Gentlemen: The law of defamation (libel if in writing, slander if verbal)has two important exceptions to liability--truth is always an absolute defense, and merely stating your opinion as opposed to making a false statement of fact is protected. That said, you could spend a lot of money raising these defenses in a lawsuit against you, even if ultimately successful. Bottom line is most gunsmiths do not have the time or money to prosecute a libel/slander lawsuit unless the statement is so outrageously false that it is a slam dunk winner, and they can prove a loss in their business income caused by the statement.