- Location
- West Quebec
Hmm That's who I would have recommended.. but he can be testy at times..
Don't EVER complain about how much a gun smith charges ! ! ! !
- Thread starter BCRider
- Start date
- Location
- calgary alberta
There is a reason for this. It seems that "cheap" is the most used word in the gun culture. Any good tradesman in any trade gets paid fairly well. As Dennis points out regardless of the 2 years of schooling and the investment in tools, most "trained" gunsmiths could not live on the pay offered by most gunshops. I left Guncraft (Calgarys best gunshop in the 70s) to start an apprenticeship as a mechanic and instantly gained $2.00 per hour as a 1st year apprentice versus what I was making as a trained gunsmith. Keep in mind that in 1978 $2.00 per hour was a big money gain.
It seems many people think that either gunsmiths food, expenses and gas cost waaaay less or that we have a love for K.D. and wieners.
We get asked many times weekly why our shop rate is the same as the car dealerships? Simple our building lease is higher, our insurance is 200% higher our machinists wages are minimally on par with journeyman mechanics or higher and just the dealerships I have to provide the millions of dollars worth of machines required to operate the business. UNLIKE the dealerships though we get to deal with the government daily which is not only painful at times but always a terrible waste of time for what is actually accomplished.
- Location
- West Quebec
That's a good plan maybe bring him his favorite drink when you go.. He does not like to make promises he can't keep, A stand up guy in my books..
Seen more than one sign with rates suggest,
$130 an hour.
$140 an hour if you watch.
$150 an hour if you help .
$175.00 an hour if you tried to fix it first yourself.
I schitz you not.....
Gunsmithing is a labor of love when it comes to metal or wood.
Rob
$130 an hour.
$140 an hour if you watch.
$150 an hour if you help .
$175.00 an hour if you tried to fix it first yourself.
I schitz you not.....
Gunsmithing is a labor of love when it comes to metal or wood.
Rob
Change the thread title to "Don't EVER complain about how much a qualified/reputable gun smith charges ! ! ! ! " and I will agree.
Having said that, I have been burnt 3 times by said "gun smiths", operating out of well known established businesses. Simple stuff at that.
1. Re-stake front sight on a CZ75. Slide was handed back with visible vice marks.
2. Change upper receiver on an AR. Failed to point out that there was a feed ramp style mismatch with the bbl.
3. Install adjustable sight kit on AR upper receiver. Two hours of shop time? Seriously?
M
Having said that, I have been burnt 3 times by said "gun smiths", operating out of well known established businesses. Simple stuff at that.
1. Re-stake front sight on a CZ75. Slide was handed back with visible vice marks.
2. Change upper receiver on an AR. Failed to point out that there was a feed ramp style mismatch with the bbl.
3. Install adjustable sight kit on AR upper receiver. Two hours of shop time? Seriously?
M
Reading the OP's post and most of the replies just made me realize - yet again - the utter idiocy of the idea of "central storage" for guns that crops up from time to time. There are lots of practical reasons why this is simply crazy, but there is also the fact that "gun nutz" llke to TINKER- it isn't all about shooting! The antis would likely have no trouble understanding this if the subject was cars, but would find the concept uttely incomprehensible if applied to guns.
Always enjoy guntech's comments. His honesty and integrity is AAA+++ . . . more A's and +'s could be added but I just don't go there!
Never had a problem with his rates and work but always recommend communicating with him first (to new customers) so he and the customer are on the same page.
Items mailed on a Monday have been returned by Friday. He received the barrel for a model 700 build on a Monday and he sent me pictures on Thursday.
Never had a problem with his rates and work but always recommend communicating with him first (to new customers) so he and the customer are on the same page.
Items mailed on a Monday have been returned by Friday. He received the barrel for a model 700 build on a Monday and he sent me pictures on Thursday.
I don't have a problem paying good money for good work. If I can't afford it, that's a different story and means I may have to wait to get it done, or change directions in whatever the project might have been.
What I can't stand are the people who do nothing but discourage you, telling you they don't think the project is worth it, no matter how rich you may or may not be.
A local body shop comes to mind. Chased me away when I inquired about repainting a truck, along with a little rust repair. All that happened is he lost the chance of doing that truck and another vehicle of mine. My business went elsewhere.
What I can't stand are the people who do nothing but discourage you, telling you they don't think the project is worth it, no matter how rich you may or may not be.
