Gunsmiths

[buckhorn_cortez]

Where I live there is ONE gunsmith you can trust to do quality work and exactly what needs to be done. His backlog varies by complexity of what needs to be done. Changing sights - 3 weeks. Anything more complex 3-4 months. He gives you a date and calls either 1 week early or exactly the time he has given you.

He has so much work, you just have to "take a number and get in line." The only exception he makes on delivery times is emergencies. We had the National Police Shooting Championships earlier this year and a person from Germany had a problem with a gun - he fixed the gun in one day so the person could continue with the competition.

 

[Potatohead]

I think it's one of those deals where they are good at fixing guns, but running a business, not so much. Their are a few other occupations that I can think of that are the same way but I will refrain from mentioning them here in order not to offend. (Do I get points from the moderators for that?)

 

[zorro45]

My local smith has numerous signs in his shop that basically say if you call and badger him he will just tell you to come and pick up your gun and have the work done elsewhere. When he gets it done the work is great and the price honestly is much lower than I would expect. One problem is that we are asking the gunsmith to work on something whose value to us may be mostly sentimental, but its true value in the open marketplace is not so much. Then we complain if the price is too high, but pay it anyway, because a non-functioning gun is worthless. When you consider what is at stake (peoples' lives, or the success of their expensive hunting trip, or the continued pleasure at the range) and also figure in the capital investment to really be a full-service smith, and the fact that we all blab to each other and if the work isn't just right word will soon spread, it is hard to see how anyone would want to do this. The gunsmith does keep 2A alive for us by keeping our precious guns in working order from generation to generation. So thanks to the gunsmiths out there.

 

[Joespapa]

Seems to me in the somewhat limited dealings I've had with that particular profession is that the "nice guys" quality of work usually doesn't match his demeanor and the a**hat's work is usually superior........wonder what the reason for that is?

 

[Wolfgang james]

I was a fabricator at a small shop and there was a back log for my work. If you wanted it fast and cheap one of the other guys got on it in a day or two but if you were looking for a highre quality job then price and time frame went out the window. Ill get to it in a few weeks when your work order hits the top of my pile. You will get what you pay for and good things come to those who wait. When I heard I need it ... the first thing I asked was why did you wait til ... before to come in?