What to do about a lousy gunsmithing job?
Recently, I got a very nice M48 Mauser. It was in very good shape and worked well. I didn't like the V-notch rear sights and decided to put a Lyman aperture sight on the receiver.
I specifically asked if it can be installed without blocking the stripper clip guide and got a "yes" to that. The smith called to ask if it was OK to inlet the stock for parts of the sight to clear and got an OK for that.
When I saw the gun, the first thing I found is that the stripper clip guide was blocked. Next, I tried to zero it and found that the original V-notch got int he way of the aperture. I asked if the original rear sight can be removed. "Yes" The smith ended up cracking the rear sight base in half and still failing to remove the sight ladder. He asked if I want to keep the cracked sight base on, take the whole sight base off (leaving an un-blued ring on the barrel) or cut the "ears" which held the ladder off. I chose to cut them off and that was done exceedingly crudely.
The gun wasn't assembled right after that and the sling swivel ended up on the wrong side. When I asked to have it re-nstalled (as they had brass and wooden punches and I didn't), the smith grumbled but did so. I didn't realize that the retainer spring which keeps the barrel band in place wasn't put in right and it flew off when the gun was fired. I never found it.
I am not sure what to do. The smith isn't the owner of the place. The owner tried to help out: he gave me a taller front sight blade and promised to find a replacement retainer spring. They cracked the top handguard while removing the sights and replaced that right away, too.
The rifle shoot much better with the new sight (2/3" group at 25m rather than 2 1/2-3" I got with the V-notch). It also looks so ugly I feel like crying when I look at it. It is also a lot less functional as it won't take clips and all my 8mm ammo is on stipper clips. Originally, I planned to put a better trigger into that gun but at this point I feel like scavenging the Lyman sight and chucking the rest into trash.
That gun shop installed a sling swivel before and re-assembled a Govt.380 which I messed up. They seem to do good work, normally, and are usually friendly. I don't feel angry at them but I am upset. Do you think it would make sense to communicate my take on this to them or just let it slide? If let them know, in what form? Not sure what they can do. I also wonder if I should look for another smith? My experience with another Nashville shop has been unsatisfactory. So far only Tamara's smith has done consistently good work but he's in Knoxville.
PS: Talked to Paul ("The Rifleman") and he said that, if nothing is resolved by the time he comes to visit in October, he'll bring a spare barrel, stock and tools and re-build it as an M98 or make it into a well-finished sporter. So, worst-case scenario wouldn't be too terrible.
Recently, I got a very nice M48 Mauser. It was in very good shape and worked well. I didn't like the V-notch rear sights and decided to put a Lyman aperture sight on the receiver.
I specifically asked if it can be installed without blocking the stripper clip guide and got a "yes" to that. The smith called to ask if it was OK to inlet the stock for parts of the sight to clear and got an OK for that.
When I saw the gun, the first thing I found is that the stripper clip guide was blocked. Next, I tried to zero it and found that the original V-notch got int he way of the aperture. I asked if the original rear sight can be removed. "Yes" The smith ended up cracking the rear sight base in half and still failing to remove the sight ladder. He asked if I want to keep the cracked sight base on, take the whole sight base off (leaving an un-blued ring on the barrel) or cut the "ears" which held the ladder off. I chose to cut them off and that was done exceedingly crudely.
The gun wasn't assembled right after that and the sling swivel ended up on the wrong side. When I asked to have it re-nstalled (as they had brass and wooden punches and I didn't), the smith grumbled but did so. I didn't realize that the retainer spring which keeps the barrel band in place wasn't put in right and it flew off when the gun was fired. I never found it.
I am not sure what to do. The smith isn't the owner of the place. The owner tried to help out: he gave me a taller front sight blade and promised to find a replacement retainer spring. They cracked the top handguard while removing the sights and replaced that right away, too.
The rifle shoot much better with the new sight (2/3" group at 25m rather than 2 1/2-3" I got with the V-notch). It also looks so ugly I feel like crying when I look at it. It is also a lot less functional as it won't take clips and all my 8mm ammo is on stipper clips. Originally, I planned to put a better trigger into that gun but at this point I feel like scavenging the Lyman sight and chucking the rest into trash.
That gun shop installed a sling swivel before and re-assembled a Govt.380 which I messed up. They seem to do good work, normally, and are usually friendly. I don't feel angry at them but I am upset. Do you think it would make sense to communicate my take on this to them or just let it slide? If let them know, in what form? Not sure what they can do. I also wonder if I should look for another smith? My experience with another Nashville shop has been unsatisfactory. So far only Tamara's smith has done consistently good work but he's in Knoxville.
PS: Talked to Paul ("The Rifleman") and he said that, if nothing is resolved by the time he comes to visit in October, he'll bring a spare barrel, stock and tools and re-build it as an M98 or make it into a well-finished sporter. So, worst-case scenario wouldn't be too terrible.
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