Reasonable price for a gun smith to change out an AR handguard?

[M. Sage]

What is this "gas tube aligning tool" you speak of? I usually stick a drill bit of the right size in the BCG where the tube goes in and align the barrel nut hole with it. Then the tube goes right in.

I just push the gas tube through from the receiver side...

 

[bptactical]

Gunsmith is charging waaay too much. I had a local smith of a gunshop do it for $20 a while back.

And that 'Smith works too cheap.
I think 40.00-60.00 is reasonable. Sure it can be done in ten minutes but to do it correctly it usually takes at least a half hour to 45 minutes.

 

[wakal]

Sure, if you are padding your hour count. If you want to play that game, just have a minimum bench fee.


"Correctly" costs more...heh

 

[bptactical]

I do in fact have a minimum, 25.00. You can't stay in business if you don't. You don't do "buddy deals" etc.
Too many 'Smiths do charity work and "this will just take a second" work.
Too many 'Smiths fail at the business end of things.
Bad business plan.

"Correctly"- yes, to install a forend correctly takes more time then just "slappin it on fer ya"....wouldn't you rather know the receiver ring/ extension was cleaned and trued if need be, threads properly burnished by torquing dry 3 times and then final torque with Aeroshell, barrel nut shimmed if required to time correctly while observing correct torque values, gas tube cleaned and new roll pin used, crush washer replaced and correct grade of Loctite and torque values used for ancillary fasteners and optics remounted and zeroed if required?

You can get it cheap
You can get it fast
You can get it correct

Choose one

You have hacks
You have Gunsmiths

 

[TX69]

I'd do it for free. I'll bet that the guys here will show you how do t it. Learn to fish and eat for a lifetime.

 

[Anger]

Bro, PM me. costs you gas money to get to 620/oconner drive. If you're looking for "DIY" assistance if you want to DIY. A $30 craftsman vice, an upper UHMW poly vice block, and a torque wrench with the barrel nut tool has always worked for me for this kind of job. What kind of free float tube is it?

I've done the midwest and the troy's. I'd be glad to help a fellow TGT friend out.

 

[bptactical]

Bro, PM me. costs you gas money to get to 620/oconner drive. If you're looking for "DIY" assistance if you want to DIY. A $30 craftsman vice, an upper UHMW poly vice block, and a torque wrench with the barrel nut tool has always worked for me for this kind of job. What kind of free float tube is it?

I've done the midwest and the troy's. I'd be glad to help a fellow TGT friend out.

That's the great thing about the forums, members helping members.

Be sure to c clamp the upper down to the vice block if it holds the upper by the pins. You dont want to put too much torque on the pin bosses.

 

[Anger]

bptactical where about in cold-er-ado u located? My bro lives in the western subs of Denver and I've been there 2x on work assignments and hold PE license to practice in that state. My bro brought me to shoot at the Northrop Grumman private gun range once, and it was kick booty IMO. Too bad about your elected officials stance on shitting on the 2A and citizen's rights.

 

[bptactical]

bptactical where about in cold-er-ado u located? My bro lives in the western subs of Denver and I've been there 2x on work assignments and hold PE license to practice in that state. My bro brought me to shoot at the Northrop Grumman private gun range once, and it was kick booty IMO. Too bad about your elected officials stance on shitting on the 2A and citizen's rights.

I am in a northernmost suburb of metro Denver.
I am native here and yes, it sure isn't the state I grew up in. Imagine, my freshman year I built a copy of the Modena rifle in Industrial Arts.
It does suck that the looney lefties gathered here like ticks on a deer and are wanting THEIR utopian paradise. Unfortunately they have the majority in the house and senate and were able to cram some crappy legislation through.
We have had two successful recalls and are working on a third and the governor is hiding under the porch, he knows he is toast.
We will see what the 2014 midterms bring.

 

[Anger]

I am in a northernmost suburb of metro Denver.
I am native here and yes, it sure isn't the state I grew up in. Imagine, my freshman year I built a copy of the Modena rifle in Industrial Arts.
It does suck that the looney lefties gathered here like ticks on a deer and are wanting THEIR utopian paradise. Unfortunately they have the majority in the house and senate and were able to cram some crappy legislation through.
We have had two successful recalls and are working on a third and the governor is hiding under the porch, he knows he is toast.
We will see what the 2014 midterms bring.

Thread jack alert. One thing I remember in cold-er-ado 2 years ago that I was in awe at the tooth pick looking hills with that pine beetle attacks, all over the place. Entire landscapes looking like they'd been thru a forest fire or an act of GOD. that and the Bolder folks (yes, I did visit there, much like Austin) thought it inhumane to treat the disease with burn tactics and similar. Now, back to your regularly tuned channel, reasonable price for a gun smith to change out an AR handguard.

