My gunsmithing nightmare

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KEYBEAR

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I took a Ruger Super Blackhawk to a shop north of Brownsburg Indiana three months ago . The Smith cut the barrel and coated the gun(told me four weeks) . He e-mailed me four weeks later that it was done . My mistake was not looking at the firearm before taking it home (it was in a gun rug) he had done one a year ago and it was very nice so ?? When I got home the Ruger was non functional ( really bad) I could not chamber a round or hope to fire it . I counted 5 problems with the Ruger (it was fine before) I call the Smith and he said bring it back and I will make it right . So I take it back total miles for three trips to take it to him pick it up and take it back was 540 miles .

Now he has told me it is done (going on three weeks now) and will shipped it back to me but this is not happening I have gotten three or four dates for shipping and a promise of a tracking number as of today zero . It is a little over three months now and I think one more road trip it going to happen .

I will see how this ends
 
The guy cut the barrel and "coated the gun"?...With what?

Why exactly could you not chamber a round?

What were the "five problems"?
 
The Gunsmith is also Coater he coats firearms ? I ask him to cut the barrel to 4.5/8 and Coat the firearm when done .
The Ruger had a lot of problems bottom line it would not work .
 
I wonder if he did what a Colt "Authorized Service" Center did to my first Colt Python. In the early 1980s I buldged the barrel and needed it replaced. I had them reblue it gun so the and frame would match. When I got it back the trigger pull was horrendous to say the least, the hammer was completely blued. I found they had taken the grips off and dipped the gun in the hot blue without removing the internals. Yours sound as though something similar could have happened. The quickest and easiest way to coat a gun would be to remove the grips and dip the whole thing in whatever they use to coat the gun with. The second would be to hang it up and spray it.
 
I can't imagine picking up a gun that has been worked on or refinished without checking it out before I left.

When I gave him the gun to work on it was in a gun rug and it was in my gun rug when I picked it up (I did look at it in the case)

I don,t need to imagine it but on the other hand the first gun he did for me was very nice I had no reason not to think this one would be also .

The cylinder was not coated (stainless) The bushing for the firing pin stuck out a good 1/8 inch (brass would not pass) the pawl spring was missing so the cylinder would not lock . The firing pin was full of coating and stuck out .
The pin that holds the firing pin in place was not set .

The best part is the Gunsmith told me his helper did my gun ??
 
johnwilliamson062

Yes John it was a Ruger Super Blackhawk only the first was a three screw .
This last one also a Ruger Super Blackhawk in Stainless was a very nice 7.5 inch older gun with a lug in the barrel .
 
Keybear, sorry to hear of your problems and I hope you get your gun back the way you want it. I usually check things out when I have work done as I am a highly paranoid individual. However, I recently took my truck in for an oil change and when finished I just drove off. I started to smell burnt oil. Yep, they didn't put the oil cap back in place and oil was everywhere but the oil cap was no where to be found. It can happen to anyone so don't feel too bad.

I would ask for money off or at least your gas money back.
 
Here's my take...
If I have a Ruger firearm which needs fixed, I'm sending it to Ruger. Their service is legendary.
Coatings in general don't thrill me, but I do know that revolvers need a little more care when coated, and I would only use someone who knows how to coat revolvers.
I have no trust for local gunsmiths, as I have seen one horror story that happened to a friend, and had a supposedly known smith do a poor job for me on a S&W.
Honestly, if possible, I would ask for the coating to be removed, and send it to Ruger.
 
amd6547

I think you do not fully understand what I had done . The first was a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7.5 inch barrel three screw . I had the barrel cut to 4.5/8 the trigger and action cleaned up and a Gloss Black coating put on . When done it looks great and shoots very well . This gun is made to be used and used a lot I shoot this gun a bunch . The second Ruger also a Super Blackhawk will be a backup to the first and done the same .

None of this would be anything Ruger would do . I have shot Rugers for a long time The two I am going to have can not be bought from Ruger and would never be serviced by Ruger (they are modified ). As for the Coating it is great zero wear and very easy to clean if it was still a blue gun the finish would be gone on the first one .
 
