On Monday of this week, while shooting my Kimber Custom Target II at Continental, it suddenly stopped working - the hammer would not lock back when working slide or pulling hammer back. Jay recommended I call John, which I did that afternoon. I explained the problem to him and he said he would be happy to repair it - could I meet him at Continental the next day at 3 pm...which I did. He looked at it, said it was one of 2 problems, took it home with him and called me 2 hrs later telling me that it was fixed - a poorly made sear spring (mfg. defect). He offered to polish the feed ramp, lighten the trigger by 1/2 lb. and make an adjustment on the slide stop to make it easier to reassemble the gun - I did it all. I met him the following day at Continental with the completed gun. I would say his charges were very reasonable and I would not hesitate to call upon him again! He is polite, courteous, knowledgeable...a true professional! I hesitate to think how long and what the process would be if I were to have sent it back to Kimber - even though they have a lifetime warranty.
Gunsmith John Carduner (Please - Actual Customer Feedback Only)
- Thread starter GNLaFrance
- Start date
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JoshHop
Member
John,
Do you do suppressors for AR15's?
Do you do suppressors for AR15's?
harley121
Member
I have used gunsmith John Carduner several times on two very different pistols. He reworked my S&W 1911 turning it into a real tack driver. Most recently I had him work on my inexpensive Charles Daly 1911. It had ejection issues, and the slide would not remain in the locked open position after the last round was fired. I met him at Freestate and we went over pricing. I signed over my Charles Daly to him for repairs, and as usual in several days he e-mailed me to meet at Freestate Range to sign my repaired 1911 back over to me. We test fired it and it is now working flawlessly again.
John Carduner is an excellent gunsmith, and a man of his word.
John Carduner is an excellent gunsmith, and a man of his word.
Freedom
Member
- Aug 15, 2011
- 65
John asked me to repost my review in his main thread. Happy to do it.
-----
John Carduner worked on my 1911 Colt Commander XSE. I highly, highly recommend his services. We spent about two hours (before and after the work) discussing what was wrong with the firearm and what he had done. The man really knows his 1911's and is willing to share the knowledge.
Basically, he turned my stock gun into something pretty special.
I had lost all confidence in my firearm due to failures to feed and the firing pin stop falling out while shooting.
After an incredibly quick turn-around, I put about 200 rounds through the gun at Hap Baker and had no issues. Just a neat pile of brass to my right and some shredded targets. I have attached a picture of a target from 21 feet off-hand. The results speak for them self. The flyers were due to the wind blowing the target.
For a bit over $500, John did a lot of work (most listed below).
Installed Slide Stop Anti-Scratch Notch (a very nice touch)
Replaced Recoil Spring, replaced the HDFP Spring & Firing Pin Stop
Detail Clean (Strip/Ultrasonic)/Lube)
Polished the Barrel & Barrel Feed Ramps, Hone Chamber
Performed his "Reliability Job"
Touched up my "Idiot Scratch"
Installed a metal grip safety (it was plastic)
Installed a new chrome backstrap (25 lpi) w/ an Integrated Lock
Trigger Job (4#)
Reshape Ejector Nose
-----
John Carduner worked on my 1911 Colt Commander XSE. I highly, highly recommend his services. We spent about two hours (before and after the work) discussing what was wrong with the firearm and what he had done. The man really knows his 1911's and is willing to share the knowledge.
Basically, he turned my stock gun into something pretty special.
I had lost all confidence in my firearm due to failures to feed and the firing pin stop falling out while shooting.
After an incredibly quick turn-around, I put about 200 rounds through the gun at Hap Baker and had no issues. Just a neat pile of brass to my right and some shredded targets. I have attached a picture of a target from 21 feet off-hand. The results speak for them self. The flyers were due to the wind blowing the target.
For a bit over $500, John did a lot of work (most listed below).
Installed Slide Stop Anti-Scratch Notch (a very nice touch)
Replaced Recoil Spring, replaced the HDFP Spring & Firing Pin Stop
Detail Clean (Strip/Ultrasonic)/Lube)
Polished the Barrel & Barrel Feed Ramps, Hone Chamber
Performed his "Reliability Job"
Touched up my "Idiot Scratch"
Installed a metal grip safety (it was plastic)
Installed a new chrome backstrap (25 lpi) w/ an Integrated Lock
Trigger Job (4#)
Reshape Ejector Nose
Today I had the pleasure of meeting John Carduner face to face. He had finished the work on my Sig P226 and we met at FreeState to go over it. He did a fabulous job of installing the short reset trigger and my new XS Big Dot 24/7 Express Sights. He also took it apart and did an ultrasonic cleaning on it. He tested it and gave me the test target. I feel like I got a brand new Sig from him. I happily shot off three hundred rounds tonight and it was flawless.
