Don’t know the LRI folks, do know they have a great reputation of doing professional work and getting it done in a reasonable time frame.
I have extensive metal fab experience. Not a lot on the machining end, just enough to know what I don’t know. I can say without a doubt that gunsmiths work at a fraction of what is competitive across the machining trade. Go check out the shop rate at a machine shop, if you can find one. When I have to send an equipment part to a machine shop, seems like I never get out for less than a grand. Don’t care what it is. We should be happy that folks like Chad are willing to stick with it. He could easily convert his spread to doing aerospace or off - road/automotive/medical, etc. machining and leave another hole in the firearms world. I liked to send stuff to ROBAR as an example. Not anymore, they’re still there (last I knew) just doing things that pay.
$125 for a barrel thread job? I don’t know how long it takes them, I do know how long it takes me. If it’s faster than an hour, it’s because of the investment in experience and equipment we’d be paying for. If it’s more than an hour, he’s losing money on labor and I hope folks spring for other work while you’re in the shop.