Re: How long to wait on a gunsmith for a custom rifle
I take one hell of a bashing at times for my delivery times.
but when it comes to bespoke rifles, time frames can stretch no end. So i'll tell you how it is from a EU based smiths point of view.
12 to 36 months is average depending on parts required. Fastest ive done was 6 weeks, slowest 5 years. 36 months seems to be the average around the smiths in Europe for a one of a kind, order the parts in build.
if you are willing to take parts that are already on the smiths shelf or in his supply chain, then that time frame can be reduced to however long his work list happens to be.
I have one customer who waited 13 years for a custom mauser to be built by another smith here in Germany.
For a bespoke rifle a smith cannot hold anything on shelf. and if you consider the vast choice that may be on offer, add in there every stock maker, every action maker, every trigger maker every barrel maker world wide. If you offer that choice, the wait is loooong.
Customer wants stock from X manufacturer in X country, barrel from Y manufacturer in Y country, action from Z manufacturer in Z country, trigger from A manufacturer in A country.
thats 5 sets of export permit applications, 5 different manufacturers who may or may not be seriously interested in exporting thier products,then you start looking at scopes and rings, Some customers want products that havent even bieng put in to manufacture but are expected to be released on day X. ( take the 3-20x50PMII for example) then at some point action manufacturer Z in country Z closes his doors and doesnt trade anymore, or tigger manufacturer A in country A stops doing a particular model. You are already 12 months into the wait for parts process when this becomes apparent and then you are back at square 1.
or all the parts have arrived and suddenly the customer has seen and read all about a new caliber and wants to completely change the build spec. you can re cycle the parts you have maybe, so you agree, and the order process starts again..
If it comes to arguaments about time frame, the customer will automaticaly quote the date he gave the original order in, and not the date he changed his mind.
When a smith says, " if all goes well and the supplier supplies on time the stock will be here in 12 months but i cannot garuantee any time frame on delivery of parts to me"
the customer has invairable heared " stock delivery 12 months for definate". yet some times all does not go well, stock gets lost in the mail, impounded by customs, arrives damaged or faulty, then a smith will hear " you swore the stock would be here in 12 months"
Its simply impossible to say how long it will take to get all the parts together for a bespoke custom rifle, there are so many factors involved.
production capability of component manufacturers
health of component manufacturers
financial status of component manufacturers
quality control and ability of component manufacturers
international export regulations
courier regulations
availability of parts
parts suppliers prone to concentrate on larger order customers before fullfilling single item orders.
then you have the time frame at the riflesmith him self. once he has all the parts in work can begin. I aim for 3 months finishing time from the date the last part arrives.
but you have to consider the following points
craftsmanship is craftsmanship, a craftsman has only 2 hands and sometimes things take longer than planned
health of riflesmith ( add a broken arm into the equation and you are looking at a stretch in the time frame)
personal issues of the riflesmith ( add a death in the family, or family members requiring care, or birth of a new baby, or the riflesmiths wife breaks an arm,, all add up to stretched delivery times)
workload
changes in burocracy requirements
changes in export regulations
occasionaly a craftsman makes a mistake, and a part has to be replaced
etc.
so many factors and so much can go so wrong or so much can go so right. Especialy when you are trying to get own design parts and projects off the ground into the bargain.
Ive struggled my ass off for the last 5 years building bespoke one of a kind rifles, ive struggled to get parts, had regulation changes make it almost impossible to get some parts, had parts supply dry up due to parts no longer bieng manufactured, had some suppliers want to pass of missmachined junk as parts, had parts suppliers simply take the money and never supply, ive had my orders for parts dropped or put on back burner due to larger more important (read more luctrative) orders/trade customers, Ive seen the required burocracy involved in the job at least double within the last 5 years.
The job of a Custom Riflesmith is not an easy one guys, please don't forget that a riflesmith is a human bieng, he (or she) is not a CNC machine. he needs to eat, sleep and shit,he needs a night in with his ole lady once in a while and he needs to spend time with his kids and if he is having an off mood day, its not that day you want him building your rifle, you also don't want him working all night to get it out the door.
Sure there are a few black sheep out there among us smiths, you have that in any industry ( take the car repair business or the building trade for an example) but bye and large, when it comes to Custom Riflesmiths, you have never come across a more, can do, bend over backwards to help, generous, friendly, honest, hard working, talented bunch of folk. And I for one think that a little understanding and appreciation goes a long way and that in todays click and buy world, with 24 hour delivery schedules and supermarkets that are open all night, a true craftsman who takes his time to do it right is some one who should be appreciated.he may belong in a previouse age and wish he was born a hundred years ago, but he is what he is, a Riflesmith and a Riflesmith is bye and large a talented craftsman.
Can you imagine anyone saying to Mr Rembrandt " IS MY F%$§&NG" PAINTING READY YET ?" I think not.
So Look Well after your Smith, Likely he or she will look Well after you.
Pete
