Did I miss the part where he tried to take it back to the shop? He has tried, right?
Nobody wins in small claims court, but the lawyers on both sides.
The owner said he didn't see an issue with the work and thinks it's perfectly safe to shoot. He then said if my friend had an issue with it, he needs to take it up with the guy the shop outsourced it to.
Might not be any other option other than small claims.