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Gunsmith Dilemma Part 2-Whats a fair price

salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
edited April 2002 in General Discussion
The more I am thinking about this, the more ticked off I am getting.
What would a fair price be to cut down a barrel, and install a ramp for a front sight? Lets say there was a miscommunication, and I misunderstood(which no way in hell this happend). How much would it cost to have a shotgun barrel shortened, and have a front sight ramp installed. I did not supply the ramp, so the smith would have to supply the part, but I did supply the actual sight.
I am willing to pay for this IF $150 is a fair price. But if that is way to high a price for this work, I am not going to pay, and will eat the barrel.

Happiness is a warm gun
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  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    ...oh yeah, I want to find out the price of the part, but I am not sure exactly what it is called. It is the front part that holds the fiber optic or raybar sight onto the barrel. It is part that is directly connected to the barrel, with screws. The sight(raybar) gets screwed onto this part that I am refering to. Thanks.

    Happiness is a warm gun
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    a) I would have asked for the estimate in advance, and b) gunsmithing prices vary depending upon the reputation of the gunsmith. If I sent a gun to King's Gunworks I'd expect to pay more for work than from a "generic" local guy. Generally, I am pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive many gun chores are, but if you're asking to a machinist to do a custom job they can charge more than a fulltime gunsmith would. I would have got a price and told the guy what I can get a new barrel for -- around a hundred bucks in the case of, say, an 870. If you couldn't agree on a price before the fact, I would not have left my barrel for him to touch.

    -- Life NRA Member
    "If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • ladrladr Member Posts: 263 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In ga, about 65.00 would have covered ALL of what you had done.

    NO GUTS, NO GLORY
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  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Let me begin by first telling you I am not a gunsmith. But I do have a machine shop. $65.00 would be for about an hour and a half of machine time, and the machine time is twenty minutes.
    As for the cost of the sight and installing it, again don't know cost of part, but to drill and tap two small holes requires no more than 1/2 hour.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
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  • simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994 ✭
    edited November -1
    He did get a price quote - $65.00 to cut the barrell down, plus 'a little extra' to install the site mount.

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
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  • gunpaqgunpaq Member Posts: 4,607 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Took a pistol to gunsmith who is club's range officer to have a part (supplied by me) replaced. No quote was given except for the gunsmith stating that it would be an easy job, just a few minutes. Three weeks later the bill was $99 plus tax. When asked about the high bill he stated that the job was more complicated than he thought and that he has a minimum fee for inspection and a minimum fee for using the shop. Later his wife slipped up at club function when I was showing the pistol to another shooter and she said the job took less than 10 minutes at their dinner table. He got no more of my business nor that of several other club members and other shooters. Now I always get a price range quote with conditions for doing the work.

    Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
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  • wipalawipala Member Posts: 11,067
    edited November -1
    Drill and tap 10.00 per hole Install a bead site 10.00. Total for the job 20.00. Cut off bbl bulge recrown 30.00 (45.00 if vent ribbed)
    What you need to find out is the cost of the fiber optic front sight. Did he install a rear sight. As you keep talking about a rifled bbl did he install a screw in choke. Find out what he did and get a written price break down . How much material and how much labor. Off hand unless he installed a choke tube or put on a very expensive sight
    I think you're getting hosed.
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  • BoomerangBoomerang Member Posts: 4,513
    edited November -1
    Salzo - I will ask my gunsmith today what this job should cost. I am going to pose it as if it is a standard non special barrel.

    However, please describe what exactly he did, what parts he furnished and what kind of barrel it is. All of this will figure into final costs. BTW, it does seem a little high to me also.

    One last suggestion, since a new one only costs $20 more, I would tell your in-law to buy a new one. At least he would have the barrel length he wants and it is new barrel to boot. Your in-law will not be out anymore money than what he had initially anticipated being out anyway.

    Boomer

    Protect our Constitutional Rights.

    Edited by - Boomerang on 04/25/2002 17:05:21
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  • BoomerangBoomerang Member Posts: 4,513
    edited November -1
    I just posed the question to my gunsmith, and he said for a standard rifled barrel, no rib, $65 would more than cover shortening the barrel, and drill/tap to install sight. The big question is what did the part cost and why so much without your authorization. He needs to be challenged on this.

    He has either made a mistake or he is giving you the hose. I would not pay for it, especially if he does not line item the bill in front of you as to what all the charges are for.

    Oh yeah, get your sight back if you have given it to him, that was not in the deal to begin with. NO need to loose that.

    Boomer

    Protect our Constitutional Rights.

    Edited by - Boomerang on 04/25/2002 17:01:12
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  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    BOOMERANG- I do not know what the part is calle. I have always known it as a "front ramp". Basically, it is the part that is directly connected to the barrel, and the part that houses the sight(usually raybar, though ithaca has been using tru glo sights).
    I wanted him to cut the rifled shotgun barrel.
    Install a sight ramp, which I did not have, which he would supply.
    The sights I gave him to put on the ramp, which involves tightening and loosening screws, which involves no machining. The sights are made to go on without gunsmithing, and I only gave hime the sights so that he would have an idea what kind of "front ramp" to get.

    If anyone knows what this part is called(the part that is mounted to the barrel, and holds the fiber optic sight), I would appreciate it if you can tell me. I want to go to NUMRICH to find out how much it costs.

    Happiness is a warm gun
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  • niklasalniklasal Member Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey salzo, I put up some advice on the other post that will settle your problem and ease some of that frustration. Check it out!

    NIKLASAL@hotmail.com
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