Okay, I'll try to make this short as possible. I just recently had Trijicon night sights placed on by my local gunsmith. He scratched up the slider pretty good and said he ran out of matte black paint and to come back when he got some in stock.

This is what it looked like after.


I came back about a week later and he attempted to fix it with the new paint but no go it wouldn't stick. So he said he would have to order a stronger paint if he could get it since CA outlaws it. After two weeks I finally go in today to try and get it fixed a third time. He's still having trouble matching the paint saying it's brighter then the stock color. He layers in some blue to try to make it match. This is what it looks like now.





Not the best shots but is it normally this hard to repaint a slider?? It looks like its filled in with a marker. Plus, it's splotchy/faded on the top. Its not a huge deal but still I like my things to look clean. So I guess I'm asking what are my options. This is the closest gunsmith so should I take it elsewhere? Or should I just strip it? To his credit he didn't charge me anything for putting on the sights or the applied paint. Anyways, any input would help thanks!

I think your gunsmith owes you a new slide. There's more damage there than just the finish. Then trying to cover up his screw up with paint is just dumb, the finish isn't paint, and it isn't blueing. It looks horrible in all the pictures, I wouldn't settle for anything other than a new slide. Him not charging you for his "work" is a poor attempt to get out of buying you a new slide. It might be possible to get the whole slide "professionally" refinished (not by him obviously), but that dent in the slide will still be there.

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Minimize the variables

New slide is right. Do a search for Melonite. And find a real armorer this time.

Sorry to be blunt, that nobody who earns a living working on guns can f-up that bad... and so be lacking in integrity so as to tell the customer black paint is an acceptable fix.

Your local Gunsmith messed up your gun. I don't think re-finishing is going to help at this point. Like others mentioned, he needs to replace the slide. I would expect and accept no less if I were you.

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M&P Shield 9MM

Thanks guys. Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out the best course of action now. I really like the hard chrome finish that someone did on this forum but the 4-6 week wait time would be killer. I just talked to another gunsmith and he said the finishes on the newer guns are more difficult to do so he wasn't sure if he could even do anything. He said he could probably strip it to a satin chrome but that's it. I'll look into melonite thanks!

Give the guy S&W's phone number. Nothing for you to figure out.

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RIP Shipmate

Jeesh, he must have banged the hell outta that thing. I'd also ask for a new slide. The slides are pretty hard to damage like that...crazy!

Good luck with it...keep us posted.

Another option could be for your smith to flip the cost of sending it to someone like ATEi who does Melonite ($90), assuming the S&W route is more expensive or some other reason.

Welcome To ATEI | ATEi

Get your gun pimped to fix the dent while you're at it and justify at least a portion of the expense to your smith.

As far as him working on your gun anymore though, I wouldn't. If he thinks a coating like tenifer/melonite can just be rattle canned on there, he's waay behind the learning curve. That's not even addressing how you dent a slide that bad by installing sights. He either missed really bad with a punch and/or the slide came out of his vise and hit the ground (or hit something).

Actually after looking at your pics more, I'd agree with everyone else; he owes you a new slide. Unless it's the angle, it looks like he's actually sanded the area down so much your rear slide serrations are worn down

I get accidents happen, but IMO this guy should not be making a living working on other peoples guns.

Wow he screwed that slide up! He is treating you like a chump. He is not able to fix it. I bet he won't pay for it either. I feel for you, you tried to have a professional install the sights. How were you to know he is so poor. Send it home to Smith and have it fixed right. Take him to small claims court to pay the bill. He sanded the heck out of that slide and messed the scales and rear sight up. He didn't even address the rear sight. He has no skills and unless he sends it to Smith&Wesson don't let him touch it. Good luck.

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A republic if you can keep it

What ever you do, do not let him touch any of your guns again. Anyone who thinks a little paint to cover up a scratch is going to work has no clue. The least he could have done is bead blasted and Cerakoted or Duracoted the entire slide. I would want a new slide.

