Not sure if you've ever run a small business especially one doing personal specialized service like gunsmithing but it's very very hard and tricky using that word NO. Its like whispering bomb in a theater if it gets out it can create havoc. Please understand I know what you're talking about and the frustration gun owners have with the current gunsmithing situation. But saying no is something I hate to do cause immediately in the small world of comp shooters or forums like this the word gets out that you won't take care of my buddy's gun and this can be really tough on a small shop. You may be back-ordered for months and it's impossible to set back a barrel then all of a sudden the phone goes dead and you'll jump at such work. It's feast or famine most of the time.

Big companies with large advertising and sales budgets consider almost any warm body with an interest in shooting as a potential customer -- they can afford to rig up and trawl the public for sales while the small shop is more hook and line off the pier. If you treated everybody who calls or walks through the door, pulling you off a job, as a customer you'd lose money for sure. Shoppers in my book are not the same as customers and fair or not I can't afford to donate too much time to them. Especially if it means trying to explain why my machines need to remain dedicated to a task or why my hourly rate or overhead is what it is. I'm a nuts and bolts kind of businessman so I lack the verbal finesse to explain and decline somebody's small job delicately. I once tried setting aside a half day once a week for shooters who wants to bring in small jobs or talk about things. It didn't work and in hindsight was a stupid idea. Toward the end of my gunsmithing career I had more and more tire kickers bringing in problems that the factory should be handling or those who just wanted to pick your brain, chat guns and used the word WHY in every other sentence. I found myself working late at night uninterrupted after a while.

In the end I can only say that these small fix-it jobs generally make you nothing, in fact you're really only swapping dollars in the end. And those that you do take in often end up hurting you since the shooter is pissed he had to wait so long and felt was over charged. It's a strange push and pull relationship of trying to make ends meet and keep your comp shooters running and still show up at as many matches as you can. To this day I contend the best customer is one that has been done wrong by another shop. These are the ones who know all too well that value has more to do with getting the job done right the first time and not price. If I sound a little disenchanted trust me I'm not the only one. Many of us who spent the time, resources and hard earned money to learn a trade found out the hard way that more often than not it's barely sustainable. I'm not talking about the ever increasing numbers of retired types or financially set who are filling the gunsmith classes these days, but the up-comers looking for a trade for life. Oh you can make some extra change as a part timer/hobbyist but try to raise a family if you're an average qualified competent mechanic with no specialties or inventions. The good competent ones are busy and there is probably a shortage but if the numbers were so promising then I'd expect a few more training centers or schools popping up. Hey not trying to rant here just give some of you a peak up the dress so to speak and it's not always pretty

Regards