Well it would have taken 2-3 questions and 45 seconds for the person who took the order to ask the guy what he expected, if it was worth it, or if it was even possible.
I just took my mountain bike in for a total overhaul, the guy spent 7-8 min with me telling me what they were going to do, what I wanted, what the result would be, and if I should consider a new bike instead of the overhaul. $300 later I signed off on the repairs... just seems standard on stuff like this. I donno maybe they did that with him but it sure doesn't sound like it.
The customer was contacted by our gunsmith shop when the pistol arrived in our store to have the servicing he had requested performed upon that gun. The customer advised that he did not want any aggressive re-finishing as he wanted the original lettering and markings to remain visible to enhance the value of the firearm, despite being advised that the condition of this pistol was not consistent with any collector's value. A bead blast finish with bluing was requested by the customer.
Again, as has been pointed here several times by both Epps staff and other posters, the customer's complaint is not about the pitting or condition of the firearm. The complaint is about the
colour of the finish at the end result of the service. The owner appears to have expected a finish that was
BLUE in tone, not
BLACK, as is the customary finish on most firearms. While both our gunsmiths and our manager have explained to him that the solution used in the hot bluing tanks produces the black result shown on his firearm, he has insisted that this 1911 should look like the high-luster finish on a Colt Python. It was explained to him that a high luster polish would reflect a bluish tinge back to the eye under certain light, but the bead blast prior to the refinishing makes in impossible buff the firearm to that level of finish without further degrading the existing markings, which are already well-worn and barely visible in some places.
At no time did the customer offer any insight into the colour or tone of finish he was seeking before the refinishing was performed. He did not ask to view any sample of previous bluing finishes applied by Ellwood Epps so that he would have a basis for the colour that would be applied to his pistol. Nor is he understanding our explanation that the custom polished blued finish found on guns like a Colt Python is not the standard finish offered by 99% of gunsmiths who offer bluing/refinishing services.
Again, the only way to alter the colour and tone of the end finish would be to add a die agent to the bluing solution, which is something we do not offer, and was not requested by the customer or discussed at any time before the pistol was dipped into the bluing tanks.