Had an ambi safety installed, and got this instead

[Scottso]

Took my Les Baer in hard chrome to have an ambi safety fitted and installed. Ordered from Les Baer, had them chrome it for me so everything matched. Gunsmith calls me yesterday, go check it out, it's harder than hell to engage or disengage, terrible. He says you don't want too loose. I said I can't get it to engage with left thumb, what good is it? So he said to leave it. Get a call in an hour, come get it. I don't know what they did, but Gun is dripping of some lube, worked a little better, cut my losses.
I get home, start manipulating the safety, it's hit or miss, smooth for a bit, then tough as hell
I then notice under left safety, frames starting to show scratches. Stop that, and remove safety, to my shock, find this damned mess! Gun was pristine, owned for 10 years, not a mark, now this.
I don't know what they used on this but I have never gotten a firearm back in worse condition than I left it.
I don't know if red rouge would polish it out. Afraid to try as may make worse. Trying to contact the butcher but holiday weekend so may have to wait til Monday.
Thoughts, suggestions, showed a friend who worked on guns, he says it needs a refinish in his opinion, I don't know if this guys gonna admit to damage.
Wish me luck

 

[L2land]

that looks a bit deeper than what will polish out. I'd be irate and then put on a nice face when I told the gunsmith he just bought an expensive 1911.

 

[sedancowboy]

The safety should have been fitted before hard chrome plating. Looks like the safety was not deburred before hard chrome plating. The gouging is from hard chrome against hard chrome. Typically the portion of the safety that rides on the detent needs to be rounded and smoothed to make a smooth operating ambi safety.

 

[ShtrRdy]

What does the back of the safety look like? The side that rubs against the frame?

 

[Scottso]

The safety should have been fitted before hard chrome plating. Looks like the safety was not deburred before hard chrome plating. The gouging is from hard chrome against hard chrome. Typically the portion of the safety that rides on the detent needs to be rounded and smoothed to make a smooth operating ambi safety.

He never touched that, just the inner parts

 

[Scottso]

What does the back of the safety look like? The side that rubs against the frame?

It was a little rough, he never touched it to polish down

 

[Scottso]

that looks a bit deeper than what will polish out. I'd be irate and then put on a nice face when I told the gunsmith he just bought an expensive 1911.

My fear, my first handgun, and now butchered, sick to my stomach

 

[L2land]

Did it do that to both sides of the frame? Not a rhetorical question but is that frame chromed for sure or is it just stainless? Chrome against SS would be a problem but even then it seems like the plating had to be rough and there are or were fit issues. That's a bummer on your first 1911.

 

[Scottso]

Did it do that to both sides of the frame? Not a rhetorical question but is that frame chromed for sure or is it just stainless? Chrome against SS would be a problem but even then it seems like the plating had to be rough and there are or were fit issues. That's a bummer on your first 1911.

No, other side is fine, when I removed safety, the inside against frame was rough in spots, as was the front where the detent slides on. It's HC pistol and Les Baer HC the safety before sending

 

[sedancowboy]

He never touched that, just the inner parts

The corner next to your thumb should have been rounded and polished for a smooth functioning safety. However the hard chrome plating makes it difficult to fit and polish. The frame is not a total loss but would have to be stripped, polished and rechromed to make it look new again.
I feel for you man. I have several Ed Brown 1911s and I would cry if someone had butchered one of them like that.
If you're gunsmith ( loose term for sure) did this then he is probably not the one to fix it.

 

[Scottso]

Well, went smoother than I thought, took back, showed the damage, he asked what I wanted done, said back to Baer, rechromed, and THEY install safety
Off to Baer Monday. Funny thing, wouldn't even look me in the eye, was expecting pushback, thankfully went better than expected
appreciate the advise and comments, thanks, stomachs starting to settle down a bit

 

[Scottso]

The corner next to your thumb should have been rounded and polished for a smooth functioning safety. However the hard chrome plating makes it difficult to fit and polish. The frame is not a total loss but would have to be stripped, polished and rechromed to make it look new again.
I feel for you man. I have several Ed Brown 1911s and I would cry if someone had butchered one of them like that.
If you're gunsmith ( loose term for sure) did this then he is probably not the one to fix it.

He's fixing issue, by sending to Baer and having them fix it on his dime, won't let him touch another of my firearms! And crying was close lol

 

[ShtrRdy]

Sounds like you have a plan for correction. I would have blamed Baer for not prepping the safety before HC.

You brought the pistol and an ambi safety to the gunsmith to have installed. I'd say he only had a limited responsibility on the outcome. He probably wouldn't accept work for you in the future anyway.

if the chrome has to be removed before it is redone the whole pistol could come back worse looking.

 

[Scottso]

Sounds like you have a plan for correction. I would have blamed Baer for not prepping the safety before HC.

if the chrome has to be removed before it is redone the whole pistol could come back worse looking.

Going to have it replated, proper procedure is to strip and re chrome if my metallurgy memory serves me well, will be done in factory so hoping the engraving and stamps don't lose definition, but what is recourse? A new pistol? I know he won't do that. And why blame Baer, curios, they sent it out to be chromed, polishing and fitting is on installer no? I'd have checked for high spots, or rough finish before installing if were I, this guy did neither, so blame all around, as long as it's made right by me.
Either way out of my hands now until Baer sees it and says what they'll do. In hindsight. Always 20/20, shouldve just sent to Baer in first place
What would you suggest? Thanks