Bachelder's work continues to be stellar

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by todd allen

Most of us are too old to wait three years for anything.

Then sell the gun and buy one that you don't have to wait to have restored.

I agree with others on this thread that this is getting ridiculous.

Brad did good work and was a perfectionist. That pursuit of perfection took time. The last time I had spoken with Brad he indicated Parker had taken over lead on the barrel refinishing and was an worse about the barrels being perfect then he ever was.

There are reasons guns take long a long time to be completed. The level of work required is a big part of that. I have a restoration project I will soon embark on with another talented individual and have been quoted 2-3 years for the total project. If you are having a barrel refinished it takes time, ribs relayed? more time, more than that.....even more time. Throw in Brad's sudden death and it gets even worse.

Dean you can't always go FIFO, Brad set up the process of doing the barrels in batches rather then doing barrels individually as they came in. He has said on this site the process works better that way for the barrels and for them from a business standpoint.

I am personally appreciative of the diligence involved, nothing would hack me off more then getting a nice set of barrels sent back to me only to see that after the 3 month intitial estimate there were issues with the refinish--as has happened with other barrel restorers....but heck you got your barrels back on time I guess.

[edgarspencer]

I think the original intent of the OP, the member who was pleased with work he received from Bachelders, was simply to state just that. If other's felt the same way with work they have gotten from the current Bachelder organization, it wouldn't be inappropriate to say as much.
However, I find it in very poor taste to both use the OP's post to argue points which are the opposite of his, and to disparage the work of the organization the OP refers to.
I can speak first hand to being thrust into a position I thought would never come, and to be under the microscope of those expecting me to pick up precisely where my father left off, as though nothing happened within the company, nor any traumatic loss within my own family, and especially to me.
I worked for a man who was arguably one of the best in providing a technically challenging product, from drawing, to finished product. These weren't widgets, but high strength alloy, and stainless steel castings used in power generation, oil and gas drilling, and surface and submarine building. What everyone assumes, almost always incorrectly, is that the father teaches as well as he performs. That I was able to succeed was because I was paying attention. Some people learn by hearing a description of how it's done, and others learn by watching it being done.
As a businessman, and individual, who had experienced this, I had several long conversations with Parker about loosing a father, and being immediately expected to fill his shoes.
I think almost all of us have had a project worked on by a gunsmith. Many of us have had too many projects to even remember, worked on, and were glad there was someone out there to take those projects on. I wouldn't even begin to guess how many of us demanding customers are out here, and then guess how few good gunsmiths there are to service our needs.
Any organization worth going to, is going to be expected to do precisely what the customer wants, with zero defects; within an often unrealistic time-frame, and at a price they want, and often negotiated downward. Delivering one or two out of the three features; price, quality and delivery, is as good as failure.
A lot of dust collects on the stack of guns in nearly all shops, and being a little guilty of what a lot of customers do, I have no right to bitch: Guilty of leaving a gun, saying 'no rush, when you get to it, tell me what you think" lots of those customers don't even know what they want, but expect the smith to read their mind.
I spoke with Brad about a project I wanted him to tackle. He was forthright in his time frame; 5-6 months. Then he died. It hasn't been a year, and both the company, and a customer visiting the company, have told me my project is nearly done.
I sent Brad a gun many years ago, to have barrels finished, and re-case harden frame, and ancillaries. I told Brad, over cocktails a few years ago, in Baltimore, How much I liked it, and he thanked me and pointed to his son, saying "He did the barrels.

[todd allen]

Originally Posted by Bill Holcombe

Then sell the gun and buy one that you don't have to wait to have restored.

I agree with others on this thread that this is getting ridiculous.

Brad did good work and was a perfectionist. That pursuit of perfection took time. The last time I had spoken with Brad he indicated Parker had taken over lead on the barrel refinishing and was an worse about the barrels being perfect then he ever was.

There are reasons guns take long a long time to be completed. The level of work required is a big part of that. I have a restoration project I will soon embark on with another talented individual and have been quoted 2-3 years for the total project. If you are having a barrel refinished it takes time, ribs relayed? more time, more than that.....even more time. Throw in Brad's sudden death and it gets even worse.

Dean you can't always go FIFO, Brad set up the process of doing the barrels in batches rather then doing barrels individually as they came in. He has said on this site the process works better that way for the barrels and for them from a business standpoint.

I am personally appreciative of the diligence involved, nothing would hack me off more then getting a nice set of barrels sent back to me only to see that after the 3 month intitial estimate there were issues with the refinish--as has happened with other barrel restorers....but heck you got your barrels back on time I guess.

Let me clarify something. My comment was meant to be a humorous acknowledgement of our age. Not a slap at any of the gun smiths mentioned here.
I have the utmost respect for the Bachelder's organization, appreciate their work, and plan to use them sometime down the road.
I'm actually more impatient with waiting for the money to DO my projects, than the time it takes the 'smiths to do their work.

[Big D]

The last time I was in Brad's shop, he lamented the fact that it was so hard to retain good craftsmen. Now, with his passing, there is one less set of hands in the shop, so I assume their capability has been reduced, unless Parker has been able to find others to fill his Dad's shoes, which ain't gonna happen.

[King Cobb]

No problem Todd, I wasn't meaning to imply I was responding specifically to you.

[King Cobb]

Last I communicated with him he said part of the bottleneck involved getting barrel etching redone at the breech on barrels. He has a guy who does good work but Parker isn't the only one he does work for.

[BRDHNTR]

You got that right Jay!

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Bill Holcombe

Dean you can't always go FIFO, Brad set up the process of doing the barrels in batches rather then doing barrels individually as they came in. He has said on this site the process works better that way for the barrels and for them from a business standpoint.

I am personally appreciative of the diligence involved, nothing would hack me off more then getting a nice set of barrels sent back to me only to see that after the 3 month intitial estimate there were issues with the refinish--as has happened with other barrel restorers....but heck you got your barrels back on time I guess.

Bill, I alluded to that kind of back-up in the barrel refinishing and color case harbening processes.

And the first set of Damascus barrels I sent to him for refinishing were unacceptable and I had to send them back to him twice. My point - everyone has to go through a learning process. It can be long and arduous. I liked Brad a lot and held him in the highest esteem and I think he liked me too and he knew I was a perfectionist.

It is not my intent to trash Bachelder Master Gunmaker but I do hope Parker or Lori read this thread if for no other reason than to know we all hope they overcome the many complications before them and our ongoing wish that they succeed.





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[Setter Man]

My sense is they already feel a tremendous amount of stress because they understand their customers expectations and don’t want to disappoint or tarnish Brads reputation. They are doing the best they can under the circumstances. Personally, I hope they don’t read this thread. They know now much his work was appreciated and understand the obligations that are outstanding.

[William Cawley]

My two cents. I too experienced delays and had a number of conversations with Parker and others at Bachelder's regarding my gun. It took longer than I had expected but found Parker to be doing everything he could to estimate time appropriately and deliver accordingly. I consider him to be doing a very admirable job considering what he and his family have recently experienced.

I posted the pictures to demonstrate that the work is still top notch and for me well worth the wait. I too am a businessman and I understand the arguments, all well made and on target as regards timing and meeting expectations. It also seems to me that sometimes we should make allowances... Of course it's our choice, but if we don't and they don't succeed that's one fewer option for us when we have need of expert service. Just one man's opinion.