Gunsmith sight install nightmare

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gunner419

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Today I went to a “gunsmith” who came by all accounts highly rated and recommended. I recently purchased this CZ P-01 and ordered a set of Dawson Precision sights to install. This is something I would typically do myself but this time I decided to allow a professional to do it. The job took about an hour and the shock and anger I felt after seeing the finished product was indescribable. I had to go home and cool off before trying to talk to him about it.

He absolutely butchered the finish on my slide, flattened out the serrations, left bare metal sticking out of the rear sight dovetail(I’m assuming it’s either the slide itself or the sight peeling away), flattened the muzzle end of the front sight from hammer blows and didn’t even bother to fully insert the front sight roll pin. To top it all off he took a sharpie marker and tried to cover some of the stuff up. Now I have a wrecked P-01 with sharpie marker all over it.

He first offered me $50 to have the slide refinished, and then $80 after I told him my ruined sights were $80 alone! After I told him I needed the slide restored to the condition that it was in when I brought it to him along with a new set of sights he went dark and I haven’t heard from him. Am I wrong to be very upset about this? This gun was immaculate when I brought it in to him. This guy owes me at the very least a refinished slide and new sights and at most a new gun. See the pictures below and let me know what you think.

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OMG!! I am so sorry for your loss. That is completely inexcusable! Based upon his initial response, I'm betting this is going to end up in small claims court.

That joke of a gunsmith owes you a new pistol. At the least a new slide assembly plus compensation for sights, labor, and your wasted time.
 
Looks like the barrel bushing is damaged too.

I would expect him to:

1. Refund whatever he charged.
2. Pay for a new set of sights. I'd give him the damaged ones if he pays.
3. Pay for whatever it costs to ship the slide assembly to CZ USA.
4. Pay for whatever CZ charges to restore the slide assembly to new factory condition. My guess is that they will want to just sell you a new slide assembly. If they do, I'd give him the damaged one if he pays.

I think it's unlikely you'll get all that. Maybe 1 & 2 and some extra money to help a bit with 3 & 4.

Hope that at some point you can see your way clear to provide enough information to prevent anyone else from getting into the same situation.
 
gunner419 said:
Today I went to a “gunsmith” who came by all accounts highly rated and recommended. I recently purchased this CZ P-01 and ordered a set of Dawson Precision sights to install. This is something I would typically do myself but this time I decided to allow a professional to do it. The job took ab]
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DAMN! I would have to ask who was telling you this guy was a Smith? It sure as hell looks like the work was done by someone who would not know a Smith if he ran over one. I have to guess he did not have an actual shop? At this point small claims is probably they only way you will have any chance of getting anything back now. What a shame.
 
I would take him to small claims court.

There’s no excuse for this. Is the guy drunk on the job or does he have his kids doing his work for him?

You should get quotes from the gun maker and sight company for all the damaged parts and take his butt you court if he won’t make good on this.
 
Wow, that's is pathetic work, is he a blind man with no opposable thumbs with a 2lb sledge hammer and coal chisel? Because that is who I have pictured with what happened to your gun. Ridiculous.
 
Your "Professional Gunsmith" must not have known that the sight bases are are sent a little wide so they can be dressed down to fit the dovetails in the slide. Once fitted you shouldn't have to beat the hell out of them to get them to fit. Especially when they are held in place with a roll pin and a locking set screw. What an idiot.

Good luck. But I bet you end up in court.
 
ThomasT said:
....But I bet you end up in court.
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Well .... it may not be worth your while to file in small claims court. You'll probably win your claim, but given this guy's behavior so far, collecting on your judgment may be something else entirely. You picked him based on word-of-mouth reputation. It might give you greater emotional satisfaction, if not monetary, to make sure your own opinion of his reputation gets circulated in your local shooting community.
 
