Gunsmiths and prompt service

[Oceanbob]

In business school we learn about a Bell Curve in manufacturing and/ or personal service work.

If you're good and have more than enough business you're going to be behind in orders by default.

It's rare when time and production are in sync.

It doesn't take more than one glitch to set back a page of work orders.

Be patient.

[kmca]

Usually I don't mind waiting. I had one stock made that took over 6 months and another that took over a year. IMO, say you were getting different sights on a gun, you could leave a deposit, the gunsmith could call you when your "slot" has opened up, and you could get your gun to him/her. That way, you'd be out your gun only a week or two, instead of two or three months.

[Merc1138]

In business school we learn about a Bell Curve in manufacturing and/ or personal service work.

If you're good and have more than enough business you're going to be behind in orders by default.

It's rare when time and production are in sync.

It doesn't take more than one glitch to set back a page of work orders.

Be patient.

Well, there's another simpler saying that also applies to most gunsmith work.

Cheap, fast, good. Pick two.

The exception being the guys who do specialized work(like ar15barrels) and can get it done while you wait(or if it's just an upper that can be mailed, still fairly quickly).

[NOTABIKER]

if i was told it would not get started on for a while i would not have taken it their. now that it is their i will give them a chance to finish it without bothering them to often. but if 5-6 weeks go by and nothing i will pull it out of their.

[Merc1138]

if i was told it would not get started on for a while i would not have taken it their. now that it is their i will give them a chance to finish it without bothering them to often. but if 5-6 weeks go by and nothing i will pull it out of their.

Any gunsmith is going to tell you the same thing unless you're willing to pay more to jump ahead of every other project(for another customer) they're working on. Unless you send it to people like those that have already been mentioned a few times.

[NOTABIKER]

i was told a simple barrel change would be 100 dollars. if it required machining it would be more. that was fine. if he told me for a extra fee it would not sit their for 2-3 weeks i would have gone for the extra money. i am learning that proper service is not to be expected.

[zfields]

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.

I wish more people understood the concept of backlog.

sent from my damn tappy device...

[SB1964]

Service & turnaround time are not the same to me. I have a pistol at the 'smith right now. I expected to wait if I dropped it off & was asked to be patient. Based on the amount of business I've done, was told he'd get to it quicker than the others. I know my gun will be "tuned" & tested as he always does. 2 things about the quality 'smiths, they don't advertise & they're very busy!

[Merc1138]

i was told a simple barrel change would be 100 dollars. if it required machining it would be more. that was fine. if he told me for a extra fee it would not sit their for 2-3 weeks i would have gone for the extra money. i am learning that proper service is not to be expected.

But you didn't ask how much it would cost to have it done immediately. Why would a gunsmith want to tell you "oh sure, that'll be $100. but if you want it done as a rush job it'll be $500"? If they had everyone paying for the simpler stuff to be done ahead of the more complicated projects, then they'd never get the more complicated projects done for people who went to them first.

[madoka]

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

I wouldn't consider them "prompt" though.

Took over for them to install new sights on my Glock.

[navin r]

Well; Bain and Davis did some work for me same day, told me to come back a few hours later and it was done. I agree Randall at AR15 barrels is also great.