My experience at Paterson Gunsmithing

[frankeinstein06 0]

I have had minor work done on various pistols at Paterson Gunsmithing since I was 15 years old; never had a problem before. Just this past year, I had Novak sights placed and zeroed on a Beretta 92FS, and the job was done perfectly, the owner gave me the target back and talked to me about how it went.

 

Earlier this week I dropped off my 1911 TRP to have the trijicons that came on it switched out for Warren Tactical sights, and for zeroing. I left 10 rounds of the ammo I use to compete with for the zeroing process. When I went to pick up the pistol, the guy who did the work (not the owner) is helping me. First. no target was given back to me (" uhh I threw it out"). Asked if there were any problems, how did it go? ("You might have a different zero then me, you will have to shoot it and see"). All excited I get my TRP home and realize - It hasn't been shot. It is super clean, smells cinnamon-sweet from weaponshield, just how I left it with them

 

I get the guy who placed the sights on the phone, who admits that he "bore sighted" it (no mentioned of what happened to my ammo). Then I get the owner (Marcos) on the phone, who I explain the situation to and how I was lied to, and he says he will make it right, Tells me to bring back the pistol anytime and he will personally zero it while I am standing there with him. I try to get a time from him but he says come anytime.

 

I go to my range last night to at least see where the pistol is shooting before I go, and after 20 rounds the rear sight is sliding all over the Novak cut. I go back to the shop this morning and the owner is not there, they have no idea when or if he will be coming in today, they try to leave a message with him but no call back. More back and forth, but in the end they say to me "If you know so much about how it should be done, then why don't you put on the sights yourself?"

 

I got my money 10 rounds back and left.

 

I guess every business occasionally has unhappy customers and bad situations come up. Thus I present just the facts, and hold the comments. Take it for what its worth.

[WCLW 1]

To me, it sounds like you went to a place with a good gunsmith that has proven himself to you for years. However, he hired some help that doesn't have his art nailed down yet. The owner may have just been busy with his personal life when you showed up since you didn't have a set appointment.

 

Is a bad employee reason enough to turn away an otherwise good shop?

 

I don't know this place, never been there, but I am looking for a good smith to do a trigger job on a 1911.

[Anselmo 87]

 

 

Is a bad employee reason enough to turn away an otherwise good shop?

 

 

Yes. Absolutely, it is.

[Cylinder Head 22]

I had a good experience at Paterson Gunsmithing when it came to pinning my stock, but it wasn't a job that exactly required precision. Drill-pin-glue-done. But hey it looks beautiful.

[BullzeyeNJ 104]

Hi Frank,

 

Sorry to hear about your experience at Paterson Gunsmithing. I have only had good experiences there and the couple times I wasnt totally happy, Marcos did do it right for me. I know Marcos is going through some serious personal family stuff right now and cant be at the shop b/c of this reason so he is probably backlogged with work. I would think the lesser jobs like sight changes would be delegated to his helper. No excuse for poor service but the guy is in a definite bind right now, that is all I am saying. Trying to run a business with a family emergency on hand is not easy.

[Guest megaman]

Sorry to hear that. Marco has always been good, hes done several of my guns, and whatever I asked for was done neatly, quickly, quality.

When I picked my pistol back up he told me that I needed to make it zeroed. I said fine, asked for a screwdriver, went downstairs to the range and zeroed it. No charge for the screwdriver.

The other guy who is there is lost. Marcos is a great gunsmith.

[Col. Mortimer 11]

Marco is a nice guy but he is disorganized. I gave him a rifle to repair and wrapped it in a gun sock. The sock disappeared. He did a lot of work on rifle for very little money but he also scuffed up the receiver. I think his work is hit and miss depending on the level of difficulty and the type of work. For a hunting or plinking gun that a couple scratches won't matter - he's good. Anything valuable, I would really worry.

[david8613 69]

whats marco's number i might have simple muzzle tac weld job for him...

[hunter300 0]

Just a little clarification. The money charged for installing sights was refunded to mister "Einstein" to make sure we are not seeing him again in a shop. He started to yell from the first minute he entered the shop. Apparently he is not a big shooter, that`s why he decided to install more complicated night sight set, that were installed and collimated to zero point. He never shot the gun either, however he loosened the set screw that was holding the sight, that`s why the sight fell off . Anyways, we did not want to discuss any further with him nor we wanted to reinstall those sights back because of customer attitude we just paid his money back, without any wishes to listen his high toned complaints for damages not caused by us .

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Just a little clarification. The money charged for installing sights was refunded to mister "Einstein" to make sure we are not seeing him again in a shop. He started to yell from the first minute he entered the shop. Apparently he is not a big shooter, that`s why he decided to install more complicated night sight set, that were installed and collimated to zero point. He never shot the gun either, however he loosened the set screw that was holding the sight, that`s why the sight fell off . Anyways, we did not want to discuss any further with him nor we wanted to reinstall those sights back because of customer attitude we just paid his money back, without any wishes to listen his high toned complaints for damages not caused by us .

Yeah well, i would be pissed if i was blatantly lied to. If i paid for a service i would expect that service to be carried out. Sounds like the set screw came loose during operation, did u guys use any type of thread locker? My Ruger sights come loose with out thread lock, so i'm sure a more powerful handgun would certainly need it more.

Future reference, be strait with your customers and they wont have "attitued". Im sure most people wound't even mind a zeroed gun using bore sighting, but it's a good idea to tell them that, especially when they give you ammo to test fire it. I find that i dont really care when my local shops make goof ups when there honest and strait forward. The problem is when your dishonest about your service, anything that follows is just salt in the wound.

I've never personally been to your shop, but i have spoken on the phone with the owner and you guys seem very nice and willing to help, i hear good things about most of your work so it's wouldn't be fair to say all of your customers get this treatment, just offer a little consistency with your services.

[tuktuk 16]

Paterson Gunsmithing is a good shop and good people. Everybody have a bad day now and then.