What in the world are you doing with your finger on the trigger in those pics!!!!!!
Yes,I see the slide is open and the chamber is empty.
It is a rule for a reason. A rule not a suggestion.
My10 year old daughter knows better.
Form good habits.
I am really sick and tired of politicians telling me about common sense gun control and then never putting the real common sense gun control rules out there. Here they are.

Treat every gun as if it was loaded

KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, until you are ready to shoot. (see the next two rules before you think you are ready to shoot)

never point it at anything you are not willing to kill or destroy.

Know your target, what lies beyond it and what is in between you and your target.

Genuinely sorry to see this happen to you. I hope this guy will take care of you, but from the looks of his first solution I would not hold my breath.

"Clearly we have seen the end of common sense in America"
Janet Parshall 2014

I agree with everyone. Id be pissed. And u know the slides are not just painted. That paint well come right off after holstering a few times. There's no reason why they don't just replace it if their a reputable business

I agree I'll have to talk to him and see what he says.

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Actually, seeing a finger on the trigger with the slide locked back and a visually empty mag well bothers me a lot less than the use of the word slider. Now I can't get White Castle out of my head.

How did he remove the original sights did he use a torch? It almost looks like he took a sander to it, but that wouldnt make sense.
The person that did that is not a gunsmith.
Depends on what you find to be acceptable but if that were my gun I would want a slide replacement and the sights taken off to be reinstalled by someone else.

Gunsmith? Really? The guy has an ID10T problem. Even I have a sight pusher. Melonite is oxidized nickel. The nickel was electroplated over the stainless slide and then treated. This slide cannot be repaired/re-plated/re-melonited or anything else...it's scrap.

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I'm Proud To Be An American!

So do you like the new Trijicon Night Sights better than the stock S&W sights?

^^^^^^^^ LOL!

Paint? C'mon. Gunsmith? Sorry, no.

First few respondents expressed it as I would.

Gotta agree with everybody. Your "gunsmith" did a terrible job on your slide. He owes you a new one but I wouldn't trust him to swap out the sights from the old one.

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Former USN, Retired US Army

man, that's bad.

Okay, I think the OP gets the point loud and clear. Maybe offering some possible options to propose to his "smith" would help more at this point.

I like Jiman's post on ATEi offering Melonite for $90. Their work look very professional. Maybe the OP is interested getting some customization done to the slide at the same time. Offer to split the shipping cost with the "offender"... or just have him pay for the $90 for re-Melonite. Hopefully, there is some silver lining the OP can get out of this whole mess.

Way too many guys beating on guns and calling themselves gunsmiths. I can replace a fuel pump but I dont call myself a mechanic.

you should also closely inspect those sights to make sure he didn't irreparably damage those as well.

Maybe it is just me but the gap at the rear of the dovetail on the new sight makes me a little suspicious. I work at a LGS and I believe he tried to drift them out the wrong way or they are not the correct sight JMO. At my store we would be calling s&w and replacing the slide. From what I know the original sights have an epoxy under them and yes they need to be heated a bit to remove. Good Luck

Pete

OP,

You took a gamble when you picked this gunsmith. You lost. Here is how to play the odds from here on out:

This is likely to cost you $125 and a month of trouble. You might end up doing better, but understand that this is where you are right now.

Send it in to S&W customer service and ask them to replace the slide at your expense. You want it in perfect condition. This is how you get there.

When you get it back, take the packing slip and proof of payment to the gunsmith and politely ask him to split it with you. If necessary, tell him you accept ammunition as a form of payment. You are going to be buying ammunition anyway. If he is a decent guy, he will cover the entire cost. He might not be. You take whatever you can get. Make sure you look him in the eye when you ask.

If he refuses to pay anything, you need to get online and write a lot of reviews. Don't be bitter or snarky. Do not call him an orangutan even if he resembles one. Keep it short and sweet: "John Doe of John Doe Gunsmithing Inc. damaged the slide of my pistol while attempting to change a dovetail sight and refused to pay for the damage he caused." By doing so, you can keep people like us from having to take a gamble when we visit a new gunsmith.

You can't always avoid problems like this. What you can do is swiftly and decisively put them past you. Better get started. Good luck.

