Ok guys I should have sent the TC BBL to the guy here that offered to put my front sight on, I found a gunsmith here in town and had him do it, WELL, he buggered up the screw holes, no prob I say solder it on, that didnt hold, so he took it apon him self to TIG weld it on !!!!! But the front sight is cast and the weld cracked AND was on crooked, now I have two holes that cant be used AND two weld marks now on my 44. Can I get the screw hols and weld pits solder up and smothed down ? Then I'll buy a new type of front ramp and have it soldered on !

Have him replace it since its all F(^*(&^) up now. You could have someone competant cut the barrel off crown and tap properly for a new sight which is what I would do. Don't feel bad one of the local idiots drilled a friends sight holes all the way into the chamber. His brass had neat little holes punched in them after firing. Just because someone sells rifles or fixes stocks doesn't make him qualified as a metalsmith. Don't feel bad this is exactly how I got involved in doing my own work on my rifles. Now I have alot of people wanting me to do work for them, but only have time for my projects. Best of luck Sincerely.

Cant cut it back, as its an 8" BBL now.

I would make him replace the barrel, you shouldn't have to deal with a messed up barrel just because he can't find his back side with both hands and a compass.

Red

Well just found out that he did not renew his licance this year, How could I make him get me a new BBL ?

He pulls out his wallet and gives you enough money to buy a new one. Its called small claims court.

About the only thing you can do to save that bbl is take off the old sight, polish the bbl ( questionable that it will ever look perfect) redrill the holes to 8-40 (I presume that they were drilled for 6-48 first) and go from there.

He owes you a new barrel. Either small claims court or maybe talk to ATF or your state about operating as a gunsmith without license.

Yeah it was for 6-48. but the holes in the sight are for the small headed screw, they would have to be opend up also, but any endmill bit could do that right. I have a friend that powder coats things, maybe get a sight on it and send it to him and powder coat it and the old weld spots may not show !!! ANY one here up to try this ? I'll need a new front sight base as this one is sh*t now, but can still reuse the blade. ANY ONE ? P.S. why is photobucket.com down ?

I'm wondering if you could put a banded front sight on like NECG makes and modify it a bit.



It would probably cover everthing and then some.

short44

Check your private messages

Todd Allen

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
He owes you a new barrel. Either small claims court or maybe talk to ATF or your state about operating as a gunsmith without license.

I agree. Try asking nice. If nice does not work, don't be nice. He owes you a barrel! The guy is a hack and has no business messing with other people's guns.

If if were my barrel I would throw in my lathe turn that portion down weld on a extension. Or a sleave and re drill and tape it.

I dought that going to court ect is worth the 140 bucks a new or differant barrel would cost.

Matter of fact a have a very nice 44 mag/shot barrel with choke tube box, of shot filled shot capusles that you could have for 140 dollars right now.

Most of the time learning something well cost you something some times it money,time, pride or any of many things that are worth something to you.

He **cked up your barrel . He should pay for a new one and the cost of a competent gunsmith to install it.

As far as I know there's no law requiring a license to do gunsmith work....there is an FFL required for sales of such.....Maybe there are some state laws but I haven't heard of such.
About a year ago I also suggested one take the guy to small claims if he refused to make it right and got jumped all over about it.....
I still believe we settle our issues best we can.....and small claims is a way to do that.....but ask him first to fix it.....seems he already has had several chances.
We need to purge the ranks of these misfits or the state/Fed will do it and that's the last thing we want is more gov't interferrence.....let us police our own.

It kind of makes you wish for the good ol'days when conflict resolution was easier....

I'm thinkin'...

Pistols at 20 paces, at High Noon in front the Saloon.

No, wait a minute...

A guy should really have a front sight for that!

Uh... Nevermind.


Regards

Elmo

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
As far as I know there's no law requiring a license to do gunsmith work....there is an FFL required for sales of such....

Your wrong about that, an FFL IS required to do gunsmith work for other people, also if you reload ammo for anyone but yourself. There are several different types of FFLs and not just for gun sales and transfers.

Ain't the gubment wonderful?

My main concern is if the welding warped the barrel. Maybe scope it temporarily and shoot some groups with it. If it is screwed up, other than crowning not much a person can do.

