Quality Gunsmith work question

[golfrj]

Well after 3 weeks of waiting I gave up on any of the big sight outfits emailing me back about sending my slide in for a front dovetail cut (GI 1911) and took the slide to a local gunsmith for the work..

He did the cut just fine in only about a week BUT I was disappointed when I picked it up that the cut was raw, he did'nt even put some cold blue on it.. For a $100 bill I felt maybe a Little cold blue was in order? Is this nomal gunsmithing? What say the Hive?

[ar15barrels]

It's normal to get exactly what is asked for.
If you didn't ask for bluing and he didn't do any bluing, that's normal.
If you asked for bluing and he did not do it, that's not normal.

[jericho89]

That is a tough one, I know of some that will and some that don't. When I asked them why they all go back to it should have been specified up front what you want, and that some people want the finish a certain way and unless specified they do not want to do anything wrong. I know it sucks and I have been there, and now I make sure to ask every question I can think of up front.

[kcstott]

Well after 3 weeks of waiting I gave up on any of the big sight outfits emailing me back about sending my slide in for a front dovetail cut (GI 1911) and took the slide to a local gunsmith for the work..

He did the cut just fine in only about a week BUT I was disappointed when I picked it up that the cut was raw, he did'nt even put some cold blue on it.. For a $100 bill I felt maybe a Little cold blue was in order? Is this nomal gunsmithing? What say the Hive?

Here's the deal

You asked the smith to cut the slide, He did and that what you asked for.

You should know that anytime a cutter is put to steel refinishing is in order.

Now you could have asked him to do it, He might have mentioned it to you but that's here nor there, he delivered exactly what you asked nothing more nothing less.

[valley82]

Did you discuss touching up the cut with bluing?

If you did then don't take anything else to him. (He can't follow directions)

If you did not then maybe next time discuss what you want before giving him the firearm to work on, or when picking the firearm up ask why he didn't touch up the area.

If a gunsmith touched up the finish with cold crap on a firearm of mine without discussing it first, I would be hard to get along with.

[valley82]

And 'ol is refraining from not answering your questions by answering....

[kcstott]

I've had gunsmiths botch the job, and demand payment. In your case, if he cut the dovetail cut straight, I'd be happy as heck and probably use his services again. $100.00 for good local service, no shipping charges, probably no tax because it's all labor. Not to mention the wait time probably wasn't too long. Unless you asked him to touch up the finish, be happy. Perhaps he wasn't aware of your intentions for the project, or your skill level. Again, I'd be happy he didn't botch the job. Good luck.

I think it's worse then that, Again we have a guy that can't do the work himself so he agrees to pay someone else then complains that they did it right.

Even waiting about a week was probably too long for this guy and it should have been done for free, while he waited.

oh and the gunsmith should have had the presence of mind to refinish his slide,

That is a little bit of sarcasm mixed with a lot of truth, to many people think they can just walk into a shop and get work done the same day. With no thought of who might be ahead of him. or the set up time, the hand work involved... No it's all about what they want and how fast they can get it.

Do i remember the good ol days of taking a rifle to Duncan's when Bob was there, he had such a back log a simple scope drill and tap took 14 months, and you didn't dare take it to someone else because they didn't exist, Duncan's was they place to go still is for the most part, back log now is only 4 months

[TATER313]

You got what you asked for, and at a good price. always discuss the expectations before hand.

[6mmintl]

Best policy is to write down what you want or expect, question what you know or think may be a problem and present that to the smith in writing.

After review/discussion, write down any verbal changes agreed too.

In some cases there are many ways (machining/fitting/finishing processes) to get to the finish line based upon assumptions, know what you want and communicate expectations.

[RandyD]

I have a different take. I am an attorney, and what keeps me in business is providing good customer service. When I was a new attorney, I had no experience and I just did the work requested, and I did not have a full understanding that the client may have undeclared desires, objectives, standards, ect. After 22 years of experience, I can now anticipate that the client may also want or need other service, and I discuss those options with the client prior to beginning any work.

In the OP's situation, I do not find the customer was at fault. He clearly did not anticipate that the service would leave visible bare and unblued metal. Instead, if the gunsmith was customer service oriented and he was also experienced, he should have anticipated this issue and discussed it with the customer and presented various solutions.

[golfrj]

I have a different take. I am an attorney, and what keeps me in business is providing good customer service. When I was a new attorney, I had no experience and I just did the work requested, and I did not have a full understanding that the client may have undeclared desires, objectives, standards, ect. After 22 years of experience, I can now anticipate that the client may also want or need other service, and I discuss those options with the client prior to beginning any work.

In the OP's situation, I do not find the customer was at fault. He clearly did not anticipate that the service would leave visible bare and unblued metal. Instead, if the gunsmith was customer service oriented and he was also experienced, he should have anticipated this issue and discussed it with the customer and presented various solutions.

You Sir get it.. The only reason that I asked for opinions is that I have previously sent in slides to sight manufacturers for dovetails (3 years ago) and they were always returned with the cut reblued.. I am at fault as I did not even think of asking..

[kcstott]

You Sir get it.. The only reason that I asked for opinions is that I have previously sent in slides to sight manufacturers for dovetails (3 years ago) and they were always returned with the cut reblued.. I am at fault as I did not even think of asking..

No we all get it, What Randy is saying is what I was getting at in my first post, He should have informed you of what to expect.

But to sit there and wonder if you should take stuff to him again well that a bit over board, If he screwed your slide up, screwed up the cut or something along those lines then yeah I'd never go back either. This is a minor deficiency in workmanship.

[thomashoward]

If he had blued it, my feeling is you would have complained about it. You got what you contracted for at a reasonable fee and he didn't try to up sell you.
now you know.

[ar15barrels]

I would never re-blue without a specific request because I don't know if the customer is planing to completely re-finish the gun after my metal work is done.
It would be a waste of effort to do re-finishing that was not requested.
A GI slide should be parkerized so the correct re-finish would be to blast and parkerize the whole slide.
I offer that service separately, but it's certainly not included in a dovetail job.

[Mayor McRifle]

I would never re-blue without a specific request because I don't know if the customer is planing to completely re-finish the gun after my metal work is done.

Couldn't you ask the customer?

OP, I would have expected my gunsmith to either blue the newly-exposed metal or to ask me whether I wanted it to be blued.