Gunsmiths and prompt service

[NOTABIKER]

I recently took my rifle to have a barrel changed [ i have the barrel ]. I was told they would get to it in about 3-4 days. I called in 8 days and was told they had 2 ahead of me and they would let me know in a few days. that was another week. i am in no big hurry and i will not say who it is because i have a feeling this is SOP in this industry. i am surprised in this day and age you can still get away with poor service. In the end if they do a good job i will accept it and move on. In my business [ auto repair ] you better have the car fixed on time, on budget and fixed properly or you will find yourself out of business fast.

[SMarquez]

Lots of times they are one man shops. I've never had anything done that wasn't 3 weeks minimum. I had a barrel installed and head space checked and it was 5 months due to back-up. You kinda get in line and wait it out.

[hellayella]

AR15barrels and buellster can help u with AK stuff

[navin r]

I've had great service at Bain & Davis in San Gabriel.

[NOTABIKER]

it is a mauser 1918 kar 98a dansig. i want it right and they come highly recommended. at least 3 people work their.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

It is pretty much SOP, at least around here where gunsmiths are few on the ground. I'd settle for a realistic estimate - as long as I know how long it's going to be, I won't be getting antsy. Keep me in the dark, though, or worse yet lie to me as a stock maker recently did, and I'm done with that one.

[jonzer77]

I recently took my rifle to have a barrel changed [ i have the barrel ]. I was told they would get to it in about 3-4 days. I called in 8 days and was told they had 2 ahead of me and they would let me know in a few days. that was another week. i am in no big hurry and i will not say who it is because i have a feeling this is SOP in this industry. i am surprised in this day and age you can still get away with poor service. In the end if they do a good job i will accept it and move on. In my business [ auto repair ] you better have the car fixed on time, on budget and fixed properly or you will find yourself out of business fast.

If you find a good gunsmith then you can expect a wait because he will be busy with work. The comparison with auto repair doesn't really work because there are very few gunsmiths out there compared to auto mechanics.

[NOTABIKER]

If you find a good gunsmith then you can expect a wait because he will be busy with work. The comparison with auto repair doesn't really work because there are very few gunsmiths out there compared to auto mechanics.

tell me about it i got in the wrong line of work 40 years ago. A shop on every corner today.

[jonzer77]

tell me about it i got in the wrong line of work 40 years ago. A shop on every corner today.

I should add that there may be quite a few gunsmiths out there but few that I would actually trust lol.

[BigPimping]

If you find a good gunsmith then you can expect a wait because he will be busy with work. The comparison with auto repair doesn't really work because there are very few gunsmiths out there compared to auto mechanics.

Very, very true.

[Merc1138]

Yes, it's normal. Yes, good gunsmiths are busy. If it was urgent, you could have asked how much it would cost to get it done quicker(be prepared to start dropping benjamins like they're going out of style).

There are of course some gunsmiths that might be able to get a barrel swapped faster, but... odds are that gunsmith is extremely limited in the scope of what he does and isn't fitting your job in between 1 guy wanting front strap checkering on a 1911, and someone else needing stock repair and bedding on a rifle with 5 other totally random guns waiting for trigger jobs, and a half dozen other projects lying around waiting for parts.

A key difference between an auto shop and a gunsmith, is that odds are most people need their car ASAP and can't wait weeks/months. Spending a few extra days on someone's gun isn't going to prevent them from getting to work. Plus of course, as already mentioned, how many gunsmiths are out there compared to auto mechanics? Does custom auto work get done overnight? I'm not talking about the typical changing out a water pump, replacing a tensioner pulley, etc. stuff. If I call your shop and say I want my 2005 chevy malibu(no, I wouldn't actually drive a malibu) dropped 3 inches with a specific suspension setup and the body has to be made to look right with it, oh and put in a sunroof, and repaint the whole car with none of that sloppy pop the hood and see the old color stuff, are you getting that done overnight? Hell no. Now sure there's gonna be a budget, and it had better work. But can I demand all of that in a week and still pay normal rates? Nope.

Heck, it could be "worse". There are gunsmiths out there with wait times starting at 12 months(and more in some instances). For something as "simple" as a barrel swap, there are indeed people who can do it while you wait, without charging up the wazoo, but they aren't common. ar15barrels comes to mind, but there are probably others around too.

[skosh69]

If you find a good gunsmith then you can expect a wait because he will be busy with work. The comparison with auto repair doesn't really work because there are very few gunsmiths out there compared to auto mechanics.

This^^^^

[NOTABIKER]

Good replies all thanks.

[Tri750]

And, like when dealing with a custom painter, NEVER tell them "no hurry".

[swift]

AR15barrels and buellster can help u with AK stuff

AR15barrels spent several hours cutting the ends off an old R700 barrel and rechambering it while I waited. Pleased with the work and the price.