Now if it shoots still, much as I hate them a muzzle brake might help cover things up.

Unfortunately, the way I see it the smith needs to do some rectifying here.

A barrel band sight might work but would look funky, it may be possible to either find or make a slightly wider front sight ramp that could cover the scars.

Also, possibly try to turn the scars off, then contour the rest of the barrel to blend in.

Good luck!

Mark

You mentioned powder coating, you can fill the scars in with epoxy (permatex cold weld I think is what a good one is called) and finish.

Try BBQ grill paint

I think I will try to fix this on my own, need to learn how to solder any way, the way I see it is to solder up the weld scars and then file it smooth, the holes are right on just buggerd, drill and tap it to 8-40. Now what solder and who has a drill/tapp combo ? And I'm going to see him MONDAY as he has not called me back as of yet.

I would not want th ebarrel afte rthe guy tigged the sight. It looks like he really did not know what he was doing at all. I would politely and professioanlly apresent your point that you feel it would be best if he kept this barrel and bought you a replacement. Ratchet it up if you get no response. If he took any compensation fo rthis (even a trade, not just money) then he is in violation of federal law for acting as a gunsmith without an FFL. Wheater or not you would bring it up with the ATF is up to you. That is a pretty extreme measure and you can't uncall them once the call is made. Not saying you should not do it, just saying to think about it over the next couple of weeks if he does not give you a new barrel. If you go that route, then I would definitley warn him and see if that prompted him to give you a new barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
As far as I know there's no law requiring a license to do gunsmith work....there is an FFL required for sales of such.....Maybe there are some state laws but I haven't heard of such.
About a year ago I also suggested one take the guy to small claims if he refused to make it right and got jumped all over about it.....
I still believe we settle our issues best we can.....and small claims is a way to do that.....but ask him first to fix it.....seems he already has had several chances.
We need to purge the ranks of these misfits or the state/Fed will do it and that's the last thing we want is more gov't interferrence.....let us police our own.

Quote from the GCA of 1968:

“ The term “dealer†means (a) any person engaged in the business of selling of firearms at whole sale or retail, (B) any person engaged in the business of repairing firearms or of making or fitting special barrels, stocks, or trigger mechanisms to firearms...â€

If you work on firearms you must have an FFL 01 dealer licence.

The BATF only enforces Gun laws though...not civil action suits from pissed off customers.

Another approach would be.
1st. clean up the bbl as best you can.
2nd if the holes don't line up, plug them with 6-48 plugs, makeing the heads flush.
3rd re-drill, and then re-tap

Brownells will have everthing you need, maybe they could even do the work for you.
call 800-741-0015
Mike

quote:

Originally posted by 510wells:

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
As far as I know there's no law requiring a license to do gunsmith work....there is an FFL required for sales of such....

Your wrong about that, an FFL IS required to do gunsmith work for other people, also if you reload ammo for anyone but yourself. There are several different types of FFLs and not just for gun sales and transfers.

I used to hold a class 03 and a class 06 FFL! The class 06 (for those that don't know) is an Ammunition Manufacturers License!
510wells is correct except for one exception (loop-hole) that I know of!
A class 06 license is not required if the person you are reloading for provides the components and you are merely assembling them for him!

NY state requires a separate license to do gunsmithing on a handgun !!...Mark's concern is important - that welding may have caused problems that won't go away.

An FFL is required for a gunsmith to work on firearms. Even a friends, because the gunsmith is accepting responsibilty and custodialship for a firearm that does not belong to them.

Now, what constitutes a firearm? It's the part with the serial number. In short44's case I don't think that the barrel of a TC has a number and would be considered a pipe and the BOJ wouldn't be to interested in that one instance. But if while he was there and had seen parts that would have a S/N or could verify that this hack was taking in firearm work then that's another matter.
As a FFL holder that spends a bit of coin to maintain a shop I get very irked with this.

Were it me, I'd thump the guy with the barrel until he gave me the money for the replacement cost of the barrel + S/H then turn him in.

Just my $.02

Don

Why would, or should you have to patch up this incompetent hack job.

You bring a perfectly fine pistol barrel into a gunsmith business to have a sight installed and the business hacks the barrel up and basicaly ruins it.

Id tell the guy that he just bought the barrel and I expect him to pay me for a new barrel. Period . Thats the simple fix.

