Griffith area... Eric Gutridge's shop

[melensdad]

I've been sitting and watching.

I've used Eric Gutridge to work on some of my guns. One was some custom work on a Colt Officer's Model. The work he did was first rate. It took time, but I have no complaints about the price or the quality.

I've also had him reblue one of my old guns, it came out looking better than if it had come from a quality factory. The gun shines, the finish deep and even. Again, it took time, but the price was so low it shocked me.

I also got a gun action stuck. Took it into the shop, he took it from me, walked to the back of the shop, looked it over, rapped it with a rubber mallet in just the right way and got it unstuck. Total time was 60 seconds, free of charge.

I took another gun in there where a prior owner tried to polish a rough finish smooth. It ruined the finish. He looked it over, I asked if he could return it to the original rough finish. He considered several options and was honest enough to say NO he didn't have the ability to do the job I wanted. No way I can complain when someone tells me the truth.

So I can't complain about his work. I have heard horror stories and stories of fantastic work. It seems that refinishing stocks and reblueing is really a specialty of his and I've not heard any complaints about that type of work but I have heard and can attest to how nice some of it is.

Others have different experiences, mine are largely positive.

 

[Mat]

It seems that refinishing stocks and reblueing is really a specialty of his and I've not heard any complaints about that type of work but I have heard and can attest to how nice some of it is.

Others have different experiences, mine are largely positive.

See Wilson's post, an AR15.com staffer's experience over there:

The Valpo store is okay. [he's referring to someone's earlier comment about Blythe's]
It was the Griffith store that told me they do/did refinishing. Of course I was aware they have to sub the stuff out (no tanks, no smell, etc), so from previous direct experience with Eric Gutridge (he "fixed" my 50-YO Police Positive so well it never worked again), I begged & pleaded with them NOT to send him my $4,000 "Uncle Dan" Lefever SxS to Eric. They said the had a second guy that ONLY did rebluing. Of course they sent it to him (his place is only a block down the street), and he magically turned it into a $200 wall-hanger.
To be fair, the bluing job actually isn't too bad. Most of you know what the finish on a "grade 4" Lefever looks like (if you don't, you certainly know what a 50's ~ 70's era Browning SxS looks like - deep mirror-like blue). The problem is that it looks like he removed the old finish by tumbling the shotgun in a concrete truck!

It pissed me off even more because the shotgun was unfired. My grandfather bought it new in the 30's but never used it (he stuck to his Auto-5 exclusively). The reason I even had it refinished is because I bought the "newest & bestest" elephant-hide rifle case with some magic snake-oil that was supposed to inhibit rust forever. It didn't work!
After two years in the wonder-case, I took a look at it one day and noticed the shotgun was developing light spots every two or three inches. Not rust; it was as clean & bright as the rest of the gun,... just lighter spots developing.
My magic rust inhibitor was also a magic bluing remover.



Yes - I'm an idiot! Do it to me once, shame on you. Do it to me twice, shame on me!
Also - let someone else test new "innovations" and chemicals on THEIR guns for a few years first!

 

[melensdad]

See Wilson's post, an AR15.com staffer's experience over there...

No thanks, I don't visit AR15.com. Its not a very civil website, plenty of bias, not over friendly.

I'm not suggesting that some people haven't had problems. I'm simply offering some counter information, nothing more, and not trying to argue. But you levied some strong statements and they are somewhat different than my experiences. Two sides to every coin. I simply offered up the other side.

Now I'm not going to be pushed against the wall and defend Gutridge either, I'll only defend his shop as far as I know it. And as far as the work he did for me the work and the experiences were very good.

 

[Mat]

No thanks, I don't visit AR15.com. Its not a very civil website, plenty of bias, not over friendly.

Hehe aye, no argument there.

But I did want to at least point out that a site staffer, not just another anonymous schmuck like me, had an even worse experience than mine.

 

[melensdad]

Hehe aye, no argument there.

But I did want to at least point out that a site staffer, not just another anonymous schmuck like me, had an even worse experience than mine.

Staff or not, he carries no more/no less credibility than you/me. We are all just screen names/avatar photos on the internet, not much more. Heck for that matter I am the head moderator of the largest international snowcat/tracked vehicle website on the planet, does that make me more credible? I don't think so!

 

[Mat]

Staff or not, he carries no more/no less credibility than you/me. We are all just screen names/avatar photos on the internet, not much more. Heck for that matter I am the head moderator of the largest international snowcat/tracked vehicle website on the planet, does that make me more credible? I don't think so!

On your Snowcat forum, on a face value basis, you are more credible than me. As in the AR15 staffer, on a face value basis so-to-speak, he would be considered more credible than me to most people.

