How to rate my gunsmith.

[ChuckDizzle]

So I have a rifle in the shop having the barrel cut and recrowned. Decided to go with a local shop and do my part to support the local economy, feel warm and fuzzy, blah blah. It has been over a week and they said it might be done early next week. I feel like this shouldn't have taken so long, but it is my first time having any gun smith work done.

I plan on writing a review for their business upon completion, but I'm not sure if this thing is taking way too long or if I'm just impatient.

How fast of a turn around should I have expected?

[Carsgunsandchics]

Depends mostly on what they told you at the time of drop off. You might be 5th in line for work or 50th. Did you ask? Less than a month is pretty good unless they gave you a shorter timeline.

[NikePenguin]

How fast of a turn around should I have expected?

As fast as was promised. Did you ask for an estimated completion date?

The quality of work is way more important. If it comes back perfect, will you care that it took a little longer than you wanted? If the job took one day but looked like crap, would you praise the quick turn-around?

[redcliff]

Two weeks is not an unusual amount of time for a gunsmith in my experience for "normal" type gunsmith work. As mentioned it depends very much on the backlog at the shop.

Sometimes I've been lucky and received same day service on minor jobs while other times with high demand pistolsmiths I've waited over a year and was thankful the wait wasn't longer; some have 5 year back-logs.

[ChuckDizzle]

As fast as was promised. Did you ask for an estimated completion date?

The quality of work is way more important. If it comes back perfect, will you care that it took a little longer than you wanted? If the job took one day but looked like crap, would you praise the quick turn-around?

Agreed on that point. Kind of like the old pick two, "fast, cheap, or good?"

They said Thursday of this last week. So I'm a little bummed because I was hoping to go out and do rifle shooting this weekend.

I'm a little concerned because he quoted me 2 hours of labor at $55 an hour, called on Thursday so I could figure out my weekend plans and he said it was on his table. I'm hoping 2 hours of labor hasn't turned into 4.

[russ69]

That is very fast for good work. Six weeks or six months is the norm for good smiths, sometimes years....

[SoldierLife7]

When I lived back East, my go-to guy generally took 6 months to a year for just about any repair. If he is doing any refinishing after the cut and crown, he is probably going to work on several firearms and then do the finishing all at once.

On another note, I always ask what to expect when I drop something off. If they tell me a month, I don't start to worry about it until it's been there for about two days...then I get impatient


Relax and rate the work based off of the actual work completed.

[ChuckDizzle]

Relax waiting for my rifle back? You must be crazy! I was mainly concerned because when I asked about the job the guy was like "Yeah, just come in and drop it off, should take me two hours, go get some coffee next door."

[hcbr]

Relax waiting for my rifle back? You must be crazy! I was mainly concerned because when I asked about the job the guy was like "Yeah, just come in and drop it off, should take me two hours, go get some coffee next door."

This thread would of had different responses had you included that in your first post OP lol

In any case, wait till he calls you back. I'd inspect it their at the shop in case something was mishandled. If all looks clear go to the range immediately and test fire. If all works well, then something you don't have to worry about, and it was probably mismanagement of their time at the shop.

Either way, I agree with some folks, good smiths take their time. So don't raise the time bar so high and give it some slack to let them work, and hey, if you didn't like that guy , go somewhere else, many other smiths that will be willing to be more outfront and honest about their wait times

[SoldierLife7]

So I have a rifle in the shop having the barrel cut and recrowned. Decided to go with a local shop and do my part to support the local economy, feel warm and fuzzy, blah blah. It has been over a week and they said it might be done early next week. I feel like this shouldn't have taken so long, but it is my first time having any gun smith work done.

I plan on writing a review for their business upon completion, but I'm not sure if this thing is taking way too long or if I'm just impatient.

How fast of a turn around should I have expected?

Relax waiting for my rifle back? You must be crazy! I was mainly concerned because when I asked about the job the guy was like "Yeah, just come in and drop it off, should take me two hours, go get some coffee next door."

I'm confused. Which is it?

[ChuckDizzle]

I'm confused. Which is it?

So quote was the day before, then they said a week the next day when I was dropping off. Hope that clears it up.

[Twystd1]

2 weeks.....

Thats nothing for a good smith.

Relax. Have a drink. Call him in a couple of weeks.

-T

[SoldierLife7]

So quote was the day before, then they said a week the next day when I was dropping off. Hope that clears it up.

He probably said that it would only take a few hours because it usually only takes a few...That being said, he's probably backed up because of the holidays. A lot of businesses get backed up due to everyone wanting everything done by Christmas, and then everyone wanting Christmas presents worked on and such...

I would just ask the shop why it is taking longer than originally anticipated.

[Ninask]

Give me his contact
sounds very reasonable to me
N

[CRTguns]

cut and crown... unless the barrel needs to come off to fit in the lathe, should not take a full hour... and runs about $60-$80

If the barrel has to come off you might add 30-50 bucks.