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Posted: 4/27/2013 12:05:40 AM EDT
| How do gunsmiths usually charge by the hour or job? To the Gunsmiths out there if I handed you a 1911 a1 along with all the parts how much would you charge to install new trigger,hammer front and rear night sights and yes the front does need to be machined some?? Thanks |
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Most of your work will be your best estimate at an hourly rate until you develop a routine. Well known/regular jobs you'll eventually feel comfortable assigning a flat rate to, and sticking to it and making it work.
Most important is to not take on a job you don't understand how to do. If you underquote, don't up your charge - eat it and learn from your mistake for the future. Never jack up the price on your customer beyond your quote and a very slight fudge factor without first calling the customer and getting their consent. FWIW, my estimate on your job would be 1.5hrs at $60/hr, or $90, and a caveat up to 2 full hours ($120 total). If I came in under that, I'd charge you slightly less, and know to temper any future estimates. |
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^^^Nailed it pretty well.
Don't forget to set a minimum price or else you will have people bugging you constantly to "Can you take a look at this real quick" to death. I have a 25.00 minimum. Machine time is different from standard shop time, don't forget that the majority of machine time is in your set up. |
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Quoted: Most of your work will be your best estimate at an hourly rate until you develop a routine. Well known/regular jobs you'll eventually feel comfortable assigning a flat rate to, and sticking to it and making it work. Most important is to not take on a job you don't understand how to do. If you underquote, don't up your charge - eat it and learn from your mistake for the future. Never jack up the price on your customer beyond your quote and a very slight fudge factor without first calling the customer and getting their consent. FWIW, my estimate on your job would be 1.5hrs at $60/hr, or $90, and a caveat up to 2 full hours ($120 total). If I came in under that, I'd charge you slightly less, and know to temper any future estimates. Wow that's cheap for a real gunsmith labor. If your just swapping out the trigger and hammer and hes supplying the parts (parts swapper not a gunsmith) and not performing a trigger job...I can see that price quote for the job. An actual (real) gunsmiths labor for a professional trigger job, fitting, highly polishing all trigger and hammer / sear contacting surfaces to a 3.5-4 pound pull is about a cheap flat rate of 100.00 and then you add in the sights (depending on the type of sight and work needed to fit and sight in... is over 200.00 in labor alone and that doesnt even include any heat treating, case hardening or anything else. at least that's what my instructor tells us in class. Also, I always set a 45.00 dollar minimum on anything I do, whether it takes me 5 minutes or 59.59 minutes. hmmm...think I'll start contracting my jobs out to you guys and just make a little off subbing it out Lol...jk, I'm not going to do that. |
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Quoted:
If your just swapping out the trigger and hammer and hes supplying the parts (parts swapper not a gunsmith) and not performing a trigger job...I can see that price quote for the job. An install and minor fitting was all the man asked for, and I'm so pleased you find my estimate in that case worthy. |
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