This has been a very thought provoking thread with a lot of good points on all sides. I favor the no negativity side and here’s why: we are a very small fraternity that a few craftsmen have developed a relationship with to keep our guns in good repair. We shouldn’t use this public forum in a way that could harm their ability to conduct business with us. Every man on here is responsible for the guns in his possession. If, you’ve been around this game awhile you know who does work that you trust and can rely on. If, you’re not sure who to take a particular project to then there are plenty of experienced folks on here you can approach in a private, one on one manner messaging or phone or even face to face to get their input to help you make a decision. Relying on the comments in a public forum is not a good way to make your decision when better alternatives exist. Here’s why: everyone has a different tolerance level for what is acceptable as to good work. Some people have an axe to grind. Some people will never admit they made the mistake when they neglected to give proper instructions to a gunsmith. Some will chime in because it’s their buddy posting on the forum and they want to show support. And, some people just can’t be pleased. To say we should do it because it’s done on other forums and venues misses what I think is a very crucial point - We don’t need to do what people are doing on other forums to be successful. No one can or should try to stop anyone from talking about a negative experience. Trust me, there are a couple of people out there who have done work I consider less than acceptable. They have lost my business. If, I’m asked, in a serious discussion about who to send a gun to I’m going to try and steer them away from those people. I think that’s fair. So in conclusion, if you don’t know who to send a gun to then don’t send it until you have talked to someone you you have developed a relationship with that you can trust. Don’t rely on the internet to make your decisions. Don’t use the forum to lash out at someone who didn’t satisfy your demands. If, you had shoddy work done, don’t do business with them anymore and don’t recommend them anymore. Those guys rely heavily on word of mouth to stay in business. It doesn’t take long for word to spread amongst the connected as to who to go to and who to avoid. If, you aren’t connected then take the time to develop those connections. If you can’t or won’t do that then you’re probably going to struggle. I can see the wisdom of keeping the negativity off the forum. If, we help put these guys out of business who we going to send the guns to?
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