Gunsmith 'lost' my muzzle brake

[Rottentofu]

Took my AR to local gunsmith for barrel nut removal and handrail installation. I couldn't remove the barrel nut so I asked him for help. Before I brought the upper to his shop I removed the muzzle brake. It's a pretty expensive muzzle brake, around $80 worth. I put the muzzle brake in a ziplock bag and put it with the upper, hoping the gunsmith would help me install the brake after he install the handguard.

The gunsmith is a trustworthy person. He is also a FFL. I have done many transactions with him in the past. So I trust him.

When I picked up my upper today, I noticed the muzzle brake not installed and not in my gunbag. I asked the gunsmith and he claimed to never seen the muzzle brake.

I am inclined to believe him, but I also found it hard to believe that he would miss something as large as a muzzle brake, and it's a pretty big muzzle brake. The gunsmith also have a few staff helpers.

I'm not sure what to do now. I would hate to accuse him of anything as we have built a good relationship over the year, but I also hate losing my favorite muzzle brake. Am I SOL?

[Condorguns]

How did you attached the break in the bag to your firearm? Did you have him note the loose part on the initial gunsmith tag?

[SkyHawk]

I have a rule, goes something like this: never take or leave any superfluous items at the FFL or Gunsmith. Ever.

[Rottentofu]

How did you attached the break in the bag to your firearm? Did you have him note the loose part on the initial gunsmith tag?

I admit, that was my mistake. I did not have him note the muzzle brake.

[Condorguns]

Ouch... Hopefully he finds it. Things like muzzle breaks have a tendency to wander way and you find them a month later behind an old rifle case.

When I was still doing lots of gunsmithing I would note every part, mags included on the receipt. I also would ask you to take everything home not need for the repair extra mags, cases, adjustment tools.

It is so easy to have parts wander when you have a high volume of firearms crossing your benches, and anything not zip locked to the firearm could be lost before it even got to me.

I hope you get it back.

[The Gleam]

This week's depressing story about gun smiths losing things that are thought to not be loseable. Seems to be happening way too often lately.

What happened to the days of a customer's project getting it's own dedicated box/container for each and ever project?

[mossy]

this is why i work on guns myself and don't go to gunsmiths. the break probably fell out of the bag at some point and is on the shop floor under a table or something.

[Hot Holster]

I would go to the shop when the person who wrote up your repair order is working and ask him/her to give the area a going over to look for the brake. My guess would be that the bag with the brake was set on a shelf or set aside and since the gunsmith didn't know about it, you didn't ask the right person.