I just decide to turn an old 98/22 Chezk mauser into a Hog hammer.

What do you smiths charge for thr following work? I'd like to compare pricing for different regions of the country. Prics listed are those quoted in San Diego Kaliforniastan.

Drill and tap for scope mounting - $20 per hole

Cut and crown barrel - $80.00

Install new bolt handle - $90.00 includeds new Dakota handle.

I dropped the gun off today!

Thanks

Mike

I would pay about half that where I live. - Dan

Let's face it, prices always seem high to the person paying the bill.
Murphies law, anything that can go wrong, could go wrong, then the person preforming the work wishe's he had charged twice as much.

Brake a tap off in a hole, and 20.00 wont cover it.

That is twice what I would expect in WA, but houses in CA are twice what they are here.

I prefer the bolts bent on Mausers and a longer handle TIG welded on Moisin Nagants. When I bend the bolt, I leave them with hammer marks. I can bend one every 10 minutes, once I get going. Some guys sit down with a die grinder and shape the bent bolt handle into a work of art. That would cost extra.

here in northeast Ohio 15/hole tap for scope
35 for bolt job, crown will be about the same.

Those prices are on the high side, but still in the ball park of what shops charge.

Thanks for the info. I called around here in Sandy Eggo and found a large range of prices, I also found some that should not call themselves gunsmiths. I'm very happy with the guy doing the work.

I was just curious..

Thanks again

Mike

Here in North Texas.

Drill and tap for base of your choice, mount scope and bore sight: $45.00

Cut and crown barrel: $45.00

Weld (TIG) new bolt handle: $75.00 plus handle.

If gunsmith prices seem low, BEWARE! RED LIGHT! RED LIGHT! WARNING WILL ROBINSON,WARNING! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I will very seriously backup craftsman's statement. If you get a reputable, and I mean very reputable, gunsmith that gives you a good price then you are probably safe. But if prices seem "great" you must beware.

I had some things done by a shop that has done other work for me, and I always thought it was good work in the past. but when they did the work on one rifle for me they charged me "very reasonable" prices. And that's the kind of work I got. I don't know if they had lost their ability to do good work, or figured that since they weren't going to charge me a lot they weren't going to do their best. either way, I would have rather paid more and had it done right then paid what I did and have it all a wast. Really I think of everything I asked them to do they only did one or two things right (install timney and barrel band swivel). the rest of it I might as well have just burned the money for how much good it did me.

Red

Hey Soundman,

I have had 5 custom rifles made and I have another I've been waiting for for about 2 years. I don't mind waiting because my gunsmiths are the very best.

Ask around where you live. Find the best gunsmith and save up your money. Usually the best is not cheap. Regardless of price, go for the reputation. Believe me, you're putting your life in the hands of your gunsmith - and you shouldn't have to demand absolute quality.

Good Shooting,

Smoker*

uuuuhhhhhh, exactly what is this guy doing that is taking two years? Also, how about posting his name so I can be sure and not bother him nor add to his workload.

Hey beemanbeme,

When they started building the rifle I told my gunsmiths not to hurry. Then, I crushed a disk in my lower back and the Dr. said that it would take about a year to get back in reasonable shape. (I was completely unable to walk for 2 months.)

My gunsmiths are Bill Moyer and Chad McCauslin in Carlisle, PA. They have made some of the very best bench rifles and custom sporting rifles you'll ever see. A couple of their rifles have won 1,000 yard championships at the Williamsport 1,000 yard range. (I think they were at the Williamsport range.)

If you want them to build you a rifle - you will wait, not as long as I have but it will be at LEAST a year.

On the other hand, my rifles are not only truely beautiful but they can all maintain gourps under 1". (My rifles are beautiful to me - all have triple x or presentation grade walnut stocks in classic or Oberndorf style, have barrel band front sights and sling swivels, have pillar bedded actions with fully adjustable peep sights and all have long throated chambers cut to my specifications.) Even with the heaviest bullets, the recoil on all my rifles comes straight back with very little muzzle jump.

