Gunsmith Alert

casaventana · July 15, 2007, 04:41 PM

I'm relatively new to Tucson and was in need of a gunsmith to install a brand new set of Novak night sights ($152+) on my brand new HK USP45C. I asked the salesman at this store if they had a qualified gunsmith that could install a set of sights and he responded that the resident gunsmith was a perfectionist.

I waited impatiently while the work was being done. When the gun was returned to me, the "gunsmith", in his attempt to do a quick and dirty job, had taken too much of the bottom of the rear dovetail and when he screwed down the sight he forced the sight up in the dovetail. The sight now sits above the slide and light is visable below the sight.

The salesman claims that the installation was done properly. And of course this is just so much XX . I will not purchase anything from this store-ever and will try to inform the public so that do not have this frustration. I'll now have to buy new sights and spend another $152+. A very expensive lesson.

I will not publish the name of the store in Tucson but, I recommed that you be very careful of those that make claims of their abilities.

ZeSpectre · July 15, 2007, 05:12 PM

Sorry but if you aren't going to specify whom we need to be cautious about then this is just a venting thread and doesn't do us much good.

Sorry somebody screwed up your firearm though.

casaventana · July 15, 2007, 05:17 PM

You are absolutely right. The gun store is Diamondback.

contender6030 · July 15, 2007, 10:45 PM

I believe I would go back and raise a little more he!!. An idiot should know that you shouldn't see daylight UNDER a sight in a dovetail. What do you have to loose? At least make them replace the sight and have someone else install it. Actually their not that hard to put in.

RickInKy · July 16, 2007, 03:23 PM

These guys??

HarryB · July 16, 2007, 04:35 PM

Use a credit card by chance?

1*45 · July 16, 2007, 07:10 PM

This of course after the fact. Sorry for the bad sight job.
If you want Novak's go to Novak's, they have a one week turn around of your slide and of course it would have been done correctly.
I speek from having several of my slides done by them over the last 15 years. I am sure there are others out there as good too, i just prefer the work and the professionalism of Novak's. Maybe they can fix yours? if you dont get what you want at the other place.
My .02

Ruger4570 · July 16, 2007, 08:11 PM

When I lived in Tucson I had all my work done by Brian at Murphys gunshop. I was never disappointed in the work.

casaventana · July 17, 2007, 09:25 AM

Thank you all for your feedback. I'm just livid that people like Diamonback (on Kolb) don't stand behind their work and the customer has no recourse. I know that if I approached the owner he would claim it was "good enough".

EEL92fs · July 17, 2007, 10:21 AM

Do you have pictures of the sights on the gun you can show us? We love Pictures

Johannes_Paulsen · July 17, 2007, 01:51 PM

Not at all. If you used a credit card for the transaction, you can always pursue a dispute with the credit card issuing bank. FYI: Amex is a little more customer-friendly than Master Card or Visa, but you DO have dispute options through all of them.

If not, you can always sue them in Small Claims Court for the cost of correcting the mistake.

Getting a second opinion from another gunsmith that the sights were improperly installed (along with an estimate on the cost to fix) would help your case immeasurably. Make sure you note the time and dates when you attempted to get Diamondback to cure the problems (along with what they told you.)

casaventana · July 19, 2007, 09:09 PM

Gentlemen,
I paid cash. Even if I used a credit card, a poor installation for $20 doesn't make up for a $150+ set of sights. And for the fellow that asked, it was Diamondback on Kolb.

HankL · July 21, 2007, 09:27 AM

The way I'm reading this the so called gunsmith cut too much out of your slide thus screwing it up as well. If this is the case it's going to be a lot more than just replacing the rear sight.

You might want to post the details of this along with pictures if possible in the gunsmithing section.

Sorry for your troubles.

JWT · July 21, 2007, 11:00 AM

Murphy does very good work, unfortunately according to the sign in their gun shop they are no longer accepting new gunsmithing jobs. Don't know if that's temporary of not. I'm not aware of any other good gunsmith in the Tucson are, although I'm sure there has to be some. Can anyone help identify one??

