Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 30

Thread: Gunsmithing vs. ARs?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    460
    Feedback Score
    0

    Gunsmithing vs. ARs?

    The other week I was looking around for someone to do some light gunsmithing on my AR-15. I asked at my local range and they said there was a gunsmith right down the road. So I called him up to ask if he could do what I wanted. He said, "Oh, we don't really carry too many AR-15 parts." I thanked him for his time and hung up.

    I got what I needed elsewhere, but a gunsmith (who works on rifles plenty, according to the guys at the range) who apparently doesn't do a whole lot of work with AR's really surprised me. It seems to me that they're one of the most common rifles out there (and pretty easy to work with). It'd be one thing if he specialized in 1911s or pistols in general or foreign guns or WWI/II era guns or something, but it struck me as very odd.**

    Is it perhaps most common than I think for dedicated gunsmiths (as in that's what they do for a living, not just the guy at the back of the gun shop who can put night sights on your glock)? Or is it a clue that perhaps he's not all that qualified to be doing what he's doing or not especially competent?

    **Up whereabouts I live, pistols seem more common than rifles, but I've seen more than enough AR-15s at the range (mostly POS's) that they HAVE to break down and have to get fixed SOMEWHERE around here.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AZ
    Posts
    186
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    What work did you need to have done?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    out west
    Posts
    700
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Yes, the 3 important questions:
    What do you need done? (Already covered, but this way we know, when we claim its easy enough a cave man can do it, what we are talking about.)
    Where do you live? (Perhaps a forum member may come to your rescue with a suggestion of a good gunsmith, or an open garage and the tools and experience you lack)
    Who are the people in your tag line? (I have been laughing about that for 2 or 3 days)

    I wouldn't be so quick to judge the gunsmith. He is probably old school. I know a lot of the old timers who don't care for these new fangled plastic guns. Anything semi auto is blaspheme to those guys...except the Garand of course.
    "Oh, its a wonderful day! My sun is shining, my birds are chirping, my humongous chicken defeated Elmo." Huxley

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    281
    Feedback Score
    0
    Let's be honest too. It's not like working on AR's is rocket surgery. A great riflesmith here doesn't touch AR's because it's not his type of work and stocking parts is more trouble than it's worth.

    He builds some sick tack driving rifles though.

    Rich
    "Pressure is what you feel when you don't know what you're doing." - Chuck Knox

    For those that say USPSA/IPSC/3-Gun isn't tactical...speed is a tactic!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    460
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by pilotguyo540 View Post
    Yes, the 3 important questions
    1) I needed a buffer retainer replaced (easy enough, but I wanted my castle nut tightened and staked properly afterwards).
    2) I live up in Cleveland which means Glocks are considered incredibly expensive guns and Bushmaster/DPMS is what you buy when you're rolling in the money.
    3) Grant (C4IGrant) and Sgt. Watson of the Tuscarawas county Sheriff's Dept. At the latest Defensive Carbine 101 Ben said, "You guys wanna see something gay?" ready to share some of the queer-ass range commands/call-outs he was forced to do at training session the other week (and holy shit it was gayer than a unicorn wearing spandex on roller skates). Immediately after he said that Grant chimes in from behind me: "Oh, I love gay things!" He had been giving me a hard time earlier (in jest) so I told him I was making it my new sig. And I did.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    460
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by uscbigdawg View Post
    A great riflesmith here doesn't touch AR's because it's not his type of work and stocking parts is more trouble than it's worth.
    That would make sense. Although I seriously doubt that was the case here. Not much demand for high-end, super-quality rifles around these parts.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    7488 ft.
    Posts
    2,458
    Feedback Score
    18 (100%)
    Putting an AR together is easier than putting together a Lego toy designed for a 6 year old. And yes, I have tried both.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    7488 ft.
    Posts
    2,458
    Feedback Score
    18 (100%)
    That did not quite come out right. Lego toys for 6 year olds are pretty difficult IMO.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    460
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by 500grains View Post
    That did not quite come out right. Lego toys for 6 year olds are pretty difficult IMO.
    [OldMan] Legos these days have too many custom parts. I remember back in the day when we had only 3 bricks and 2 colors and we liked it, dammit. [/OldMan]

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    25
    Feedback Score
    0
    I know a really good smith locally who almost never works on ARs. He has some parts and will do work if it comes across his bench, but it is very rare. He doesn't have any special AR knowledge (compared to 1911s for example), but working on an AR-15 is exceptionally easy.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •