The Gunsmith of Williamsburg

[TheOtherZilla]

Has anyone watched this documentary? It was on one of the educational channels last nite. It was made in 1969. A gunsmith makes a period flintlock using all the old methods of the 1700's.. Talk about a lot of work.. Everything was hand made except his files.. Very labor intensive.. Worth the watch..

 

[clowdis]

Used to show it to a class I was teaching back in the 80's (you could rent it from Williamsburg). It was a class on building American Longrifles and the Williamsburg film featuring a younger Wallace Gusler seemed to inspire everyone in the class. If you think it's tough building a rifle now you ought to watch this film!

 

[shortgrass]

Gunsmithing, labor intensive, yesterday and today. The "good stuff" doesn't just fall off of a CNC or be advertised as "drop-in". Some still appreciate 'hand fitted & finished'.

 

[Lesloan]

Gunsmithing, labor intensive, yesterday and today. The "good stuff" doesn't just fall off of a CNC or be advertised as "drop-in". Some still appreciate 'hand fitted & finished'.

I think a lot of us appreciate it. The question is...how many of us are willing to pay for it? Those who are can still get it.

 

[ebb]

Who was the gunsmith that used to build the black powder guns for the keynote speakers at the NRA conventions? I once read a story about a gun he built, an apple wood stock that was thought to have been planted by Johnny Appleseed. It was tested to be the variety of apple tree he planted, cut out side of a old fort site he had been known to visit, and was known to have planted trees there. A beautiful rifle!

 

[Outrider27]

Just as interesting as that documentary is/was to go to the gunsmith shop in Colonial Williamsburg and watch them at work. The sad part, for those that desire such a beautifully crafted firearm, is that toward the end of the 10 year period when my wife and I used to visit Williamsburg periodically, the gunsmith shop quit taking orders from "outside customers" for custom made flintlocks. They finished the existing orders (like most custom firearms, it was not a short wait for delivery) and continued (the last I saw) only with maintenance on flintlocks associated with Colonial Williamsburg. Since its been years since I visited there, I don't even know if the shop still exists, but I expect it does, as the gunsmith shop was an integral part of the life depicted by Colonial Williamsburg.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Was in Williamsburg several months ago; gunsmith shop still alive & well. Didn't get to spend much time there, but what I saw was interesting.