July 15, 2007, 04:41 PM	#1
casaventana Junior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Posts: 6	Gunsmith Alert I'm relatively new to Tucson and was in need of a gunsmith to install a brand new set of Novak night sights ($152+) on my brand new HK USP45C. I asked the salesman at this store if they had a qualified gunsmith that could install a set of sights and he responded that the resident gunsmith was a perfectionist. I waited impatiently while the work was being done. When the gun was returned to me, the "gunsmith", in his attempt to do a quick and dirty job, had taken too much of the bottom of the rear dovetail and when he screwed down the sight he forced the sight up in the dovetail. The sight now sits above the slide and light is visable below the sight. The salesman claims that the installation was done properly. And of course this is just so much XX . I will not purchase anything from this store-ever and will try to inform the public so that do not have this frustration. I'll now have to buy new sights and spend another $152+. A very expensive lesson. I will not publish the name of the store in Tucson but, I recommed that you be very careful of those that make claims of their abilities.

July 15, 2007, 05:17 PM	#3
casaventana Junior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Posts: 6	You are absolutely right. The gun store is Diamondback. Last edited by casaventana; July 16, 2007 at 07:44 AM. Reason: Correct typo

July 15, 2007, 10:45 PM	#4
contender6030 Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2006 Location: backwoods, GA Posts: 306	I believe I would go back and raise a little more he!!. An idiot should know that you shouldn't see daylight UNDER a sight in a dovetail. What do you have to loose? At least make them replace the sight and have someone else install it. Actually their not that hard to put in. __________________ ONE SHOT!!If you miss, Reload!

July 16, 2007, 07:10 PM	#7
1*45 Junior Member Join Date: July 15, 2006 Location: N. Va. Posts: 7	This of course after the fact. Sorry for the bad sight job. If you want Novak's go to Novak's, they have a one week turn around of your slide and of course it would have been done correctly. I speek from having several of my slides done by them over the last 15 years. I am sure there are others out there as good too, i just prefer the work and the professionalism of Novak's. Maybe they can fix yours? if you dont get what you want at the other place. My .02 __________________ C Y A, be safe Glock certified armorer/instructor Colt certified M16/AR15/1911 H-K certified MP5/Rifle/USP

July 21, 2007, 09:27 AM	#13
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	The way I'm reading this the so called gunsmith cut too much out of your slide thus screwing it up as well. If this is the case it's going to be a lot more than just replacing the rear sight. You might want to post the details of this along with pictures if possible in the gunsmithing section. Sorry for your troubles. __________________ Check 6

July 15, 2007, 05:12 PM	#2
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	Sorry but if you aren't going to specify whom we need to be cautious about then this is just a venting thread and doesn't do us much good. Sorry somebody screwed up your firearm though.

July 16, 2007, 03:23 PM	#5
RickInKy Junior Member Join Date: July 8, 2007 Location: Mt. Sterling, Ky Posts: 4	These guys??

July 16, 2007, 04:35 PM	#6
HarryB Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 1999 Location: Mesa Arizona Posts: 330	Use a credit card by chance?

July 16, 2007, 08:11 PM	#8
Ruger4570 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2005 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 2,136	When I lived in Tucson I had all my work done by Brian at Murphys gunshop. I was never disappointed in the work.

July 17, 2007, 09:25 AM	#9
casaventana Junior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Posts: 6	Thank you all for your feedback. I'm just livid that people like Diamonback (on Kolb) don't stand behind their work and the customer has no recourse. I know that if I approached the owner he would claim it was "good enough".

July 17, 2007, 10:21 AM	#10
EEL92fs Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2007 Location: Dayton OH Posts: 155	Do you have pictures of the sights on the gun you can show us? We love Pictures

July 17, 2007, 01:51 PM	#11
Johannes_Paulsen Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2007 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 297	Not at all. If you used a credit card for the transaction, you can always pursue a dispute with the credit card issuing bank. FYI: Amex is a little more customer-friendly than Master Card or Visa, but you DO have dispute options through all of them. If not, you can always sue them in Small Claims Court for the cost of correcting the mistake. Getting a second opinion from another gunsmith that the sights were improperly installed (along with an estimate on the cost to fix) would help your case immeasurably. Make sure you note the time and dates when you attempted to get Diamondback to cure the problems (along with what they told you.)

July 19, 2007, 09:09 PM	#12
casaventana Junior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Posts: 6	Gentlemen, I paid cash. Even if I used a credit card, a poor installation for $20 doesn't make up for a $150+ set of sights. And for the fellow that asked, it was Diamondback on Kolb.

July 21, 2007, 11:00 AM	#14
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	Murphy does very good work, unfortunately according to the sign in their gun shop they are no longer accepting new gunsmithing jobs. Don't know if that's temporary of not. I'm not aware of any other good gunsmith in the Tucson are, although I'm sure there has to be some. Can anyone help identify one??