Interesting comments on delivery/completion times.

Most gunsmiths do the work because they like it, not because they want to make a lot of money. That usually means, IMO, that they don't conduct themselves or their businesses in a 'professional' manner. That's why we the customers usually get the runaround when delivery times conflict with personal desires.

I speak from several different perspectives, since at various times I've been A) a professional smith with a real store selling guns & supplies as well as services to the general public, B) an amateur smith doing work for friends just because I like it, and C) a wage earner in the nuclear business with real deadlines to meet.

A REAL professional will always do the jobs in the order in which he receives them unless the customer pays extra for special treatment. The previously cited 'Coors Match' excuse is a poor one at best IMO, the supplier should have made better arrangements or given an appropriate explanation. If the competitors were short of time, whose fault is that? DUH! They should have thought about that when making preparations for the match. We have a saying in the nuclear business, "The stupid will be punished!" but in this case it appears that the non-match customers were punished because of the unprofessional attitude of the vendor.

A REAL professional IMO will always quote a delivery date that contains a fudge factor for unforeseen circumstances, and he will always inform the customer whenever circumstances change. To do otherwise is pretty juvenile IMO & will cause me to abandon that particular supplier forever if I'm relying upon him for anything important.

There are a few professional folks in the gun business but they're few & far between. What it finally boils down to, IMO, is keeping one's word. When a supplier promises a delivery date, in my mind that is the equivalent of giving his word. I don't deal with folks who can't seem to keep their word.

I may be mistaken, but it's my impression that Harry Pope never promised a firm delivery date. I believe he promised to deliver 'it' when 'it' was done. That is a legitimate attitude if it's made plain to the customer up front. That's what I do when working for friends, I try to never promise a specific date, I just say that I'll work on it when & IF I feel like it.

If I was charging actual money, that wouldn't be a legitimate approach IMO. But then again I'm not nearly as good as Harry Pope!
I gotta agree with Pete on this one, Joe