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  • AKM

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    I hate that you can't trust what people say anymore.

    Don't tell me a job will take two weeks I come back two weeks later to check because I haven't heard anything, and you tell me it'll be a few more weeks before you even get to it. Is that normal for smith work?






    Anyone have a tool to rivet AKs somewhere close to me? Just need to replace the trunnion. That's usually what gets me to try doing stuff, get mad and decide eff it I'll do it myself
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    Charlie

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    It should not happen with any business! When I was in business (general contractor) I always figured my job time carefully and if it was questionable, I added an appropriate amount of time before I told the client. When this subject comes up about gunsmiths, I always hear about their idiosyncrasies regarding their time schedules, costs, attitudes, etc. and we as consumers should just overlook these things because they have a "special" talent. I very much disagree. I can overlook their attitude/personality issues as long as they get the job done correctly, complete it when they say they will and charge what they quote.
     

    AKM

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    Yeah if they try to charge more I'll raise hell if I let them finish

    sent from the bathroom
     

    Byrd666

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    Gunsmith or not, that is simply intolerable for me. Like Charlie, when I had my business, freelance designer and draftsman, if I told a client they would have drawings in hand on X day by X time, they had them. Period. And at not a dime more than I quoted.

    I understand some things do happen. Like a tornado or an earthquake or the occasional bolt of lightning from Zuess but, beyond those, unless you, the person promising to deliver, are dead, there's really no reason not to deliver your work on time and as promised.
     

    AKM

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    Looking into possibly fixing it myself it'll cost about the same in the end after I order parts, pay shipping, gas to where ever, then throwing something towards whoevers tools I use.

    If they by chance start it before I get everything figured out they can do it, but if I get it figured out before they touch it I'll do it myself.

    Not sure how I'm feeling about Tac47 at this point. It looked like they were tacticooling out saigas to sell in store and working and stuff that was brought in after my AK.
     
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    benenglish

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    I've noticed that a distressingly large number of gunsmiths are artists in wood and metal but truly lousy, unprofessional businessmen.

    I've got a pistol on order from one for over 16 months, now. The job estimate was 6.

    I know one pistol guy who let his wait times climb to over 3 years a while back. On top of that, he didn't support his own work. He'd actually tell you to your face "I make money selling new guns, not repairing guns I built a decade ago" as he refused to take in a pistol for repair. I don't have that experience with him face-to-face (it happened to someone I know and trust) but I got essentially the same spiel when I called his shop to arrange to send one of his pistols in for repair. They simply didn't want the work. The fact that I was stuck with a $2k paperweight with their name on it didn't seem to matter to him at all. He couldn't be bothered.

    As an aside - that 'smith/manufacturer recently sold his business. I've emailed the new owner. He promised to begin taking in repair work by the end of April. That's not good but it's a huge improvement over the way the business has been run for the last 15+ years.

    I read (from a source I consider trustworthy) of a 'smith who took in a rare action to build a custom rifle, held it for so long that he forgot where it came from, and then sold the action to another customer.

    There seem to be an infinite number of horror stories about gunsmiths who are artists in metal but just don't have the temperament to actually run a business. That's really quite sad.

    AKMike, you're talking about TAC47. As far as I've seen, they have some guys up front who sell and do minor work like disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly but isn't that one guy (the one from South Africa) their only gunsmith? If so, that makes him a 1-man shop with a storefront. I don't trust the time estimates I get from shops like that. Their storefront will bring in more work than they can do, yet if the sole skilled worker on the premises gets sick, every work estimate immediately becomes worthless.

    If I'm wrong about the number of gunsmiths at that business, I hope somebody corrects me.

    I kinda feel especially bad about your situation, AKMike, because on your recommendation I took a rifle to them for some basic work. The work involved maybe 10 minutes of gunsmith time and an hour from anyone semi-skilled on the platform. They estimated it at 10 days and got it back to me in just 3 or 4. You delivered your rifle to them before I did and you're still waiting. I realize the work you're having done requires a substantially bigger block of gunsmith time than was the case with me. That's still no excuse for screwing up a time estimate this bad.

    Whether or not I return to them for other work sorta depends on how they handle you. The fact that they did great, fast work for me on a little job is meaningless if they can't handle bigger jobs in a timely fashion.

    So, let us know how it works out, will you?
     

    breakingcontact

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    Obviously he doesn't need your buisness....take it elsewhere.

    Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2

    This and tell everyone you know who is considering using the same business about your dealing.

    Some businesses aren't in the business of selling customer service. So long as the customer doesn't demand it, they'll stay in business.

    There's some serious Stockholm Syndrome in the gun community where people allow themselves to be poorly treated by gun businesses. Now, I always do give them the chance to make it right (they should offer that).

    I mean, if I was in that business and I couldn't meet the time requirement I agreed to, I'd be apologizing to you and offering you a discount or something to keep your business.

    Gun businesses aren't often ran that way and I don't care when these "ma and pa places" close.
     

    AKM

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    Went back today with the intention of picking my AK up asked the guy if they had started on my ak, and if not iwas going to pick it up, and buy any parts they may have ordered so they weren't stuck with them. The guy I talked to wasn't there, but I talked to another guy in charge and he said take it if you want it or leaveit till Monday and come back and talk to the smith. Decided Id try to give them the benefit of the doubt and come talk to him Monday before I pick it He said talk to him, and he may be able to get it out Monday or a few days after Ill see what he says then go from there.

    they might make it right, but it shouldnt take multiple trips for that possibility


    If I have to order parts itll be a week or so before I get them, getting it machined to fit, then a few days to week after that before I can go to Pasadena to do the work.
     
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    shortround

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    Any time I take on a job offer, I will bid low with a long lead time, then deliver way earlier than promised. Lower expectations, then deliver superior quality as soon as physically possible. Some times it is better to turn away work, than ruin your reputation with busted expectations.

    Good way to generate repeat business without having to advertise.
     

    AKM

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    The other guy there said he would have told me 3 months. Hopefully he will do it Monday and make good on what they said


    sent from the bathroom
     

    AKM

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    UPDATE-
    Got a call at 10:30 my AK was done. Everything looks fine other than the front rivet holes didn't quite line up and they had to walk the drill a small amount so you can just see the edge other than that it appears to be fine.

    Just hate it took my going up twice to have it finished. Next time I'll just try doing it my self I think.


    Cost a little more than I was told but I expected that. Still keeping nalioths number me decide I want to do a build one day


    sent from the bathroom
     
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