 

[wakal]

I do in fact have a minimum, 25.00. You can't stay in business if you don't. You don't do "buddy deals" etc.
Too many 'Smiths do charity work and "this will just take a second" work.
Too many 'Smiths fail at the business end of things.
Bad business plan.

"Correctly"- yes, to install a forend correctly takes more time then just "slappin it on fer ya"....wouldn't you rather know the receiver ring/ extension was cleaned and trued if need be, threads properly burnished by torquing dry 3 times and then final torque with Aeroshell, barrel nut shimmed if required to time correctly while observing correct torque values, gas tube cleaned and new roll pin used, crush washer replaced and correct grade of Loctite and torque values used for ancillary fasteners and optics remounted and zeroed if required?

You can get it cheap
You can get it fast
You can get it correct

So cute.

Having a customer upgrading parts in your shop is a opportunity. Sure, I traded beer to swap a handguard...properly...this afternoon. Took ten minutes.

Got a six pack out of it.

And sold a new gas block, a new Aimpoint, and spiffy F2 compensator (accept no substitutes) to the customer.

Need to drop the chip and gain a loyal...and profitable..customer... Having a gun in pieces on your bench is an opportunity, not a problem.


Alex

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Thanks for the offers guys but Hellishhorses already helped me out with my barrel nut nearly a month ago lol. I was using my free float at Hicksville. Got to use it in 3gun the other day too and man that locked support arm grip helps a TON on 75yd+ offhand shots. Also nice for side of barricade shots.

 

[Anger]

booooo lol. now help me with my tight RIA 45. I'm getting tired of trying to break this effer in.

 

[bptactical]

So cute.

Having a customer upgrading parts in your shop is a opportunity. Sure, I traded beer to swap a handguard...properly...this afternoon. Took ten minutes.

Got a six pack out of it.

And sold a new gas block, a new Aimpoint, and spiffy F2 compensator (accept no substitutes) to the customer.

Need to drop the chip and gain a loyal...and profitable..customer... Having a gun in pieces on your bench is an opportunity, not a problem.


Alex

Cute, why yes it is!
I put 60.00 in my pocket where you get to suck on beer for your labor.
Which one pays the bills?
Sure, you made some money on the sales of the parts, but I didn't have to tie up any capital as well.

We are in two different places amigo, you are obviously in a retail environment where you are making markup on retail product so perhaps you can afford to give your labor away.
I am strictly a 'Smith with no retail sales so my labor is my sole source of income. Nothing is given away.
A firearm in pieces on my bench is a problem, as it is not headed out the door and making me money.
And it means the firearms that are waiting in the wings are not getting serviced, therefore not making money.
642 firearms came through my shop for work last year with an average ticket of 110.00.
Loyal and profitable customers.....yup, quite a few.

Cute, no?

 

[JimmyB]

Cute, why yes it is!
I put 60.00 in my pocket where you get to suck on beer for your labor.
Which one pays the bills?
Sure, you made some money on the sales of the parts, but I didn't have to tie up any capital as well.

We are in two different places amigo, you are obviously in a retail environment where you are making markup on retail product so perhaps you can afford to give your labor away.
I am strictly a 'Smith with no retail sales so my labor is my sole source of income. Nothing is given away.
A firearm in pieces on my bench is a problem, as it is not headed out the door and making me money.
And it means the firearms that are waiting in the wings are not getting serviced, therefore not making money.
642 firearms came through my shop for work last year with an average ticket of 110.00.
Loyal and profitable customers.....yup, quite a few.

Cute, no?

Cute, no. Condescending "gunsmith" attitude, plenty.

I knock out generally 5-10 installs a week for a local shop, have been for about a year now. Charge $25 an install if they buy the parts from the shop, even do it while they wait. That must really make your blood boil, service at a reasonable price without the holier attitude.

 

[M. Sage]

My suggestion is do it yourself. Handguard swaps are ridiculously easy. The hardest part can be getting the gas block off (if it's pinned). If you can handle that, swapping the barrel nut isn't going to be hard.

I did drop Wakal a couple of 6 packs so he'd stake the shell stops in an 870 a while back, though.

 

[wakal]

642 firearms came through my shop for work last year with an average ticket of 110.00.

That is all? Wow, I'm glad I'm not a hobbyist...

 

[M. Sage]

Now that makes me curious... how low is the overhead in the gunsmithing business?

 

[rushthezeppelin]

Now that makes me curious... how low is the overhead in the gunsmithing business?

Once you are all set up with tools I'd imagine it's insanely low. Especially if you aren't doing stuff like custom CNC stuff that uses alot of electricity. Pretty much your light and heating/cooling bills and insurance.

 

[M. Sage]

It's just that one of the posts above, the numbers add up to around $70,000 gross. Seems like it's hardly worth filing all the licenses and other bullshit for that kind of chicken feed. If you've mechanically inclined enough to 'smith, you can gross at least that working for some fool who deals with all the admin bullshit for you.