So sorry to see what happened to your gun. Also, I really appreciate your sharing the information with us, especially because I know it must be painful to recount. You've helped many avoid an equally bad situation.

How does this happen? I can understand the frame warping, but the screws and engraving, especially if thats your schtick and you advertise classes for it. I just cant wrap my head around it. You think someone who advertises fine sporting gun restorations would have at least called and replaced the screws and fixed up the engravings, better to have a warped action with all the pieces than a warped action with frozen buggered screws and missing pieces. Its a shame the way you were treated, I can understand things can happen when dealing with guns, but you are the customer and hopefully they make it right.

While I can certainly understand Mr. Graziano's frustration with his Parker's "restoration," there is something about this thread that makes me uneasy.

Perhaps it's that the "prosecution" has presented its case... but the defense has not.

What's more, there's an expectation that the two aggrieved parties attempt a private resolution as gentlemen before any public airing of issues. I don't see evidence of that yet.

There are two sides to every story. And I'd hate to see the PGCA Forum even partially descend into the vile mire of ego, incivility and negativism that another notable "BBS" has become.

Some avoid top restoration artists because of expense. Makes top shops look cheap like Turnbull Restorations. Just my opinion. This case is hard for me to believe. Hard to believe anyone with a brain would even return such a train wreck to a customer and expect payment.

Number one; I would recommend that the moderators not close this thread. Next, I would say that Mr. Roberts has said that Gillette admitted to some serious neglect on the handling of the receiver and maybe other parts. At this point, I would be retaining some legal assistance to recover damages from Gillette. I'm sure he has business insurance that covers such problems. It is up to him whether he feels he can continue his business after his admission that he is "not up to it". The total loss of a very nice VH 12 gauge shouldn't exceed $4500 or $5000 with expenses adding very little. Insurance or a private settlement should compensate the owner. End of story for everyone. No lies, no foul. If a refinisher is "not up to it", let him retire with his reputation intact.

This makes sense, and yes, I'm sure there is another perspective. Although it might be good to know what that is, I also feel like I'm a bystander to all of this and perhaps don't need to know (or should not know) all of the details.

I do think this: If we (as we have) asked to see the results of restoration work done by various smiths and these photos were shown to me, I would not consider sending my guns to that smith for work...whether I know the circumstances or not. As difficult as this matter is for our colleague, I still appreciate seeing the work done by various gunsmiths, no matter what the result. I can draw my own conclusions.

John, I'm glad you brought this up.

Joe, get a grip. You said that the gun came back to JJ from Gillette with "nothing done". That is obviously not true. It did not come back with "nothing done". Start from the beginning and tell us the real story.

Mr Roberts did a Dog painting for me, very pleased with the work. Never thought if him as a gunsmith, artist was my understanding.

William

This should never have been released from either shop...Period John G. damaged the gun in his case coloring, but JJ. should never have accepted John's work. This is a huge cluster F.ck that no one want's to take responsibility for! If they did it would never have come up on the forum

I meant is he out any payments he made for the so called work done on this VH. Sad story