He is an absolute professional. From the first time I called him he responded within an hour then kept me updated with his progress via email and phone. I can't say enough of how nice it is to deal with someone who is both talented at his trade and so customer service oriented. His fast turn around time and reasonable rates are a definite bonus.
He now has my Charles Daly Hi Power and has been just as precise going over the details of what he is doing with it as well. Can't wait to get it back with the new no bite hammer and sear and the barrel re-crown.
He is an absolute professional. From the first time I called him he responded within an hour then kept me updated with his progress via email and phone. I can't say enough of how nice it is to deal with someone who is both talented at his trade and so customer service oriented. His fast turn around time and reasonable rates are a definite bonus.
He now has my Charles Daly Hi Power and has been just as precise going over the details of what he is doing with it as well. Can't wait to get it back with the new no bite hammer and sear and the barrel re-crown.
Tankfixr
Ultimate Member
What can I say? John is still batting a thousand as far as this thread and customer is concerned.
I've had a problematic Kimber Pro Carry HD for awhile now that gave me nothing but fits. Failures to feed, brass hits me in the head, sticky mag release, well, you get the picture.
I called John on Monday the 23rd and met with him at Freestate that evening. John went over the firearm, listened to my concerns and went over what had to be done. He called me on the 25th to meet him at Freestate again telling me the firearm was done. I told him that there must be a mistake because he only had it for two days. No, no mistake, it was done. After test firing it was clear that John had ironed out all the problems to include cutting and recessing the knob side of the slide stop to accept a Crimson Trace grip without the annoying reflection on that part of the stop.
Long story short, the gun now performs as the defensive weapon that it was designed for. John is a true professional at his craft and I will not hesitate to use him in the future and gladly recommend him to others.
I've had a problematic Kimber Pro Carry HD for awhile now that gave me nothing but fits. Failures to feed, brass hits me in the head, sticky mag release, well, you get the picture.
I called John on Monday the 23rd and met with him at Freestate that evening. John went over the firearm, listened to my concerns and went over what had to be done. He called me on the 25th to meet him at Freestate again telling me the firearm was done. I told him that there must be a mistake because he only had it for two days. No, no mistake, it was done. After test firing it was clear that John had ironed out all the problems to include cutting and recessing the knob side of the slide stop to accept a Crimson Trace grip without the annoying reflection on that part of the stop.
Long story short, the gun now performs as the defensive weapon that it was designed for. John is a true professional at his craft and I will not hesitate to use him in the future and gladly recommend him to others.
Attachments
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I had purchased a C&S no bite hammer for my Charles Daly Hi Power and had contacted John to put it in. He was more than happy to do so and while he had it I had him do the ultrasonic cleaning on it. He also stoned the hammer hooks, honed the bore and chamber and polished the feed ramp and cut and polished the crown that had a nick in it. Then he test fired it and that is when he discovered that C&S sells a matching sear and safety for a reason. He was kind enough to order those parts and put them in as well. Met with him tonight to go over the work and test it out. Two hundred rounds of happiness later all I can say is job well done! Again I do not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking to have work done. He is informative, reliable and communicative every step of the way.
Vjornaxx
Twelve
John recently worked on my S&W1911TA and did a great job. He swapped out the factory trigger for a 10-8 flat trigger and the factory rear sight for a 10-8 U-notch. He also polished the barrel throat, smoothed out the breech face, measured the recoil spring, installed a new sear, and kept me informed during the whole process. Actually, I was surprised at how quickly he would respond to emails when I thought most people would be asleep. John eats and breathes 1911s and if you want something done to yours, John is the man to do it.
I too can highly recommend John Carduner. He is a great guy and a pleasure to do business with. This is my third experience with John (two 1911's and a S&W m41) and his work and I am very pleased. He listens to you, takes a look at whats going wrong, explains what is most likely needed, gives a fair estimate of both time and cost, and delivers what he says. All three function much better than I had hoped and are as smooth and accurate as can be when I do my part.
John Carduner
Hello all,I have a Kimber Pro Carry that I brought to John for a Trigger upgrade and relaibilty package,after dissassembling the weapon John called me and told of a factory defect he found,I was sure this would be a HEADACHE for me,as I bought the weapon used and had no idea who to contact at Kimber or how to explain the nature of the defect.The next night I met John at freestate Range,he had the striped frame and explained how the inner parts relate to each other and why it was factory defective,best part John was in contact with Kimber and offered to send the frame to Kimber with a detailed letter of what he had found.