Thanks that sounds like a good plan. I'm going to try and go over today and talk to him.

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Andrew, you screwed up and I believe you know that you screwed up. I believe that you know that your "gunsmith" is not going to help you with his bubba talent screwup on your
once fine firearm. If it were me, I would have allready properly "told him what I think of him and his lack of ability and knowlege, and my wrecked firearm would allready be in the hands of S&W for repairs. " I'm going to try and go over today and talk to him."-would not be my approach---I WOULD "talk" to him allright, and when I was through talking he would know that he needs to find another vocation. Trying to deceive
you by covering up his butcher job with "paint" is the work of a crazy person. You have been given some excellent advice---get off your butt and get busey. Good luck.

^^^^ problem with this approach JaredSHS is that you would walk out with nothing but a hot head.
Even if a person is willing to make it right when you go in with hostility and humiliation it never works out, even if they seriously screwed up.

Once was a time when 8 out of 11 gunsmiths were like this. With the internet we can now be warned and avoid these bozo's.

Please do the rest of us a favor and identify this "gunsmith". I removed and replaced the rear sight on my Shield without damaging anything; does that make me a master gunsmith?

Getting pissed off and angry never gets problems solved. And I would have talked to him already but work kind of gets in the way of that.

It is a good idea to let us all know who it is and where they are located. Someone that will do what he did and not have already replaced the slide should not touch another gun. If he does you right and replaces the slide, you can post back here about that too.

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M&P Shield 9MM

Please do not add words or emotions to my post---did I mention p'''''ed off or say I was angry?? What in tarnation is wrong with you guys. You handle it your way. Please let this "angry" P''''ed off 78 year old codger know how you work it out OK? Best wishes.



richca ---Welcome to the forum.

Well, your connotation suggests that but I appreciate your input.

Quick update. Called Smith and Wesson and they said 150 bucks for a new slide which isn't too bad. I also called around trying to get a few opinions earlier this week and was referred to another gunsmith who told me to bring it in today. This guy sounded like he knew what he was talking about and said he could fix it and make it look new with cerakote for 75 bucks. He chuckled and said he loves looking at other gunsmith mistakes when I showed it to him. He agreed with what most of you had said on here. He assured me that it would look like new with a sweet titanium color that I picked out. His previous work looked great by the way. I also attempted to stop by the gunsmith that did the horrible job but he was closed two hours early. I figured I'd get the cerakote done then take him the bill. If he doesn't want to pay it or at least half then we will have problems. I'll keep you guys updated I appreciate all the help! Pics will be posted when the gun is done.

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I'm not sure if I should say congrats. It is your gun though.

I guess I'm having a hard time with your logic.

You're willing to spend half the cost of a new slide for a repair & coating that's good, but not nearly as good as a real surface treatment like melonite.

Or to contact ATEi (with a known excellent rep) and do the same thing (but they do melonite) for a few bucks more.

Good luck brother. As long as you're happy.

Well, they said the problem with a new slide is that it may not fit the gun properly. Which sounds like BS but that's what the SW lady said on the phone. My logic is I wanted to cerakote or do some type of finish to the slide anyways so if he pays for this then I'm happy and I don't have to jump through hoops. Or if need be I can just ask the gunsmith to buy me a new slide so I have two! That's my reasoning if that makes any sense.

Oh and the GunSmith is in San Bernardino, CA called K&D Gunsmithing.

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It's definitely BS, M&P's are not hand fitted slides (like some high end guns). I swap slides around pretty regularly without problem. She must have been thinking about their 1911 model. (or one of their other metal framed autos)

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Minimize the variables

I went to K&D' s website. All it needs is polyester curtains, wheels and wringer washer for a mail box! I'd bet that any two of us would have as many guns as this place displays. Wouldn't be surprised it it did have wheels so they could bolt when it got too hot. Work bench looks like Bob the Builder's. Maybe I'm being too harsh but tell me what you think.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I wouldn't judge by the appearance of their store or their inventory, a lot of businesses started small. I do think the work they did on the OP's pistol and the way they tried to cover it up was amateur. Lot's of quality gunsmiths started out by working out of their one car garage, but I bet they never did something like the OP's pistol, or if they did, they made it right.

