Thread: Gunsmith trouble - need the member's opinions

Hi fellas,

I've been having trouble with a gunsmith. I got them to screw in a pre-threaded barrel, set headspace and mount Leupold bases on an undrilled sporting Oberndorf Mauser 98 receiver. They messed up the alignment of these bases. So they welded the receiver, both front and rear bridges and re-tapped the holes. They did this so poorly, that it was still misaligned (not enough scope windage at 100m) and both front receiver holes had large voids, heavily chamfered holes and incomplete threads. They then sent me an invoice for $970 claiming they had to make a special jig in order to line up the holes.

I received the rifle back, couldn't line up the scope with the barrel, noted the prodigious use of Loctite, investigated and found the aforementioned. So I went to another gunsmith, placed a 1inch tube in the rings to show the offset to the barrel and took photos, which I then emailed to the 1st gunsmith. We then agreed to send the rifle back so they could inspect their work.

They proposed to fix it by either:

1. Drilling the holes bigger and putting bigger screws in (the diameter of the screw hole in the front lug race area would be 7mm (yes 7mm) due to the voids/chamfers they created with first welding attempt)

or

2. Weld the receiver a second time and re-tap the screw holes again. (would you be happy pulling the trigger on a twice welded front receiver?)

I was not happy with either of their 'solutions'. So they sent the parts back, which I got today.

To date i've paid $300. I want this money back and I want them make good on (in my eyes) my ruined receiver which i'd paid $800 for.

Please share your thoughts. I will then send them a link to this thread. Maybe i'll get some restitution.

Photos to come.

I'd want the $300 back + a new reciever

Yup, my thoughts exactly.

I hope it wasn't Allan or Mitch, what a botch up. I'd want my money back getting hard to find Oberndorf receivers now.

More pics showing the large chamfered front receiver holes and welds

Attachment 162557
Attachment 162558
Attachment 162559

Originally Posted by nor-west

I hope it wasn't Allan or Mitch, what a botch up. I'd want my money back getting hard to find Oberndorf receivers now.

Neither of those guys. Only ever had quality work from them.

It’s fucked. They’ve had two goes at it, they’re not going to suddenly get it bang on. All money refunded, and definitely a new like for like reciever. The cheek of them to let that leave the shop let alone send an invoice......


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That's terrible. And then have the balls to make you pay for a jig to get it right the second time and still fuck it up.
All tradesman stuff things up sometimes, but it's how you fix it later makes all the difference.
If he was that good you wouldnt know he had cocked it up to start with. And he still stuffed it up
He couldnt even do a high class bodge to hide it

Fuck that's painful to look at. Looks like it was a Kar98 at some stage? 100% get your money back. I'd go one further and want a replacement action.

Originally Posted by Beavis

Fuck that's painful to look at. Looks like it was a Kar98 at some stage? 100% get your money back. I'd go one further and want a replacement action.

Its a commercial sporting M98 action made around the 1920's - 30's going by the receiver address. Not your average run of the mill, military action. Bought from Allan Carr a couple of years ago. Very thin on the ground.

I agree you need to get your money back and a replacement action, pretty poor really. Hope they come through with the goods in the end.

if you wanted to spend $970 you may as well have gone and bought something new..........
which would be option for the BUBBA to do rectify the BUBBAFCUK they have made of your action
Howa actions are around at reasonable cost......