-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
-
Be sure to enter the NES/Pioneer Valley Arms February Giveaway ***Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9MM***
Gunsmith
- Thread starter Moderator
- Start date
- Joined
- May 17, 2008
- Messages
- 16,980
- Likes
- 2,841
I sent Sergey an email at the beginning of the week. Is he still in business?
Well the night before you posted I dropped my AR off with Jeff. I figured I would wait until I picked it up before posting. Even though there was no information on the board, I gave him a call soon after my post.
I explained my problem (trigger issue, anyone at the April Appleseed in Harvard might remember that on Sunday afternoon my trigger started acting up, I finally gave up trying to figure it out myself) and he said to bring it over, it turns out he is less than a mile from my office so it doesn't get any easier than that.
I dropped it off the next day and picked it up yesterday. I told him I was not in a hurry when I dropped it off, he had mentioned he was pretty busy with hunting season. I left a mag with some ammo so he could test fire it.
Also this is a preban that I bought NIB at collectors so it was pretty tight and dry. I have probably close to 1000 rounds through it at this point so it is broken in but I was still having other random issues. We talked about everything when I dropped it off and started to break the rifle down, I had done a limited stripping and cleanings, basically equivalent to a field stripping.
He did a complete breakdown, I would guess like an armory would. He also found a burr in the trigger mechanism that he fixed. When I picked it up it felt like a new gun, very easy to break down and move the parts. Besides the burr I think the main issue was it sat in a cardboard box for 15 years before I bought it. The other rifles I have came from the CMP so they had been reconditioned right before I got them, they just required a basic cleaning and lube and they were good to go. The handguns I have were new so same story. Any older guns I get I will have to remember to take all the way down and really lube up. I kind of expected this to be the problem with the AR, but I wasn't really comfortable taking it down all the way myself. I have the manuals but it helps seeing it in person, and with my NES lower I plan to learn more about the inner workings so I can do more of this myself.
All in all a very good experience. Of course I just got it yesterday, I will give an update after I take it to the range but I am not expecting any problems.
I'm looking for a gunsmith to install some night sights on my H&K. I really don't want to toy aruond with them myself and would like to just let a pro do it. I'm located on the North Shore between the 93 and 128 loop. Anyone have any recommendations? I see AG Guns is listed on the list, anyone have experience with them?
- Joined
- May 17, 2008
- Messages
- 16,980
- Likes
- 2,841
H&K is rare in these parts. If they are listed, call them. You can try 4 seasons and North Shore firearms, both do night sights as well but not sure about H&Ks.
Thanks for the reply terra, I just called AG guns and he put me on hold to ask if they do H&K's. He came back and said yes they do work on H&K's but I'm a bit nervous as it sounds like they have limited resources on them. I'm gonna call LaRocca tomorrow, despite it being a 1hr drive I know two people who have work done there with unbelievable results. If he can do the job while I wait then maybe it's worth it.
David Santurri s fantastic. So far this year He's done.
1. A trigger job on a Sig P225 that you couldn't pull the trigger on, now it's perfect.
2. Milled the slide on a Colt 1911 and put on new sights, looks like a brand new Colt now.
3. Did a trigger job on a brand new S&W PD commander, it's got a 4 pound trigger now.
4. Fixed a S&W 625, I had screwed up real bad and he didn't laugh at me either. He also chamfered the cylinder, so the moon clips would seat easier.
5. Did a trigger job on a S&W 1911.
6. Built me a new 1911 from a STI frame and slide that I had. All Ed Brown parts, Kart match barrel that he hand fitted with a two piece guide rod and a Colt 1911 rear sight with a green fiber optic front sight and then he buffed the whole gun.
7. Fixed an old Remington 1100 that had seen better days in a couple of minutes.
8. Reamed out a 1911 barrel.
There's nothing like having a great gunsmith that you can trust.
1. A trigger job on a Sig P225 that you couldn't pull the trigger on, now it's perfect.
2. Milled the slide on a Colt 1911 and put on new sights, looks like a brand new Colt now.
3. Did a trigger job on a brand new S&W PD commander, it's got a 4 pound trigger now.
4. Fixed a S&W 625, I had screwed up real bad and he didn't laugh at me either. He also chamfered the cylinder, so the moon clips would seat easier.
5. Did a trigger job on a S&W 1911.
6. Built me a new 1911 from a STI frame and slide that I had. All Ed Brown parts, Kart match barrel that he hand fitted with a two piece guide rod and a Colt 1911 rear sight with a green fiber optic front sight and then he buffed the whole gun.
7. Fixed an old Remington 1100 that had seen better days in a couple of minutes.
8. Reamed out a 1911 barrel.
There's nothing like having a great gunsmith that you can trust.
