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Gunsmithing Gunsmith Pricing

R

rware91

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 16, 2009
144
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Spring, Texas
Is 875 dollars a fair price to have a customer supplied barrel chambered and installed on a customer supplied action. the action is also going to be trued along with the entire barreled action being cerakoted. Also, it is getting a Surefire break installed. This is going getting down by a very reputable smith.
is this a fair price?
Ryan
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

I'd say it's in the ballpark depending on what exactly is being done as fa as truing the action.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Here are several average prices. Some guys are a litle higher but you get the point.

Chambering $200-$250
Receiver Truing $200-$250
Cerekote $200-$250
Muzzle Brake with installation $200

Est. total $800-$950

$875 seems more than fair to me, may even be a little on the low side..........that’s even better for the end consumer.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wnroscoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here are several average prices. Some guys are a litle higher but you get the point.

Barrel $315
Chambering $200
Receiver Truing $200
Cerekote $200
Muzzle Brake with installation $200

$875 seems more than fair to me, may even be a little on the low side..........that’s even better for the end consumer. </div></div>

But he's supplying the barrel.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hdbiker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">But he's supplying the barrel. </div></div>

Yea, I missed that. I corrected my post above but, $875 still seems OK to me.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

It's fair.


Especially if this is a smith you can trust, that treats you with courtesy and respect. Honest turn around time and good customer service is worth something too.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

That's only 225 gallons of gas. Profits are becoming a thing of the past. It sounds fair to me.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Can't put a price on reliability, honesty, craftsmanship and good customer service..
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sunnyside Scott</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It sounds close, it might be a little spendy but it also depends on the name of the smith that goes on the side of the rifle.
SScott </div></div>
So you are saying the more unknown guys should charge less
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: X Ring Accuracy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sunnyside Scott</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It sounds close, it might be a little spendy but it also depends on the name of the smith that goes on the side of the rifle.
SScott </div></div>
So you are saying the more unknown guys should charge less </div></div>
No, I'm not trying to tell you how to run your business, BUT most well known smiths have built a reputation from years of experience and good work.
Do you think someone is going to pay top dollar for work done by an unknown smith?
I'll use myself for an example, I know how to use a lathe, and a mill, I can also paint and weld. If I called myself a Gunsmith and you sent me a rifle to work on, are you going to be willing to pay me the same amount to work on your rifle as you would pay one of the top smiths on this site?
If so I will send you my shipping address. LOL

SScott
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Plus if you're a known ham fist who's only precision tool is a Dremel and a miter saw - paying to have THAT name on the side of the barrel at a certain price would be "too much".

Not saying ANYONE here is that person but we've all heard horror stories about a smith or two....
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Does the gunsmith who only does these jobs occasionally, and its not his sole speciatly have any less overhead, and deserve to make any less money on the job? i agree that sometimes people pay EXTRA to get the work done by a nationaly recognized smith, but some people just want to get the work done by someone w/ a decent amount of experience and has the ability to do a quality job.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

If we were all cardiac surgeons is it reasonnable to expect as 1st year graduates from med school, we'll earn what a 10+year veteran surgeon does?

Do rookie public defenders earn the marquee salaries of a high profile trial lawyer?

Success in this trade is fostered from experience, reputation, a time tested pedigree of performance, and track record.

Prices are based on overhead, time, and profit margin. Its up to the smith running the shop to operate efficiently to maximize profits.

Also and VERY important:

If a hobby smith goofs and destroys a piece of your property doe he have the captital to absorb it, replace it, and satisfy you as a client? Its EASY to destroy a barrel. As a shop owner your only fooling yourself if you think you won't scrap a job. You better be able to make good on a goof.

One more reason top hands get top dollar.

It costs money. When wrenchin cars I was taught warranty/come backs cost the shop 2.5 times the original bid. Its no better with guns.

The most committed wins.

Pissing and moaning cause you don't earn enough/make enough/charge enough won't get anyone very far. It also hurts business.

Its a wide open market with plenty of opportunity. Pick your battles and jump in swingin.

Experienced, reputable smiths welcome competition.