 

[melensdad]

On your Snowcat forum, on a face value basis, you are more credible than me. As in the AR15 staffer, on a face value basis so-to-speak, he would be considered more credible than me to most people.

Using that logic, on this forum, based on the # of posts I've made, and the quantity of "rep points" I've received, I am more credible than you. But I suggest that is not the case in relation to our own experiences with Eric Gutridge. I suggest we have each had different experiences. Mine have been good, I've listed several instances where he gave me good service. Yours have been bad, you listed your issues. Fair enough. Nothing more, nothing less.

Seems to me, that at the very least, he does some things very well and I have the guns to prove it. Seems to me, at the very least, he does some things badly and you can prove that.

But can't we say similar things about other services, stores, and products?

 

[Mat]

Using that logic, on this forum, based on the # of posts I've made, and the quantity of "rep points" I've received, I am more credible than you. But I suggest that is not the case in relation to our own experiences with Eric Gutridge. I suggest we have each had different experiences. Mine have been good, I've listed several instances where he gave me good service. Yours have been bad, you listed your issues. Fair enough. Nothing more, nothing less.

Seems to me, that at the very least, he does some things very well and I have the guns to prove it. Seems to me, at the very least, he does some things badly and you can prove that.

But can't we say similar things about other services, stores, and products?

Yes but this is very different. Eric is not doing a bad paint job on someone's garage, he "works" on firearms. In respect to other stores or services, I'm not holding a device they "fixed" up to my face and making it explode repeatedly. Details like that make his failures much more serious.

 

[melensdad]

And all we have, whenever this thread comes to its ultimate conclusion, is your claim that he did a bad job.

And all we have, whenever this thread comes to its ultimate conclusion, is my claim that he did a few good jobs for me.

Nothing more.

 

[Mat]

And all we have, whenever this thread comes to its ultimate conclusion, is your claim that he did a bad job.

And all we have, whenever this thread comes to its ultimate conclusion, is my claim that he did a few good jobs for me.

Nothing more.

Absolutely But I'm still not sure what's worse... a "professional" who is simply incompetent or lacking in certain areas, or one that choses to do bad work and sell it. The stories coming out of his shop are on completely opposite ends of the good/bad spectrum. All seriousness aside for a sec... if I picked up my nephew from pre-school and he came out with a weird limp and a funny look on his face, it wouldn't make me feel better that some of the other kids looked okay. My rifle came out of his shop straight up butt-hurt and with a $100 service fee attached. Now... I got lucky and from what it looks like it'll be okay, but I'm not ever going back there again. IMveryHO anyone would be better off trying, failing and learning on their own than trusting that man to do honest good PAID work for them.

 

[Mat]

Latest update just in from the shop repairing Eric's damage:

----
We just finished getting your brake off. We had to hand file the flats on the brake as they were too short to get a wrench on.

The guy who installed it also used so much red loctite that he created a washer against the barrel.
----
Yes the guy did appear to shorten the back end of it. This meant that the flats (where the wrench sits) were too short for us to get a wrench back on.

Couple that with a truck load of red loctite and you get the idea.
----

Eric did infact machine down the inconel brake. He made up his own installation instructions for a device he doesn't understand. He ignored the manufacture's instructions Eric himself requested. Instead of using the supplied shim set, he machined down the device. Aside from how insane that already sounds, the result of using the shims puts space between the barrel and the brake, why would anyone in their right mind shorten that distance instead? Please... would someone from the Gutridge Defense Force explain that? I guess I could ask Eric himself but I do not consider him to be of sound mind and suitable to competently defend himself.

 

[Mat]

added dramatic narrative to page one... enjoy

 

[Soundslikejosh]

I don't understand why there is a good, bad, and ugly section if the OP is going to be chastised for his review of the shop. I don't remember what the original post said, so perhaps he was impolite in his assessment. I don't understand the questions about picture, receipts, etc. If I told you a restaurant served me a meal with a ****roach (insect) would you insist on a receipt, a picture of the ****roach, and the waiter's name before you believed me? Yes, this guy could be competition, but personally I think that's a stretch. It's unlikely someone would fabricate this whole story for that purpose. The Good, Bad, and Ugly section is always subject to the possibility of misunderstanding, but to suggest the OP is lying doesn't seem right. Did he offend someone who is friends with Eric? If you are from the region you should be aware of the "hit or miss" reputation that Gutridge's shop has.


EDIT: The censoring program is AWESOME. I wrote the name of an insect and this is what we get!!! HA!

 

[fireball168]

.....there is a huge safety issue involved.

When a person makes un-calculated changes to the shape and size of firearm components, there is the likelihood of a new and completely unnecessary danger introduced to the process.

In reading your latest soliloquy, at least one thing has become crystal clear...as you've stated in your "edited" comments, you have added significant drama to an already riveting tale.



