doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Where have the gunsmiths gone?

I have an excellent gunsmith. His trouble shooting and machine skills are beyond fault. Thing is he's the same age as me, 71....

acgg.org

We should be doing all we can to support this organization................

I agree.

Mitch Schultz in Connecticut is retiring. He will be missed.

My pal has a one man gun shop in Bavaria his two sons aged 24 & 26 both did the four year Ferlach, Austria training to become a Meister Buchsenmacher. I visited with them last week and as I had lived and worked in the USA for 8 years they were picking my brain ref are there any decent smiths stateside? Perhaps they want to emigrate to the USA.
Amazing quality work that I saw ie a 3 barrel drilling barrel set being brazed & soldered together while I watched them, all 3 tubes are rifled 2 were .700 NE with the smaller one being .375 H&H.

There are a lot of self proclaimed gunsmiths but very few who are true craftsman. Those that can make parts are few and far between. Most are just parts replacers. Another trade that is losing ground.

Anyone in America can order a Brownell's gunsmith apron and call himself a gunsmith and there are only a handful who are real gunmakers (Meister Buchsenmacher).

Kindest Regards;
Stephen Howell

Where have the gunsmith’s gone? In my limited experience, the answer is “part time.”

That answer is a little raw this morning as I just sat with my friend (and ‘smith) last evening. His mill and lathe were the backdrop to our visit in his darkened shop. Only the light over the bench gave some hope. He crossed the 60 mark last year and the need for medical insurance became more obvious as old wear and tear issues demanded surgery. He reluctantly realized that he would have to respond to the market demand for his analytical and technical skills along with his increasingly rare work ethic. He now has a great paying job with full benefits. Since he owns his shop he was able to keep it and just take care of his long time customers. When he qualifies for Medicare in a few years he’ll retire and turn the lights back on.