How Much $s did you pay or would you pay for a Custom Chambering in your rifle???

[biff's reloading]

Actually, I looked again. He was threading between centers, then fed the reamer into the barrel locked into the headstock.

Fred Zeglin doing the work…

Good guy doing good work on nice machines in a clean shop. When you step in the mans place of work and see something that looks like that video, and find a man who speaks to you like you matter and is happy to take the time to answer every question you have and show you his work... dont bother asking him what he charges, just leave your gun on his counter and your # in his book.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Good guy doing good work on nice machines in a clean shop. When you step in the mans place of work and see something that looks like that video, and find a man who speaks to you like you matter and is happy to take the time to answer every question you have and show you his work

This is the key. I know there is something proprietary about what each gunsmith does, but…
-treat me fair
-talk to me like you are selling me your skills
-show me you know how the guns work, how to do the machine work, how to do the hand work (some guys know it all…lock, stock and barrel…others just machine things)
-talk to me like I can understand you
-answer my questions without fear of offending me
-show me you know what 5s and efficiency are in shop pictures, video, workflow
-handle my product with respect

and I'll pay what you ask. Do it everytime and you will have a customer for life!

 

[Mcranch]

I am paying $525 to have my barrel blank threaded as a pre-fit, chambered in 300 win with their reamer, threaded at the muzzle and cerakoted.

I do the exact same thing when it comes to buying components, except now I have taken it one step further and moved to trying a prefit barrel for my new terminus Kratos lite that should be coming soon. I find it enjoyable and rewarding to assemble my own rifle.

Who is chambering your prefits? It cost me 685 for a chambering muzzle threaded cerakote job with my JGS reamer supplied.

 

[Litehiker]

I want a 22" octagonal barrel in 6.5 CM put on my current 308 Savage 99 lever gun.
The gunsmith services I need:
1.) square cut threads cut at breech to insert barrel into receiver (squared threads were a Savage thing on 99 models.)
2.) chambering and head spacing for 6.5 Creedmoor
3.) cut octagonal barrel flats
4.) cuts for front and rear iron sight dovetails on barrel
5.) satin black nitride barrel finish
6.) square ("true") bolt face
All this on a 6.5 Bartlein 5R barrel with 1:7.5 right twist
The rile will be sent to Weineg to have a custom stock put on.

I'm hoping to keep the labor to $800. or no more than $1,000. Hope I'm not dreaming. This rifle has a remarkably good trigger. I have used NECO fine grit fire lapping paste to evenly mate the rear of the bolt to the receiver with no high spots as were previously existing. This is so the bolt face can be trued properly.
Also I'll have Wieneg make a nearly matching stock for my RUGER 96/22 mag. which already has a Green River octagonal barrel. Then I'l have a "big brother & little brother" rifle pair with identical actions and levers because RUGER made the 96/22 series to mimic the 99 action and lever style, complete with brass cocking indicator pin.
Eric B.

 

[WildRose]

There used to be a page in Brownells catalog that gave average shop rates for various jobs. I haven't used their catalog in years, just order on-line if I want something . As for the fixed price industry wide, with the huge variation in skill levels, gunsmith to gunsmith, I don't see that happening. The overhead from 'smith to 'smith might vary some, depends on a lot of things. The skill level is what you're paying for. The 'skill' is not universal where all know and can do the same things. Also, it matters what part of the country you are in. Prices in places like California and New York are bound to be higher. The demand for the shops services makes a difference, too. When you start telling me how much I should or shouldn't be charging you're entering a different system than capitalism. Think about it, this forum operates because of capitalism.

I've found in business that your customers will tell you what your services are or aren't worth. If you're backed up six months or a year, you're not charging too much, if you can't get any business at all you're charging more than you're worth.

In the end it's up to every smith to set their rates where they feel like they are getting a fair price for their work.

 

[WildRose]

This is the key. I know there is something proprietary about what each gunsmith does, but…
-treat me fair
-talk to me like you are selling me your skills
-show me you know how the guns work, how to do the machine work, how to do the hand work (some guys know it all…lock, stock and barrel…others just machine things)
-talk to me like I can understand you
-answer my questions without fear of offending me
-show me you know what 5s and efficiency are in shop pictures, video, workflow
-handle my product with respect

and I'll pay what you ask. Do it everytime and you will have a customer for life!

We had a guy here locally for about 40 years or more that was absolutely brilliant and built some of the finest shooting guns every made in the US.

He was also a snotty, condescending *** and utterly insufferable to be around for the last twenty years or so he was in business and never could figure out why his business died off with his friends.

My family was in small business for several generations, the first thing I learned was, "Treat everyone that walks through your door like your very best customer and you'll never have a bad year".

The older I get the smarter my Grandparents were.

 

[shortgrass]

I've found in business that your customers will tell you what your services are or aren't worth. If you're backed up six months or a year, you're not charging too much, if you can't get any business at all you're charging more than you're worth.

In the end it's up to every smith to set their rates where they feel like they are getting a fair price for their work.

As I recall, that page in Brownells catalog was a survey of what gunsmiths were/are charging for their work. Posted that in response of the Blue Book comment made in a previous post. Blue Book is an average of used car/truck prices, that page in the Brownells catalog is just that, an average of labor rates for variety of tasks. Myself, I do a lot of work others can't do or don't want to do and charge accordingly and only take in work I'm interested in to begin with. I haven't advertised in many years. Always seem to have more than what I feel I can do in a timely manner, but the majority are willing to wait. I try not to male 'um wait too long! Maybe the Shadow Tracker should have looked at the Brownells catalog as it shows about the same min. and max. for what has been posted so far, in this thread. Many don't charge enough for their work, as it's more or less a hobby , and there are others who are way too 'proud' of their work. Ya' gotta' find your place in the market to survive and prosper.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

First thanks for serving our country. Glad you are on the mend.

