I took some time this morning to read all this over again and to read the new comments. There seems to be a lot of discussion about eyewitness reports versus published reports.
As I said before I have spent some time before his name came up here on the bulletin board looking into the background of Jules La Bantchni. When I read some of the statements here I will admit that I had some preconceived ideas about Jules.
I was also fixated for years on the fact that I just did not believe his last name was real.
I am just now trying to put together a little more in depth information on him and it will take some time. Normally I only research and write about prewar custom gunmakers so what he did before the war is a little more interesting to me.
Let me tell you some of the sources that I've used for some of the opinions I have formed. Both his parents were Austrian this comes from the 1910 in 1930 Census records. Another record shows his parents as German/Austrian.
When and where his first retail shop was opened I got from the newspaper article (1952) and from the American gunsmiths Guild bluebook (1946). the 2202 Pico Blvd in Santa Monica, CA as “Jules’s Guns” I got from numerous sources including one customer who sent me an bill of sale from that address.
I talked with John Lachuk who wrote the book on Frank Pachmayr and asked him, on the phone, what can you tell me about Jules La Bantchni.
I talked with one of the gunsmiths who worked at Pachmayr's in the early 70s and ask him what can you tell me about Jules La Bantchni.
I e-mailed and talked at length with his stepson who lived with Jules for about 10 years. Both he and his mom worked in the store. I believe both his daughters are now deceased but I don't know that for sure I'm still looking for them. I do have a note from Julie written to someone back in 1986 that includes a stack of his drawings for engraving which are very interested.
The articles that have been written about him to date contain almost no personal information.
I have made my share of mistakes in what I have published. But all of the mistakes were mine and they certainly were not by repeating what others had written.
One year while visiting my sister in the lower 48 I made an appointment with the son of one of the most famous prewar American gunmakers. I spent several hours with him and tape-recorded our question-and-answer session. When I got home I looked over all my notes and listen to the recording and I then started to verify what he said. About half of the information he gave me was just flat wrong and I am thankful to this day that I did not publish it.
I am just now trying to put together a little more in depth information on Jules La Bantchni and it will take some time.
