Hey, VA ARF community. Relatively new to the area and am yet to be set up tool wise. Can anyone recommend a decent gunshop/smith between the greater Reston and Herndon areas that can install a DD rail on an upper for me? Thanks in advance.

Sterling Arsenal is awful, don’t waste your time. Robb at elite is a great guy to deal with.

You could buy the tools for the price a gunsmith will charge.

Much quicker also...

Thank you for the advice, gentlemen.

You have a point, nvcdl. Seeing some of the prices surprised me. I've never paid more than a case of beer or twenty bucks at my old local shops for a rail install, but I'm not yet a "regular" anywhere. That said, I do have some 1911 work I need done and I do not intent on doing that myself. If anyone has recommendation for a 1911 smith, please feel free to chime in. Sams Custom Gunworks is the only semi-local one I've heard of.

C and R firearms in Manassas should be able to do 1911 gunsmithing.

ARs are very easy to work on - all you really need is a vise, plastic action block and a wrench or two, I used to have a good smith but he would take a couple months to get a job done so I started doing my own work....

The only gunsmith I can recommend at this time is Ned Purcell in Orange

There are a few shops that advertise gunsmiths (think machine shops) - 50 West, C and R, SpecDive - but I am not sure what level of gunsmithing 2 of those offer based on historic gunsmith moves.

Robb at Elite is not a machinist, but is a heck of a good guy to work with. A "nationally known" custom shop screwed up one of my guns - twice. First time it was having a huge number of light primer strikes (almost 15-20%). After they got it back, they installed a spring wrong and trashed it. The part wasn't readily available, or I would have just ordered it and replaced it myself. Robb had one in his bag, threw it in my gun (properly) and charged me an insanely attractive price.

I will go back to Robb for anything not requiring machine work.

-shooter

I do not recommend 50 West. Had a friend bring in a complete upper parts set and the guy wasn't able to do anything I myself could have done with basic tools. They've also downsized on staff so I doubt they actually have a full time gunsmith.

I would avoid Sterling Arsenal like the bubonic plague.

I gave them a pistol a few years back to swap the sights.  They charged me $120 and fucked up the front dovetail.  They are idiots and liars.

Robb at Elite is the only option.  He fixed an issue on a different firearm for me.  Did the job quickly and correctly.

If I have a job that's beyond my basic home armorer setup, I go to Robb.  If I needed major custom work done, such as a 1911, I'd pick one of the nationally known shops and just suck up the 2nd day air cost and return shipping.

I am trying to keep an open mind with respect to 50 West, but when they tripled/quadrupled their transfer fee and didn't post it anywhere, I got kind of pissy. Add in the fact that they don't price guns on display, and I don't make it in there much. I am in that shopping center nearly every day too...

-shooter

This has been my experience also.  Robb will take care of you, but working on AR's is not difficult with just a few tools.  David

Very aware of the simplicity of ARs. Just do not currently have the time to move my tools across the country or an appropriate environment to work on them. In the meantime, I will take your advice for Rob at Elite. Thank you all for the recommendations.