I would say he hurried you out of the shop with no charge because he did a hack job on your barrel. He should have said something up front like "I had a little trouble with the sight and marred the finish a little" and then showed you where. He could then offer the deal of "no charge" or charge you for the installation but offer to correct or have the finish corrected.

I would not accept the barrel as is and politelyrequest that the barrel finish be repaired.

If that is an issue or he refuses, then perhaps your relationship is not as good as you thought it was. Then I would certainly never give him any business, I would never recommend his business, I would go out of my way to warn others of his shoddyworkand I would file a complaint with the better business bureau.

As mentioned, sometimes dove tails take a little filing here and there and then they fit nicely without hammering them in place. He obviously did not know what he was doing. Punch marks are not normal.

Quality gunsmithing and machining results in workmanship that does not reveal the work from noticable blemish. The work should look like it was factory. I just installed front and rear dovetails on a rifle for a friendlast weekend and it looks perfect. I don't call myself a gunsmith either.

I have hada boo boohere and there before though and buggered a finish on my own rifle when a barrel slipped in the vise and gouged on the jaw of the vise, which I paid to have polished out and repaired. If that flub was someone else's rifle, I would have also paid to have it repaired.

My thoughts.

Let us know how it turns out.

Tahquamenon