redo it than have poor reviews Google and the forums!

I wasnt interested in waiting any longer to get my rifle put together. I also believe In giving honest reviews and not being bribed into silence or lies.

 

[Buffinnut]

Just to make sure noone misses it

I called yesterday and they said the rifle was done and that they didn't have the correct phone number for me and had "tried to call me a couple times but got a weird message"

I paid them and left. Got home and found the brake was marked/coating chipped from them tightening it down.

Just want this back together so I can go practice so I proceeded to do a bedding job and am getting it assembled today. Hopefully I can shoot it in a day or two and see how the brake and bedding job do.

It's a cheap Remington 783 7mm rm but I got it as a gift from my father a few years ago and it's been a fun little project. I drilled the stock and bolted on an arca rail and bedded around the fasteners inside the stock. Gonna rattle can it as well.

Seemed to be a 1.5 moa gun before with Winchester power points (3" @200) didn't try any other ammo yet really. Hoping it shoots moa or better with 162 eldx or 168 berger hybrid hunters now.

Should be good enough to kill whatever I point it at at hunting ranges.

 

[Wrench]

I'd be suspicious of anyone who will chuck up a rifle in a lathe for anything for a $60 bill. The amount of time it takes to get dialed in true and layout a cut is already over that.

 

[ckrhtr]

The last “well known” gunsmith that I had dealings with told me 18 mos for a build and it took 36. I had asked for my money back and had no success. I finally started calling his house and leaving a message once a week. I finally got my rifle.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I just had a local guy cut off a 22 mag and thread it with a cap was $155
Was quoted 30 days think maybe it was 30-35

The custom i had built with a different builder was 90 and I think it was 92 days

 

[MallardSX2]

That's the thing about gunsmiths, they are slammed, but ask them about how broke they are....lol You would swear they only eat beans... Then you go to pay your bill and they tell you its $200 to drill and tap a rifle......There is maybe 1 hour of work involved in the entire process.

I went to school for machine tool technology and worked in the industry for several years....wish I would have been a gunsmith. I would have been good at it. I could thread a "prepped barrel" in a CNC lathe in 5 minutes....literally.

This is why I am a big advocate of buying factory guns. If you dont like the gun you have just sell it for another. Dont waste your time customizing a gun, it isn't worth the headache and the money when there are so many other options out there. (Or there was before the bird flu descended upon us)