I thought I read this same thread on here a while back or maybe it was in "The Smithy" section.
Is this another gun you had trouble with at the same smith?
If so it may be time to look for another smith.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
Morning Bob Same gun it has been over three months now .
I can not get this guy to ship my gun back so I made a APP to pickup and he e=mailed back it is in the mail ? (no tacking number yet) I do not trust him anymore just to many promised shipping dates . I really wish I had pictures the first time it came back to me the number of things really wrong was unbelievable . You would of found it funny the bushing that holds the firing pin in stuck out and the rim of the bass would not pass it . The spring for the Cylinder lock was not in the gun ? (and more)

Yes I have learned a thing or two .
 
And just what have you paid for this wonderful service??? (travel costs don't count, sorry).

I'm sorry, but you made a MAJOR screw up, accepting the gun back, sight unseen!

#1) if you didn't even look at it, how did you check to see if it was loaded? You DID check to see if it was loaded, right? No??? Bad shooter! No bullet!!!
:rolleyes:

Seriously, I don't care if you trust them (or yourself) with your life, or your daughter's virtue, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check any gun that has been out of your sight when you pick it up! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

#2) Safety aside, you should have at least looked, to make sure it was YOUR gun in the rug, if nothing else. Fine to recognize your case, foolish to assume they got the right gun in it.

#3) PICTURES
With everyone in the world (but me) having a phone with a camera, or a camera, that doesn't use film and costs nothing to "develop" pictures, its no longer just nice to have pictures, it is EXPECTED these days.

Before and after is best. Simply put, watch People's court or similar shows, and see just how they rule when there is a complaint and NO PICTURES. Your word alone isn't enough most of the time.

If it's still buggered up when you do finally get it back, I don't know what to tell you, other than, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is one definition of insanity. :rolleyes:

You can find a different gunsmith, or...
You can send it back to Ruger (call first). They probably will fix it. If they do, what you will get back is what Ruger sends out the door. Meaning they will return your gun to Ruger specs. Repairing any and ALL custom work you had done so the gun is the same as the new ones they sell. YOU DON'T get a choice in that. IF Ruger accepts the work...they are under no obligation to..

Oh, and if you do go that route, expect to pay for it. Broken, worn, damaged, they almost always do for free. Butchered by Bubba (with or without an FFL) is a different matter.

Good Luck!
 
The mere fact the Smith didn't have you take the gun outta the case and examine it first before paying the bill would tend to make me think he was happy you didn't. I have never taken a firearm to a Smith where they had me leave it in the case. They have always insisted I take the case and any sling attached to the firearm with me as to not be responsible for loss/damage. Nor have I ever had a Smith do work on a gun where they weren't proud to show me the work they had done when handing it to me over the counter.

Just like a new gun, I would not have accepted it without looking at it first, but that does not excuse the shoddy workmanship or the poor customer service you have received. Odds are, even if you had inspected it at the Smith's before taking it home, you would be experiencing the same difficulties. Only difference would be........ one more round trip, and that the Smith has already been paid for the work, which may be one reason he is not motivated to get your gun back to you.
 
44 AMP No I did not check to see if it was loaded and yes I did see the gun on his bench . (did not pick it up) He did pick it up with some parts and take it out side to my truck AS WE TALKED (thought that was strange).

If you had read my postings you would know why sending it to Ruger was not an option . The only thing I would ever send back to Ruger is a new gun .

Just so you know if you send a old model three Screw to Ruger it will come back with the transfer bar in it and no old parts to change back .

You really come off as a know-it-all
 
44 AMP is correct in all respects.
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amd6547
Can you please tell me why you would at this point send the Ruger back to Ruger ? First Ruger will NOT do what I needed done as for the coating it is great the best thing you can do to a handgun that will see a lot of use .
I clean my three Screw at around 500 rounds and yes I use 240gr. lead and 10.2gr. of Unique very hard to get clean ( I use a spray brake cleaner)



The first Ruger I had this smith coat came out very nice zero problems .
This was a Super Blackhawk three screw made in around 1972 it had some blue missing and not a collector . I shoot at my home on my own range I shoot steel targets the first gun has had over 6000 cast bullets this summer and is still in good condition . Very happy with the work the Smith did he cut the barrel to 4.5/8 and did the coating very nice . The other Ruger is to be a backup .

Was told today I will have the new gun Dec 1 th. also have a tracking number . This is the same as my three screw just an early new model stainless
 
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