Yep, but there is something to be said for getting a barrel made and fitted at the same place. No blame game when things are wonky. I ordered a Bartlein last November and they trued the face of the receiver and bolt, screwed it together and it was sent to me in about 4 months. I didn't care because I had other things to play with. I couldn't be happier since that gun can now shoot 1/2" MOA.
Yeah, I understand that thought process too. I've had several put together by the barrel makers and have for the most part been happy. The big name gunsmiths are backed up a lot but I've been lucky to locate a couple that aren't as well known who do fantastic work without the backlogs and prefer to use them nowadays. I feel I get better quality from them than the barrel makers, I know they're running the lathe and the quality they'll put into the job where with the barrel maker
it might be little Jimmy the apprentice that gets to experiment with my rifle that day. There are a surprising number of gunsmiths that cater to the benchrest and palma shooter crowd who aren't well known on the forums but will do work to a higher standard than most of the famous names and don't have the backlog of the famous guys. Those guys are out there but you have to search them out, they don't pop up in the advertisements like the big names everybody fawns over. I'll wait for quality if I have to but I much prefer to order the barrel, take it or send it to the gunsmith and get it back in a week or so. I'm not as patient as I used to be.