While waiting for a response from Kimber I brought John my S&W M57 that I was having trouble with the cylinder release latch,after a few days the repair was finished,a broken coil spring and 40+ year old grease and gunk.After a ultrasonic cleaning and new lubericant the revolver is as smooth as glass,all of this in a matter of days,not months.
Many thanks to John for his time and willingness to share his knowledge of the task at hand.In this age of Customer Dis-Service it is refreshing to work with someone who cares about the outcome of the job and satisfaction of the Customer.Thanks again.
Hello all,I have a Kimber Pro Carry that I brought to John for a Trigger upgrade and relaibilty package,after dissassembling the weapon John called me and told of a factory defect he found,I was sure this would be a HEADACHE for me,as I bought the weapon used and had no idea who to contact at Kimber or how to explain the nature of the defect.The next night I met John at freestate Range,he had the striped frame and explained how the inner parts relate to each other and why it was factory defective,best part John was in contact with Kimber and offered to send the frame to Kimber with a detailed letter of what he had found.
While waiting for a response from Kimber I brought John my S&W M57 that I was having trouble with the cylinder release latch,after a few days the repair was finished,a broken coil spring and 40+ year old grease and gunk.After a ultrasonic cleaning and new lubericant the revolver is as smooth as glass,all of this in a matter of days,not months.
Many thanks to John for his time and willingness to share his knowledge of the task at hand.In this age of Customer Dis-Service it is refreshing to work with someone who cares about the outcome of the job and satisfaction of the Customer.Thanks again.
Wow!
Just got back from a range trip to break in my new Springfield XD/M 9 5.25" Competition. I have two other Springfield XDs, and from experience know that their triggers benefit from upgrades. So, I had John install a longer mag release and a Powder River Precision Ultimate Match trigger kit in the gun before I even fired it. John was very patient with the process, kept me informed at every step of the way, fine tuned and super polished all the metal to metal surfaces (can you say mirror finish?), and the gun is so smooth I'd swear it was a Kimber.
Anyway, many thanks to John for superior craftsmanship, attention to detail, quick turnaround, and for being a super nice guy to work with. To say he's an enthusiast would be an understatement. I know for sure he'll be my go-to guy for all future gun smithing work.
Just got back from a range trip to break in my new Springfield XD/M 9 5.25" Competition. I have two other Springfield XDs, and from experience know that their triggers benefit from upgrades. So, I had John install a longer mag release and a Powder River Precision Ultimate Match trigger kit in the gun before I even fired it. John was very patient with the process, kept me informed at every step of the way, fine tuned and super polished all the metal to metal surfaces (can you say mirror finish?), and the gun is so smooth I'd swear it was a Kimber.
Anyway, many thanks to John for superior craftsmanship, attention to detail, quick turnaround, and for being a super nice guy to work with. To say he's an enthusiast would be an understatement. I know for sure he'll be my go-to guy for all future gun smithing work.
1911 Gold Cup
I was having a problem with my Colt Gold Cup---the front sight kept coming off. I took it to a local so-called gunsmith who put it back on, and it lasted for one shoot. He then put on a different sight and that too came off. I contacted John, who came highly recommended. After examining the gun, he assured me that the sight had been installed wrong. John repaired the gun and I am totally confident that it was done correctly. I found John to be professional, knowledgeable and very friendly.
I was having a problem with my Colt Gold Cup---the front sight kept coming off. I took it to a local so-called gunsmith who put it back on, and it lasted for one shoot. He then put on a different sight and that too came off. I contacted John, who came highly recommended. After examining the gun, he assured me that the sight had been installed wrong. John repaired the gun and I am totally confident that it was done correctly. I found John to be professional, knowledgeable and very friendly.
Onesundayflyer
Member
- May 19, 2012
- 2
Hi all, new to MDS today. I recently met
John Carduner at the Freestate Gun
Range. I was having some issues with
my Remington R1 1911. I had sent it
back to Remington for repair, and they
were quick, 4 days back. Better but not
right. I met with John at the range and
he went over what was wrong. In less
than a week I had it back. All factory
problems fixed plus. It now shoots like
a high end target pistol. Smooth,
crisp trigger, unbelievable difference.
I was also impressed the way the pistol
was signed over to the range during repair.
All fee's payable to the range. Very secure
and professional. I was so happy with
the whole experience I left John my
Glock G17 that likes to eject brass in
your face. I'll let you know how it turns
out. I can't imagine anything less than
perfection from Mr. John.
