Gunsmith doesnt work on AR's?

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Housezealot

New member
A buddy of mine was in town last week and had just bought a single point sling adapter for his AR, he opened it up and saw he needed to remove the buffer tube to install it. we didn't have a buffer tube removel wrench and we were stopping by the local gunshop on the way to shoot so he asked if the gunsmith could install it. this gunshop sells lots of AR's so we figured they would either have the wrench for sale or the gunsmith could do it.
the clerk tells us that the gunsmith doesn't work on AR's or similiar rifles.
Am I nuts to be amazed by this?
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
I know several gunsmiths, and none of them work on AR's - but then, they are not associated with a store that sells them either......

What DOES the gunsmith work on? maybe he specializes in revolvers or custom pistol tuning or similar.....
 
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CraigC

Moderator
Lots of gunsmiths are rather specialized. Many more just have their preferences. Usually, the better they are at what they do, the more specialized they are.
 
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freakshow10mm

Moderator
Strap wrench?

Screw driver or brass punch and mallet?

Hell I can just about take apart an entire AR using just a round of ammunition.
 
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Frank Ettin

Administrator
Actually, if he didn't want the job because he thought it wasn't up his alley, good for him. Sometimes I wish more people would pass up jobs they didn't really know how to do instead of taking a crack at it and making a hash of things. Of course, if the shop sells ARs maybe the guy ought to learn how to fix them; but if he's not sure that he does know, you're better off if he keeps his hands off your rifle.
 
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CraigC

Moderator
Of course, if the shop sells ARs maybe the guy ought to learn how to fix them
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I agree that more `smiths should pass up jobs that are either out of the comfort zone or beyond their capabilities but I'm unsure what the shop sells has to do with what guns they work on. The shop I bought from the most (over 20yrs of buying and selling) when I lived in Florida had a huge inventory and carried Merkel shotguns and rifles as well as Dakota and Blaser. I sure as hell wouldn't want their twenty something year old "gunsmith" working on mine or any other local they managed to hire!!! I wouldn't expect them to be qualified for that task. Nor would I want them tuning my SAA's just because they also sold them. To me, the two issues are mutually exclusive.
 
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Frank Ettin

Administrator
CraigC said:
...I'm unsure what the shop sells has to do with what guns they work on....
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Nothing directly. But it seems to me to be good business for a gunsmith who works at a gun shop to be fully qualified, skilled and competent to work on guns the shop sells.

Of course the gunsmith's work needs to be of top quality. But from a business perspective, customers who buy a type of gun at a particular store would appreciate being able get good service for that gun at the same store. That can help generate business for both the store and the gunsmith.
 
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chris in va

New member
I guess a service provider can deny/accept whatever they want. Doesn't make for good business practice unless there's an underlying reason that would put his business in peril.
 
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Casimer

New member
Sometimes I wish more people would pass up jobs they didn't really know how to do instead of taking a crack at it and making a hash of things.
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+1

If he doesn't know how, it's better that he's honest about it.
 
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Housezealot

New member
I'm not critisizing the guy for not working on AR's, it just seems like a crazy buisness practice for a shop that sells so many.
 
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Joat

New member
IMHO if the shop sells/stocks a large number of a particular type of firearm, the gunsmith employed by the shop should at least be familiar with basic tasks for that type of gun.

Refusing to perform basic "parts swapping" on a large part of your inventory is a sure way to send your customers somewhere else.

Installing a single point sling adapter is a basic task. So are hand guard/2 pc. rail swaps, butt stock replacements and hand grip upgrades.
If the smith refused to tune a competition trigger, regulate a gas system, headspace a new barrel/bolt combo, or even install a free float tube due to lack of training or knowledge, I can, and do, respect that. However, by refusing to do basic part swaps not only do you alienate some of your (potential) customers, you are also passing up the largest portion of the AR15/EBR market. The accessories!! Why would you sell the erector set (or Legos for you younger folks:D) of the gun world and not capitalize on the fickleness of the tacticool community by assembling (for a modest fee, of course) their dream rifle?:confused:

I work part time at gun shows and a large part of accessory sales are predicated on the fact that we can install the latest/greatest/super improved/bad-a$$ed/(high margin)/tactikewl bolt-on part that has received either a product placement in the latest video game or a glowing web review, on their gun in the time it takes them to visit the jerky table across the show.

Parts replacement is quick and profitable. While true smithing or armorers work is satisfying and enjoyable it is rarely either one of the previous things. Gun smithing is a service industry. A lot of the smiths that complain that there is no work out there are the same ones that encouraged their customers to learn how to do it themselves by refusing to do work that they couldn't be bothered with. The next time that customer needed something they probably thought "I did that thing last time and this doesn't look much harder than that. The instructions are on the web so, why not?". Thus, another kitchen table gunsmith is born.

Joat
 
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Avenger

New member
I have to say, that'd be like a mechanic who doesn't touch GM cars. It just doesn't make sense to me, to be turning away business like that.
 
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johnbt

New member
"I have to say, that'd be like a mechanic who doesn't touch GM cars. It just doesn't make sense to me, to be turning away business like that."

A friend is a self-employed Mercedes mechanic. Why in the world would he want to work on GM cars?
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
"I have to say, that'd be like a mechanic who doesn't touch GM cars. It just doesn't make sense to me, to be turning away business like that."
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A friend is a self-employed Mercedes mechanic. Why in the world would he want to work on GM cars?
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Actually, it would be more like a GM DEALER that didn't work on GMs.

Pretty silly. I agree that if the guy doesn't sell them then he may not be expected to work on them but, wow, selling them and not being able, or willing, to install a sling? That's crazy.
 
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johnbt

New member
Gun stores around here don't have gunsmiths, unless you count Gander Mountain. And I don't.

One word: Brownell's

John
 
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oneounceload

Moderator
We have a new Gander here, and when I inquired about doing a rebuild on a Browning O/U, their immediate response was to send it to the factory - nothing major, replace springs and pins on a common gun......which they sell. They have had a hard time keeping a smith in there - the ones that are there seem to be about 14......I'll trust the retired smith I know who's been doing things for 50 years........
 
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Csspecs

New member
Problem is that there are so many different parts and a huge liability.

But still for a gun thats known to be as hard to work on as legos. I don't see the issue.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'd feel weird not having the tools to fix something I own. Buy the wrench instead of paying the smith to do it.
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
I'm not a gunsmith, but I do a fair amount of gunsmithing, and I'm pretty good at it, and have done considerable work for friends.

But I only work on Smith & Wesson revolvers.

No Colts, no Rugers, no nothing else.
 
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