I've used, or rather my gunsmith used, the services of Dan Pederson with good results. I purchased a package .458 WM Mauser kit from Gun Broker that upon assembly had problems with the action feeding that could not be repaired. I had already made inletting modifications to the stock and Timney trigger, so I ended up keeping those pieces from the kit. The diagnosis and return process ate up a lot of the time I had alotted for the project before hunting season. I approached my smith who found another action and ordered a barrel from Mr. Pederson. The barrel arrived within a week (standard profile and twist, nothing special). I've been pleased with his services.
I know this doesn't help your situation any, but your situation might be an isolated incident.
