Gunsmith RUINED my Model 70...

[Osprey78]

Ridegrunner665, I have never had anything like this happen to me so I can only imagine going through this. I know I would be beyond p'oed.

I hope things work out although it won't be your original firearm.

Nothing like the good ole internet to discourage others from doing business there. Good for your for outing them.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

I wonder if their "gunsmith" has any actual training, or if they hired a friend cause he knew what a drill press was! Basic common sense could have avoided this fiasco. I'd hate to see that guy do a chamber job. Headspace would probably be so bad it would blow up in your face.

 

[truck driver]

I was just there and they have changed the site but there are still some comments there and Fotis had a Like on his gun smith service question.

 

[GeorgeS]

I am sorry for your travails. That gunsmith is a hack. However, I don't understand how you can blame blue Loc-Tite for the screw not coming out.

Blue Loc-Tite is not permanent; I heat the tip of a nail to red hot and touch it to the screw head for a couple of seconds to focus the heat. The Loc-Tite goes back into solution and releases its grip. It sounds more like Red Loc-Tite (271 or 263) was used.

George

 

[Ridgerunner665]

It was blue Loctite (242)...I put it on there...I don't know why it stuck so hard either...but it did.

Heat did not release it...not even a little bit...my only guess is that it is a manufactured product....and that batch was "wrong" in some way....but that's only a guess.


I heated it to over 500 degrees before ever taking it to the gunsmith...it didn't budge.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

They removed the review section from their Facebook page...

 

[SJB358]

That was nice of them!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Lol...no more 5 star reviews...now I'm gonna tell my story locally...well, I gotta finish writing it first...gonna do that this weekend.

 

[SJB358]

Yup. Rookies!

 

[1100 Remington Man]

This sucks I feel for you. I travel to Johnson City TN every month for work & stay at the Carnargie Hotel. I hate to say this but Johnson City has a very good gunsmith Herb Reilly he worked on my 300 H&H and did a great job. Just a little FYI I have both pre 64 Model 70 & Model 70 XTR and if I was to have a custom rifle built for hunting I would use a Model 70 XTR, yes I prefer it to my Remington 700 it would be my second choice. Good Luck with your new build.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've decided not to build a rifle...gonna get a Nosler Custom in 280AI.

 

[Anonymous]

Such a small world. That's my ancient stomping grounds--N.E. TN. I don't recall this place but I've been gone for quite a while.

It seems the title "gunsmith" has been watered down significantly in the age of Lego guns. A local fellow hung out his shingle a while back and I inquired what his services were. He basically only did two things- build ARs from parts and stick things on Remington 870s.

That's all very interesting, but it hardly qualified as "gunsmithing" in my book. I later heard a customer left with his 1911 in a baggie after the "'smith" could't determine how to reassemble it.

Sad world.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Such a small world. That's my ancient stomping grounds--N.E. TN. I don't recall this place but I've been gone for quite a while.

It seems the title "gunsmith" has been watered down significantly in the age of Lego guns. A local fellow hung out his shingle a while back and I inquired what his services were. He basically only did two things- build ARs from parts and stick things on Remington 870s.

That's all very interesting, but it hardly qualified as "gunsmithing" in my book. I later heard a customer left with his 1911 in a baggie after the "'smith" could't determine how to reassemble it.

Sad world.

I'm hillbilly to the bone...born and bred right there in Surgoinsville, TN...Stoney Point to be exact, but you won't find that community name on a map newer than the mid 50's.

 

[sask boy]

RR, after reading a few reviews & looking at the Nosler M48 I really believe that I would go with a Nosler rifle . I really think they have something very good going on with their rifles!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[350JR]

Such occurrences just make my skin crawl. My condolences for what that is worth.

IMHO, there is no "fixing" such when something less than the original chamber/barrel/finish is involved but maybe I get a little "too attached" to my rifles, and believe me, none of mine have the monetary value of such a fine set up as you had but it is NOT just monetary loss and few non-gun owners would understand but one WOULD expect a gunsmith to!!

Much less of a loss but my single experience with a gunsmith turned out less than acceptable. Two rifles sent for same chambering after set back, two rifles returned....one with sight holes off center by 30 degrees and over an inch shorter than the other (both starting out identical lengths) and with removal marks in the finish since the PAID FOR rebluing had not been done.

Smith said with season upon me and his lack of time (2 months late) he would correct issues later BY SETTING IT BACK AGAIN and already much too short at 20 inches. It shot ok, hunted with it and went to contact smith again.

Gone, no way to reach him and just out the reamer and rebluing funds and stuck with a disfigured rifle.

Rebarreling and starting over I'd have more in it (plus buying a new reamer......and waiting for it) than I had in it originally by a fair amount but instead, sick of the memory charring my wildcat thoughts and time spent for such........I just sold the rifle.

