The Accurate Reloading Forums
Good Service?
14 June 2001, 12:14
<MadMan>Good Service?
Why is it that the gun community seems to have this attitude? I keep running into blatant arrogance from these people. I'm getting fed up with these jerks that act like I owe them something. Here we live in the great sevice economy and, frankly, the service sucks! I bring in a Browning micromedalion for a scope mounting job and they scratch the stock. Then they have the gaul to to blame me for it. I try to get a gun sent to me and they never send a copy of their FFL. Then they lie about it 3 times! I am embarassed to be associated with these people! I was thinking about having a custom rifle built. Not anymore! I'll stick to factory guns and take my chances there.
14 June 2001, 14:43
<Jeff Myhre>It sounds like you have not had any good luck with anybody that has done work on your rifles. Believe me though, I know of a couple of great ones in Washington state, that have never done me wrong. If you want, you can e-mail me, and I will send you information on these gunsmiths.
Jeff
14 June 2001, 16:10
<MadMan>The biggest problem is that there aren't many smiths near where I live.
And where might that be? perhaps someone here can help then.
15 June 2001, 04:15
<BigBores>Madman,
It sure is frustrating to get jerked around. The best revenge would be to open your own business and bury the f***er's! They will either have to change thier ways or change thier address!!
15 June 2001, 12:32
AtkinsonI don't wonder gunsmiths get crazy...When a smithy works on a simple gun repair job that takes him 30 hours to perform and folks gripe about the cost of $20.00 and thoes folks are making $100.00 and hour at the office...go figure.
I always figured a gunsmith was an idiot to start with, dealing with the public for pennys ain't my idea of making a living.....
Gunsmithing is an artform and it pays zilch, they have to be arrogrant, it keeps them happy!!!
I have never been a full time gun builder, but I did for a number of years as a hobby make 4 or 5 guns a year for about $6000 to $8500 each...Guess what, I figured it out and I was making about $12.70 cents per hour..to hell with that!! I got arrogant and quit, now I make them for myself and play with them awhile and then I might sell one if I take a notion....
Just playing the Devils advocate on this string......food for thought!
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Ray Atkinson
ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com
15 June 2001, 18:38
John RicksRay,
True words, my friend.
15 June 2001, 20:47
boltmanMadman, I'm confused. You say you tried to have a gun sent to you and they didn't send you a copy of their FFL. It doesn't work that way, if you want a gun sent to you then you have to send THEM a copy of your ffl, or your agent's ffl. Maybe I'm missing something in the post, please explain.
16 June 2001, 03:41
GatogordoI suppose this is just personal prejudice but I tend to strongly discount ranters and ravers who do not choose to post their email address, particularly when some important details are incorrect as in the FFL episode above.
Madman may have a perfectly legitimate gripe, it is obvious that not all gunshops or gunsmiths can do everything perfectly on every job. Most will do their best to make it right, but if I had a gunshop and someone like Madman came in complaining with the type of attitude that Madman obviously has, I would have to be having a very good day not to tell him to go piss up a rope.
My final point is that the gunsmiths of America and Madman are both better off for him to keep dealing with factory products and to install his scopes himself.
As I'm currently waiting upon the arrival of an FFL so that I can send out a rifle, I feel for MadMan.
I understand all about schedules, being busy, yada yada yada, but it has taken two weeks now for someone to simply sign a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, put on a stamp, and let the mailman pick it up.
What's the total time on this exercise? Five minutes? Let's add another 5 minutes to log the rifle into his bound book when it gets there. He'll probably charge at least $25 to receive the gun, so $25 for 10 minutes effort isn't too bad! At that rate I'd probably put aside my arrogance for 10 minutes...
16 June 2001, 07:49
<Gary Rihn>quote:
Originally posted by MadMan:
Why is it that the gun community seems to have this attitude?...
I try to get a gun sent to me and they never send a copy of their FFL. Then they lie about it 3 times!...
I am embarassed to be associated with these people!
I smell something here. Have since I first read it a couple days ago. Looks like someone wanting a bunch of shooters to vent their bad times, so it can be used out-of-context somewhere else. I was going to just let it be, but others have expressed their thoughts, so this is mine...
quote:
Originally posted by MadMan:
Why is it that the gun community seems to have this attitude? I keep running into blatant arrogance from these people. I'm getting fed up with these jerks that act like I owe them something. Here we live in the great sevice economy and, frankly, the service sucks! I bring in a Browning micromedalion for a scope mounting job and they scratch the stock. Then they have the gaul to to blame me for it. I try to get a gun sent to me and they never send a copy of their FFL. Then they lie about it 3 times! I am embarassed to be associated with these people! I was thinking about having a custom rifle built. Not anymore! I'll stick to factory guns and take my chances there.
Madman,
I understand your position very well.
I sent a rifle to be rebarreled and chambered for a wildcat, and it turned out to be a very unpleasant experience.
The smith was well advertised in many major periodicals and on the phone seemed to be just what I was looking for.
After having had to send the gun back twice after the original work, he finally made good.
I suspect the dangerous condition that it came back to me the second time,and my letter explaining the possible liable situation he had placed himself in, he did what he should have done in the first place.
Don't let some of these gun experts berate you for your feelings as they probably have not had much experience with these fly by night smiths.
Would be nice if there were some sort of state agency that would oversee these guys just as in the construction trades.
Montana doesn't. Believe me I tried to get someone from that state to look into this smiths business. (Don't get me wrong, I'm as much against government people getting into my business as the next guy, but sending out dangerous firearms to customers, sucks.)
Try, getting someone you know who has had good sucess with a smith and go with them.
Good luck,
Roger
17 June 2001, 15:58
<Powderman>Actually, there is--of a sort.
The American Gunsmith's Guild and the American Pistolsmith's Guild are a compendium of most of the best names in the business. From what I understand, they are also pretty much self-policing. This means that a person or company carrying the APG or AGG stamp has a good reputation for products and services. Check them out.
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Happiness is a 200 yard bughole.
17 June 2001, 17:36
<sure-shot>I had two rifles built, the first one was a total disaster - too long a story to print. The second gun was built by a pretty well known chap, only took him 1yr,3 mos to complete. I have to thank these gentlemen for providing me the incentive to learn and do alot of the work myself! Now when I'm at the range shooting my latest creation I wear a big grin when someone asks "who built that?" sure-shot