I am a formally trained gunsmith and have done many sight installs. This guy is a hack and it looks like he didn’t even have the presence of mind to pad the vise jaws, let alone fit the sights properly before installing them. The only marks I find acceptable when installing sights are made from a brass punch which are easily removed with copper solvent. I would go the route of the attorney first if you have one. You could also get your local paper involved to turn up the heat on this poor excuse for a gunsmith. I am sorry to hear about your experience. Hopefully CZ can get it straightened out for you.
 
and i thought i did the most horrrrible job on my pcr sight replacement with tfx sights. at least mine had been bought used yrs ago with some marks to the finish on the slide previously. me marring up the slide didn't hurt so much. this was from the brass punch mushrooming and the sharp edges cut the finish. the damage happened while removing the original sight(set screw already backed out). i bought a sight pusher after this. 20201117_134637_copy_1008x567.jpg
 
I just don’t get how something so basic could get so royally screwed up.

I could get a lot of business and have a ton of happy customers if I decided to go all in on gunsmithing.

I don’t want to be poor though.

I have come to regard all the so called service professionals in this life pretty low. All of them. Even if they have a good reputation. Reviews and recommendations are like the news anymore. You just cannot believe it. If I am not doing it myself, I am taking a major risk anymore.
 
Go on social media and tell everyone who will listen. Google review, attorney, word of mouth, hell one could picket the place of business, a call to BBB, if you found him on a forum post his handy work, let him know you aren't just going to go away. Good luck amd let us know when everything is worked out.
 
Alcohol and gun repairs don't mix!

I had a similar experience with a simple sight install on a 1911. What could go wrong!
I had the gun repaired and went back to show the guy what it was supposed to look light. Business closed!
The guy owes you a new slide or else unleash social media!
 
gunner419 said:
Today I went to a “gunsmith” who came by all accounts highly rated and recommended. I recently purchased this CZ P-01 and ordered a set of Dawson Precision sights to install. This is something I would typically do myself but this time I decided to allow a professional to do it.
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i think you should talk to the person or people who "highly rated and recommended this butcher"

if this means that we should all buy a generic sight tool, so be it.

the range i go to, recommends a gunsmith, and i have checked out his ratings. the gun range employee's have used him as well.(he is indeed an actual licensed gunsmith)

to me, that is the kind of recommendation i'd listen to, then "try him out", by giving him the most uncomplicated job.

also did you have pictures of your gun, BEFORE he worked on it?

that "might" have some proof of the condition before you hired him.

also, does he have an actual shop, complete with a sheepskin (diploma or certificate) hanging on the wall?

he could argue in court, that "he told you" replacing sights can be difficult and scratches can happen,,and that you were told.

in other words, "your word against his", especially without prior pictures.

i think that maybe you should send out the slide to CZ, have them fix it, pay the bill, THEN go to court.

and hope he actually pays, otherwise, how many times are you willing to go to court (if the courts are even open) due to covid shut downs?

either way, i think you're gonna end up paying.

but now you can "make him pay", by spreading the word of truth about his INABILITY to do the work.

i wish you al the best.
 
Be sure to keep detailed records of times and dates you try to contact him. If he won't buy you a new slide and sights just go to small claims court. You do have to give him a chance to make it right at least here that's the law. If you paid by credit card and he doesn't make things right contact your card company. With the pics they will happily back charge your card. Best of luck. I also would have been dumbfounded and would have needed to cool off before I talked to the guy. Then again I may have gone off right there.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I finally after some fairly heated discussion and fact based reasoning got them to pony up. I sold them the damaged pistol for full price and went to my local shop and picked up a new one. Since I got them to pay for a new gun I ate the cost for a replacement set of sights. This ended up working out in the end but if you live in the Toledo, OH area be wary of any work you want to give him. He's a small operation running out of the basement of his house called Old Trooper Gunsmiths.

That being said I'm open to suggestions for a truly professional sight install. I know Cajun Gunworks will do it, possibly even Dawson Precision themselves but I don't want to sit around and wait 4-6 weeks to get the gun back.
 
Trey Veston said:
OMG!! I am so sorry for your loss. That is completely inexcusable! Based upon his initial response, I'm betting this is going to end up in small claims court.

That joke of a gunsmith owes you a new pistol. At the least a new slide assembly plus compensation for sights, labor, and your wasted time.
Click to expand...

I ended up getting him to pay the full price for a new pistol.
 
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