gander mountian beware

[Scrounger]

bill for drilling and tapping 1 hole.

$35.00

am i going to tip?
you be the judge...

What are you complaining about? That's only $25 over a fair price...
I never met a gunsmith that didn't charge at least twice as much as I thought the job was worth. Maybe I was just unlucky in the ones I ran into. Most of them wanted to make $1000 a week to finance their hunting trips; Fair enough if you put in 40 or 50 hours at it, but most of them only worked 2 or 3 days a week. Put a gun in there for even a minor job and wait 3 months to get it back. That's why I learned to do things like trigger jobs and glass bedding, saved lots of money and time.

[Heavy lead]

What are you complaining about? That's only $25 over a fair price...
I never met a gunsmith that didn't charge at least twice as much as I thought the job was worth. Maybe I was just unlucky in the ones I ran into. Most of them wanted to make $1000 a week to finance their hunting trips; Fair enough if you put in 40 or 50 hours at it, but most of them only worked 2 or 3 days a week. Put a gun in there for even a minor job and wait 3 months to get it back. That's why I learned to do things like trigger jobs and glass bedding, saved lots of money and time.

+1 and quite frankley most of the local guys around here are hacks, I've messed stuff up, but usually I can do a better job.

[unclebill]

I met a (yet another) cool old fart at the range that does it for $5.
he is a retired machinist.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I sold my neighbor 2 pistols recently. The next Mon. we went to the sheriffs dept and he was issued new owner permits - no charge. Oh by the way he bought me breakfast. Robert

[PatMarlin]

Our small town guy raised his fee from $25 to $30, and I'm glad to pay it and support him.

Gander= gouge..

One shop that I have bought a few rifles and pistols from surprised me when I asked their smith to check the headspace on an old M17 for me. He handed back my rifle while I waited and a $35 bill.

That was the last dollar they ever got from me.

I sent down my newly aquired Savage that needed scope mounts changed (1 for sure), and I had them mount my scope since they were doing the mounts.

They had a bit of work with the exisiting steel mounts loctited in hard I guess. Got my rifle back boresighted, one new mount and done to perfection with a $35 dollar bill. Now they get my business.

Or maybe it was the wife. I guess I should send her from now on..

[waksupi]

You may want to look in your Brownell's catalog. There is a list of common gunsmith charges. And most will charge for a full hour regardless of what you want done. Same as an auto mechanic, using thier "job" book. There is a set fee there, also. If you can find a good gunsmith to do what you need done, and do it correctly the first time, hang on to him. And beware any who claim they are an expert on every type of firearm.

[Scrounger]

I might point out that a huge amount of Brownell's sales go to gunsmiths. One would hardly expect them to advocate lower service charges for their best customers. Or as the kids say today, they sucked up to them Brownell's position is hardly that of an impartial judge. And I think you yourself do a little gunsmithing, don't you? A ten minute job should earn ten minute's pay.

[Halfbreed]

Scrounger, sometimes I disagree with the way you think, BUT, I think you are exactly right on here.

quote ( A ten minute job should earn ten minute's pay. )

I grew up in my parents upholstery business, after 30 years, they retired. I too beleive in you pay for what is done and how long it takes, not how much a business can gouge for.

I beleive in making a living. not a killing off the customer.
John

[JesterGrin_1]

I will say here in San Antonio the prices at Sportsmans Warehouse are not that bad. Not cheap but not ripping peoples heads off. But the problem is there reloading shelves are about empty lol. I waited on some powder for 6 Weeks and nothing. I did call this last tuesday as that is when they say to call to check on shipments and the nice person said yes we got some powder in and 30,OOO primers in Large Rifle and Large Pistol. I said great save me one box of each. And the sales person said I would like to but two people purchased all of the primers and the 60 pounds of powder they got lol.

So I gave up and put in an order with Powder Valley and saved some coin.

[Scrounger]

I think being fair and reasonable generates return business; gouging makes one trip customers.
I get it that he has rent to pay, taxes, equipment, and wants to eat, but I'm not responsible for helping him meet all those obligations, only to the extent I use his time. If he doesn't have enough customers to pay the bills, maybe he should close the shop and get a job. We have no obligation to help him fulfill his dream. we all have our own and not enough money to do them.

[waksupi]

Have you ever looked at an itemized billing from a lawyer?

[PatMarlin]

I think if it's a high end shop- where if you have to ask how much it is, you shouldn't be in there- is one thing, but a working man's shop needs to be reasonable.

I've bought a good number of firearms in there, and pretty much that was the first time I was ever charged for a headspace check at a shop. Most do it as a courtesy in my experience, but I think $35 was over the top.