Lets talk about timing muzzle devices for a moment.

If one was going to "time" a brake, which I have on virtually every rifle I own - as I detest any sort of crush/peel washer, one generally removes material from the back of the muzzle brake.

Lets say the muzzle brake when tight is indexed at the 6 o'clock position.

A typical 5.56 AR barrel is threaded 1/2"-28, meaning 28 threads per inch.

Each of those threads spans a total of .0357", that's 357 ten thousandths of an inch.

Lets divide that .0357" into 12, the positions of the clock = .0029.

To move the muzzle brake each clock position, you'd have to remove less than 3 thousandths of an inch to get there taking in to account for thread crush.

So, worst case scenario, in this example - by math .018", eighteen thousandths of an inch would be removed - except that would generally be about .003" too much based on the typical thread and shoulder machining on most production barrels. I'd start at .014" reinstall to check fit and peel off a little more if needed.

If the barrel originally timed at the 1 o'clock position, that's .033", thirty three thousandths of an inch removed from the rear of the brake.


Huge safety issue?


While I've only had a KAC suppressor in my hand, and not seen one apart - in looking at the brake and mounting - the only thing that changed was the muzzle is "X" amount closer to the end of the brake, and subsequently, that much closer to the first baffle in the suppressor.

If Kevin is still the Military Liason - ask him how much material was removed from the brake.



If the gunsmith in question didn't follow the instructions that you provided and told him to follow, shame on him.

Although I cannot speak for him - I suspect he was doing what he believed to be a service in doing what he did.

In that case, a face to face review of the instructions, the concerns and the parts in question are in order. Although based your name calling and rants here and at least two other forums that I've seen, it likely hasn't improved your chances.

 

[fireball168]

I got word from the shop repairing Eric's supreme f'up: "We just finished getting your brake off. We had to hand file the flats on the brake as they were too short to get a wrench on. The guy who installed it also used so much red loctite that he created a washer against the barrel. ---- Yes the guy did appear to shorten the back end of it. This meant that the flats (where the wrench sits) were too short for us to get a wrench back on. Couple that with a truck load of red loctite and you get the idea."

I can't let that one go.

Sounds like you found another "winning" shop to perform the "repair".

 

[Scutter01]

Holy cow, dude, you've been complaining about this guy's shop for two weeks now. If he screwed up the job that bad, why don't you just take him to small claims court and be done with it?

 

[Mat]

@Fireball -- While I once again appreciate your interest in my latest goings-ons, I'd also like to thank you for the cut/paste of muzzle device installation which I've seen on other forums I assume the two forums you've seen my 'rants' on are from the links I provided here and later removed. As far as the so-called added drama to my recount of events, my use of the phrases like "dramatic narrative" are often referred to as sarcasm and I meant them to be taken in jest. I didn't think I'd have to be so explicit in describing my inner feelings behind every single line I write, my fault, I do forget my humor doesn't convey over the internet as well as I like to think it does.

If read carefully, I would hope most people understand from my riveting tale that Eric did ask for KAC's instructions and then quite blatantly wiped his *** with them [that's a joke, I don't actually think he wiped his *** with the instructions.] Rewind to where the new shop had to hand file the inconel brake because the rear was so short now, not just a slice like you might be inaccurately suggesting. I don't need to ask Kevin exactly how much, the fact a wrench couldn't fit says plenty. Kevin wouldn't know because he's not working on it, I'm not sure where you got that idea from. What did Kevin say again about someone shaving an inconel device though??? It wasn't praise.

The parts about safety issues are followed by saying, in-so-many words, "Obviously my experience over there wasn't the worst, but what about the next guy?" My point is that Eric has no qualms making his own changes to someone else's design and property without consent. Good intentions or not, that's plain wrong and yes, it is dangerous.

Did I miss anything? I'm tired

ps.
Nice use of 'soliloquy', that's a new word for me

 

[Mat]

I can't let that one go.

Sounds like you found another "winning" shop to perform the "repair".

Actually if you knew who's doing it you probably wouldn't say that. They had to file it to get it off, that's how short the rear is now, and crazy loctited it was. You are basically calling the new shop a pile of **** for cleaning up someone else's pile of ****. So yeah, maybe let that go?

 

[Mat]

Holy cow, dude, you've been complaining about this guy's shop for two weeks now. If he screwed up the job that bad, why don't you just take him to small claims court and be done with it?

This costs less time and money for both parties, no?

 

[Scutter01]

This costs less time and money for both parties, no?

Not really. I mean, what's your goal, here? Are you trying to destroy his business or are you trying to recoup your loss? If the former, then it's starting to smack of "personal vendetta" just because it's been going on for two weeks. If the latter, complaining here isn't going to make any difference.

I think it's safe to say you've given your warning about his shop.