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Posted: 12/2/2013 2:27:21 PM EDT
| What would be a fair price to pay a gunsmith for assembly of 3 lowers from kits? |
| Keep in mind when you contact one, you're not just paying for their time, you're paying part of the bills for the shop, the cost of tools, etc. I've quoted some people some prices so low that some other people in the business were angry over it, and had a customer bitch at me for being so high. |
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I think you'll need to ask the gunsmith his hourly rate. You can do it yourself, it's about the most simple mechanical assembly possible. This is why most trained Gunsmiths hate AR's. Any baker, hobbyist, mechanice or plumber who can read instructions can assemble one |
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This is why most trained Gunsmiths hate AR's. Any baker, hobbyist, mechanice or plumber who can read instructions can assemble one Quoted:
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I think you'll need to ask the gunsmith his hourly rate. You can do it yourself, it's about the most simple mechanical assembly possible. This is why most trained Gunsmiths hate AR's. Any baker, hobbyist, mechanice or plumber who can read instructions can assemble one Several years ago when CMMG still operated their retail operation at the farm a couple of our mid Missouri members went up to buy a lower and other parts. The guy in the passenger side assembled the lower in his lap while they were driving back to town. |
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins
shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. 
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. 
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I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. Quoted:
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. Ain't fucked up one yet, bub. Apply black tape liberally
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Ain't fucked up one yet, bub. Apply black tape liberallyQuoted:
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. Ain't fucked up one yet, bub. Apply black tape liberallyPlenty do. And they cry over scratches. |
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Plenty do. And they cry over scratches. Quoted:
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. Ain't fucked up one yet, bub. Apply black tape liberallyPlenty do. And they cry over scratches. You want to talk fucked up guns? Don't make me go there...*cough* glock stippling *cough cough* 
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You want to talk fucked up guns? Don't make me go there...*cough* glock stippling *cough cough*
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Get some electrical tape, cheap chi-com vise grips, a hollow-tip screwdriver with bits (or a small flathead and a 5/32 hex driver), and a box or large plastic bag and you can put a lower together in about 20 mins shit i'd do your 3 lowers for free because i like doing it. I love it when people follow these rules. I get paid to refinish the lowers they fuck up. Ain't fucked up one yet, bub. Apply black tape liberallyPlenty do. And they cry over scratches. You want to talk fucked up guns? Don't make me go there...*cough* glock stippling *cough cough*
I made money on that gun when I sold it. 
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Ive only fucked up one lower that needed a gunsmith to help. I probably could have fixed it myself, but I didn't have a drill press at the time. Wasn't really my fault, but the take down detent was out of spec and was stuck in the hole  Are you in politics? |
| While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. |
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While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. |
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Quoted: This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. Quoted: Quoted: While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. |
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You make it sound like such a deal, how much do you charge to headspace and time a M2HB? Quoted:
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While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. $8700. Then I sub it out to someone that knows how to do it for $3.50 |
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$8700. Then I sub it out to someone that knows how to do it for $3.50 Quoted:
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While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. $8700. Then I sub it out to someone that knows how to do it for $3.50 This is beyond Stupid |
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This is beyond Stupid Quoted:
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While it is great to learn how to do it yourself, if you mess it up, you deal with it. If you bring it to me or any other gunsmith and we screw it up, we fix it and eat the loss. Yes the tools are expensive ( for the special ones) and yes you do need good quality tools at the least. You have to deside if you are building one gun or a lot of guns as to offset the cost of tools. I charge $50 per lower or upper. If a customer brings me more than 2 lowers/ uppers to assemble, I will give them another 10% off of each. And I warranty my work for 30 days. If I build the whole gun, I warranty the labor for 60days. If you mess with it after you get it from me, and it needs work, you pay for it. I have found that in NOVA (northern VA) most customers do not want to build it themselves. It cheaper for them to drop it off in the morning and pick up that night. Heck, I cut, thread, crown, pin, and weld an AR bbl same day. This. I'd give a rough estimate of a grand for all the tools (from punches up to a vise) for all the tools I use to assemble an AR. Very few things a customer can screw up cost less than what I charge to build the entire thing. $8700. Then I sub it out to someone that knows how to do it for $3.50 This is beyond Stupid Pretty sure he wasn't serious. "87"00 |
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What would be a fair price to pay a gunsmith for assembly of 3 lowers from kits? I would also suggest doing it yourself. Not only is it easy, but its fun. I am far from mechanical and I found this to be one of the easiest DIY projects I have ever tried. I have built several following the lower guide here Complete rifle assembly guide here I would think the cost of tools you need would be less than what a smith would charge you to do one, and then you have the tools and knowledge for a lifetime. I would highly recommend getting the correct tools and proper punch sizes , along with a set of DERLIN punches if you are picky and don't want a marked up receiver. The hardest part of the lower is the pivot pin. Their is a tool for this, but don't waste you money. Go to Home Depot and get a 1/4 inch clovis pin (costs about a buck) After you figure out how to do the first one, you should be able to knock out the other ones in about 15 minutes. Good Luck and Happy Building. |
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