John Carduner at the Freestate Gun
Range. I was having some issues with
my Remington R1 1911. I had sent it
back to Remington for repair, and they
were quick, 4 days back. Better but not
right. I met with John at the range and
he went over what was wrong. In less
than a week I had it back. All factory
problems fixed plus. It now shoots like
a high end target pistol. Smooth,
crisp trigger, unbelievable difference.
I was also impressed the way the pistol
was signed over to the range during repair.
All fee's payable to the range. Very secure
and professional. I was so happy with
the whole experience I left John my
Glock G17 that likes to eject brass in
your face. I'll let you know how it turns
out. I can't imagine anything less than
perfection from Mr. John.
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With the work and knowledge of 1911's John has I don't know where to begin. John will look at your weapon with you, tell you what he can do, why he would do it and what it will do for you. After that it's up to you, he does not push you into having work done in any way. I'm a bullseye shooter have a springfield and wanted a grip safety to better fit my hand, John did all he could to find me one and was unable to get one to fit my gun so he ground and modified mine that now fits my hand like a glove. He sonic cleaned my gun and installed a match trigger that's is amazing......All within less than a week and he is in touch with you while he performs the work and also follows up after. Couldn't find a better person or custom 1911 gunsmith as I will be back for more upgrades!!
Onesundayflyer
Member
- May 19, 2012
- 2
Hi all, I last posted having problems with a G17 Gen 4. Brass to the face, unreliable ejection, FTF, etc. I decided to have John Carduner take a look. He gave a few adjustments on the ejector but still had problems. He made me aware of a recall on the recoil spring assembly(RSA) so I called Glock. They sent a new RSA, a new ejector, and a new firing pin spring, no charge, to Freestate Gun Range, attention John. The RSA #024 was sent but that was in my pistol and is the most current version. The ejector #40274 was sent and appears to be the fix. #336 was in mine from factory. After installing these parts, along with a few upgrades, adjustable rear sight, raised slide latch, high speed lightweight firing pin, and a little trigger work, seems to have this Gen4 cooking. All at a very resonable price. Better than sending back to the factory IMO. Hats off to Mr John and to Freestate Gun Range for a nice job. Thanks, OSF.
Follow up on Kimber Pro Carry
Hello all,follow up on my post from April 08,2012,check it out for some background infromation.Kimber resolved the problem of the defective frame,with the help of John being in contact with the customer service department,many thanks to John for his time and help on this matter,this was not his problem in the first place,I did not buy the weapon from him or any of his affiliates,but he still went to bat for me.
Now that John had something to work with,he made the following upgrades/improvments:
Realibity package,so far I have shot several non roundnose bullet shapes,cast and jacketed h.p.perfect function.
Trigger job:install straight/flat trigger,set to 3.25 lbs.,no creep or grit,breaks like glass.
Mainspring Housing upgrade:If you want or need the internal locking device per Md.law,ask about the Steel locking Mainspring Housing,for a few dollars more than a basic two part internal lock you can replace the plastic housing with a Steel part and be in compliance with the lock law and have a much better result.
I am sure I am forgeting some of the smaller things John took care of,his attention to detail is excellent,every step was documented and explained,just dont have the paperwork in front of me at the moment.
Thanks again for a nice Job.
Hello all,follow up on my post from April 08,2012,check it out for some background infromation.Kimber resolved the problem of the defective frame,with the help of John being in contact with the customer service department,many thanks to John for his time and help on this matter,this was not his problem in the first place,I did not buy the weapon from him or any of his affiliates,but he still went to bat for me.
Now that John had something to work with,he made the following upgrades/improvments:
Realibity package,so far I have shot several non roundnose bullet shapes,cast and jacketed h.p.perfect function.
Trigger job:install straight/flat trigger,set to 3.25 lbs.,no creep or grit,breaks like glass.
Mainspring Housing upgrade:If you want or need the internal locking device per Md.law,ask about the Steel locking Mainspring Housing,for a few dollars more than a basic two part internal lock you can replace the plastic housing with a Steel part and be in compliance with the lock law and have a much better result.
I am sure I am forgeting some of the smaller things John took care of,his attention to detail is excellent,every step was documented and explained,just dont have the paperwork in front of me at the moment.
Thanks again for a nice Job.
Thanks John!
Several days ago, I saw a post by John Carduner about a set of Meprolights for a Glock that another customer had ordered but had failed to pay for. After reading some of the reviews of John's work, I jumped on the deal. I met John at Freestate, discussed what he would do and I left very confident that I would be happy with the new night sights. I also opted to have him install a larger than stock slide to frame disassembly lever while he was at it.
