Rant about gunsmiths

[Blueman]

With a prefit barrel..... ( barrel nut )..... you dont need a lathe.....

Proof won't make Remington pre-fits anymore. I've done 4 other criterion remage build myself. for this rifle I'd like a shouldered barrel

 

[Handymike]

Sorry for the rant, but why is it sooooGD hard to find a smith and have them work on you stuff. I talked to a well known smith today and the guy really rubs me the wrong way. He will "only work on new rifle builds". I have all the parts that would go together perfectly, but he won't do it. He , "makes moldy of his money on parts" seems like a rip off to me. I've talked to other smiths and each and everyone has their little quirks. Is my money not green or worthy? I just don't understand. Rant over

It's not just gunsmiths. I have a home repair business, every day I get people who have purchased their own materials, doors, windows, garbage disposals, faucet sets, who want me to install them.
I do not know if they have purchased the correct item for the job, the right size, all the additional parts needed to do the job, etc.
Most will not pay me for my time to go to a supply house to get the correct stuff to use their items. So I pass on the job.
Mechanics are the same deal. We are in business to earn a living for our families. There are many gunsmiths who do the mundane work of repairing or refurbishing our firearms. Find a good local guy (or girl), and see what they say. Remember the "big name guys" get the big bux and can be choosy.
Mike

 

[ShtrRdy]

I asked him if could get a custom action from this the particular smith and he still said no. He said he , "makes most of him money off parts" which is precisely why I've bought them myself. I'm not looking to fill someone's pockets

Find someone else then. As far as your cost for parts go it'll be close to the same. He gets to buy them for a wholesale price and charge you retail or you buy the part for retail.

 

[bdlesh]

It's not just gunsmiths. I have a home repair business, every day I get people who have purchased their own materials, doors, windows, garbage disposals, faucet sets, who want me to install them.
I do not know if they have purchased the correct item for the job, the right size, all the additional parts needed to do the job, etc.
Most will not pay me for my time to go to a supply house to get the correct stuff to use their items. So I pass on the job.
Mechanics are the same deal. We are in business to earn a living for our families. There are many gunsmiths who do the mundane work of repairing or refurbishing our firearms. Find a good local guy (or girl), and see what they say. Remember the "big name guys" get the big bux and can be choosy.
Mike

I too do home remodeling and have the same issues. One customer gave me the paint for the room and then complained that it wasn't the color she wanted. She thought we should repaint the wall " the right color" for free and buy the paint. Yeah....that didn't happen. I get all the time, we will get all the material to save money. That last a couple days when they have to take off work to get materials during the day or every evening when they get home. Same goes for painting. Usually Saturday afternoon they call saying they want us to finish the painting to save their marriage.
Most people that have never worked for themselves have no clue what it takes to do the job. All of the tools, materials, trips to get said materials and mostly experience. I could buy all the equipment to be a gunsmith and put together a gun.....and it would look like I built it too and would be scared to death for fire it!
So I don't build guns and my smith doesn't repair homes. That has worked well for both of us.

 

[demonjigger]

Blueman, what state are you in? Maybe someone will chime in with suggestions close to you?

 

[Calvin45]

I asked him if could get a custom action from this the particular smith and he still said no. He said he , "makes most of him money off parts" which is precisely why I've bought them myself. I'm not looking to fill someone's pockets

Well, at the end of the day it's his right and prerogative to decline service if he feels it's financially disadvantageous or not worth his time (actually he can decline for any reason he feels like I suppose). Guess you'll just have to find someone else.

And the bit about not wanting to fill someone's pockets…I get that, but also this is how he makes his living, if the whole approach is that you don't really want him to make much off of this project it makes sense that he's decline in favour of more lucrative clients.

At the end of the day it's a free (well sort of) market, it's his right.

 

[wldcat]

I asked him if could get a custom action from this the particular smith and he still said no. He said he , "makes most of him money off parts" which is precisely why I've bought them myself. I'm not looking to fill someone's pockets

That comment "I'm not looking to fill someone's pockets" is why he refused to work for you. He has a life and probably a family to support. I own a general contracting company and we get the same type of attitude towards us as well, people always want to try and save money at my expense and I don't understand it at all!!! That boils down to asking a stranger to do something for nothing. All businesses have overhead that has to be covered and people don't generally want to work for free. If a gunsmith isn't able to make money on the parts the $200 or whatever he charges to chamber the barrel will have him working for free on his $10,000 lathe and $20,000 worth of tooling he has probably acquired over the years. Asking him to do the job for less money is like asking a taxi to drive you around but only charge the gas he burns let alone maintenance and god forbid a little profit

 

[Earnhardt]

Why would a gunsmith want to do $500 of work, on a $200 gun?
That's what I've heard in the past…

 

[nksmfamjp]

I wonder what is changing. Over the past couple years I was actually told by several smiths that they preferred I buy the parts….but I think that was when parts were a longer wait. I generally discussed parts with my gunsmith ahead of time.

I imagine a gunsmith might worry you would send a Mossberg action, unknown barrel and a piece of coffee table…..ask for a hunting rifle, then wonder why it won't shoot 0.25" groups at 100yds.

 

[Raingull]

Years of people expecting German prescision for Chinese prices. The incentives are insufficient for all parties. He'll do it if you'll pay enough. You wont so he wont. I mean he could be the lone exception, but I doubt it. Might not be worth it to find out! Might be easier to look at used lathes.

 

[adk hunter]

I found a gunsmith well known for his accurate rifles. Benchrest shooters mostly.

I asked him his shop rates and if he would work with my parts. I asked him to verify them for suitability and offered to pay him for that time. I made it clear I was understanding of his time and expertise. We set an appointment time window and I told him I would be there well inside the earlier period. I was punctual and so was he.

We had a get to know you visit, then put everything on the table, agreed to pricing and timeframe needed. I am very grateful to be able to be within driving distance.

If he said he didn't want to work with my parts I would have been disappointed but grateful not upset.

 

[Hugnot]

I feel your pain.

If it does not involve a lathe or mill I do it my self.

 

[Calvin45]

Years of people expecting German prescision for Chinese prices.

Quote of the day for sure.

 

[6.5saum/300rum]

Contact @Jim See look up elite accuracy and you will find a contact form. He will build with your parts and do a great job. He did a 300 prc last year for me and I'm very happy with it!