A local body shop comes to mind. Chased me away when I inquired about repainting a truck, along with a little rust repair. All that happened is he lost the chance of doing that truck and another vehicle of mine. My business went elsewhere.
- Location
- calgary alberta
We get inquiries all the time for odd and unusual projects. Some of them can make sense but can be expensive, others are not only impractical and expensive but also down right dangerous. That being said we always try and explain "the why" to those who inquire.
I hear you on the body shop thing, I had a similar experience with my 04 Dodge. trying to find a shop that actually does full vehicle paint jobs is getting harder all the time.
It's interesting reading the stories here.
And to Guntech, I can fully appreciate what you have been through. And it makes one wonder why anyone would want to become a gunsmith. I'd also say that it's a good part of why bigrack can't find a decent smith locally that doesn't have a year plus wait time.
And to Guntech, I can fully appreciate what you have been through. And it makes one wonder why anyone would want to become a gunsmith. I'd also say that it's a good part of why bigrack can't find a decent smith locally that doesn't have a year plus wait time.
Y'know, I look at what I have for tools to 'do it myself', and I would be MILES ahead, if I had just paid to have all the things done. 
It would have been a lot cheaper than the 7 1/2 tons of metalworking equipment, woodwork stuff, etc.
Take a look at when most of the 'standard' reference books were written, guns were far more common, the production quality of most makes was crap, and it wasn't too much of a stretch to imagine that you could end up with a product far superior to what you could buy straight off the shelf.
These days we have amazing production quality, rifles off the rack are EXPECTED to produce small groups, and we have amazing quality glass to put on top of the stuff. Unless the Gunsmith can offer up something that the factories don't, or there is a need for a repair, most guys are pretty happy to shoot what comes straight off the rack.
It would have been a lot cheaper than the 7 1/2 tons of metalworking equipment, woodwork stuff, etc.
Take a look at when most of the 'standard' reference books were written, guns were far more common, the production quality of most makes was crap, and it wasn't too much of a stretch to imagine that you could end up with a product far superior to what you could buy straight off the shelf.
These days we have amazing production quality, rifles off the rack are EXPECTED to produce small groups, and we have amazing quality glass to put on top of the stuff. Unless the Gunsmith can offer up something that the factories don't, or there is a need for a repair, most guys are pretty happy to shoot what comes straight off the rack.
I did stock repairs, refinishing and checkering for many years. I discovered right off that fellas just would not pay for the time and materials I had invested. So I held to only doing it for close friends and family.
I inspected a fellas septic system one time which involved digging up the lids and pulling them to see the inside of the tank and then running a stress test. The lids on this tank were about 3 ft. down. When I gave him the bill he complained that it was far to much money for just digging a couple holes. I replied that digging the holes was free it was knowing what was at the bottom of the holes that is reflected on my bill. He reluctantly paid.
I inspected a fellas septic system one time which involved digging up the lids and pulling them to see the inside of the tank and then running a stress test. The lids on this tank were about 3 ft. down. When I gave him the bill he complained that it was far to much money for just digging a couple holes. I replied that digging the holes was free it was knowing what was at the bottom of the holes that is reflected on my bill. He reluctantly paid.
twosmokinspades
CGN Regular
Yup the company I work for does septic we tell people strait up they can save money by digging it up themselves, not many take up the offer we take a mini hoe and dig it up
Jason @ Gunco?
He is all around great and learned from one of the classical trained European smiths. I recall when Jason first started with him as a young guy back in the day.
Yep.... Hell, never mind finding a good GUN SMITH ! We need good CUSTOMERS first ! ! ! !
Y'know, I look at what I have for tools to 'do it myself', and I would be MILES ahead, if I had just paid to have all the things done.
It would have been a lot cheaper than the 7 1/2 tons of metalworking equipment, woodwork stuff, etc........
Trev, do NOT go there.... just.... DON'T..... I don't want to start thinking like that.......
I'd still do this stuff even though it just doesn't make sense monetarily as I'm sure you would too. It doesn't have to make "sense". It does have to be something that makes us smile to do.
Of course I'm a hobbyist at all this. I'm sure I could not make a living at it. I take too long to do things because being a hobbyist half the time I'm learning part of the job as I go. What I have learned very well is to move slowly when faced with learning as I go so I can toss around options that avoid expensive mistakes. The stock repairs I'm doing at this point though are one of the times where I already knew most of what I had to do. But even on this job I learned a few tricks in regard to removing old gun oil from the wood so I could repair it.
