recommendations please

[ASavageFox]

have an old A grade that has already been recased. Needs barrels re-blued... also, lever is a center or a little left and might need a little smithing. Looking for recommendations on someone that can do both well... and for a reasonable price. Pleae don't recommend Galazan or Turnbull... I don't want to sink that kind of money or time in this gun... there has to be other highly qualified gunsmiths out there.

[Silvers]

Question really isn't too easy to answer in a public forum. There seems to be more work available than there are good gunsmiths, at least in the US. And as a friend in the biz says: the gunsmith with the biggest ad in ______ may not be your best choice. Most of the gents getting good work done reasonably keep their sources close to the chest so to speak, concerned that the smith gets overloaded with work, then when they need more work done themselves they have to wait longer than they might otherwise. They'll offer recommendations to good friends but otherwise won't come forward. I chalk it up to human nature; I'm not saying it's "right" but that just seems to be the way it is. Silvers

[ASavageFox]

thanks Frank. Guess i will have to search one out on my own. I actually contact a smith that someone showed pictures of work done by them and recommend them. I am going to send my A grade to them this week I think.

cheers

Drew

[Silvers]

Drew I edited my reply as you were answering. I'd recommend that you or anyone send the gun with a specific list of work desired and what your expectations are on quality and timing (all in writing). Request a quotation +/- something like 10% of the actual cost, on approval of course. Usually that works well but sometimes despite doing your homework the work is shoddy or goes way over the quotation without any explanation or with a bs explanation. Unfortunately in those cases your options are limited esp if the gent is many states away from you. Of course most smiths are straightforward and honest but some are more capable and efficient than others. Most of us have had bad experiences and we learn from them. The ones that are hard to understand are when you get bad workmanship or well overcharged by someone after reading glowing reports on their work from others. Makes you wonder at times, but it seems most people just suck it up and won't write up a negative report on the net because that can often backfire on the writer. Thus all you read are the good ones. Again IME that's why it's so hard to get a good recommendation except from a friend who has used someone good for a while. Frank

[ASavageFox]

Thanks Frank. I will put everything in writing and have already received a quote for the reblue and was told I would get a quote for the gunsmithing once the gun was in hand. Turn around time was a little long but I am not in a huge hurry.

Cheers