[unclebill]

I think being fair and reasonable generates return business; gouging makes one trip customers.
I get it that he has rent to pay, taxes, equipment, and wants to eat, but I'm not responsible for helping him meet all those obligations, only to the extent I use his time. If he doesn't have enough customers to pay the bills, maybe he should close the shop and get a job. We have no obligation to help him fulfill his dream. we all have our own and not enough money to do them.

yessir


after my $35 hole.
i will NEVER walk in that shop again.
i dont spend a lot of money
but i do spend about $ 3-4000 a year on guns and related purchases.
that guy will never see another dime out of me as long as i live.


i live in a small town and i tell everybody about this guy.....

[451whitworth]

back before i had my own lathe and mill and did my own work i used gunsmiths. i would have gladly paid $35 for a drilled and tapped hole that was in the proper place, straight, and square and the metal wasn't scratched or the wood dented when the firearm was returned.

[targetshootr]

$35 for a tapped hole is a bargain. Heck, I doubt anyone around here would do it for that and even if they did, you wouldn't see your gun for several months. Gunsmiths would never make it in a trade where there are dozens of others in the same area competing for work so they have us over the barrel in that respect.

Gander Mtn is only for sightseeing over 'cheer.

[Meatco1]

Personally, I wouldn't tip for billed work, ever!!!

Richard

[LAcaster]

A tip is given anytime a person has gone out of there way to provide you with service that has gone over and beyond what you expected. That is not infationary that is curtousy to people who give exemplary service. Just as I will not tip a waitress that acts as if she has better things to do than cater to me, I will make sure people that go out of there way to serve me are provided with something extra. Only because they gave me something extra without expecting something in return. I get tipped regulary in my bussiness and it is always treated as a complement not as a reason to raise my prices.

[Buckshot]

..............Poor ol Bobthenailer's got one of the most "Hijackable" threads going, doncha Re: Gunsmith charges. I don't think a $35 D&T job is bad. Someone without a clue as to the consequences may look at the bitty hole and won't even consider the nice clean crisp weensy threads done in some damn tough steel inside that bitty hole. They'll just see the smallness, and in their mind that just COULDN'T be worth $35!

Pep boys has a sign over their service counter that says $85/hr labor. Consider that that $35 D&T isn't all just profit. Owning your own business requires you to pay your own matching Social Security, disability insurance, liability insurance, unemployment taxes, state and federal income taxes, fire insurance, maybe an alarm bill, electric bill gas bill, paper clips, pens, forms, his FFL license fees and forms, building rent, and if he doesn't do it himself book keeper fees. After that he probably has bills at home.

Consequenses in D&Ting that little hole are at the least a broken tap. He did it, it's HIS fault and he knows he's responsible. At the worst it might be a new barrel, plus chambering threading, bluing and installing. How many $35 holes will he have to do to pay for that?

Heck, what person would pay $35 for that hole? You need a hole for an 8-40 screw so you go pay $1.29 for a #29 drill bit (NOT at Lowes or Home Depot, but you find one somewhere). Chuck it up in the trusty B&D and maybe put some masking tap in the bit so you'll know when to stop before drilling into the bore (Oops!) Heck you can eyeball that dude good enough. Wherever you got the #29 bit you also probably bought a 8-40 bottoming tap. Can't use a regular taper tap as the hole is too shallow, but you'll muck through it.

Ever start a tap in a hole on a round surface, and also tapered in the other axis? Heck that's no big, and we can eyeball the tap in straight too!

What? The gunsmith had a jig and it was zip, zap, zip and done in 20 minutes! Sure, he maybe does a lot of drilling on barrels and actions so he needs it so he bought it, just like all the other stuff in his shop he bought to make it easier to do better proffessional and more accurate work. But you say after 4-5 D&T's it's surely been paid for? So you're saying he should charge less and less as it amortizes? Right. Just like Pep Boys just keeps dropping their prices for brake jobs, and in 37 more brake jobs the rotor turning lathe will be paid for so turning them will now be free

...................Buckshot

[10-x]

So Right, the expertise and equipment to correctly do a job is usually worth the cost.
Whats the old saying?...if it was easy everybody could do it

OTOH,A long time friend from VA and I went to the new local woodworking shop down the street, asked the owner what he would charge to biscuit and glue 2 pieces of 5/8" X 6" X 3 feet walnut boards together? He said $30.00!!!
Now thats kinda of high ,we figured $10-$15
Time to drag out my packed up equipment.[/SIZE]

[PatMarlin]

Yep. Buckshot coulda done that for $5, in five minutes...

I woulda paid the $35 for a D&T cause I know what a tedious job that one can be, but somethings shops can definitely ease up on.

Like one shop I know they never charge to install scope bases and rings, if you buy them there and they bore site your scope. Good policy I think. They also have it done while you wait which is a rarity.

THis thread has gone into the dead horse zone... dang hijackers!!