To me, even if they fixed it, there is irreversible damage that has no dollar amount attached to it and I would start again, TOTALLY from scratch, even in the much lower valued hunters I put together.

I hope some type of, acceptable to you, compensation comes to pass in your situation.

For me, happily, I "dumbed into" knowledge about a local smith that gets so much work without advertising, strictly on rep, that he doesn't even have a road sign, let alone ads out and about. His shop is obviously a shop open to the public and has regular hours, carries some basics for hunters but his main stay is his gunsmith work.

I visited and we chatted and he showed me a half dozen custom chambering jobs he was working on and while I was there several calls came in obviously about more incoming work so I have higher hopes on this one, but I'm going to visit several times and talk to a few more satisfied customers before going wildcat chambering again with anyone.

I am working on a three different bore size variations of one wildcat case for what I believe will be for my final, use till I die, rifles for my time left on this rock.and the ones left to my children. Needless to say I want to be involved in the entire process on these and done correctly is the single priority not time of getting them done.

At any rate, I hate your loss and especially understand the loss simply because it is indeed MORE than a "monetary loss".

Some things in life simply have no price tag when gone and replacing them is just not a reality.

God Bless
Steve

 

[ScreaminEagle]

I don't know how anyone could drill sight holes off by 30 degrees and be proud of their work! How could you look your customer in the eyes? Hacks!

 

[350JR]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. This was a factory barrel set back so had factory sights. No drilling required but more attention to trimming on the set back so sight holes align to top. I don't use iron sights so was not a HUGE deal but just showed "an issue" since obvious to me (since much shorter than the other one) he had set the barrel back more than once already.

The reamer and funds for rebluing spent was the financial loss but the shorter barrel than intended, not completely done on the set back with current set back leaving sights way off center and the lack of reblue job was just indications that it was time to cut my losses. I had fully intended to send it back and completely rebarrel it so probably a good thing he was out of touch. Who knows what else would have happened.

God Bless

 

[Vince]

Most folks that call themselves "Gunsmiths" these days are "Parts Changers".

Each Gunsmith, real Gunsmith, will have an area of expertise that they specialize in. Good 'smiths will be quick to tell you if a project you want to do is outside their kin. Good 'smiths are harder to find than a needle in the proverbial haystack in my experience.

I'm lucky in that I have a coupe, three really, great Gunsmiths local to me but each has his domain and I only take them work in their domain. Before I took my one and only Model 70, left hand action, to Pat Holehan I had inquired at a local shop about having them do the work. The shop is a store dedicated more to tactical shooting. They offered to do the work on my Model 70 and I talked with the 'smith for more than an hour about having him do the work. By the time we got done the price was the same as I paid Pat. I then went to a known, another local, 'smith whose work has graced the pages of various magazines, and asked if he'd do the work. He declined but in two hours of visiting, talking about mutual friends, and just good old fashioned fellowship, I came up with the recommendation of Pat Holehan.

The Gunsmith recommendation was followed up by another recommendation from a father figure in my life that has been a friend for near forty years. He had some work done by Pat as well. He too recommended him. So, even though I'm not the smartest pencil in the drawer at times, I decided to use the clues put forth in front of me to my advantage.

One thing that struck me about dealing with David Miller and Pat Holehan was that they were quick to stop if a project I had was something they weren't comfortable with or didn't want to do. I can see by their actions that they still honored the old adage that any work coming out of their shop had their name on it and they were proud of their name. The local Tactical Timmy store does great AR type rifles, and they may have done great work on my Model 70, if I let them, but being that the bulk of their work is not on the Model 70 I decided not to give them the opportunity.

In buying saddles, having one built, having Gunsmith work done, or any sort of custom handcrafted labor project I find that talking to the actual person doing the work will tell me a lot of what I want to know. I also use word of mouth from a select few I trust. I've been fortunate in that I've been exposed to some fine craftsmen in my life. The pity to that is when they take down their shingle they often aren't replaced by someone as qualified and the search begins anew.

We have become a disposable society where most people want what they want and they want it NOW! Items purchased are replaced where in the past they were expected to last for generations. This is a pity really. Because of this societal mindset and culture shift the artistry and craftsmanship of the past is being lost to all but a select few.

Sorry for the rant.

Vince

 

[sask boy]

Well guys my purple loctite came in :wink: now bases & scope install & I hope to be finished the break in by the end of next week!
After that I believe it will be load development.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Vince]

Well guys my purple loctite came in :wink: now bases & scope install & I hope to be finished the break in by the end of next week!
After that I believe it will be load development.

Blessings,
Dan

Dan,

Best of luck, have fun, and keep us informed.

Vince