I Have Been Cheated

[Fox Creek Kid]

I hate to post this threads as you only have my side of the story, but in this case I feel as if it is enough.

Last Fall I contracted the Austrian gunsmith Karl Nedbal to make me a 1st Model Richards conversion ring. I sent him the ring from my Type II Uberti conversion as a template as well as giving him the headspace dimension, 0.060". I bank wired him $350 Euros as Austria does not accept international money orders. The banks charged me a fee on BOTH ends as well.

A month or so later he sent me the ring and it did not fit. He had not machined the cylinder pin hole deep enough in order for the "lip" on the ring to cover the rear of the cylinder. I informed Nedbal of this and he said that he used my measurements. That was BS as the depth of the cylinder pin hole was shy by over 0.020 or better and resent him my original e-mail with the measurement I had sent. I took the ring to a local machinist who firstly said the work was bad and had been cut with either a dull tool or the man did not know what he was doing. The machinist then proceeded to machine the hole to correct depth, but alas this still was not deep enough for the "lip" of the 1st Model ring to cover the rear of the cylinder. I had informed Nedbal of this & he agreed as I did not want to ship it back overseas again.

Nedbal then agreed to take the ring back and said he could "repair" it. I sent it back but told him that it could not be repaired & that he needed to make a new & correct ring to the specs that I originally gave him. A few weeks later he e-mailed me with photos saying that he had made a "new" ring, however the photos showed the same perceptible gap. I called him and told him this and he denied it. I asked for my money back & instead he sent the ring to me again!! To top it off it was the exact same ring and he had done NOTHING to it!! I know this as I had written down the measurements and kept them on file. I sent the ring back AGAIN and demanded my money back. He refused to answer my e-mails and then incredibly sent the ring back to me again a THIRD TIME with photos showing the gap using his cylinder!! Now, he refuses to answer any correspondence and refuses to refund my money!! I have the ring and have told him that I want ALL my money back as well as shipping it to him a third time as I had not requested him to do so but rather to refund ALL my money!!

I have exhausted all my resources. He will not answer my e-mails and I have a worthless conversion ring and am out of approx. 375 Euros!!!! People, beware & do not send this man any money. 

[Pony Racer]

FCK, sorry you went through what happened.

Mr Nedbal is a very well respected gunsmith over in the Europe.  I have to wonder if there is some miscommunication, not caused by you, that is just not coming through.

I know a smith is who works out of Suffolk VA who can probably do the work you need.  I do not know how busy he is right now - but if interested I will give you his contact info.

PR

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Brent.......How much is $350.00 Euros?  Do you think the ring can be repaired at all, and can you post a couple of photographs showing what you are talking about?

Bill

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[Fox Creek Kid]

350 Euros is $470.96.

[RRio]

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose him when there are more than plenty qualified machinists in this country that could have done that work with less headache and probably less expense?

 

[Mako]

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose him when there are more than plenty qualified machinists in this country that could have done that work with less headache and probably less expense?
 

Rawhide,
I can't definitively speak for FCK but he probably went with him because of examples of his work being talked about and pictures being posted on this very forum.  Not many people do the kind of very specific conversion work that he was having done.  While you are correct there are a lot of qualified machinists, how many have made or even seen a Type 1 conversion ring?  FCK is picky and rightly so for $471, he wanted attention to detail and period design authentic work so he went with a gunsmith who was reported to know how to do it.

If you have the name of another qualified gunsmith who has experience with this kind of work and doesn't have a two year waiting list I'm sure FCK and others of us (me included) would love to know who they are.

Have a great weekend,
Mako

[Fox Creek Kid]

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose him when there are more than plenty qualified machinists in this country that could have done that work with less headache and probably less expense?

 

No one that I knew of was doing this commercially on the U.S. Kenny Howell is a wash as he takes your base gun & then never makes the conversion. Besides, I had one of Kenny's 1st Model rings once: it's a rough casting that has to be sanded, fitted, case colored, etc. and no one will fit it.

Rawhide, other than Kenny Howell, who do you know that does this? 

[Pony Racer]

Guys not trying to stoke any fires here, but I have offered a machinist turned gunsmith's info that I know out of southern va - yet very few people ever get back to me asking for his personal email/phone number.

I definitely understand going with someone that appears to be a known commodity but it is my experience that if you look hard enough there is a lot of local help that may surprise you with there capabilities - you just have to go out after it and see.

I doubt my friend would charge anymore than what was paid and probably less for this work.  If you have dimensions and diagrams - he has the skills ,as long as he can get the material, to make it.

My offer stands as before.

PR

[Abilene]

FCK, I'm sure sorry to hear about your experience.

As for a qualified machinest in this country, there is another besides Kenny Howell that is fairly well known but I'm out of town on a borrowed computer and I can't think of the guy's name right now.  In the Cimarron catalog a couple years ago there was a picture of a gaudy type 1 Richards that they were offering built by this guy (I think he was limiting it to twenty and I really don't know if anyone ever ordered one).  The sample gun pictured in the catalog was made from a second or 3rd gen Colt, had ivory grips and lots of gold plated parts and was engraved.  Anyways, I don't know if this guy is another one of those really slow guys or not, but might be worth checking into.
'

[Fox Creek Kid]

Abilen, if I remember corrreclty it was that guy from Raven's Roost. I talked ot him once about a 1st Model Richards years ago and he wanted circa. $1500 or so I believe. 

[Abilene]

I'm home now and found the catalog with the ad.  They were built by R. L. Millington of Armsport LLC (I dunno if that's the same guy you were talking about).  Made on Colt 3rd Gen frame, and engraved by Conrad Anderson.  Like I said, very gaudy looking with gold plated cylinder, hammer, trigger, ejector and housing.  I think it would look great without the gold, tho.  The rest is nickled.  44 Colt with a lined barrel.  The retail price on them was $4500.  I just wondered if Millington will make just the conversion ring?

[Fox Creek Kid]

Abilene, then I was wrong. I did not remember Millington making them. I heard he is taking time off to build a house & is doing no work for now.

[Grouchy Spike]

Have you talked to Alan Harton in Houston?

713-907-6031

If he can rebuild a Peacemaker, he can do this job.  Cost? Time?

[Pony Racer]

The guy who does Raven Roost has 2-3 pistols ready made that he is selling.

If I was not saving up for a special rifle - I might 2 of them in 38.

They are not cheap but cheaper than getting one built.

PR