Has anyone received a gun back from Jim Gravitt of Protech-Engineering within the last year or so?  www.protech-engineering.com  Mainly does HKs, but also AKs, FALs, etc...

Long story short...

I've been waiting for a HK94SBR back on a Form 3 for the last year and a half (2 years since I sent the gun). Jim has been claiming the gun is in transfer for about 1.5 years, I have called BATF twice in the last two months and they show no transfer in progress.

Anyone in a similar situation with Jim?

Is it time to call my lawyer?

I can give more details if anyone is interested.

Thanks

Two years?  Definitely sounds like it's time to get a lawyer involved.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...

HKocher,
I too am waiting on a FMP upper to be completed.  Being just under the year mark myself, I have spoke and e-mailed Jim a few times over the last year.

But unlike you, I will have him send the upper parts back if it hits a year.  You got to love his "4 week" quote. I think the last batch of HK's that came out of Protech were just before the move.  Jim has written that he has 25 HK type builds to do, So maybe yours is one of them.  Or maybe not!!!!!!


P.S. We already started a post @ hk91.com in regards to the lack of build coming out of Protech.   If someone lives close to the shop, could they please stop by and see if the shop is up and running or if it's has become a full-time "Race Car" repair station.

Quoted: P.S. We already started a post @ hk91.com in regards to the lack of build coming out of Protech.   If someone lives close to the shop, could they please stop by and see if the shop is up and running or if it's has become a full-time "Race Car" repair station.

Hell, the guy admitted to me on the phone that he doesn't care about guns anymore, and wants to get out of the business to focus on the cars.  Sounds like he is already focused on the cars.

Why the hell would you take on more work, if you wanted to close up shop?  

Here's a detailed report:

Let me give some more details.

Sent the gun to Jim in July 2000. Simple rebarrel, paddle mag install, remark/refinish, was quoted a work time of 4-6 weeks. I sent the gun without filing a Form 1 since I was moving to a new state. My first mistake, but he told me he would register it for me on a Form 2.

Approx. timeline:
Called about two months later, gun had not been started. Called two more times over the next two months, no progress, on forth call, I told him to send the gun to Urbach, who had done some earlier work for me and who I actually trusted, and I'd eat all the shipping costs. Yeah, that might have been a bit extreme, but I was tired of hearing the same excuses and I knew Urbach would get the job done. He replied that it was too late, he had already started the gun. Well, okay, at least I got him off his butt.

Around late Nov, or early Dec., Jim called to confirm that the gun was finished, and to authorize a CC charge to cover the work. Okay, done.

Fast forward to 2001. Jim claimed the gun was on a Form 3 to transfer to my C3/SOT. Several months go by, I call to find status, Jim claims BATF lost the paperwork, okay, he claims to start new papers. August 2001, I'm moving again (job related again) to a new state. Call to let Jim know, Jim, says second set of papers were lost by BATF. Okay, well, that's not a problem, since I'll be moving, so I get him new info for the new C3.

Now I realize I might be a pain in the ass to him, with the moves and the update calls, but I now believe that there has never been a Form 3 filed up to this date.

October 2001. Call, Jim tells me the transfer is delayed due to 9/11 and the increased security and mail problems. Ask for copy of Form 3, but never get one. December 2001, still 9/11 problems. Ask for copy of Form 3, do not receive it.

2002.

Jim is moving shop, claims all the paperwork has to be redone to reflect his new address/license info. Says he will start a Form 3 ASAP. April 2002, call to find status, Jim says Form 3 in progress. Ask if I can come and see the gun (I'm about 8 hours away) and he acts uncomfortable and says he will be out of town one day next week, but doesn't know which day. Well, I'm not going to drive there to find him out of the shop. I call BATF to confirm his words, they tell me no transfer has ever been in progress, but the gun IS on their registry as an SBR. Call Jim back immediately, he claims that he JUST sent the Form 3 in, so it's probably not in their computers yet. He acts friendlier, telling me I can come up and shoot the gun because it is done and just needs to be painted! Ask for copy of Form 3 (third time), still do not get one.

Today, July 28, 2002. Call BATF, gun is still not on a Form 3. I will call Jim tomorrow.

Have I been a pain in the ass? Probably, but I don't think it is unreasonable to call every couple months, especially when I keep getting a different story each and every time I call.

9/17,02.

Called BATF again, gun is still not on a form 3.  I am taking further action (possibly legal) since Jim again told me (7/29/02) that the gun was on it's way to me, but he did not have copies of the Form 3 around to send to me.

You are being SCREWED with even a reach around.

Well, for the hell of it I sent him an email:

"Hello, Word on the street is that if I send you a gun then I'll never see it again.  Any truth to that?"

I'd post a short note and link to your first post on the Board of Inquiry at www.subguns.com.  Somebody local might be able to nudge him a bit.

-hanko

Quoted: I'd post a short note and link to your first post on the Board of Inquiry at www.subguns.com.  Somebody local might be able to nudge him a bit. -hanko

I did that a couple months ago (when I started this thread).  Didn't get a huge response.

I will resubmit the thread as soon as this is resolved, so that people will know not to use
Protech in the future.

Back in the spring of 2000, I sent him a FAL type rifle. I asked him to cut the barrel to 18" and put a muzzle brake on it. we talked about brakes in the brownells catalog, he said he could make one that looked exactly like the one I wanted.
We talked about opening the gas port up to allow it to function better with the shorted barrel.

When I got the rifle back he had cut it to 16" and put a brake on that looked nothing like we discussed.
NOT HAPPY !
Then I took it out to shoot and it would not run, even with the gas port cranked open.
He didn't open up the gas port but what was worse is he parkerized the chamber and bore ! He failed to plug the bore when he re-parked the gun.
REALLY NOT HAPPY !
I contacted Jim and he said "send it back and I'll make it right".

Instead I polished the chamber, drilled out the gas port myself. after that, it ran fine.

While I have to give Jim credit for offering to "make it right", I think he failed because:
1. He didn't do what I asked.
2. He made a mistake by not plugging the barrel when he refinished it.