This guy trys to tig weld a cast sight on a barrel after he messes up a drill and tap job???? He must think his customers are pretty stupid to accept that.

give him the old barrel and have him buy you another. he can cut it, crown it, and sell it and recoup what he wants, but I would have nothing to do with it.

they just don't cost that much.

Shit happens in life, and life is too short to drive yourself nuts over $140.00. I like your plan; have fun learning how to solder, drill and tap.

lawndart

Since he is obviously a butcher and does not know come here from sickum, he very easily could have put too much heat on the barrel with the TIG and its ruined more than you think...that would be a concern to me and He would replace the barrel if it were mine, one way or another he would make it right.

Short44,

If you let this slide, you will either be out $140 for the new barrel that you, yourself, will have to buy; or you will be out the entire price of that gun, because it will sit in the closet, useless, while you wait for this problem to take care of itself. You may never shoot this gun again.

He's the one who created this mess. He should pay to set it right, not you. You can get a piece of steel scrap to practice soldering on for nothing. It's silly to be out $140 for a piece of scrap (your barrel) that you could and should have for nothing.

H. C.

quote:

Originally posted by stdon:
An FFL is required for a gunsmith to work on firearms. Even a friends, because the gunsmith is accepting responsibilty and custodialship for a firearm that does not belong to them.

Now, what constitutes a firearm? It's the part with the serial number. In short44's case I don't think that the barrel of a TC has a number and would be considered a pipe and the BOJ wouldn't be to interested in that one instance. But if while he was there and had seen parts that would have a S/N or could verify that this hack was taking in firearm work then that's another matter.
Don

That pretty much covers it...but as I recall I think you can work on a serialized part as long as you weren't "possessing it", like an overnight stay - or if the customer, etc. were standing there while you did it. Again, as I recall - a gunsmith didn't have to record work in the bound book for things that didn't spend the night...but its been years.

Anyway, there's lots of guys at Camp Perry, etc. that are doing all sorts of business without an FFL on upper receivers, barrels, etc. As far as a licensing issue, I don't see one here.

But...that doesn't change the fact that this guy is a hack and owes you a barrel.

Don't need an FFL to order a barrel, and chances are he's still getting dealer prices from his distributors/parts suppliers on non-firearm items.

Ditto what Ray said, if that part of the barrel has become brittle it may come apart when you least expect it and that could take 2 more shots or 2000. You'll never know 'til it lets loose.

I would never shoot that barrel again. If the guy is that incompetant it's not worth risking him having made a more dangerous mistake.
I think he owes you a new barrel period........DJ

Guys,

Much as I think heat will cause more problems to a barrel than it will ever fix, and as I stated I'd have some significant concerns about warpage which makes this a moot point, as the barrel may never shoot straight again, I do not see an issue with the metal becoming brittle. I can see it being much softer, and softer on the top and harder on the bottom, but I don't think there would be a safety issue here.

The only safety issue I'd be concerned about would be plugging the holes and expecting them not to head for the moon sometime faster than the bullet moves forward, if they were to go through to the bore. Seeing as how everything else was a little screwy, I'd check on that first.

Short44,

How far apart are those welds? Can you measure them with calipers or a mic? Then maybe someone can track down a suitable front sight for you.

Also barrel diameter while you're at it.

Mark

HenryC470 and Ray Atkinson have the right idea ..... he fixes it or it's his ass.

DO NOT FIRE THAT BARREL!!!!

Any application of heat..much less the amount it takes to TIG weld something, changes the structure of the steel. I am sure that if that person was dumb enough to attempt that butchering, he wasnt smart enough to use heat paste or a heat sink when he did it. He obviously doesnt know what a sight jig is or much less how to use one.

IF IT HAD NOT BE TIG welded, the holes could have been opened up and the sight refitted. Soldering a sight on can work but that has its own issues. If you ever get enough solvent on it during normal cleaning, and fail to remove every last trace of it, it can disolved the solder.

I am sorry about your expierence. He should be man enough to replace it. He should have known better then to attempt a repair like that without the proper jig assembly for sights. I am almost willing to bet he tried to use the sight as a jig and did it with a hand drill. It is wannbe "gunsmiths" like that , that give us all a bad name.