Gunsmith Horror Story

[Gabriel]

Here is the pics from what I found:

Outside of the bolt and hammer marks


Discoloration of bolt due to over heating:


Front screw was milled down to where a screw extractor had to be used as there was no head left on the screw:


Scope mounted off center:


Screw was sheered off and just left:


Bolt handle bent too far in:


Mounting holes drilled off center and tapped at an angle:

This is the kind of thing that keeps me from ever taking anything to a gunsmith. I usually just think about having it done for a while, read some horror stories, and then end up doing it myself.

I have a Benelli M1S90 that I'd like the receiver drilled and tapped on for a Mesa rail/shell carrier. I've wanted it done for years, but can't make myself hand it over to anyone. I also want a Marlin 1894 cut down to around a 16" barrel (and stock shortened), but that won't get done either.

 

[NKBJ]

I've had good experiences and some not so.
Once upon a time I had a .240 Super Varminter built for rice field critters and when I went to pick up the completed rifle it had an 18" barrel. The owner of the company glanced at it and just said Gimme that. Took a month but the 26" tube was worth the wait.

The same folks later built the .375x45-70 and did an excellent job. After thirty years I recently obtained the reamer (it's sitting here on the table next to the bolt that Brett replaced).

About two years ago I had a 1858 Remington percussion revolver converted to .41 by a fellow in Washington.
Very nice workmanship.

There's good and there's bad. I'm just real happy to have found a good 'un here in Indiana.

 

[Gabriel]

There's good and there's bad. I'm just real happy to have found a good 'un here in Indiana.

I have no doubt there are great smiths out there. I've seen some really great work. I think the main problem is finding one to trust. It seems like every time I get to the point where I am going search around to find a good smith to work on something I want done, I end up finding a horror story and decide just to leave the gun in the safe. Eventually I will work up the nerve to just do whatever it is myself, but some things I just don't want to do.

 

[Hohn]

So how do you propose that we 'be careful'? Ask someone if they plan to **** the gun up, and if they say no, then hand it over to them?

Maybe he means we should check out the gunsmith by seeing if anyone on INGO has any complaints. Turns out the gunsmith INGO is always complaining about is "unnamed" so this other guy must be GTG, right?

 

[Hohn]

Jesus lives in your shag carpet?



I want a small completely sealed white room with a white floor dedicated for working on guns just for that reason. My luck, somehow I would still lose the springs and pins.

TWANG......POOF

"For working on guns.." RIIIGHT. We all know that the INGOers spending inordinate amounts of time in an all-white room with an all-white floor are likely not there by choice.

 

[Squirt239]

Maybe he means we should check out the gunsmith by seeing if anyone on INGO has any complaints. Turns out the gunsmith INGO is always complaining about is "unnamed" so this other guy must be GTG, right?

I am not advertising my services, due to INGO rules and regulations. I will however say that I would be more than happy to assist anyone in their decision on which gunsmith they should use. Good, bad, indifferent.

Just yesterday, I sent a customer to AllenM at Diamond Collision. Why? Because I know that the work that needed to be done was not something I could feasibly do in my machine. Do I WANT to lose business? No. But, I also want the customer to be happy.

I will NOT flame another business, as a business, on a public forum. To me, that is a sign of POOR business practices. Ask my customers. I won't talk bad about anyone. I will strictly say, I haven't heard good things about them, and have fixed their "work" on more than one occasion.

I'm not willing to take on the liability of bashing another business in today's "sue happy" generation. I know that upsets a lot of people, but it's my business that would be at stake. If you would like to come over to the shop and talk guns, I would be more than happy to discuss business with you.

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

I am not advertising my services, due to INGO rules and regulations. I will however say that I would be more than happy to assist anyone in their decision on which gunsmith they should use. Good, bad, indifferent.

Just yesterday, I sent a customer to AllenM at Diamond Collision. Why? Because I know that the work that needed to be done was not something I could feasibly do in my machine. Do I WANT to lose business? No. But, I also want the customer to be happy.

I will NOT flame another business, as a business, on a public forum. To me, that is a sign of POOR business practices. Ask my customers. I won't talk bad about anyone. I will strictly say, I haven't heard good things about them, and have fixed their "work" on more than one occasion.

