Anybody got anything back from him recently. I sent an MP5 kit to be built back in 2021 and for the past year I've been told it'll be done in the next 30 days, shortly etc etc.

I feel your pain, he has 2 of my mine in for SD and KSD conversions. 5G in weapons and 4G of my money and nothing to show for it as of yet accept a suppressor he sent ahead.

A few years ago, there were not that many good builders.  And you had to put up with poor customer service, poor communication, and ridiculous turn around times.

Things have changed.  There are very good builders now who don't hate their customers.

I know his work is great but there's no way I could be that patient for that long and be out the money in the meantime.

I could not wait any longer, I ended up sending out my last spare SP5 out to Michaels Machine to have him do one. He promised me 4wk delivery with can after I told him about my dilemma. I’m just having this one done a little different than the others, it’s being finished in RAL. I’m about 2 1/2 weeks into this one. We shall see.

I'm about 2 year into a 6 month quoted wait with RDTS....  I don't want to piss him off, however my patience is running thin.  I know he does a great job.  I really think he needs to have a better system to track and quote jobs.

I avoid calling him just for that reason but do now and then just to remind him I’m still alive and waiting. He is actually a very nice person to chat with and conversation is just not about A2 stuff. Problem, aside from taking more work than he can do, is he does these in batches and it’s not the only thing he does. So we are waiting on him to do his Premium builds, any belt fed stuff he may have along with the small stuff he can kick out quickly to pay the bills. Then he also has to produce the cans for any/all builds he’s working on. Not making excuses, just stating how it is. Just bad business practice IMHO, to quote build times and be late, 4-5 times over. But his is/was the only person at that time you could send an SP5 in for SD conversion and it comes back all HK accept for cage if you choose not to have legacy tube added. Now I believe there is someone else converting donor’s barrel to SD.

Edit: Double tap

I’m 17 months in on hk11a1 build. I’m trying distract myself with buy Hk 21/23e parts.

Ha, me too though my 11a1 kit was dropped off with him in June 2022. I’ve yet to send him my 91, feed mechs, barrels, other small parts.

And short of finding some deal or a rare part, I think I’m done buying parts.

My kit October 2022
Yeah I called him asked if he wanted me send the feed mechanism and bolt he said no they will work don’t send them in.

I sent him an SP5 to be built into an MP5SD in February 2022 and still nothing. I stopped calling and asking.  I did get the suppressor at least for the $1k deposit.  I am extremely close in asking for my gun back and sending it to someone else.  Waiting years on a gun that others turn around in a month is starting to make me look like a moron for picking this guy.

I ended up sending an SP5 to Michael’s Machine to have converted just to have something to shoot until the two I sent to Ralph are done. He cranked it out in about 6 weeks total and that was with a can. I chose to do this one in RAL. My son and I did an HK shoot this past weekend, it was my firearm of choice, he used his KPDW. Rented a registered sear for the weekend. What a shit ton of fun shooting an SD is with the giggle switch, pure wet dream material.

Nice looking gun. I wonder if all his builds are 6 week lead time right now, or only stuff like conversions? Mike does great work.

Call him. He always picks up the phone.

From my last message and this recent post, this may he mine. Or at least I hope so.

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If that’s true, congrats. I was hoping the first SD conversion I sent him was going to be in that batch but when we spoke this past Saturday, he said he was finishing up a batch of premium builds so that very well could be yours. He mentioned both my SD and KSD would be in the next batch (not holding breath) and since neither are premium builds, they won’t take as long. But he also mentioned taking some time to program a couple NC machines to do some of the manual work he does to free time for other stuff so who knows. I know he does batches of similar builds so others waiting as long as me (since 8/30/2022) if not longer for SP5 to SD just might see it in the coming month's 🤞.

What do you get in a Premium build?

Premium build is when he takes a demilled donor be it SD or plain, and grafts it onto his folded flat or SP5 (I suppose). Simplified, he will cut both to match each other and weld back together. Or, builds a complete firearm from a folded flat. Also any MP5 40/10’s would required the BHO grafted on as well. It’s just a lot of extra work and you pay for it in cash and time.

Edit: I want to add that Ralph will not take the carrier block out of an SP5 where as MM will. So if you are looking for a sear host from Ralph, it would have to be a premium build. With that you get a 94 shelf, CnP, and welded carrier.