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Minimize the variables

To me it looks like he used a torch and burnt the slide then sanded it to cover the heat marks ( but I see them ) paint is not going to fix this. I think the guy went the wrong way, then heated it too hot. The old sight probibly fell out by then and he installed the new sight before he sanded the slide and sight. That a lot of jacked up stuff right there. Now you are going to a cheese ball paint guy!??! WT$. you need a new slide. The end. Was that $150? For a new slide. Plus new sights. To get back to where you started. Does Cali have any real smiths?

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A republic if you can keep it

Between $75 for cerakote and $90 for Melonite, I would go Melonite in a heartbeat. You will get back normal resale value and maintain stock appearance & durability. Plus, you'll have more sway with the "butcher" if you stay OEM finish. Otherwise, he could argue that you just want him to pay for a fancy paint job.

But... your money, your decision.

Get some iron-clad guarantee - in writing - if you do decide to cerakote. If it goes sour again, 3-party finger pointing is going to be a royal cluster-f***.

I hear ya. I'm with BK though...guns like these don't require hand fitting.

If it ends up REALLY being a concern (i.e. your gun has a ton of rounds through it and parts are getting worn anyway), just buy a new universal sear block and front locking lug. Heck barrels are cheap too. Those are the only things you’d need to change.

The bonus is that they are all drop-in and YOU can do it with the help of Youtube and us. No gunsmith required. A 1/8ths punch and small hammer are all you need. Thank gawd!!!

I want to stress how much that is a worst case and that in all probability all you’ll need (with almost 99% certainty) is a new slide and no fitting.

I know some guys have been hard on ya, and I’m not trying to bust you up even more but here’s the thing man…if you go cerekote (and I’ll get to that in a minute) and expect/ask your smith to pay, the “or if need be” part of the sentence for the new slide is out the window. If he doesn't do one, he's not going to do the other.

The vibe I’m getting from your smith is that you’ll be lucky to get him to pay anything, but I’ll bet you my car that if he doesn’t pay for the cheaper option ($75 cerakote) he sure as heck isn’t gonna pay $125 for a new slide!!! That’s unicorns and fairy stuff right there.

Your smith is not very good….I think we’ve established that, so it stands to reason he’s also not making a whole lot of money from that. Unless this guy is only doing this for fun or the benefits of having an FLL for personal use and claiming a ‘smithing business’, he’s strapped for cash. If I’m even half right, he is going to be like getting water from a rock.

OK, so I get that you want another finish on your slide other than the black melonite. Do you understand the advantages in toughness, wear, and corrosion resistance that melonite gives you as a surface treatment vs. a coating (think paint) like cerakote? Don’t get me wrong, as a coating cerakote is great stuff. It comes in lots of colors, lots of people do it, and you can touch it up. But to take off the melonite to put cerakote on is ONLY for looks….If you’re cool with that, great; Then have you considered Robar’sNP3? If you’re going for a Ti look I’d go NP3 over cerakote. Ideally you'd want cerakote to be applied over the melonite...not sure if you can do that and still get the benefits of both.

Last thing… I’m curious of the new smith that said he can fix that dent. How? I’m not a smith, but there’s only two choices right, grind it or fill it? Are you OK with either of those choices?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to get a new slide and then cerakote and/or pimp to your hearts content? I think you’re making a mistake by not doing that, but like I said before, it’s your gun…whatever makes you happy bro.

Is it just me, or is the rear sight all buggered up as well as the finish???

If the inlet wedge for the sights was messed up by trying to push them off the wrong direction, then I would opt for a new slide.

YMMV
JMHO

What about the dent? Are they able to fix that???

The new/better gunsmith said he could fill it in and make it look good. He promised it would look like new. I saw some of his work and looked flawless. He said he would also look at the sights and make sure they were correct also. I agree with pretty much everything you said Jiman either way I should push for a new slide. I will keep you guys updated.


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