fair price to clean

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Basically what ever that Gunsmith charges for an hour of labor. Stripping takes about 5 minutes, a thorough cleaning and look-see about 30 minutes and reassembly another 5 minutes. I don't think they would charge you for less than an hour so if he gets $65/hr than I'd say that would be about right assuming he wasn't fixing anything or replacing any parts which would be extra.
 
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Let's rephrase that question .
How much is it worth to you to have someone else do a correct and proper clean and lube job . Consider ... you will have to buy screwdrivers , cleaning rods , brass brushes , cloth patches , solvent , cleaner and oil ... plus watch a bunch of you-tubes ... what's that worth ?

To me ... at least $75.00 and if the gun is in realy rough shape ...rust and a sewer pipe bore ... $200.00 . It usually takes 3-4 hours to clean a really grungy firearm ... so $200.00 works out to only $50.00 / hr total job cost . The guy doing the work isn't going to get rich .
The checking for worn parts and function is part of the clean & lube job
Gary
 
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The "KalamazooKid price" at my local shop is $25 for a revolver (I don't mess with side plates) the few times I've had it done. I'll add that I think this is my "volume discount" and think $50 - $75 would be very fair.
 
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My first visceral reaction is everybody who owns a weapon should be responsible enough to know how to detail-strip, clean, and lubricate it. Then I remembered I know some shooters who are simply NOT tool-users and really shouldn't be trusted with a screwdriver yet know and practice the four rules and can outshoot me easily, so nevermind. That said, I've had to clean up after a couple supposed gunsmiths who did real damage "cleaning" a firearm for someone I knew. This is particularly a problem with classic firearms. Perhaps find someone who does their own work and obviously knows their stuff to interview the prospective clean and inspect vendor?
As for price, I'll go with $50-100 as a guide but if you want a thorough job of inspection then it could easily be more.
 
You might think of it this way. A professional who does a complete disassembly, cleaning, parts check, lube, reassembly, safety and function check has got way more than just his time involved in your firearm; having worked on your revolver he has staked his reputation on the line and he is now civilly liable for the safety of that firearm since he is the professional who worked on it. Unfortunately, in this day of litigation it really doesn't matter if the pro made a mistake he is still likely to be held responsible if something goes wrong. So, anybody in business is likely to have substantial overhead costs including Liability insurance to cut into his profit. If you think of it that way, $ 80 per hour doesn't seem all that unreasonable does it?
 
You really need to buy the right tools, but if you take care of them, they are a one-time investment. Considering the fact that all firearms, if they get used, will accumulate crud in the action and eventually require a more detailed cleaning, investing in the right tools and learning to do it yourself pays off in the long run. Also consider the fact that there are fewer and fewer gunsmiths, so at some point there may not be a gunsmith nearby to perform routine maintenance.
 
Walter O, are you looking to have the work done or are you looking to do it for somebody . As you know here in the "Region" there are no Gunsmiths. There are a few closet smiths but they are hard to find.
 
I had a 35 auto stripped, a part replaced and test fired for 60.00 by an armorer. Seemed reasonable.
I never completely strip mine, but then again I do not let them really crud up. I have the right hollow ground screw drivers. I just pull the side plate, spray it down with non chlorinated brake cleaner, then compressed air( your best friend ), and put a drops of oil where needed. Then reassemble.

IMO, there are just a few important things to know. Get the right size hollow ground screwdrivers, proper side plate removal and replacement technique and back the strain screw off if you are going to cock the gun with the side plate off.
 
AND THEN, you have to assume that the gunsmith has integrity. Unfortunately, where I live, there are a few very high-dollar smiths that I've had experience with and who did NOT perform the paid-for tasks. One case was a very clean, no-name, side by side 16ga. that was made in Belgium around 1925. I gave it as a gift to a friend of mine. He decided he wanted to take it apart and clean it. I have the correct screw-drivers for the task, but no matter how we tried (all the tricks for weeks on end) we could not get the screw that held the lever on top (that opens the gun) to release. SO, we brought it to a super high-priced shotgun place upstate and left it to be cleaned and 'lighten the triggers'. When we went back after many months, they charged a very (and suspiciously) reasonable price of $85. They said that they gave the internals a detailed cleaning and lube, but couldn't adjust the triggers because (now get this... a professional gunsmith shop said) "the springs were too old". They REALLY said that to us....I have to assume that we both look VERY STUPID, or that their rich clients ARE that stupid. Anyway, on the way home, I told my friend that they never got that top screw loose either, but, rather than admit that to us, they just lied and grabbed a quick $85. I told him that I would prove my assumption by attempting, once again, to loosen that frozen screw. IF they had, indeed, taken the gun apart and done that 'detailed clean and lube', the screw would be easily removed by us when we got home. Needless to say, the screw was still frozen in place.....
IMHO,
J.
 
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