Such as you supplying the bare action, bolt shroud/safety, new barrel, scope/rings, butt plate & grip cap, walnut blank, sling swivel studs, etc. and a small down payment??

I see you mentioned "walnut blank", as in they are going to shape a new stock for this build?

If so, I would say 8-12 months would be a reasonable wait time.

If was just metal work, then 4-6 months would be acceptable to me and is about in line with what I have waited for in the past.

3 months is about how long my guy takes if I give him all the parts. Sometimes a little less.

Efw drew a pic of a Mexican mauser in 5th grade and it's almost done now lol

3 years That was just converting a Ruger .357 to 44 Special. Am thinking about doing something with a pre 64 action. Hope it doesn't take as long.

Not sure how long it was but when the ph***er called to tell me my rifle was ready, I didn't remember he was working on anything for me.

no crap;...…..I am going on 6 years for a shotgun.....got a call 2 months ago saying " the commission is almost done".....bob

I don’t want anything that bad. Maybe it’s the millennial in me. 6 years?

it was supposed to be around 1.5 years.....hard to believe isn't it......bob

8 months on a McMillan stock pushed me over the edge.....

Ward- I busted a gut reading this..😀😀😀

3 to 6 months should be about right for a rebarrel and fitting an existing stock, but mine have taken from 30 days to 1 1/2 years. I could see a custom build involving multiple smiths taking quite a while.

If I might, I would suggest you are asking the wrong question. Seems like the answer points you to a gunsmith that will finish a project in a certain amount of time rather than selecting a gunsmith that has the talent you want and letting them have the time they need.

I’ve waited 2 weeks for a custom with synthetic stock, 1.5 years just for a barrel, twice waited a year for a custom with wood stock once all the parts were arrived, etc. Really all over the map.

If you want a quality wood stock custom rifle in a particular timeframe (and probably at less cost) I would suggest here:

http://www.hallowellco.com/magazine.htm

If you want your own high quality custom rifle in a particular timeframe I would suggest calling McMillan or Manners and placing an order for a synthetic stock.

If you want your own high quality custom rifle complete with wood stock I would first select a gunsmith who is well qualified to perform the work. Referencing “Modern Custom Guns” (it’s a book available on Amazon) will help identify gunsmiths that have design/style compatible with your desires. Read references about those smiths to identify reliable ones. Pick one of them and give them the time they need.

2 days. Mickey Coleman would build mine while I watched him work his magic. Usually a day, sometimes he’d stretch it to a second day.

I've waited in excess of five years more than once. One of the reasons I learned how to build mine own, I can only complain about myself now.

The gunsmith I talked to said it would take a year to do a checkered finished gun stock. That included only rebluing the action. He said a large pert of it was the time sent out for checkering. I believe it took nearly 30 days just for the stock duplicating. He sent that out also.

I'm sure as you can tell from what I wrote it depends on how much is done in house and their work load not to mention speed.

Hey man I resemble that remark!

This may as well be true, but the foot dragging wasn’t on the part of the Smith it was me.

I miss that guy! And his work.

What's the half life on uranium? That s about it

I waited over 2yrs on one and won’t do it again. I lose interest too fast lol.

My last experience with a gunsmith has me so spooked that I will never venture down that path again. Excuse after excuse, mis-aligned scope mounts, hammer marks all over the receiver, pitting covered with DuraCoat, rusty front sight joint oozing rust, etc. etc. And it took phughing FOREVER. This from a smith with a stellar reputation...

18 months

^ that’s me there.

I waited over a year for a barrel switch and a recoil pad. He did good work and was reasonably priced, but damn!

Name him out and save someone from the same. At least they will be prepared if they choose him.

From the things I learned from gunsmithing training / starting my gunsmithing shop

Things to think about with metal work..

1) Do you want a custom reamer ? - that’s going to take extra time (3-8 months).
2). Are you having a barrel made vs. buying off the shelf - This can add considerable time.

IF... you are going the custom barrel and custom reamer direction - order them, get them in hand, and get them to your smith...

A Few things to be careful off...