Don't let my crying over not having my guns cloud the quality of work these two guys put out. I wouldn't go to them if their work wasn't perfect. I not only appreciate fine looking rifles, I value my neck.

Good Shooting,

Smoker*

Brownells does a survey of different kinds of gunsmith work at many different gunsmith shops, and they publish the results in their catalog. If you've got catalog number 55, it's on page 168. It's generally the page after teh Index section.

The work you're asking about costs:

Drill and tap for scope mounting - $20 per hole
Brownells survey: $20-$45 per hole

Cut and crown barrel - $80.00
Brownells survey: $35-$50

Install new bolt handle - $90.00 includeds new Dakota handle.
Brownells survey: $65-$90 to "weld on new bolt handle", labor only

It sounds as if you're making out alright.

H. C.

Thank you, Smoker. While I admire a well finished rifle, I seem to be not quite as cultish as you. Perhaps my PWT raising has placed my sense of aestetics below yours.
My only experience with a smith that was given the instructions of "take your time, I want this to be perfect" turned out very poorly. At the six month mark, I called and was told things were going well and the rifle was starting to shape up nicely. At the nine month mark, I went to see the smith just to see this beautiful work in progress. When the smith told me he had had some probs getting a couple of special parts and the rifle was packed away deep in the safe, etc, my bullshit alarm went off. Long story short, he had been rolling me to the end of the line and had done nothing! I took the parts and pieces to Joe McCool in Tulsa who had turned me away to begin with because he was too busy and had him do the job. He did an excellant job and had the rifle finished within the time frame he quoted.

[ 10-03-2003, 17:55: Message edited by: beemanbeme ]

Hey beemanbeme,

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. However, if McCool did a good job then you've found a gunsmith that produces the quality you like. I guess you can find bad professionals in any career field.

I had only one bad experience with a gunsmith and it isn't worth mentioning or remembering.

We seem to have a number of very good gunsmiths in central PA. Moyer & McCauslin seem to be the best I've come across. And their quality is not something that you have to negotiate for.

They ask you what you want but if they don't believe that what you want is safe or is unreasonable - they won't do the work. Bill Moyer told me that their reputation is what pays the bills and they won't compromise. Their prices aren't cheap but then neither is their work. And they offer no excuses one way or the other. Cosmetically speaking, if you don't like something, they will change it to what you want.

In my youth I wouldn't care if a rifle looked nice as long as it put the bullet where I wanted it to go. My youth is many years in the past and now I want quality and looks. I want to put the bullet where I want it to go and do it in style.

Maybe I'm getting vain as well as old. But I have the money to get what I want - so why not.

Take care, beemanbeme,

Smoker*

Smoker, ROFLMAO, so do I but at my age, I might not be around in two years.

Here is the PDF file that HenryC470 listed part of:
http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/miscellaneous/shoppricesurvey.pdf

Randy Ketchum of Lynwood Guns charges me about half the price of the starting range. He charges $40 ~ $45 /hour, but is very fast and skillful.

I do most of my own gunsmithing now, but I still go to him for advice and to pay him to fix my mistakes and do the really hard stuff.

He charged me $35 for TIG weld on the split lump, pin, and link installation.
I could make something that looks like that, but when he did it, it went in the pistol and worked.
Here is a pic:
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=465695



[ 11-28-2003, 01:00: Message edited by: Clark ]

I hired a "Yankee Gunsmith" once, back during the last century, in Copperas Cove TX to mount a scope for me in a pair of claw-mount rings made for a German double rifle by the Paul Jaeger firm of Jenkintown PA.

All he had to do was remove the ring screws, take the old scope off, put the new one in, and re-screw the ring screws! Somehow, this ham-handed "gunsmith" managed to pop the rear base loose from the solder that held it on the rear of the rib, between the two barrel breeches.

I discovered this loose base while trying to zero the new scope, and it wouldn't hit twice in the same place! It cost me a lot more to get the base resoldered, and I was lucky the gun didn't need re-regulating!! Should have done the job myself, but didn't want to risk messing up the screw slots!