I used Jeff for a problem with my AR last year. I was very pleased with his service.
I met someone at my club and he was telling me about a gunsmith in the Plymouth, MA. area I dont recall him saying the name as we talked so much I forgot to ask. Does anyone know of one in that area.
n1oty
NES Member
OK. I need to send a new S&W M&P40 out for a trigger job. I love the gun, but the MA compliant trigger is killing me. It really does come down to adjusting this trigger or getting rid of the pistol. Anyway, it seems that two names keep popping up for M&P trigger jobs in my area, Derr Precision and Dave Santurri. I am not price sensitive. I want the best for this particular trigger job. What's the consensus here regarding these two gunsmiths and their respective abilities with this particular model?
John
John
OK who is Dave Santurri ???
I have been thinking of going with Derr or LaRocca, I have never heard of Santurri, do you have a link to his web site???
(edit: OK I googled his web site, so all set there)
Last edited:
Knob Creek
NES Member
Yes he's still around. He sold his shop on Rt 6 and built a building behind his house. TN 508 993-4093
- Joined
- May 17, 2008
- Messages
- 16,980
- Likes
- 2,841
What does he specialize in or does he do general smithing on just about anything? I am looking for someone who knows AKs really well.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 57,082
- Likes
- 21,279
I paid a visit to Greg Derr's shop yesterday and he gave me the 25cent tour. I've never seen such a neat, well-organized and well-lit gun shop before. I was very impressed. I've also been very impressed with the quality of his work.
Ditto, he did a trigger job on my MA spec PPS. Very sweet trigger now. He also installed night sights on it.
David Santurri 401 726-1310 580 Kelley Blvd, North Attleboro MA www.santurriltd.com he is right behind North East Traiding company. Sometimes you can drop off and pick up your gun there if he is not open. North East does insist if you drop it off with them you must pick it up from them.
He actually looked at a P 11 of mine with a cracked slide, called me up and said in stead of fixing the slide I should contact keltec for a new one I did and they said yes. He gave me the gun back no charge for looking at it.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2005
- Messages
- 57,082
- Likes
- 21,279
Greg Derr is in Marshfield.
Not sure which one is closer to NB.
Not sure which one is closer to NB.
- Joined
- May 31, 2008
- Messages
- 2,574
- Likes
- 349
I dropped off my M&P .45 to Mr. Derr about 2 weeks ago to get the Mass-compliant/crap-ass trigger taken care of. He asks for 20 rounds of ammo so he can go test-fire it personally when the job is done, and the mag as well (obviously, with this model).
He quoted 3-5 days. It was the Memorial Day weekend coming up, however.
Needless to say, 7 days later he called me up to say the job was done.
The gun went from a crunchy Rice Krispies-type feel with a terrible break to a smooth warm Quaker-Oats oatmeal goopy pull (Maple and brown sugar, mmm!!), with a clean break at what he says is around 5.5 pounds. (I have no idea on pull weights, but he says if you know what you want, he can fine-tune the pull to whatever you need.)
Anyhoo, the trigger is much more amiable to my big fingers, and after take-up, there is very little effort now to make it go bang at the beginning of the sear thingy.
And he's a nice guy, too.
For $65 bux, I highly recommend him for the M&P trigger job. (And I hear that if you poke him in the belly, he'll giggle. But I didn't say that. ;-) )
Two thumbs up for Derr Precision.
He quoted 3-5 days. It was the Memorial Day weekend coming up, however.
Needless to say, 7 days later he called me up to say the job was done.
The gun went from a crunchy Rice Krispies-type feel with a terrible break to a smooth warm Quaker-Oats oatmeal goopy pull (Maple and brown sugar, mmm!!), with a clean break at what he says is around 5.5 pounds. (I have no idea on pull weights, but he says if you know what you want, he can fine-tune the pull to whatever you need.)
Anyhoo, the trigger is much more amiable to my big fingers, and after take-up, there is very little effort now to make it go bang at the beginning of the sear thingy.
And he's a nice guy, too.
For $65 bux, I highly recommend him for the M&P trigger job. (And I hear that if you poke him in the belly, he'll giggle. But I didn't say that. ;-) )
Two thumbs up for Derr Precision.
Gregg Derr did the trigger on my M&P 40c. When I bought it, I needed a chainfall to fire it. Gregg did a great job on it and for $65. Very happy with it. He now has 2 more of my guns. Didn't poke him in the belly though. He's too good a shot.
Knob Creek
NES Member
Ken Pacheco " The Village Gunsmith" in No Dartmouth TN 508 993-4093. And Strickland's in Berkley.