I'm not willing to take on the liability of bashing another business in today's "sue happy" generation. I know that upsets a lot of people, but it's my business that would be at stake. If you would like to come over to the shop and talk guns, I would be more than happy to discuss business with you.

That's a noble stance for you as a businessman to take. I can applaud your desire to remain civil with other businesses. HOWEVER, as a consumer, when I read a thread about a firearm that has been FUBARed by some bubba who claims to be a gunsmith, I want to know who the bubba is so I and others don't risk our property and potentially our safety to his work. We should be outing these fools so that the good ones can remain and get more business.

 

[Hohn]

I don't think anyone is expecting Squirt to out the "smith' in question, but rather the OP. Obviously, being a business operator has different considerations in how one must address other businesses.

I think I'd post the same as Squirt (#186) in his shoes.

 

[AngryRooster]

I don't think anyone is expecting Squirt to out the "smith' in question, but rather the OP. Obviously, being a business operator has different considerations in how one must address other businesses.

I think I'd post the same as Squirt (#186) in his shoes.

Exactly. It's not Squirt's place to let us know who was negligent and butchered the gun, it's the OP's place, but he has chosen to remain silent on the matter. Don't agree with it. His choice.




If a business said they were capable of working on one of my guns and then proceeded to butcher it and returned it to me in an unsafe condition I would make sure I let as many people know as possible.

Some people shoot and hunt alone where no one is available to help. Others take their family members shooting, teach their children to shoot, etc. If I found out that someone got their face blown off while hunting alone, or someone's wife got hurt or their kid lost an eye and they used the same shop that did an unsafe repair on one of my guns then I'd feel horrible and partly responsible. But I have a tendency to not worry about feelings of a business that is ripping off people and doing unsafe work.

 

[rhino]

My "go to" guy -- the esteemed Neil Keller -- has been semi-retired for a few years and retired "for real" for about a year now. He just finished the last gun he'll probably fix for me and now I has a sad. He did some awesome work over his career and he's a good man. I used to make the trip to Decatur under the canard of need gunsmithing, but I'd stay several hours to visit with him.

 

[Spike Jones 5 2002]

I had the similar back service from a Gunsmith in Mishawaka In near E. Mc Kinley and Alex Way.
I ordered through him from "Gallery of Guns" a LaserLite laser rear sight module for my 2 Ruger P-95s.
he offered to install them. first he could not disassemble P-95. He kept jamming the slid back and forth (Many times).
I never disassemble, so I could not help.
finally he went on the internet and was able to dissemble them.
Then he piled all the parts in one pile.
I immediately Separated them.
He actually reach back down and repiled them together. he looked at me and said that did matter.
Then he went back into his work shop.
After about 20 minutes. I heard hammering. i do mean hammering like someone roofing a house.
I attempted to go back there. the door was locked.
Finally he came back with the sight installed.
The lasers failed after only a few shots. They were replaced 3 more times for the same problem.
Then I demanded my money back.
Gallery of guns did give me a full refund.

 

[migunner]

I fix and customize my own with the exception of finishing

 

[Spike Jones 5 2002]

I fix and customize my own with the exception of finishing

I do not know how to do that.
Please explain.

 

[Gabriel]

I fix and customize my own with the exception of finishing

I do most of my own, but I am too picky about some things and if I even screw something up that is extremely minor, it would bother me forever. Oddly enough, if a smith did the same thing, I probably would just never notice as long (as it was extremely minor).

I was at my brother's house yesterday and he had an old Mossberg .22 I hadn't seen in twenty years. I made a new firing pin for it back then as the one that was in it was broken in half and he said it is still running strong, so that is pretty good to know.

 

[Dead Duck]

I'm still waiting to find out who NOT to take my guns to.

My guns are my babies. It's scary enough taking them out of the house let alone leaving them on overnighters with strangers that have implements of death hanging on pegs in a gun torture room. Now knowing that there is at least one out there that is still roaming free to molest and disfigure innocent victims at will.

Now-
Spill the beans or forever live the nightmare of knowing that it was you ALONE that could have stopped this firearm holocaust.
Do it for my babies.

 

[HodgeStyle]

Just a quick question...anybody know a good gunsmith?

 

[nipprdog]

Just a quick question...anybody know a good gunsmith?

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/gunsmithing/