Am I wrong to be upset?

[Bugoutbob]

I had a local gunsmith throw on some aftermarket sights on my new Smith. It was $40 and he got it done within a couple days, which was cool. When I picked it up, he said that I would have to get a hammer and a dowel rod and tap the sight at the range to sight it in.

Maybe I'm thinking wrong, but I thought that's why I paid $40. If I had known that, I would have just bought that $50 sight pusher and done it all myself.

If I'm wrong, please let me know! I really don't know the common practice and I'd rather not be irritated if this was my own fault for expecting too much.

 

[patience0830]

If I'm wrong, please let me know! I really don't know the common practice and I'd rather not be irritated if this was my own fault for expecting too much.

If you'd bought the pusher at least you'da had a new tool.

Though in fairness, you probably should have made sure what the service covered when you negotiated the deal.

 

[Mackey]

You're wrong.
In my view, you can only truely sight in a gun for yourself. I bet sights are close but everyone aims differently. You may just need to fine tune and that's what he was meaning.

 

[hcsdstan]

In my experience, most competent gunsmiths tend to at least attempt to align the sights correctly regardless. I would probably shop elsewhere.

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

I know when I go to the barber shop he knows exactly what I want. That way I don't come out with a crew cut after I tell him I want it "short" for the summer. Don't know what std practice is for "throwing it on". But in your case maybe sounds like a lack of communication.

 

[IndyGunworks]

the cost of installing new sights is FITTING the new site so it fits in the dovetail tight enough to stay put, but loose enough to allow the owner to sight their gun in. How do you expect the gunsmith to know how YOU need the sights?

Are the sights centered? if they are then he did as much as he could to get it close to where you needed it. Unless you want to pay for him to go to the range with you and make the fine adjustments then you should be happy that he didnt use a pusher to put the new sites in. because if he did and you didnt hit perfectly centered then you wouldnt even be able to finish siting your gun in.

 

[dreamer56]

I'm w/Mackey, sighting in your own gun is the way to go. I have a neighbor who works the shops and he has sighted in guns for people...who bring them back saying it doesn't shoot. Fact is, everyone is just a little different and how you see the sight picture is why you want to do your own fine tuning. Just another good reason to visit the range!

 

[Bugoutbob]

the cost of installing new sights is FITTING the new site so it fits in the dovetail tight enough to stay put, but loose enough to allow the owner to sight their gun in. How do you expect the gunsmith to know how YOU need the sights?

Are the sights centered? if they are then he did as much as he could to get it close to where you needed it. Unless you want to pay for him to go to the range with you and make the fine adjustments then you should be happy that he didnt use a pusher to put the new sites in. because if he did and you didnt hit perfectly centered then you wouldnt even be able to finish siting your gun in.

This is pretty much what I was wondering, thank you for your response! Just eyeballing it, it does appear as if the front sight might be off a bit, but I will wait for the range to determine that. I would have zero complaints as long as I knew everything was centered perfectly off the bat... (I need to invest in calipers) I just can't tell 100% and I think that bugs me. Anyhow, I glad to get the perspective on this, thanks again!

 

[Titanium Man]

Answer to your question.....................yes.

 

[IndyGunworks]

This is pretty much what I was wondering, thank you for your response! Just eyeballing it, it does appear as if the front sight might be off a bit, but I will wait for the range to determine that. I would have zero complaints as long as I knew everything was centered perfectly off the bat... (I need to invest in calipers) I just can't tell 100% and I think that bugs me. Anyhow, I glad to get the perspective on this, thanks again!

I never use calipers or any other measureing device to center sites. If a customer asked that i do, i would send them down the road. I eyeball it until i can look at it one way and think its off to one side but if i look at it a differant way it looks off to the other side. Center is normally verified by someone else in the shop just in case i am having a bad day and not seeing it correctly. VERY SELDOM do we have anyone bring something back to us, but when we do we normally ask which side its shooting off to and will tap it one way or another for free while the customer waits.

If you have to use calipers to make sure its not centered, then chances are its close enough.

 

[churchmouse]

I never use calipers or any other measureing device to center sites. If a customer asked that i do, i would send them down the road. I eyeball it until i can look at it one way and think its off to one side but if i look at it a differant way it looks off to the other side. Center is normally verified by someone else in the shop just in case i am having a bad day and not seeing it correctly. VERY SELDOM do we have anyone bring something back to us, but when we do we normally ask which side its shooting off to and will tap it one way or another for free while the customer waits.

If you have to use calipers to make sure its not centered, then chances are its close enough.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Bugoutbob]

I never use calipers or any other measureing device to center sites. If a customer asked that i do, i would send them down the road. I eyeball it until i can look at it one way and think its off to one side but if i look at it a differant way it looks off to the other side. Center is normally verified by someone else in the shop just in case i am having a bad day and not seeing it correctly. VERY SELDOM do we have anyone bring something back to us, but when we do we normally ask which side its shooting off to and will tap it one way or another for free while the customer waits.

If you have to use calipers to make sure its not centered, then chances are its close enough.

I can understand that, personally I'm just a bit OCD so that's where that comes from. I find comfort knowing my front sight is perfect, it's not personal, it's just me. The rear doesn't bother me so much as it's been pointed out, should be adjusted per the user.

In the end I'm glad I asked, it makes me feel much better. I honestly did not know if I was in the right for feeling the way I did. Thanks for setting me straight!