The good: pics are displayed on different forums, and the publicity can be very good for business.
The bad: You can't ever make a mistake! If you are lucky you get a chance to make it right and all is good. But so often some guy gets his knickers in a twist and there's a diatribe on every board he can think of.
Like so many things in life, I look for trends. Nobody is perfect,we all make mistakes. What makes or breaks a smith for me is great communication and they deliver what and when they say they do. If something isn't right I expect them to promptly go above and beyond to make it right.
Mickey Coleman? I would be confident sending work to him tomorrow. Might he make a mistake? Possibly although unlikey. And I would be supremely confident that if that happened he would make it right.
Anybody who seriously concerns themselves with the adequacy of a Big 7mm for anything we hunt here short of brown bear, is a dufus. They are mostly making shidt up. Crunch! Nite-nite!
I respect a man's integrity to do his best and his willingness to fix any and all issues related to his work. I'd use Mickey Coleman in a heartbeat just because of his integrity.
I had several bad experiences with a well known smith. Hint hint, he makes tooling a lot of smiths use. Most expensive smith on the planet, too bad his ego doesn't match his work. He is only an hour from me, and I would still rather ship stuff to Karl...
I am in Denver and I will mark him off my list. I am trying to stay local for a build, I have read high remarks about Karl K.
A person who goes thru alot of rifle projects will hit a snag sooner or later even when using the best in the business whether it be a stock maker, barrel maker or riflesmith. Anyone can make a mistake and even the best in the business do. You owe it to that person or business to make the mistake right and to your satisfaction. If they screw it up again, its time to move on. Suck it up, move on and get over it just as you would with a bad girlfriend.
I could type all afternoon on the bad experiences I've had involving various stock makers, barrel makers and riflesmiths. All I can offer is to have alot of patience, be courteous and if the project takes longer so be it. Thats life in the custom rifle business, sometimes one hits a home run on the first go around and other projects strike out and need more work and patience. Be persistent, patient and don't ever settle for less - its your rifle and you have to live and hunt with it.
Yea it's a crap shoot, I recently took posssesion of two rebarrels and action clean up's from a guy and man their shooting light's out,first day out 1 inch or less, I am loving it , that's what you go custom for,then I have a third one he did for me and right now I don't know weather it;s a keeper yet, doesn't seem to want to settle down,will continue to try and find a good load, but may have to go back to the drawing board on this one?? it's a 7mm mag.REM and set up in a heavy long range rig, med. contour palma with a 1-9 twist for 160 and the like, how many load's would you guy's try before picking up the phone and calling the guy about it, it was bedded by him and all machine work by him , great looking rig just, really expecting more out of it thus far, I have tried some moderate loads of rl22 and imr 4831 with 154 hornady's and 160 accu bond's and expecting 1/2 or 3/4 out of it and hasn't materialized yet ,will keep trying to find a sweet spot, but man it can get expensive, should a custom setup like this take that much work ?? what do you guy's think, how patient would you be ?
#1 A GREAT rifle will shoot/group almost anything you feed it. #2 A GOOD rifle works up easily. #3 If it don't fit in category #1 or #2 Send it back! Life is to short to hunt/shoot with crappy equipment!
You need to check all the variables with the rifle first, then the scope & mounts and the ammo. If it still won't shoot then the barrel could be suspect. Try some Fed215s and RL25 under some good 150-175gr bullets.
How would you rate this service? I paid for a complete barrel job including the bedding and cerakote. These pictures are how she came out of the box. BTW, this was the redo as the first time I got it back, the chamber was ringed.
Man I really feel for you, and I thought I had trouble with my build, that look 's like day one shade tree mechanic, hope everything turn's out on the next go round, try a guy by the name of RWS out of Iowa, does nice work and resonable, if the original guy take's a shyt on you.
Never had a true custom built, but wouldn't a 'smith shoot the rifle before sending it back to check accuracy and function? That so called Cerakote job looks like BBQ paint from a rattle can!
A person who goes thru alot of rifle projects will hit a snag sooner or later even when using the best in the business whether it be a stock maker, barrel maker or riflesmith. Anyone can make a mistake and even the best in the business do. You owe it to that person or business to make the mistake right and to your satisfaction. If they screw it up again, its time to move on. Suck it up, move on and get over it just as you would with a bad girlfriend.
I could type all afternoon on the bad experiences I've had involving various stock makers, barrel makers and riflesmiths. All I can offer is to have alot of patience, be courteous and if the project takes longer so be it. Thats life in the custom rifle business, sometimes one hits a home run on the first go around and other projects strike out and need more work and patience. Be persistent, patient and don't ever settle for less - its your rifle and you have to live and hunt with it.
MtnHtr
This is some good advise. Everyone makes mistakes so it is good to give the person the chance to make things right. A thing that I would like to add is that hopefully something is learned by the mistake(s). Often times if a gunsmith checks the rifle for functioning and shooting before sending out you have more reassurance things will be good.
There was a quote a while back "if a gunsmith hasn't had a mistake they don't have much experience".
How would you rate this service? I paid for a complete barrel job including the bedding and cerakote. These pictures are how she came out of the box. BTW, this was the redo as the first time I got it back, the chamber was ringed.
That's FIRST CLASS work compared to how I received mine when I FIRST received it!!!!!
Marcus, Should have posted pictures as it would have saved me $1640.00
Originally Posted by Popapi
Originally Posted by raghorn
How would you rate this service? I paid for a complete barrel job including the bedding and cerakote. These pictures are how she came out of the box. BTW, this was the redo as the first time I got it back, the chamber was ringed.
That's FIRST CLASS work compared to how I received mine when I FIRST received it!!!!!
Marcus, Should have posted pictures as it would have saved me $1640.00
Originally Posted by Popapi
Originally Posted by raghorn
How would you rate this service? I paid for a complete barrel job including the bedding and cerakote. These pictures are how she came out of the box. BTW, this was the redo as the first time I got it back, the chamber was ringed.
That's FIRST CLASS work compared to how I received mine when I FIRST received it!!!!!
Rag I was 38 HOTT when I saw how pathetic the rifle looked I immediately told my FFL to send it back.
I gave an Arisaka action, sporter stock, and Timney trigger w/safety to a 'Smitty two years ago and he said it would be ready in 4 months. I have given up, and just rest in the knowledge that I will never see it nor him again.
Psalm 19:14-May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. _ Humble servant of Jesus Christ. Living His plan and praying to show it in name, word, body, and light.
