At the bench5 min read
My rifle won’t group: where to start
Start with the cheap things. Loose screws and scope mounts cause more misses than bad barrels, and you can check most of them at your kitchen table.
No. 6 — Maintenance & repair
Maintenance and repair.
Keeping working guns working. The bread-and-butter bench.
- Starting at
- $45
- Bench time
- 1–2 weeks
When you need this.
- It won’t feed, won’t fire, or won’t eject, and you’d like to know why.
- It has sat in a closet since the last good season.
- Deer season is coming and you’d rather find the loose screw in September.
- Something is stuck in the chamber or the bore. Leave it alone. If it is a live round, write before you bring it.
The bench evaluation fee comes off the bill if you go ahead. If it isn’t worth fixing, we’ll say so, and you’ll owe the evaluation and nothing more.
The work and what it costs.
| Service | Starting at | Bench time | Drop-off or send |
|---|---|---|---|
Bench evaluationThe firearm taken apart far enough to find what’s wrong, with a price to fix it.What this involves: Bench evaluationWe find the cause, not just the symptom, and write down what we’d do and what it would cost. The fee comes off the bill if you go ahead. | $60 | 1 wk | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm. |
Clean and oilField strip, clean, lubricate, function check.What this involves: Clean and oilThe gun comes apart as far as its maker intended an owner to take it. Bore, chamber and action are cleaned, oiled lightly and checked. | $45 | Same weekat a booked visit | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Deep clean and inspectionA complete teardown, every part cleaned and checked for wear.What this involves: Deep clean and inspectionEverything comes apart, including the parts most owners never see. It goes back together with notes on anything worn, cracked or due for attention. | $95 | 1–2 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm. |
Pre-season rifle checkClean, torque, inspect and bore-sight, before the season rather than during it.What this involves: Pre-season rifle checkAction screws and scope mounts are checked with a torque wrench, the bore and crown inspected, and the scope bore-sighted. Catch the loose screw in September, not on opening morning. | $125 | 1 wk | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Remove a stuck case or bore obstructionA stuck case, a lodged bullet or patch, or a round that won’t extract, cleared safely.What this involves: Remove a stuck case or bore obstructionDon’t hammer on it and don’t try to shoot it out. If it is an empty case, a bullet or a patch, bring it in as it is. If a live round is stuck in the chamber, the rifle is loaded: keep it pointed somewhere safe, don’t force the bolt, and write before you bring it, so we know it is coming and can tell you how. | $65 | Same weekat a booked visit | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Repair and parts fittingDiagnosed, the part sourced, fitted by hand and tested.What this involves: Repair and parts fittingBilled at the shop rate, with a written estimate before any part is ordered. Few replacement parts drop straight in, and the fitting is the job. | $50minimum | 2–4 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm. |
Recommission a surplus or stored rifleOld storage grease removed, the rifle cleaned and inspected, and an honest answer on whether it should be shot.What this involves: Recommission a surplus or stored rifleGrease is cleaned out of the action, bore and stock, and headspace, bore and firing pin are checked. You get a plain answer on whether it’s safe, and with what ammunition. | $150 | 2–3 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm. |
Home-build check-up (AR-pattern)A rifle you assembled yourself, gone over for torque, gas alignment, headspace and function.What this involves: Home-build check-up (AR-pattern)We check the things that are hard to check at a kitchen table and tell you what we find. No lecture comes with it. | $65 | 1 wk | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Assemble from your parts (AR-pattern)A complete rifle assembled from the parts you bring, to spec, and function-checked.What this involves: Assemble from your parts (AR-pattern)The barrel nut is torqued, the castle nut torqued and staked, the gas key checked for staking, the gas block aligned and headspace gauged. Standard rifles with barrels of 16 inches or longer only. | $150 | 1–2 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Shotgun barrel workScrew-in chokes fitted, a forcing cone lengthened, or a dent raised.What this involves: Shotgun barrel workBarrel walls are measured first, because not every barrel has the metal to spare. Dents are raised from inside with a fitted plug, slowly. | $80 | 2–4 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm. |
Function check and test fireThe gun fired to confirm the repair.What this involves: Function check and test fireStandard on any job that touches how the gun works. Factory ammunition only; we don’t test fire with handloads. | +$20+ ammunition | Same weekat a booked visit | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Written appraisalA written description and value, for insurance or an estate.What this involves: Written appraisalWe identify it as far as we honestly can, describe its condition, and give a value with our reasoning. Where we’re not sure, the paper says so. | $50per firearm | 1–2 wks | Drop off at the shop in Boerne. |
Labor only. Parts and ammunition are extra. Confirmed once it’s on the bench.
What changes the price.
- Diagnosis. Finding the cause is often most of the job.
- Parts, and how hard they are to find.
- How long it has been since anyone cleaned it properly.
How long it will take.
The shop takes one job at a time, and only work it can do well. When yours could start is settled at the consultation, and your dates come in writing when the job is accepted.
- Reply
- within3business days
- Bench
- 1–2weeks
The bench time is the work itself, for the usual job of this kind. Each job’s own figure is in the ledger above.
Request
No. 6Maintenance & repair
Starting at$45
Bench time1–2 weeks
Replies by email within 3 business days.
From the Journal
Questions about this kind of work.
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.
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.
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.
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.