My intent here is to get a fair and reasonable assessment of damage by information provided from me to this panel.
Since you don't wish to have any suggestions on how to repair or mitigate the damage to your shotgun muzzles. I won't offer any at this time. But I seriously doubt whether the responsible party will give a damn about any damage estimates or loss in valuation opinions provided by anyone here... no matter how accurate it may be.
Considering past history in tragic circumstances such as this, I think you will have your work cut out for you when it comes to recovering money for your loss. If you had shipping insurance, the insurance company will only be interested in a damage estimate from a qualified gunsmith, and they may contest that too. Your engraver is likely to blame the baboons that mishandled the package. Someone who scratches metal for a living should know about the potential for such damage. He got paid, so will probably continue to pack items poorly.
It would be interesting to hear how this ends. But I think the outcome will ultimately reinforce the lesson that valuable thin-walled steel tubes should only be shipped (both ways) in something very sturdy and rigid like a well padded capped schedule 40 PVC pipe... And hopefully that is enough! I've had my own shipping damage to guns too.