What he said. I had an MP5 kit with a big chunk of the receiver and whole front end. He grafted a flat onto that.

After almost 3 years with Ralph I asked for my gun back as I had contacted 3 other companies which all said they would get a gun back to me in under a month.  Ralph now tells me my gun is already in pieces and swore up and down it will be done in 3-4 weeks.  I asked him straight forward I wont be mad and I understand hes backed up and his are the "best" but 3 years is to long.  Just tell me the truth and he can keep the deposit even if work isnt done.  He still said he swore it was on his bench and being worked on as we talked.

We will see.  There are 2 weeks left in that timeline.  I really hope hes not jerking me around after 3 years.

3 years and you’re willing to forfeit your deposit, better man than me. He has two donors and 4G of my money, that would never happen. Aside from that, he just finished up a batch of premium builds and is supposedly going onto SD conversions next and those should go much faster. He has never spoke of mine being in pieces but says my two are part of that batch, I’m not holding breath. I will know when he does mine because he is supposed to laser the top of my donor with the proof marks that HK stopped doing. I have the file for him to use and he will need it before finishing.

I got told several times it'll be a couple weeks, then it's in the bench and will be done in a week. Took about 3 weeks after that but picked it up Friday. About 3.5 weeks shy of 3 years. Looks great though, I'll have to get some pics when I get some time

Not sure who’s this is from that last batch, but if it was mine, I’d be pissed. No excuse for the markings not being centered on the rib. I’m half tempted to ask for mine to be naked and send out to MM for proper markings. He does it with a pantograph and mill bit.
Ralph’s


MM

Dang the MM looks way better.  When I talked to Mike at MM he was awesome.  Its whom I wanted to send my gun to if Ralph ever gave it back.  But again Ralph said it was already in pieces and I have already SBR'ed it so its kind of hard to just replace/swap.

He also told me he can put the proof marks on the top rib on the weapons that didn’t come with them.

