Help with a gunsmith.

[Smileguy]

Shipped over $4K in components to a fairly well known gunsmith outside of Pittsburgh. He's had some health issues, but has not responded to email/vm/text for months. What recourse do I have? Any advice other than showing up in person? Thanks.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

A well-known gunsmith should have a telephone number. Even if he doesn't answer, someone should. Your situation doesn't sound good to me.

 

[Justice1327]

I had a similar thing happened to me, but with pistols. I called the local sheriff and had them send someone out to inquire. Essentially, I told him that I had not heard from him after repeated phone calls and emails. I received my pistols back within one week. He did call me back and told me that his wife had had a heart attack and he had been helping her. I told him I understand but it shouldn't take months to call back or at least put an out of office message on your phone.

 

[Smileguy]

Yeah. As I said, he has a phone- I've left voicemail and text. Was responsive in the past, but dropped off the earth.

 

[YZEATER]

I'm near Pittsburgh. Maybe I can help?

 

[Smileguy]

'Smith is Dave Short
330 Livermore Road
Blairsville PA 15717
(724) 875-5000

 

[YZEATER]

i won't be out that way till february. if your still having issues hit me up then.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

That is a terrible feeling, i've been there too. Dude was going thru a divorce, custody battle & some other stuff I won't mention. Wouldn't return calls or texts for a couple months. I finally had to leave a VM about sending the law to collect my things. Remarkably, it wasn't but a few days later I get a call about my rifle being done.... odd....

Of course, it cost me quite a bit more to have another smith umm... basically rebuild it, but at that point I was through with the other dude & just chalked it up as experience.

I really hope you get your equipment back in a timely fashion.




t

 

[Jonoton]

I've been there as well. Calling the Sheriff and letting the guy know I'd done so was the only thing that got a response and my complete set of components, after 3 months of no response, following the first month of delays with communication maintained. Threats to call the Sheriff didn't work.

 

[Smileguy]

Thanks for the replies. Sent the certified letter and made calls to the local authorities.

 

[KyCarl]

Good Luck! not knowing is hard.

 

[Cigarcop]

Certainly not the first time I've heard this about the above mentioned.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Thanks for the replies. Sent the certified letter and made calls to the local authorities.

Best of luck man, honestly.

I do have to ask, being in Denver.... there are a LOT of excellent 'smiths a lot closer than Pittsburgh. Any specific reason you took that route?



t

 

[Smileguy]

I had used Greg Tannell for a 28N build in 2017 and was very happy. In early 2019, he was slammed and wasn't taking new work. Greg gave me the reference for a quicker turn around, so I reached out and felt pretty comfortable with it.
Well, that was 3 yrs ago…