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Post by CraigC on Aug 16, 2009 16:33:00 GMT -5
I didn't figure anything out, he told me. He doesn't return, use or sell take-off parts, at least not piecemeal. He either sells them as a pile or as scrap. If you want your old parts back, you had better use somebody else.
Everything I've shared about Reeder has been from personal experience, not secondhand. I was either directly involved in the discussions in question or watched them unfold. If the archives on his message board went back a few years, it would all still be there for everyone to see.
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Post by blkhawk73 on Aug 16, 2009 16:36:07 GMT -5
Have no use for the man. Anyone that calls a potential customer vugarities has no use getting my business at all. Wouldn't take one of his gaudy pieces or a plain one just on principle. Used to read his gun notes until they started being more about himself and his chamberings and less about the industry as a whole.
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Len
.30 Stingray
Posts: 358
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Post by Len on Aug 16, 2009 16:49:21 GMT -5
I only wish I had read this kind of feed back before I purchased from him. I would have spent my money with a more deserving smith.
A lot of these experiences have to do with his poor attitude and gaudy tastes in gun etchings.
My issues were more serious quality and again most importantly he was disingenuous in his advise regarding a die problem only to avoid having to deal with a design flaw he had caused!
Len
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Post by AxeHandle on Aug 16, 2009 17:05:20 GMT -5
For a positive note FWIW I own 2 full up Reeder customs and a 300 GNR Blackhawk conversion. Just traded for a third full up conversion... Nothing but positive stuff to say about my Reeder guns to date here... I don't care for the questionable theme of many of his customs but mine are proof that his stuff can be had without..
Haven't I read in some posting somewhere that for many gunsmiths their keeping the take off parts from the conversion is figured in the price of the work? Of course that should be explicitly stated by the gunsmith at the beginning to side step the hard feelings generated when they keep them...
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Post by CraigC on Aug 16, 2009 18:09:44 GMT -5
Those I have dealt with return unused parts. In this case, Gary does not figure it into the price, he just doesn't want to fool with them. You can't really blame him for that because he does turn out a lot more guns than most `smith's and it would be a lot to keep track of. My only problem was the response I got because I wanted to keep unused Old Model parts that are rather hard to come by. You can always use an Old Model .357 cylinder or grip frame for another project, which was my reasoning. This was never made clear on the website and the poster in question had a legitimate concern and simply wanted clarification. Gary ran over him like a Mack truck and turned away a potential customer in the process.
In another tyrade, a poster asked Gary if he could rechamber one chamber of his .22LR revolver, a Single Six or Bearcat, to .22Mag. Gary went off on a lengthy rant about what a stupid idea it was and that his shop would not be a part of such nonsense. Really went out of his way to humiliate the guy. All the while, the poster got the idea from an article written by Gary's friend and peer, Paco Kelly.
One last anecdote. I remember a couple years ago that Gary went on another lengthy rant about how much better New Models were than Old Models. That he would never work on Old Models, that their lockwork was fragile and that the New Models were superior in every way. That the .44Spl conversions were silly. Well, about a year later, he must've figured out that there was money in such work because he started offering custom Old Model in the .357 frame size. Many of which were chambered in .44Spl. Then I watch as his fanclub speaks as if Gary invented the concept and that no one did them quite like Gary. I had a discussion with Bill Firman on the subject about how Skeeter Skelton made the conversion popular all those years ago and that many gunsmiths were now making their living doing such jobs. Long before Gary started doing them. He just went on and on about how wonderful they were. Hardly even acknowledging the history behind the concept.
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Post by timothy on Aug 16, 2009 19:20:50 GMT -5
Does anyone know if he still offers the bmf revolvers?
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cubrock
.401 Bobcat
TLA fanatic and all around nice guy....
Posts: 2,841
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Post by cubrock on Aug 17, 2009 9:51:39 GMT -5
Odd. Linebaugh didn't return parts, and, Jack Huntington made it clear it was part of the price. Seems like a bit of a straw man to me... Industry standard policy, and, single out Reeder for something that everyone else does... Industry standard? Most of the custom smiths I've dealt with gladly return the parts on request. I'm not sure there is a standard here.