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09JAN2023 Spoke to Ralph Sr over the phone. Verbally committed to the build. Was told he’d respond to my email with further instructions.
28JAN2023 Host firearm Delivered to UPS store in Scottsdale, AZ.
31JAN2023 Spoke to Ralph Sr on phone. He stated that he had not yet picked up the firearm from the location he utilized for shipping.
06FEB2023 Spoke to Ralph Sr on phone.  He verified that he had the firearm at his shop.  Stated that the suppressor build would start in the next week or two, with a Form Three following shortly.
15FEB2023 Spoke to Ralph Sr on the phone to ask OAL for a Form One.  He pulled out the HK LE manual to reference lengths.  23.97” inches OAL with an A3 stock attached.  5.73” barrel length.  I informed him that the check hadn’t been cashed. He stated “I probably haven’t pulled it out of the box yet”.
09MAR2023 Spoke to Ralph Sr.  Requested a picture of the serial number in order to submit an E-Form One.  Reminded him that I wanted to start Form Three paperwork on the suppressor.
14MAR2023 - $3,500 check cleared
30MAR2023 Spoke on the phone with Ralph.  Asked him to initiate the Form Three paperwork to my SOT.
31MAR2023 Sent email to RDTS and CC:ed my SOT, going over the coordinating details from our phone call the day prior.  
11APR2023.  Talked to Ralph on the phone. He told me he’ll see if a suppressor is completely built.  If not, he’ll send out an empty (serialized) tube to my SOT so that the Form Three / Form Four paperwork process can be initiated.
18APR2023 BATF Form Three approval for my RDTS HE suppressor. Spoke to Ralph about mailing the can to TX. “Should be mailed in the next week”.
08MAY2023 - Talked to Ralph.  Told that he's going to get the suppressor in the mail "sometime this week”.
20MAY2023 - Suppressor tube with no baffles arrives at my dealer.
24MAY2023 - Form Four paperwork initiated. Form One paperwork initiated.
26JUN2023 - My SOT / Class III guy mails suppressor tube back to RDTS so baffles can be installed.
31JUL2023 - Spoke on the phone with Ralph re: Dakota Tactical / Gigliotti Rifleworks SD "The One" front end cage. Informed that the RDTS suppressor is larger diameter than HK OEM suppressors, so it will not be possible to install an RDTS suppressor with this other front end.
29OCT2023 - Email from my SOT: “I got an email earlier to 'disregard' an earlier email, he found the repair authorization. Guess your project's coming up in the queue. Might not be much longer, one can hope.”
05DEC2023 Spoke to Ralph on the phone. Small talk about his SD handguards and B&T suppressors for MK23 pistols. Told me that he’s trying to clear out the backlog of old work flow “by the end of the year”. Told me that he should get to my project in “JAN or FEB” of 2024.
01MAR2024 - Spoke to Ralph on the phone. “Everybody has been sick for the last two weeks.  This is the first day of full work”. “We’re getting on that [referring to backlog of work]. We finally got done with our two year backlog stuff.  I’m hoping in the next month or two to have your’s done.”  “With any luck in a month, maybe two”.
04APR2024 - Spoke to Ralph on the phone.  Told me “he’s wrapping things up with the suppressors in the next few days, and then moving on to the next batch of SDs”.  Did not give specifics if I was in the upcoming batch of SD builds.  When asked how long the delay would be before he started work on the second batch of SDs, told me that “it’ll be two or three months”.  Spoke to him about welding on the rail on top of the receiver of my gun.
14APR2024 - Suppressor (now with baffles in them) mailed to my SOT.
24APR2024 - Spoke to Ralph about shipping issues with FedEx / my dealer. He told me that he was going to wrap up some “premium builds” in the next week or two, and then get to the SD builds. Told me that my gun will ship directly to me when complete. I spoke to him about welding the rail on top.
16MAY2024- Spoke to Ralph about the SDs that he had recently posted on Instagram that are in the process of being completed / refinished.  I asked if my rifle was in that batch, and he told me no.  I asked him when he was going to start the next  batch of SD’s and he told me “hopefully next week” and told me that “he’ll be boxing up the SD’s he just finished up over the next couple of days”.
14JUN2024 - Spoke to Ralph.  Small talk about the HK21 parts kits hitting the market.  Discussion on how he is working on programing a CNC lathe to work with German SD barrels.  Told me his production work is focused on the SD kits.  Did not know if my my gun was currently on the bench, but told me to email him and see where he was on the production schedule. [email sent on 14JUN2024 requesting update on where my build was on the production schedule]
26JUN2024 - No response to email from 14JUN2024.  Resent email, requested update on build status. No response.
12JUL2024 - Called and spoke to Ralph.  Asked if my rifle was in the batch of SD’s recently posted on Instagram.  He told me that my rifle was in that batch.  Verified that the rail was welded on top.  Told that “he’ll wrap up small parts and billing this weekend”.
17JUL2024 - Ralph called me to let me know that my rifle was ready to ship.  Informed me that the rifle shoots to the right, and that he had to set the rear sight all the way to the left to adjust Point Of Impact.  Arranged shipping details.  Received email notification from FedEx that my rifle had been picked up.
19JUL2024 - Rifle arrives at my SOT.

Number of days between my host firearm being delivered to when it was shipped back to me: 536 days (1 year, 5 months, 19 days).



I finally got a chance to shoot it last night, and REALLY enjoyed it.  

Overall fit and finish is excellent and it's a great shooter.  Unfortunately it was at an indoor range, but even then the suppressor was silly quiet.  I can't wait to shoot it outdoors!  

We must have litter mates. Mine were sent Aug2022 and arrived July2024. I F1 them that same week and they approved in 6 days. My son and I did an amateur video on sound comparison prior to the F1 of Ralph’s SD’s and one of Michael’s Machine.

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@NoMoAMMO Looks like Germeny to me. That said, I know my eyes are bad.

It's made in W Germany. It was an MP5 kit that was grafted onto a flat.

When I see these types of posts, I just sigh.  HK gunsmithing is a labor of love.  Anyone who does it right will take their time.  Especially once they get well known and established.  Either that or they implode and cause a shit ton of grief for a lot of folks.  Ask me how I know.

Ralph Sr. does excellent work and always has, like Murray,  Terry and Curtis.  I have stuff from all of them and none of it was fast but when I got it back it was perfection.  The waiting game is just the way it is.  Want fast, get away from HK or its roulette.  This is the way, unfortunately.  There are exceptions and if you haunt HKpro you might get lucky with finding someone who can do fast and perfect but anyone in for the long haul knows its a crap shoot.  Google Jayson at Investment Grade Firearms for an example.  There are a lot of others.  YMMV.