doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com I need help from a stock expert (Pictures added)

What's John's contact info? Any examples of his work? I'd like to keep it for later reference.

$30 x 75-80 = $2250-2400.

John's contact information is below. I got his name from the folks at Westley Richards in Boseman. Apparently they have used him for re-stok jobs. Never investigated his work because I passed on the gun.

S&S Plus (John Raymond)
Polson, Montana
406-270-2293
http://www.ssplus.biz

I have always been under the impression the labor for a stock job was $2,000 to $2,500 for most competent folks - not necessarily the best.

A couple of posts here suggest differently - what is your experience?

This is a 'no brainer'.
Send the gun back and get your full refund.
Period.
The end.

RGS022

I understand your desire to keep this gun. Don't. It is a money pit. Unless you can get it for a less than a third of the selling price you will be better off to get your money back and keep looking. In fact if you send it back the seller will most likely have it six month from now and might be willing to sell it for pennies on the dollar to get rid of it. This gun is a money pit and it sounds like you do not have deep pockets for such a venture.

You just got a gun with a $2,500.00 hidden defect. Had the barrels been trash would you have waited on minute to send it back? No. It would cost less to have Teague line the barrels than it would to replace the stock. And even if the $2,500.00 labor plus the cost of a decent blank does not make you stop then consider that you will have two different peices of wood and matching the finish and color is almost impossible. I hate bright butt stocks and dull, dark forends that scream replacement.

If you think that a sidelock butt stock is hard and expensive to restock then just about double the total price to do the foreend. There is a reason that you see only new butt stocks and not new for and aft stocks. Every seller or owner gets to the point where they just wish to stop spending money hand over fist. Either offer to buy just the metal at a steep discount and have it stocked completely or send it back. Otherwise you will end up with more in the stock than the gun is worth. I have seen several people put $3,000.00 in a $1,0000.00 gun, mostly in LC Smiths. You are near that money pit yourself in this gun.

When you file a claim and UPS denies it because of poor packing it becomes the shippers problem. UPS is in fact saying it was badly packed and normal shipping could not be expected to get it here in one peice. The shipper has to pack it properly, which they failed to do. This seller has no choice but to give you back your money. No matter what he says he will loose when push comes to shove. Been there and done that as they say. Took me four months to get all my money back, but in the end they paid up and then some.

I am with KY on this,
if you can get your money back do it.The one thing that the seller could say is that you need to collect on the insurance.If it was packaged correctly and shipped per your instructions he may have a point but it was not.Be sure you have good pictures of the poor packing job and remind him he decided who and how shipped it(never use UPS-USPS registered -they have to sign for it at each stop).
Who was the gun shop in NH that shipped it that way and didn't take the gun down?Did the seller offer why in the world he would take it to someone to do that?

The seller contacted me last night. He knows as well as I do that a broken wrist has just brought the value of this piece to basically nothing. He asked if I would send pictures of the packing materials. I will do that tomorrow.
We talked a long time and he asked if I would want to keep the gun. I told him what the repair will cost me according to Craig at Susquehanna Gunstocks. He is refunding all but 250.00 of the purchase price. He is going afer the dealer that shipped the item. With a repaired wrist, that Craig tells me will be virtually invisible, and much stronger than the original, I wiill have less than 700.00 in this old girl. She will not be a collector, she will be used with light RST loads on grouse and woodcock. I have many guns to choose from, this one just appeals to me more than the rest.
Thanks to everyone for the replies,

Bill

RGS022

Enjoy your gun. For that much money you can take a chance. Heck I took a chance that cost me $5.00 to get in and half a millon to get out.

RGS:
Best of luck with gun. I can think of no better game to chase with a nice light ss than grouse and woodcock.

As my buddy says "I don't know how many guns I have, but I know I need one more"

Mike

KY Jon,

I've taken that same 5.00 chance 3 times myself. Cost me everything at 25, and again at 47. Third time has been a charm.

Bill

Man, sounds like you got a great deal! Sorry that it caused you so much fret and worry in the beginning, but the end result is what matters. You will now be able to hunt with a quality gun for the rest of your life, and the repaired crack will not matter in the least. For the money you have in it, I would sure do it!!!

Can you post pics of the whole gun?

Good luck hunting with it!