Gunsmiths gone bad

TomD

TomD

e publius unum
I've a friend who has asked for my opinion on a problem he has with a gunsmith. (no names). Right at 13 months ago he sent a silencer (100% BATF approved) to a smith in another state with the stated rebuild charge prepaid. A couple of months ago my friend, when told that the work had yet to start, requested that the silencer be returned. He says that despite the smiths agreement to send it back, it hasn't happened.

My recommendation to him was that he have a heart-to-heart with the smith and tell him that he is becoming concerned. If that doesn't work, what are his options?

BTW: This smith has a high end website with lots of testimonials implying that he has a solid business. And I haven't heard the other side of the story.
 
Call the Sheriff in the gunsmith's location. They will very often give the bum a call or have a talk with him on your behalf.
 
Also just a crazy guess but since the silencer falls into a diff class than regular firearms it could be that there could be some options with the ATF or some other Federal organization.
I know most would rather never talk to the gvt but its an option.
Also could look online for a fellow shooter who lives in the area of the smith and see if he would be willing to pay the smith a friendly visit.
 
TomD said:
I've a friend who has asked for my opinion on a problem he has with a gunsmith. (no names). Right at 13 months ago he sent a silencer (100% BATF approved) to a smith in another state with the stated rebuild charge prepaid. A couple of months ago my friend, when told that the work had yet to start, requested that the silencer be returned. He says that despite the smiths agreement to send it back, it hasn't happened.

My recommendation to him was that he have a heart-to-heart with the smith and tell him that he is becoming concerned. If that doesn't work, what are his options?

BTW: This smith has a high end website with lots of testimonials implying that he has a solid business. And I haven't heard the other side of the story.
Click to expand...

I had a similar problem with a very well known gunsmith...I contacted him before the work/material started...he quoted me 3-4 week turn around time...some 4 months later I called him and he stated that I had some 50-60 rifles ahead of mine because others wanted their work out right away and that he was soon to be off on a big game hunting trip...check back after the first of the year..!!...well I did request my items be returned which was done, but I paid shipping twice for no reason...some of these guys just don't care about the little guy customers...this is what drives many of us to get a lathe and mill and do our own work..even if we aren't on the same skill level as the best out there...
 
TomD said:
My recommendation to him was that he have a heart-to-heart with the smith and tell him that he is becoming concerned. If that doesn't work, what are his options?
Click to expand...

I think a properly worded certified letter is more what you need here.
 
Slightly off the topic but I am curious..

The suppressor is approved and the tax paid... I am assuming it remains 'registered' to that one person until an approved transfer to someone else takes place and the tax paid again... what is the status of it when someone legally owns one. Are they allowed to lend it to anyone? Does it require special storage?

Just interested in how that works from someone who actually knows...
 
My recommendation to him was
(1) polite but very concerned phone call (if possible, he says guy doesn't return calls)
(2) certified letter
(3) call to local Sheriff
 
eww1350 said:
I had a similar problem with a very well known gunsmith...I contacted him before the work/material started...he quoted me 3-4 week turn around time...some 4 months later I called him and he stated that I had some 50-60 rifles ahead of mine because others wanted their work out right away and that he was soon to be off on a big game hunting trip...check back after the first of the year..!!...well I did request my items be returned which was done, but I paid shipping twice for no reason...some of these guys just don't care about the little guy customers...this is what drives many of us to get a lathe and mill and do our own work..even if we aren't on the same skill level as the best out there...
Click to expand...

i am not a smith...but why would areputable business want someones stuff and 50-60 guns setting around. Why not say "ill be able to get to it in 4 weeks and will advise when to send it in". Then in due trime email and tell owner to SHIP.

Seems to be a much better way. If gun not recieved in due time youd have to go to the back of the line-BUTowner would still have his gun/stuff...
 
langenc,
The most logical reason would be that in your scenario (not saying this about any or all smiths) that a lot of people would shop around for another smith that could do it in their preferred time frame... just a possibility.....
 
