FAQ
Plain answers.
The questions a gunsmith is asked most, answered the way they’d be answered at the bench. The numbers come straight from the price list, so they match.
Appointments and time
Do I need an appointment?
For bench work, yes. Start with a request. Philip reads every one himself, and if it’s work he can do well, he’ll book a consultation with you, in the shop or by phone. The shop’s hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and consultations, drop-offs and pickups are booked inside them. If you come in, bring the firearm unloaded and cased, your ID, the ammunition it’s having trouble with if there is any, and any parts you’re supplying. The one exception is a live round stuck in the chamber: write before you bring it, so we know it is coming and can tell you how.
How long will it take?
It depends on the job. The time each one usually takes is printed beside it on the price list. The shop takes one job at a time, so when yours could start is settled at the consultation. You get your dates in writing when the job is accepted, and an email if they change.
Why does it take longer here than at a big store counter?
Because the work is done one firearm at a time, and the shop only takes on what it can do properly. Bedding compound has to cure. Bluing goes at the steel’s pace. A rifle that’s hurried out the door usually comes back through it.
Can you rush it? My hunt is next week.
Tell us the date and we’ll tell you straight whether it can be done. There’s no rush lane, because a rush lane means someone else’s rifle gets set down half finished. If we can’t meet your date, we’ll say so before we take the job, and tell you what you can safely do in the meantime.
Does the shop take every job?
No. Philip reads every request himself and takes on only the work he can do well, one job at a time. If yours isn’t one of them, he’ll say so plainly, and tell you who he’d take it to. Asking costs nothing.
Prices
How does pricing work?
Each service has a starting price. That’s labor. Parts and ammunition are extra. You get a written estimate before any work starts. If the job looks likely to run more than 10 percent over it, work stops until you’ve said yes. Sending a request costs nothing. Nothing is owed until Philip has accepted the job and emailed you an invoice, and nothing is paid on the website.
Is there a charge just to look at it?
There’s a bench evaluation fee of $60. It covers taking the gun apart far enough to find the real problem. If you go ahead with the work, it comes off your bill. If it isn’t worth fixing, we’ll tell you that, and the evaluation is all you owe.
Can I bring my own parts?
You can. We’ll fit them and tell you if we see a problem with one. We can’t stand behind a part we didn’t supply, and if it needs extra fitting, that time is billed at the shop rate of $95 an hour. Now and then we’ll decline to fit a part we don’t trust, and we’ll explain why.
Sending or bringing it in
What kinds of firearms do you work on?
Bolt-action and lever-action rifles, AR-pattern rifles, shotguns, revolvers and pistols. If you’re not sure whether yours is something the shop takes, ask. It costs nothing to ask.
Is there work you won’t do?
Yes. We won’t remove or disable a safety. We won’t do anything that leaves a firearm unsafe, and we won’t do work that isn’t lawful. The shop doesn’t work on suppressors or anything else that needs federal registration. If a firearm isn’t safe to fire, we’ll tell you so and explain why.
Can I send my firearm instead of driving to Boerne?
Sometimes. Parts with no serial number on them, such as a bare stock or a scope and rings, can be mailed like any parcel. A complete firearm is different, because the carriers have their own rules about who may ship one. Email first and we’ll tell you the right way to send it. Please don’t ship anything until you’ve heard back.
Do I need a background check to get my own gun back?
No, as long as you’re the person who brought it in. Bring your ID. If someone else picks it up for you, they’ll have to complete the federal form and a background check, so it’s simpler to come yourself.
What if I can’t pick it up right away?
Let us know and we’ll work it out. After 30 days there’s a storage fee of $25 a month. If a firearm sits 90 days after we’ve told you it’s ready, with no word from you, the service terms say what happens next. We would much rather just hear from you.
Buying and selling
Can I buy, sell or trade a firearm here?
Yes, in person at the shop, never online. Send a request, choose “Buy, sell or trade”, and say what you’re after or what you have. Philip will reply by email. Anything that changes hands does so at the counter in Boerne, and a firearm you buy is handed over after the federal form and a background check. The shop may decline any sale or trade.
How does a commission work?
It starts with a request and a consultation, in the shop or by phone, about what the rifle is for. You get a written spec and an estimate. If you both agree, Philip accepts the order and emails you an invoice. Nothing is paid on this website. The clock starts when the parts are in hand. Expect months, not weeks.
Looking after it
Should I have my grandfather’s rifle refinished?
Maybe not. Refinishing an old gun usually lowers its value to a collector, and it takes away the wear your grandfather put there. Often the right job is to clean it, stop any rust, make it safe to shoot, and leave the rest alone. We’ll talk it through before anything is touched.
What’s the difference between bluing and a ceramic coating?
Bluing is the traditional finish: a thin layer of black oxide formed on the steel itself. It’s handsome, and it needs a little oil now and then. A ceramic coating is sprayed on and baked. It’s tougher against sweat and rain and comes in many colors, but it doesn’t look like a blued rifle. Neither is wrong. It depends on the gun and how you use it.
What is glass bedding, and does my rifle need it?
It’s a layer of epoxy cast between the action and the stock, so the action sits in the same spot, without stress, for every shot. If a rifle strings its shots or changes zero between trips, bedding is one of the first things to check. Plenty of rifles shoot well without it. We look before we recommend it.
My rifle won’t group. Where do you start?
With the cheap things. Loose action screws and scope mounts cause more misses than bad barrels. We check torque, mounts, crown and bore, then try a couple of loads. Machine work comes last, and only if it’s needed. The Journal has the whole list, in order, so you can check most of it yourself first.
Will you show me how to look after it myself?
Yes. Ask at pickup and we’ll go through it with the rifle in front of us. The Journal has plain how-tos as well. Nothing here is a trade secret.
Still not answered? Ask.
A question costs nothing and commits you to nothing.