QUESTIONS ANSWERED; REPAIR ESTIMATES,
ESTIMATE FEES, SHIPPING & MORE
What kinds of guns do we
repair? Basically, all firearms of
quality manufacture, from matchlocks to modern
semi-automatic weapons, some examples are given
below.
 The
types of antique weapons
we work on and the sort of work we will do on
older weapons, click here
 Some
of the Cowboy work we do, click
here
How much will this cost?
Each
gun and each job can be very different, depending
on how the weapon has been treated. We cannot
give sight-unseen estimates for repair or
restoration projects without first having
examined the project in person. Our shop is not
open to the public and I work on a mail-order
basis only, so you will need to send me your
project for evaluation. Pricing?
Are
there any fees involved for the repair estimate
itself? Yes. We charge a minimum
fee of $20.00 per weapon for the repair estimate/evaluation
itself, we have not raised this amount in 20
years. The minimum fee will cover almost all
estimates, unless considerable custom work or
extensive restoration is involved, or if the gun
arrives in a disassembled state which means we
have to assemble the gun to evaluate the work. If
you have work performed, the estimate fee is
deducted from your total bill. Estimate fee(s)
should be included with your project, along with
basic shipping & packing charges, as outlined
below. Please make your check payable to
David R. Chicoine, NOT
to oldwestgunsmith.com.
Please
be sure to include you full name and shipping address,
telephone number and your e-mail
address if you have one,
along with a short note describing what you would like us
to do.
For customers who have
access to the Internet: Your
estimate will be published on a web page at my
web site and with a private address which only
you and us will have. In this way you may view
and download your estimate at your liesure and
you have the option of starting the work much
quicker by paying with a credit card.
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How
long will the antique work take?
If you are in a hurry to get you project
done, I will tell you right up front that I
probably can't help you. This antique side of the
shop is a one-man operation and the demand is
heavy. Work will most likely take some time to
get back, depending on what sort of work is
involved, perhaps several months for mechanical
repairs to a year or even more for really
extensive work. An estimated turn-around time for
your job will be included with the repair
estimate.
How
long will modern and military work take?
It depends on the workload when you job arrives
and of course, on how extensive the work is.
Normally, we try to get minor repairs and
cleaning work out in under 60 days, heavy repair
and refinishing will be on quotation when we
estimate your job, but it is still almost always
faster than antique work.
Do you
offer a guarantee? It is not possible to guarantee any
antique, modern or obsolete firearm or its parts
since we did not manufacture either. We do stand
by our workmanship 100%. If for any reason you
are unhappy with any of the work we do, you have
the option of sending the gun back, explain what
you are unhappy with and if it is within our
power to do so, we will make it right for you. We
have stood by this simple, honest policy for 35
years and can count the times I have had to honor
it on the fingers of one hand.
Why
don't we list a telephone number? For
the simple reason that this is a two-man shop and
we want to keep it that way, if we had to answer
the volume of telephone calls the Internet would
bring, we would not get much work done. If you
need to chat or to ask questions before you ship
that is fine; if we can handle it by e-mail that
will be great (please try, I much prefer it), if
not, send me your number along with an idea of
what you require and I will phone you in the late
afternoon.
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- SHIPPING
INFORMATION, BE
SURE TO INCLUDE:
- Basic
shipping & packing
charges and the estimate fees
with any weapons you send for repair estimates. Please
make your check payable to David R. Chicoine, NOT
to oldwestgunsmith.com.
- Basic shipment
includes charges for shipment and to cover our
costs for packing. Insurance costs are additional,
shipment by FedEx is also available.
- When you ship
to us: Be sure to request a return
receipt or an adult signature at delivery; this
mandates the delivery person to actually hand the
package to one of us at delivery. We suggest you
also insure the weapon against damage or loss for
at least its replacement value.
- E-mail
me for a shipping address before you ship your
weapon and/or if you need to chat before you ship.
- Basic shipping &
packing: check with the carrier to determine
insurance costs.
- include a minimum of
$35.00 each antique hand gun / $40.00 for 2 guns
in 1 box. Plus insurance costs.
- include a minimum of
$40.00 each long gun. Plus insurance costs.
- include a minimum of
$45.00 each modern hand gun from an individual
for FedEx overnight, or $35. if dealer to dealer,
FedEx 2 day. Plus insurance costs.
How
do you ship a firearm? Under the 1968 Gun Control
Act, an individual may legally ship their firearm(s) to a
manufacturer or a licensed Federal Firearms dealer for
repair or customization. We are a licensed Federal
Firearms (FFL) dealer. Firearms manufactured
before 1898 are classified by the BATF as antiques and
are not subject to regulation, firearms manufactured 1899
and later are.
For
valuable antiques, we highly recommend using
USPS Registered Insured Mail, in our experience this
service offers the safest delivery method for a treasured
antique.
Firearms
other than modern handguns may be legally shipped by any
method you chose.
Modern
handguns may not be shipped using the Postal
Service (except dealer to dealer), an individual has to
use FedEx or UPS overnight
services. Free overnight shipping containers are
available from either service.
If
you are having trouble getting your local UPS or
FedEx depot to accept your firearm shipment; get yourself
a free FedEx overnight box, pack the handgun well in that
box and contact me, we will arrange to have FedEx send a
driver to your home to pick the box up.
Packing:
Pack your
firearms well, wrap them in thick padding so they cannot
move around inside the container. When guns are
poorly packed they are more likely to be damaged or lost
and (with some justification) the carrier may not pay
your insurance claim. As examples of poor packing, we
have had several boxes delivered with a rifle or shotgun
muzzle sticking out several inches from one end of the
box!
 
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