I also have zero issues when a Gunsmith farms out specialized work. Not every Gunsmith has a milling machine, a hoenig pantograph, cnc or wire edm, laser welding capabilities, etc. It’s a completely normal way of doing business throughout the manufacturing world, gunmaking & smithing is no exception.
My problem is when people say things like, “we did this” or “we did that”, “I had to do this...”. A very popular and well liked author and seller of restored guns likes to use these terms as if “He” has done any of the work himself. That’s an issue, for me anyways. Fake gunmakers are a plenty. Many of these fakes like to tell potential clients that they possess the requisite skills to pull off a job...and they don’t or simply can’t.....much to the disappointment to the client. A lot of these fakes are usually very well liked and have charming personalities which helps them in their deception.
There are a few good “real” gunmakers out there that provide full in house services with the exception of engraving which 90% of the time is outsourced. And the good ones will be totally up front with their client about outsourced work and the reason for it. My favorite gunmakers last big job for me was making a Lancaster/Beesley mainspring from scratch using nothing more then a jewelers saw and a drill press. No milling machine...he admitted to me that he should’ve sent the job to Stephan Hutton who, with his milling machine would’ve cranked that spring out in literally an hour or less..completely finished. I guess my guy figured the shop pace was slow that month and he wanted to just say he possessed the skills to pull that job off using hand tools. Whatever...the spring works like it should :-).