A). The DIAMETER of the barrel Shank matching the Action (don’t get one that is way too big)...
Turning the barrel after the fact can add stress too it, so it’s best to have it made to size if you can, if it’s big it “CAN” look weird

B). IF you are thinking about putting on a muzzle break, get a cut rifle vs. button rifle barrel.. ESPECIALLY for hunting rifles
Button rifled barrels have compression stress in them, and when you remove the metal to thread the end of the barrel it bells out which can easily cause accuracy issues.
Cut rifle barrels don’t have that stress so they don’t bell out.

Too dang long! I think 2 1/2 years.

I have one now, that I give all the time in the world. He is fantastic, but busy as heck. One of the hardest working people I know. And his rifles flat out shoot. If I truly need something in a time crunch, it gets done post haste.

That in contrast with some of the egotistical, lazy, unmotivated, woe is me smith's that will never get another dime from me. No matter how skilled they are.

I am done with the fancy full blown rifles, been down that rabbit hole. You are much better off spending the time finding used customs. They may need a small tweek here and there. But the turnaround time is much, much better.

If you find a good gunsmith, stay on his good side.

He’ll help you avoid the waiting for tooling, and metal parts of the equation... the work itself takes a day or two... it’s the line of things waiting that’s the problem.

Usually about 9 months to do a complete rifle with synthetic stock supplying only the complete action.

One time the regular gunsmith was so backed up, I went to another, recommended gunsmith. In the usual amount of time all he managed to complete was the barreled action, and without a commitment to a completion deadline. I went and paid him off, gathered up the work in progress and then handed everything to the regular gunsmith who finished it pronto. He did mention that the barreled action work was superb.

Now as he edges his way into retirement, he's stopped taking in 'gunsmithing' work and only builds rifles from scratch.

15 months. That was the 'smith supplying all of the parts.

Your statement about cut vrs button is completely false.
A " PROPERLY" stressed relieved button barrel doesnt have anymore than a cut one does.
Case in point, the smallest group I've ever shot was .078 with a button barrel that has a muzzle break and fluted.

Sherm,

Please go give these video’s a look, I didn’t video the ones I found it on.

It does depends on what size break (how much metal you leave between the bore and the min-thread diameter).. however for hunting rifles that have thinner profile barrels it CAN BE definitely a thing. The guy in the video doesn’t IIRC, talk about cut vs. button lands - this is something I learned and tested...

Happy holidays & enjoy the videos. - page below links to multiple videos on it.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2015/04/muzzle-threading-dont-remove-too-much-steel/


BTW - if it effect the rifle there are ways to fix it.... the basic issue with long range accuracy, not short - when the barrel gets loose near the end of the muzzle - you don’t cut it back..

Dont know if I missed it but were did he talk about cut vrs button.
In my opinion taking to much material off the barrel is the biggest detriment whether it's a button or cut barrel.

16 months but 14 of it was courtesy of McMillans backlog

18 months from calling and placing myself on the list to final delivery. From when I sent the parts in to delivery probably 4-6 weeks.

A year and a half after a promised delivery date of 6 months. I finally got pissed and went in and picked up all my parts. Didn't mind the wait so much as the lie.

It all worked out for the best as I found a smith that has finished about 8-10 builds without a single missed date and the work is better.

I was quoted a 1 year turnover on a job like you mention from a guild builder.

Mike Palazzo- Palazzo "Precision" Covington, WA

Just over two years for a 45-90 Shiloh Sharps built to my specs. Damned well worth it too.

Am at an age now, however, that I'll not commission anything that far out.

I waited 18 years for a rifle once.

Robert Gradous was the shortest. I went to his rifle building course and from the time the parts arrived until we shot it- 4 days

The longest was over a year

Sent a gun into a shop for a rebarrel, 8 months later I called and they hadn’t ordered the barrel yet. I took my gun home. Fortunately, they are out of business now. Had Dave Clements take a flat top ruger 357 and return a masterpiece in 44 SPL in about 7-8 months. Well worth the wait. It’s an heirloom now.

Old70

Less than six months, with most done in a month or two, custom walnut stock builds too.