I have not read past your opening post. The first thing that came to mind was this…
Becoming a barrel dealer would seem to fit right into this. Do you plan on or would you consider that as a future option?

We may. Being a Barrel Dealer means that you have to put up a lot of equity to keep barrels in stock. There are so many different barrel Blanks and barrel manufacture along with calibers. Years ago I could call a manufacture and ask for a barrel blank in a certain caliber and profile and get is within in days or a week or two. Now There are so many large Retailers & Gunsmiths that getting a barrel from a manufacture is three months to a year. A small shop that does quality work has a hard time putting up $25-50K so a small inventory of barrels. That another reason why it takes so long for a GS to make you a custom rifle. It's not because you are at the end of a waiting list for a barrel to be turned on a lathe. It's because the GS can't get the parts needed.
We have over a dozen barrels sidelined just for our own shooting rifles for comp.
You will see a new tend now when someone needs a rifle chambered the person buys the barrel, the action, the brake they want. They are even purchasing the Reamer they want whether it is a SAAMI, Wildcat or Custom Match. They do all this because if the have these components and give to a Good GS, they can most likey have their rifle chambered rather fast. They also have the mindset that their chamber will be cut with a NEW reamer and not have to be worried or concerned that the Reamer used by the GS hasn't already do 40 -50 barrels, cut.

Thanks
Len

 

[AkBirder300]

Who is chambering your prefits? It cost me 685 for a chambering muzzle threaded cerakote job with my JGS reamer supplied.

Greg Young at Southern Precision, aka bugholes.com.
He was highly recommended by Joel which was enough for me. Joel has even put a few posts here on prefits he has used from them with some incredible results.

I figure if the designer of the action uses him they must be doing something right! Greg was awesome to talk to and patiently walked me through the details of both 300 Win reamers he has on hand with me to help me decide which one I wanted him to use. I shipped my blank to him yesterday and expect to have it back in about 9 weeks. Way shorter than what my local smith quoted me (6-8 months!) and less expensive too.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I want a 22" octagonal barrel in 6.5 CM put on my current 308 Savage 99 lever gun.
The gunsmith services I need:
1.) square threads cut at breech to insert barrel into receiver (square threads wee a Savage thing on 99 models.)
2.) chambering and head spacing for 6.5 Creedmoor
3.) cut octagonal barrel flats
4.) cuts for front and rear iron sights on barrel
5.) satin black nitride barrel finish
6.) square ("true") bolt face
All this on a 6.5 Bartlein 5R barrel with 1:7.5 right twist
The rile will be sent to Weineg have a custom stock put on.

I'm hoping to keep the labor to $800. or no more than $1,000. Hope I'm not dreaming. This rifle has a remarkably good trigger. I have used NECO fine grit fire lapping paste to evenly mate the rear of the bolt to the receiver with no high spots as were previously existing. This is so the bolt face can be trued properly.
Also I'll have Wieneg make a nearly matching stock for my RUGER 96/22 mag. which already has a Green River octagonal barrel. Then I'l have a "big brother & little brother" rifle pair with identical actions and levers because RUGER made the 96/22 series to mimic the 99 action and lever style, complete with brass cocking indicator pin.
Eric B.

Eric:
Sounds like a FANTASTIC Project and the person doing the work will be a craftsman. Nice rile when finished. May father had a 300 Savage in the Model 99 Lever.
Didn't you try this back in 2014?
There was a Member on LRH sometime last year that did a GREAT job on making an octagonal barrel on a mill for a I think a Sharps reproduction 45-70.
I'll see if I can find him and pass the info on. I couldn't take on a project like this for at least a year.
Thanks
Len & Jill

 

[Litehiker]

"Coyote", I'm having Bentwod Gunsmithing here in 'Vegas do this work IF they have time between government contracts. Gotta see their pricing but theses a "science project" I've wanted for years and now finally have the disposable income for a first rate build.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

"Coyote", I'm having Bentwod Gunsmithing here in 'Vegas do this work IF they have time between government contracts. Gotta see their pricing but theses a "science project" I've wanted for years and now finally have the disposable income for a first rate build.

Eric
Keep us all posted this build. Will look great when done. I can't yet find the member that made his own Octagonal barrel from round blank on a mill. You can also get a Octagonal Barrel Blank from some manufactures.
I am putting a power feed and lift on my G0759 Mill this week and when I have time will make a Octagonal barrel for fun (when I get time).
Thanks
Len

 

[shortgrass]

"Coyote", I'm having Bentwod Gunsmithing here in 'Vegas do this work IF they have time between government contracts. Gotta see their pricing but theses a "science project" I've wanted for years and now finally have the disposable income for a first rate build.

www.matrixgunsmithing.com/integrel-barrels is now making octagon barrels with integral sight bases and ribs.

 

[tobnpr]

Actually, I looked again. He was threading between centers, then fed the reamer into the barrel locked into the headstock.

Interesting that he switched it to the TBAS to chamber after cutting/threading the tenon between centers.
Why not just start that way? Skim cut the breech cylinder between centers, then chuck it up and go from there.
I'm not getting the "why" for that, but I'm sure he has a reason I'm not considering.