Gunsmith question

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pyscodog

Active member
I have a Sako L461 and something is wrong with the extractor. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. After some searching, I found a guy on another forum with an extractor. I just don't have a warm fuzzy feeling that the extractor is the only issue as the bolt looks like the smith that installed the barrel has Bubba'ed the bolt as well. A local store has an in-house smith so I went to talk with him today. I had a few questions as to IF he could R&R the extractor and if that didn't fix the rifle, could he maybe convert it to an M-16 style. They wouldn't let me talk to the smith. They said "he can do it all", he can fix it. It kinda chapped my azz a little. Just me, but if I can't personally talk to the guy working on my rifle, he's not going to do the work either. I want to hear from the horses mouth that he either is or isn't capable of doing what I plan to pay for. Was I wrong? Just a little aggravated right now, sorry if I'm ranting.
 
I would want to talk to the guy doing the actual work also. Or at least have enough credible references to go off of other than a counter salesman.
 
Yeah I like to show the person doing the work what's going on, and get his/her take on what they can do.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 ARYeah I like to show the person doing the work what's going on, and get his/her take on what they can do.

Exactly my thoughts
 
I don't think wanting to talk directly, either now or leaving your info so the smith could call you at a later time if he was busy, isn't to much to ask.

My concern would be, no disrespect to the counter guy, but he's a counter guy, not a gunsmith, so he can say that but doesn't really know because he's not a gunsmith so say you drop it off with the counter guy and he tags it and writes up a work order but by the time the actual gunsmith lays hands on it a few weeks, possibly more depending on their work load, has passed and you get a call telling you to come pick it up because their smith can't fix it. Now, however many weeks has passed and you have to start all over trying to find a smith that can fix it.

Give Karl Kampfeld a call. Karl is a really good guy and will tell you straight up if he can help you or not. He does great work, is very fair with his prices and has extremely fast turn around times.

http://www.kampfeldcustom.com/
 
No mention of a return call. Just drop it off and he can fix it.

I have an email to another smith thats within an hour from me and waiting on a reply. If he can't do the work, I'll get hold of Karl.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 ARYeah I like to show the person doing the work what's going on, and get his/her take on what they can do.

I do some smith work for a local shop and I much prefer to have folks show me what's going on with their gun. Sounds like they may not have an in house gunsmith but somebody they take/send repairs out to. I used to pick up guns from the local shops and bring them to my shop to repair then return them to the dealer that took them in, I made a little the dealer made a little and folks got their guns fixed at a fair price.
 
My friend is a gunsmith. I took the rifle to him with the new extractor. He got me fixed up in short time. Seems there was no relief cut in the barrel for the extractor. So with the new extractor installed, the bolt won't close. The smith that installed the barrel took the easy way out and just ground off the extractor flush with the bolt face. When he did that, he ground off most of the claw that grabs the rim of the case. My smith fixed it correctly and it works like it should now.
 
My buddy Ernie fixed it. (That would be 131st.) That old fart can fix about anything. I don't know what I'll do when he quits. Wish he was 30 years younger.I can't begin to count the number of trigger jobs he's done for me.
 
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