Gunsmith Turnaround Time!

[PaulTX]

The gunsmith I use is good, but the turnaround time is a killer! I may be getting back an M1 Carbine that required a relatively small amount of work in a week or so that he's had since May 30th. Another problem is he usually tells you it will be a week or two when you bring in the work. So here it is 57 days later and it will probably we another 7-14 days.

Is your or most gunsmiths this loaded with work?

 

[dfariswheel]

The good ones are.

I think your 'smith just needs to develop better time estimation skills.

If you're told it'll be one week, and it runs to two, the 'smith should have a reasonable explanation.

If he tells you it'll be one or two weeks, and it's two months, the explanation BETTER include info on the heart attack, or near fatal injury he didn't plan on having.

All 'smiths run into problems that delay promised work. The good ones take that into account when they estimate the work time. Finish early, and people are thrilled. Underestimate, and they hate you.

There's more to being in business than just doing nice work.

 

[bountyhunter]

In Kali They Are

I can recall anytime I needed anything done, most had six month waiting lists just to take on work. The other thing is they will back burner little jobs to take bigger dollar jobs, so your job "that required a relatively small amount of work" may have gotten nerfed aside by other jobs that required a bunch of more expensive work. Business is business. Unless you put a cash penalty in for lateness, that's what they all do (especially home construction contractors and repar crews).

 

[PaulTX]

I definitely don't like to be told one due date and its not ready by then. If the need is not urgent, a small delay is not a problem - I try to be a reasonable person. I am a businessman and always try to be customer service oriented.

If I needed the carbine by a specific date for a specific purpose, was promised to have it by that date, and it wasn't ready - I would voice my displeasure!

I have experience with subcontractors going to the quickest dollar job and putting you on the back burner. I don't know if my smith is doing this, but I guess he could be going (at least somewhat) for the bigger, faster dollar.

Quality work, good service, and courtesy are becoming harder to find in these United States. When you do get really sharp service it's almost a surprise.

 

[Standing Wolf]

In my experience, most gunsmiths are lousy businessmen. I've never turned in a marketing, advertising, or public relations project late, above estimate, or sloppy, but lots of gunsmiths do it all the time. If they want repeat business from me, they don't.

 

[FJC]

Hehe, on my recent Commander job, when I dropped it off the gunsmith told me 2.5-3 weeks, then sent out for refinishing (another 1-2 weeks). I knew when she told me 3 weeks there was no way, given the other work she had lined up and the large amount of customization I was having done...

Just over 3 months later it was finished and ready to be picked up.

 

[Gun Plumber]

Slow Smith

You don't mention whether or not you needed parts ordered. I'm not saying this person isn't slower than molasses in Janurary, BUT if your job is held up while he waits on a given part, IT MAY NOT be (but probably is) his fault. Look for a good explanation or find another smith.

If I tell you it's going to be one week. IT WILL BE ONE WEEK. If I am unsure of a timeframe, I tell my customer least amount of time AND most amount of time (which I figure out by guessing how much time it SHOULD take, multiply that by 3 and that's my answer).

Hope it helps.

 

[Jim K]

Standing Wolf has it right. Most gunsmiths got into the business as an outgrowth of a hobby and never cared about the business aspect. When I am asked about going into the business, I start talking about taking a business course, complying with zoning laws, keeping books, making tax payments, getting capital, and so on. The questioner almost always says that he won't bother with "that crap", he just wants to work on guns. But if he doesn't bother with "that crap", he will fail in business and just might go to jail, not for violating a gun law, but for failing to observe other laws.

Believe me, more than a knowledge of guns and an FFL is needed to be in the gunsmith business. Worse, many do not even have the knowledge. Since gunsmith schools cost money, it is easier to hang out a shingle and gain knowledge by ruining customers' guns.

When I worked (primarily) as a pistolsmith in a general gunsmith shop, I tried to have the work out in a few days, provided I had the parts. In one case I had the work done before the guy left the shop, but I let him wait a couple of days to justify what I thought was a fair price for the job. But there are delays on complex jobs; no one would want a .45 accuracy job done in a big hurry.

Also, some parts and equipment suppliers give a discount for a large order, plus shipping eats you up on small orders. So the shop waits until they have a two hundred dollar order before sending it off. The customer waits and is told the parts are on order. Sure they are, and the order they are on is on the desk. He blames the delay on the parts place.

The customer is not always free of responsibility, either. When having a job done, know what you want. A few minutes getting things straight will pay off in not having the wrong thing done and having to do it over.

Do what you can yourself. At one shop, I asked the owner why he took in a shotgun that needed a box magazine, rather than just giving the customer the address of Gun Parts. He said he made a couple of bucks on the magazine and didn't really care if he kept the gun forever while he had it on order (see above). Needless to say, that guy had a lot of frustrated customers, a lot of very dusty guns in the rack, and a lot of paperwork he didn't need to do, all for a few bucks.

Jim

 

[PaulTX]

Gun Plumber - The gunsmith had all the parts, he just had to add a little work. I do have the carbine back now as I picked it up last Friday - after nearly 3 months. When I stopped to pick it up last Wednesday (when it was supposed to be done after calling him) and found it wasn't done I asked a few more questions. Apparently he doesn't work "first in - first out" as I assumed. There were a number of shotguns that took precedence over my job due to Dove season. [Now how did he know I wasn't going to shoot doves with the carbine?? ]

I asked the gunsmith to do 3 things:

1. Put a different front band/bayonet holder on - completed
2. Put on the rear sight - He put it on, but informed me it was bent, which I hadn't noticed and will now have to have removed so I can return it for another sight.
3. Adjust the hole in the SA receiver so I can put the trigger assembly pin in with out a hammer and punch - He used a hammer and punch to put the pin in for me. Now I still have this job to do.

Jim - What you say is very true about people with technical skills but no business knowledge or experience. I'm an accountant and businesman. I've seen this scenerio people with no business experience in more fields than gunsmithing!