Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What's the worst experience you ever had with a gunsmith?

Fellas,

Looks like I spoke too soon about my experiences with gunsmiths.

This is almost too sad to post about but here goes..................

Got a call from my 'smithy yesterday, the one who has held my late father's Pre-64 Model 70 hostage for almost one year.
He told me that my rifle was almost complete, only some minor touching up of the checkering, when the house where mine and over 40 other guns were, BLEW UP !!! WTF <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> (I'll bet noone ever got a call like from their gunsmith !!!)

Evidently, my 'smithy has a partner who helps him with the wood work and that's were my rifle was. The furnace at the house was an oil furnace, somehow, the pilot went out and the combustion chamber filled with oil. Then the thing tried to re-ignite itself, then went KAAAAAA BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

Luckly, the guy and his wife were upstairs. The force of the explosion was so great, it literally blew the house off of it's foundation, and blew the foundation walls almost 3 feet out. They ran outside not knowing what the he!! happened. I remember seeing an article about it in the paper late last week, and the fact that there were over 40 guns in the house when it happened and thinking, "man, I am glad I didn't use that 'smith" !!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Evidently, they went in the next day and salvaged everything they could. Apparently, other than the stock and my Leupi scope, it survived.......barely. He said that he had the metal checked out for it's temper, re-polished it and re-blued it and the barreled action looks as good as new. Unfortunately, my Leupi scope went into meltdown !!! Guess they aren't as tough as I thought !!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Boy, that would be a tough one to get a free repair job from leupi!!

So I guess I was one of the luckier ones. Although I have not seen the rifle yet. He told me of a few very high dollar drillings and shotguns, with many hours of work on, with exihibition grade wood that were total losses.

Considering the circumstances of it being my late fathers rifle and not-replacable, I took it pretty well. I guess it was pretty lucky that noone got killed. However, talking to him, not everyone was taking it so well ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Parden the pun, but we will see how this thing turns out after the dust settles and I get my rifle back.

Tune in !!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tony.

Sitka deer,
There still only one gun shop in Kodiak??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Mark

"Unfortunately, my Leupi scope went into meltdown !!! Guess they aren't as tough as I thought !!!

Boy, that would be a tough one to get a free repair job from leupi!!"

I would send it to them anyway. They might suprise you with a new replacement scope.

Conrad

I don't think oil furnaces do that.
The diesel has to be atomized under high pressure to even ignite.
Anything just "collecting" in the combustion chamber wouldn't cause an explosion, I think.
Besides, the pump should shut off if there is no flame.

mathias,

Don't know,I am not up on my nuked furnace theory !!!!

All I know is it looked pretty bad in the newspaper !!!

Tony.

Sure sounds like it....it's just that I have an interest in the topic, since I have an oil furnace in my basement. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Matthias,

Better get it cleaned ASAP. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am not kidding. My 'smith said that the night it happened, he was supposed to be there working on gunstocks. The fire marshall said that anyone who would have been in the basement would not have made it.

I really felt bad for the guy, he got his clock cleaned on that one.

Tony.

MarkT
BearCountry moved a few years back, but is still open... there is one other guy doing a little in his basement and that is all I know of. Bear Country is the one I am refering to above.

Matthias
I have heard of/seen evidence of oil-fired furnaces flaming out while hot and atomizing a bunch of fuel in a still hot combustion can and exploding violently, though nothing like the force described here, a cool boom to a pyro...
art

I guess I better start thinking about that heat pump I've been trying to avoid....

SH** happens!I have made enough mistakes I can't get too upset when other follow my lead <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Some rifles seem to take longer with more trips back and forth.

SD, I lived there from 88-91, and I believe "Macs" was the only thing in town at that time. They seemd decent enough, BUT fortunately I never broke anything while there <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
But man the "sticker shock" on prices after just moving up from the lower 48 was scarey!!!
Mark

Don't remember the shop, but it was when I was living in Yuma, AZ about 10 years ago: Took a Ruger Super Blackhawk in to have a Leupold ring mount mounted on it. The rail required removing the rear sight and using that mount hole, then drilling and tapping the topstrap to mount the front end of the ring mount. Got the gun back and tossed it in the safe, never got around to scoping it until a few years ago. Turns out the front holes were drilled about 10 thousandths off, enough so that it wasn't possible to get the scope and barrel parallel. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Ended up removing the Leupold rail and going with a B-Square mount.

However, before that incident the same shop had refinished said Ruger with a matte finish that turned out pretty well, but that may have been a send-out job for all I know.