Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats How long has it taken for your builds......

How long does it usually take for your smith to turn around a rebarrel? Full custom?....

Sent a rig in for a rebarrel in Feb 2010 and my smith hasn't gotten around to it yet. Never been one to hound folks as I always felt I'd get poor quality, just sort of wondering when to draw the line and press the issue.

Thanks,

loder

I usually sub contract it. I start by ordering a McMillam and sending out the action for a rebarrel and the action basics. While its out I order the trigger, Mounts, dies, brass and scope I need.

3 weeks later I have the barreled action back and all the parts. I send out the action and rings to Eddie F for coating and a few weeks the barreled action rings etc come back cerakoted. Then I just wait for a month or so for the stock.

While I am waiting I make up some of the first reloads.

a 3 months the stock comes in (I hope its does).. I bed it that takes a week. Mount up the scope and go to the range.. Lets say 13 weeks total.

My smith does it in about 3 days once he has the barrel.

How long did he tell you it would take? Unless he told you longer or he was a well known smith that has a waiting list, I'd say it should have been done several months ago. For him to not even have touched it, is ludicrous. Is he waiting for some divine inspiration? Some will hold a grudge after being told that your not happy. I wouldn't want that person working on my rifle.

There are too many good smiths out there to wait that long. I'd demand he send it back. Rule of thumb I have learned from dealing with "some gunsmiths", however long they tell you it will take, triple it. Too many are bold faced liar's.

Ask around, there are honest ones too.

Very popular smith. I was told a few months, then in this next batch, then I'm almost to it..... Haven't even asked about it for 4-5 months.

I don't mind waiting on a quality product, but it's looking like it may be 2 years + before this one is ready. Still have to send the bolt to Karl and have a local guy do the coating. Trigger, rings & bases, scope, dies, brass, etc have been on hand for a while gathering dust

Guess I'll give it a couple more months, then just get it back and go elsewhere.

Thanks,

loder

[quote=Reloader7RM]Very popular smith. I was told a few months, then in this next batch, then I'm almost to it..... Haven't even asked about it for 4-5 months.

I don't mind waiting on a quality product, but it's looking like it may be 2 years + before this one is ready. Still have to send the bolt to Karl and have a local guy do the coating. Trigger, rings & bases, scope, dies, brass, etc have been on hand for a while gathering dust

Guess I'll give it a couple more months, then just get it back and go elsewhere.

Thanks,

loder [/quote

At this point I would be looking for a definate finish date, if he can't give you a date than I would have all my parts sent back asap, sounds like he keeps making promises he does not intend to keep!

wow ! that sounds real familiar....

14 months for some external stock work.
and still waiting.
i've asked for my stuff back, but get ignored.
sent a pm a day or so ago, asking for the cartridge trap back, so i can use it on another stock i am going to have done up, but it remains unread, while the person posts away here.

how's that for a wait time, and asking and not getting your stuff back ?

unfukcingbelievable

I'd have it returned now. Many great 'smiths will re-barrel it in 30-60days. Full custom build runs 3-6 months for my builder after parts are received.

I just had a rebarrel, action trued and Cerakote done, about a month by a smith.

I have one full on custom in the works also, which started March 2009:)

No one's work is worth that much of my time.

Sad... but it seems to be the new way for some to do business!

My NULA .22lr took seven months. I had a rifle built on a Remington 700 action by R.W. Hart & Sons that took 3 1/2 months. (The three months included the wait time for all the parts. Hart barrel and McMillan stock.)

Jon Beanland built my 6.5x47 on a Mdl 7 action in less than 6 weeks.
The rifle will shoot in the .2s with 123A-Max.
Weighs 8# scoped.

Coach

loder,

This is the way my luck usually goes: I purchased a .32 cal barrel blank at a gun show. I went over to Gunsmith A (A nationally known smith) and asked him if he would build me a schuetzen rifle. He said yes, but he was backed up for two years... I then asked Gunsmith "B" (A close friend of "A") and he said he could do it in 6 mos.

I gave B the barrel, and the bbl'd action (Ruger #3). About 6 mos later, I purchased wood from gunsmith "A" for the rifle... and gave that to "B"... Gunsmith A said he would drill the wood for the stock bolts because it was kind of "touchy". (Which he did...) "A" even built the double set trigger assm for the rifle... Finally the rifle was completed... four and 1/2 years later...! Gunsmith "B" has since passed on to his eternal reward, and Gunsmith "A" is near 90 years old... About the time I got the rifle back, my marriage fell apart, and I went thru a divorce...

The Schuetzen Society bombed and now there are no more matches... Today, over 15 years later, I have yet to fire the rifle...

My best advice is: Select a smith that you've confidence in and get and estimate... Then double it! Maybe then you'll get your rifle...

I retain my sanity by keeping about 6 or 8 projects going at all times... (Amoung half a dozen smiths...) That way, I have something coming in about two or three times a year...

I went with a recommended smith for his knowledge of short mags, a 7 Saum with a pierce action and Broughton barrel. I supplied the McEDGE stock and was told 6 months for the build, ordered it Jan 2010 still no rifle and terrible customer service. Also gave him $1000. up front, lesson learned, will never do business with him again no matter how nice the rifle turns out. I build custom homes for a living, average build time start to finish 7 months. Hmm

These guys seem like my taxidermist..

My last was 4 weeks including the shipping both ways.

One of my customers (a member here) sent me his rifle on May 12. He had action, new barrel and stock in-hand.. He then ordered the Talleys to be drop-shipped here - I ordered the iron sights (NECG Masterpiece rear - banded front), then he shipped his scope. Rifle was done on Friday, May 20th, and is ready to ship back..

Main delays on any project is waiting for major parts like barrels/stocks.. Once the parts are in the rifles shouldn't take long..

i always get all of the parts together before i drop them off at the 'smith. this let's him concentrate on making chips instead of ordering parts, and it also eliminates the possibility of a mis-understanding about twist, contour, ect...

i pretty much HATE shipping gun parts anymore. if it wasn't for ignorant counter people and silly 'local policy' at the PO/UPS/FEDEX, i'd have several enroute to people like Redneck today...

I have all the parts for a .25-284 build. Got a reamer? Remington 700 Flinch