Worst gunsmith EVER

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CYANIDEGENOCIDE

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So I got a Rem. 700 in 7mm mag. It came with no sights and one of the front sight screw holes was stripped. I took it to a local shop to have the hole re-tapped or heli-coiled or whatever. The smith talked me into buying the front and rear sights from him. So for $110 the rifle was to have new sights.
After 2 weeks I get a call it's finished. I ran over on my lunch break and grabbed it. After I got it home I examined the front sight and someone had used a dremel all over the side of the base and white metal was exposed. The sight would not stay in place and fell out when I took the hood off. After examining it someone had dremeled the sight as well. I was pretty ticked by this point and decided to just throw out the ruined parts and buy new stuff from Midway. I took the screws completely out of the base but it wouldn't come off. I used an adjustable wrench to twist it and discovered it was held on with epoxy and the hole and not been re-tapped.
The next day I took it back and the smith says well I have never seen you before, I work on 7,000 guns per year. After a lot of nonsense he decided he will fix it without using epoxy. Another week and a half and I JUST picked the gun up. I examined it in the dimly lit store and it looked better. I got it home and took it apart. This time the hole is tapped. The front sight base is the same one that was on there the first time but colored with black sharpie. The hood is different but still the wrong size. Supposedly he did me a "favor" by giving me a gold bead front sight...that is rusty...and is still too loose so there is no way to adjust it.:banghead: If I wanted a crappy job I would have just done it myself.
 
Sounds like you need to complain to management and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I also wouldn't pay for it- that's crappy work.
 
The saddest part is that this is very basic, easy work. All he had to do is retap the hole for the next biggest size and install a sight base of the proper contour.
 
How about a smith that changes a barrel out, and ruins it by reaming the chamber out of round. Then installs the next one incorrectly (the lettering on the barrel in the wrong place) so he does not have to ream the chamber. My guess is that the barrel is not seated all the way into the reciever. Just loctited in place.
 
When I was in Gunsmithing school there was a student (who will remain nameless) who destroyed everything he touched. He was polishing a M12 Winchester rec'r on a polishing wheel. By the time he was finished the rec'r had been snatched from his hands and propelled into the floor so many times it had been tweaked to the point that it could not be reassembled. The person whose bench was next to the polisher would don a motorcycle helmet for safety when this man used it. On another occasion he reassembled C96 Mauser, and when he was done it could neither be cycled or disassembled. No one could figure out how that occurred. Nice fellow, but nobody wanted him to touch their guns.

The person in question here is committing fraud to call himself a gunsmith. He is what we called a gunplumber or a butcher.
 
Hell, I consider myself an amateur and I do better work than that.
Treat every gun as if it were better than your own. It amazes me that some of these guys make a living at this. Gives me hope that I can make a bit at it, cause I'm way better than that.
 
The next day I took it back and the smith says well I have never seen you before, I work on 7,000 guns per year.
Click to expand...

Um, receipt? Invoice? Anything?
That aside, is the BBB an option here?
 
The BBB wouldnt be able to do anything about the guy being incompetent, which is the core problem. Certificates of training on the wall? Was he asked how he intended to repair it? After discovering the problem and the level of skill this guy had, I would run away. Money lost, lesson learned.
 
If i was you id try and fit a little time in your life to learn and have time to fix some things yourself as much as possible.
I have issues even sending my gun in for warranty repair work and i know they most likely have some of the best smiths around.

But ill say this, Im a very quiet and reserved person as im 6'4" 275lbs and tend to intimidate people with just my size. So i keep a low profile so i don't stand out.
But i would have went OFF on a gunsmith that treated my gun like that, And i never do that. My luck id be arrested so i think thats why i try and stay calm and quiet.

I wished i had the time and local to a gunsmiths school as that would be like going to Disney Land every day. I hate working with wood as ive tried grip work and just dont care for it, But working with steel i do like a lot.
 
Is it against the rules to clue the rest of us in as to where this occurs so that someone else could avoid a repeat performance? :fire:
Just a City/State/Zip code woud be better than nothing. At 7,000 guns a year you would think that the unfortunates would be scrambling to get away!:what:
 
Quote
"The person in question here is committing fraud to call himself a gunsmith. He is what we called a gunplumber or a butcher."

Is this sort referred to as a "bubba" ? or am I using the wrong terminology?
 
Let me see if I can answer some of the questions tossed out. The "smith" owns the store. So I cannot appeal to a manager. Since this incident I have found out he is regarded as a joke in the local gun community. It's my own fault for not doing my homework before I took the gun to him. I didn't want to chase the threads myself because I didn't want to:
1. order a tap that small for what would likely be a one time use.
2. risk tapping off center or breaking the tap
3. I was very busy and just couldn't be bothered with it at the time.
I am not going to pursue this with the BBB or legal action. It was a waste of time and money but for what I am likely to receive in recompense will take far more time and effort than I am willing to submit.
I walked in the store and saw a lot of high-end shotguns behind the counter and lots of expensive stock blanks and figured he was one of the old timers who really knew his stuff (again totally my fault for not doing my homework).
He claims his "apprentice" did the epoxy job and has since been terminated. I don't really care what the excuse is, the work is sub-par first time and second time. The place is called "The Gunstock Shop" in Zip code 19805 supposedly he is the only game in town if you want a 1 off custom stock or some such.
 
7000 guns a year, thats almost 20 guns a day 7 days a week. The poor over worked guy probably did'nt have time to do it right!:scrutiny:
 
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