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Post by CraigC on Aug 17, 2009 10:00:06 GMT -5
Industry standard policy, and, single out Reeder for something that everyone else does... Industry standard? Apparently not. Clements and Stroh both return old parts. Anyway, it should be readily apparent in my posts that I'm not "singling out Reeder" for keeping the parts. If a gunsmith factors that into the price, then so will I. I'm singling him out for acting like a complete lunatic when politely asked about the old parts. Big difference. Seeing as how your Linebaugh gun was built 20yrs ago and that you're well known to throw him under the bus at will, pardon me if I don't consider you an authority on his current practices.
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Post by AxeHandle on Aug 17, 2009 10:15:13 GMT -5
I don't know here guys... Outside of Reeder's illogical and poorly timed rants ( Sounds like if he was 30 years younger we might call him Bi-polar huh! ;D ) he seems okay... In his "Gun Notes" when he writes about his medium frame #5 he is very critical of the Ruger OM lockwork and even comments about how fragile it is.... I look forward to meeting him.... As I have said before, the best I have ever known were very opinionated, hardheaded, and unforgiving.... But if you ever crack that shell the relationship waiting there is worth all the work...
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cubrock
.401 Bobcat
TLA fanatic and all around nice guy....
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Post by cubrock on Aug 17, 2009 10:24:39 GMT -5
I don't know here guys... Outside of Reeder's illogical and poorly timed rants ( Sounds like if he was 30 years younger we might call him Bi-polar huh! ;D ) he seems okay... In his "Gun Notes" when he writes about his medium frame #5 he is very critical of the Ruger OM lockwork and even comments about how fragile it is.... I look forward to meeting him.... As I have said before, the best I have ever known were very opinionated, hardheaded, and unforgiving.... But if you ever crack that shell the relationship waiting there is worth all the work... Reeder knows more about guns than I ever will, but I've owned many OM Rugers for years and NEVER had a problem with the lockwork if the gun was properly handled. That complaint is irrelevant in my mind. If I wanted a NM Ruger, I'd buy one. I prefer the OM lockwork for nostalgic reasons, if for no other. A custom gunmaker/smith's job is to take the customer's dreams and make them reality (for good money, too). In the case of OM vs. NM lockwork, there is no reason to deny the customer his choice.
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Post by AxeHandle on Aug 17, 2009 10:46:33 GMT -5
Yeah, I did read something about Reeder getting funny about converting OM guns before he returned them to the owners... I'd bet that has something to do with his "Manufacturer" status and the liability issues... More of a reason for us to rat hole all the OM parts sets we can get our hands on... And if he refuses to work on an incomplete gun just take our guns and money elsewhere... Of course we can learn from our forum buddy Carl and keep a set of conversion parts around to put into guns before we ship them to Ruger or Reeder... FWIW I understand that his original medium frame #5 has Ruger safety conversion parts in it!
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Post by CraigC on Aug 17, 2009 11:01:28 GMT -5
I hope your meeting goes well axe, I really do. If you stay on his good side, I bet he's a lot of fun to talk to and extremely knowledgeable. Bi-polar may be closer to the truth than you think!
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cubrock
.401 Bobcat
TLA fanatic and all around nice guy....
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Post by cubrock on Aug 17, 2009 11:10:58 GMT -5
Carl's idea is a good one for sure!
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Post by the priest on Aug 17, 2009 14:10:40 GMT -5
It doesn't take a genius to figure out the two clicks on a new model are less prone to timing irregularities than an 'old model' ruger or a Colt SAA. Does that make it more fragile,....most would say yes. does that make Reeder a genius,.....no.
Ask JT or any other sixgun aficionado how they feel when someone brings their 'original lock work' handgun to half cock and starts to let the hammer back down. Cringe, anger, wince, sick feeling,.......pick one. The Old Model Ruger fits here too right?
I'd be interested to hear if that's what Reeder is talking about or if it's metallurgical.
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Post by Flatlander on Aug 17, 2009 14:15:56 GMT -5
The FA 97 manual indicates it is safe to let their hammers down to rest from half-cock ... Try to get Taffin to do that anyway ... I bet he'd break out in a sweat ... or hives ... certainly get all twitchy
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