John did the work in a 24 hour period as promised and exceptionally well. As others have said, he sat down with me and showed his work in a very layman friendly way. We then went into the range area and he adjusted the new sights to perfection. He has my Glock 30 shooting precisely to point of aim and the Meprolights are at least as bright as my Trijicons on another gun. The care that John took with the work, his patience in explaining the process and his precise attention to detail reminded me of an old world watch maker or jeweler.
I would recommend John to anyone interested in having work done on a handgun and I intend on handing over the S&W Model 64 that I just acquired in an MDS group buy, for a thorough going over.
Several days ago, I saw a post by John Carduner about a set of Meprolights for a Glock that another customer had ordered but had failed to pay for. After reading some of the reviews of John's work, I jumped on the deal. I met John at Freestate, discussed what he would do and I left very confident that I would be happy with the new night sights. I also opted to have him install a larger than stock slide to frame disassembly lever while he was at it.
John did the work in a 24 hour period as promised and exceptionally well. As others have said, he sat down with me and showed his work in a very layman friendly way. We then went into the range area and he adjusted the new sights to perfection. He has my Glock 30 shooting precisely to point of aim and the Meprolights are at least as bright as my Trijicons on another gun. The care that John took with the work, his patience in explaining the process and his precise attention to detail reminded me of an old world watch maker or jeweler.
I would recommend John to anyone interested in having work done on a handgun and I intend on handing over the S&W Model 64 that I just acquired in an MDS group buy, for a thorough going over.
Jackalope
Active Member
We just got my Rock Island Armory 1911 back from John and WOW what a difference! He did a trigger job with all new parts and a light weight aluminum trigger, polished everything internally, installed fiber optic sights, along with a beautiful set of grips my wife picked out, sighted it in and just to be sure did his slide stop anti-scratch modification to make sure we'd never get the dreaded "idiot mark".
First thing upon opening the case the grips my wife picked out were absolutely gorgeous installed on the gun. The fiber optic front sight came with extra parts and John took the time to explain how to swap out the fiber optic part. Then it was out to the firing line to test out the trigger and the sighting in and the difference again was huge! The trigger pull is 3.5 pounds VS. the factory 7 pound pull and the trigger creep is gone. Where it used to take a good 1/2 - 3/4 inch of trigger pull to fire its now more like an 1/8th of an inch of travel before the hammer falls. The sighting in is dead level but my wife and I now need to work on our trigger pull to get our skills up to the level that John has taken our 1911 up to!
All in all he took a nice "starter" gun and made it better then a gun costing three times what our RIA 1911 did AND he said he could STILL HAVE DONE MORE!!!! A match grade RIA 1911 anyone?
I'm a do it yourself kind of guy because I'm worried about how the workmanship and the general outcome will be with regards to just about everything but John has earned my trust and business after this truly wonderful job. He is truly an artisan with a 1911 and takes pride in his work to a level that is rarely seen these days. Thank you John.
First thing upon opening the case the grips my wife picked out were absolutely gorgeous installed on the gun. The fiber optic front sight came with extra parts and John took the time to explain how to swap out the fiber optic part. Then it was out to the firing line to test out the trigger and the sighting in and the difference again was huge! The trigger pull is 3.5 pounds VS. the factory 7 pound pull and the trigger creep is gone. Where it used to take a good 1/2 - 3/4 inch of trigger pull to fire its now more like an 1/8th of an inch of travel before the hammer falls. The sighting in is dead level but my wife and I now need to work on our trigger pull to get our skills up to the level that John has taken our 1911 up to!
All in all he took a nice "starter" gun and made it better then a gun costing three times what our RIA 1911 did AND he said he could STILL HAVE DONE MORE!!!! A match grade RIA 1911 anyone?
I'm a do it yourself kind of guy because I'm worried about how the workmanship and the general outcome will be with regards to just about everything but John has earned my trust and business after this truly wonderful job. He is truly an artisan with a 1911 and takes pride in his work to a level that is rarely seen these days. Thank you John.
I just had John install a ambi safety on my Ruger SR1911, and I couldn't be happier with the result! He prices his work very fairly and has unbelievably fast turnaround time. He also let me fondle a couple of pistols that he built that do a great job of showcasing his skill, I've never felt a better pistol trigger, or maybe even on a rifle for that matter! Now I'm gonna put a few hundred rounds through the Ruger and we'll have another chat about what we can do for this sub-par trigger... Thanks again John, you'll be getting my business again!
and for the money shot...
and for the money shot...
omegared24
Ultimate Member
Actually met John today while in line at the Frederick gun show. Super nice guy and knows his stuff. Will def call him if I need help with something!
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