C.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

I understand this, and the gunsmith i work for doesnt do machine work (contracted out) but if he did he would honor anything he did wrong, and has honored mistakes made by his machinist in the past.

assuming one is a general gunsmith not specializing in precision rifles. and someone brings in a gun to be rebarreled and blueprinted, what would be a fair price for this non national gunsmith to charge? assuming he has done a few before and has the equipment and capability of doing a quality job. this guy has been a gunsmith for 27 years.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

I did some research as I need a barreled action done for a new project. I contacted a few smiths on here to do it and got some descent pricing, nothing new... I then contacted some benchrest gunsmiths that have multiple records have built scores of top winning rifles and are very nice. Basically I can get the action trued and barrel chambered for about 3-400 dollars but actually being no more than 300 dollars. Most of them dont do coating but will be happy to polish or bead blast the rifle for 35 dollars. Some may do bolt handle mod but most dont. grand total

true and chamber 300
bolt handle 95 or 65 dollar special from hide vendor
Cerakote 200 and thats a little high more like 150 or rattle can for 8 bucks

And I can almost gaurantee the the rifle will shoot lights out.

I will send my stuff to get it done by a noname on the hide and report back with results.

Turn around time les than 2 weeks... LOL

Rich

Believe it or not quite a few people on here do this same thing but arent stupid like me to tell you. They just sit back and laugh.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SSG3K</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I then contacted some benchrest gunsmiths that have multiple records have built scores of top winning rifles and are very nice. Basically I can get the action trued and barrel chambered for about 3-400 dollars but actually being no more than 300 dollars. Most of them dont do coating but will be happy to polish or bead blast the rifle for 35 dollars.

And I can almost gaurantee the the rifle will shoot lights out. </div></div>

This is what I did and has worked very well for me.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing


When pricing a chambering job from a gunsmith who supplies the chamber reamer?
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Usually the gunsmith will have the reamer unless it's some odd chambering then I've heard of several that know each other borrowing each others, or the Smith will buy one if they think it could be a popular chambering in the future. If it's really bastardy chambering then you'll probably be asked to provide the reamer.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

As a policy we never borrow or rent tools.

If I don't have it, I order it.

We split the cost if its a weird one. Some clients buy their own and provide. This is fine too provided the mileage is low.

C.

 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If we were all cardiac surgeons is it reasonnable to expect as 1st year graduates from med school, we'll earn what a 10+year veteran surgeon does? C. </div></div>
I got my finger stuck in the grinder.
In the emergency room I mentioned the name of a cardiac surgeon.
The doctor stopped sewing me up for a second and asked, "How can I make more money, like him?"
I could tell from what he said that sewing up hearts pays better than sewing up fingers.

server-rack-blank-panels.jpg


I have never charged anything for my amateur gunsmithing. All those tools looked like a money pit to the wife.
But I have charged my consulting engineering rate for my time boring large holes with a fly cutter in 19 inch test equipment rack blank face panels.
That quickly paid for the mill, lathe, TIG welder, shop slab, shop walls, shop wiring, etc.

Owning gunsmithing tools is like having a microwave in the kitchen, you could live without it, but it makes life easier.

What does it all mean?
Some of the benefits of being a gunsmith are intangible.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

So if the customer supplies the reamer do you give a price break on the chamber job?
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

Generally not much. A common reamer made from HSS costs around $150 and you will get 20-25 chambers on one before any issues with resharpening arise. That's a total interface cost of less than $10 for reamer use on a chamber.

 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

That sounds about right. Ballpark what my smith would charge.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

I believe that if some one is ready to do gun work for business, it should be because he or she is proficient at it. That means the work should be as good as the best already established. So then, why should he charge less?? Charging less is most times associated with cheap, or lower work quality. If you start like this, you'll always be veiwed this way, which will make it difficult to later raise your prices to a fair level.

Savage rifles is just one example of this. They started as an affordable rifle a long time ago, and are veiwed by many as a cheap rifle with lower quality. When in fact they are really excellent factory rifles that could cost more due to what your getting for your money.

I don't expect everyone to agree with this, but that's part of what makes this country great, you don't have to. This is just my opinion based on business experience with rifle building and our other family business.

For all you rifle builders that know you build a rifle compatible in every way with the top guys, then don't cheapen your self. Charge a fair going price, and do good work, that's what will bring you more work.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

there are builders out there that have an excellent internet reputation that i wouldn't let touch one my rifles.
 
Re: Gunsmith Pricing

At the end of the day, a man has to know what he's worth. I've seen chambering and truing packages advertised for $200 total, I rest my case.
 
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