Vern said:
langenc,
The most logical reason would be that in your scenario (not saying this about any or all smiths) that a lot of people would shop around for another smith that could do it in their preferred time frame... just a possibility.....
Click to expand...

I hate to say it but I know several good gunsmiths,Borden, Goodling,Hart,Long, to name a couple and none work in my preferred time frame . All the good ones have a considerable backlog.


langenc said:
i am not a smith...but why would areputable business want someones stuff and 50-60 guns setting around. Why not say "ill be able to get to it in 4 weeks and will advise when to send it in". Then in due trime email and tell owner to SHIP.

Seems to be a much better way. If gun not recieved in due time youd have to go to the back of the line-BUTowner would still have his gun/stuff...
Click to expand...

The problem with this scenario is most smiths hate doing the paperwork anyhow and this just about doubles the amount of administrative work they would have to do. And most like to have their next couple months work right there ready to be worked on there is a lot of down time ,waiting for parts, waiting for paint to dry or epoxy to harden, etc. that cause him to be working on several jobs at a time.
 
Dick Grosbier said:
I hate to say it but I know several good gunsmiths,Borden, Goodling,Hart,Long, to name a couple and none work in my preferred time frame . All the good ones have a considerable backlog.




The problem with this scenario is most smiths hate doing the paperwork anyhow and this just about doubles the amount of administrative work they would have to do. And most like to have their next couple months work right there ready to be worked on there is a lot of down time ,waiting for parts, waiting for paint to dry or epoxy to harden, etc. that cause him to be working on several jobs at a time.
Click to expand...

Of course they work on several guns at once. But having 50-60 guns is stupid-esp when going on a big game hunt for couple weeks.

As far as the customer 'shopping around', absolutely. Who wouldnt dont.

Having 50-50 (or more) guns just is 'job security'-customers be dammed-knowing full well some wont be finished in a year. Then the customer with the 'silencer' that, I believe started this thread-dont he count. The smith was concerned that the 50-60 guns wanted there jobs done 'FAST'. How fast is fast??
 
On a good day a smith may finish about 2 rifles if he's alone. Thats working at a reasonable pace.
many times the work is held up by suppliers or other people that do various parts of a rifle build. IE Painting}
Heres where some of the set back time comes in. The paint job isn't done so the smith has to wait on that particular
part of a build. same for Barrels and once in a while other parts like custom but plates etc.
Most smiths don't have an extensive inventory of parts needed.
They do the best they can. I'm not sure on that silencer thing though. If I were the smith I would want that out of the shop ASAP and give it priority. Thats nothing to have laying around.
Glad i'm not a Smith.
 
TomD .....

Hearing the "other" side of the story is always very important. When dealing with suppressors, it's always best to deal with the original manufacturer. There is a lot more to suppressor smithing than most people think, and there's a whole lot of red tape involved. Virtually every part is custom made, and the required paperwork is a major pain in the butt. Some customers don't understand what they're getting into with a suppressor. Our government designed the laws to make everything about suppressors very expensive and very time consuming.
 
Larry Willis said:
TomD .....

Hearing the "other" side of the story is always very important.
Click to expand...

Absolutely!!!!

Update: Somewhere along the line, the gunsmith apparently got the message and returned the project partially finished. In retrospect, I probably titled the thread wrongly; the smith probably wasn't "bad", just too busy with his core work and maybe not too good with customer relations. BTW: I've never heard of the smith, he isn't in the BR game at all. His work looks to be mostly tactical & LE.

Below is the email from my friend who instigated the whole thing.

"I got EVERYTHING Back ...he did thread the barrel of my Ruger, which he said he had, and gave me a thread protector he had laying around the shop for it, repositioned the sight, and also made an adaptor for me so I can use the suppressor on my Sig226 too.... ...the only thing that was lacking was to do a rebuild on the supressor (put some K-baffles in it)"
 
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