March 27, 2018

Antique Gunsmithing

I started The Village Gunsmith in 1971 out of a child-
hood passion for firearms. I served a two-year apprentice-
ship with George Strickland of Smith Mills Sport Supply in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. I also worked under Edward Lander of Lakeville Massachusetts, who is a full-time gun-
smith since 1945.

With a combination of tutoring, self teaching and studying every available book on gunsmithing, I have progressed to the point where I have accomplished every facet of the trade. Such as; machine shop, fabricating gun parts by hand forging with anvil and hammer as well as machining, fitting rifle barrels, metallurgy, heat treating, metal finishing (blueing and browning), wood finishing, stock fabrication and alteration, custom work, and scratch building with hand tools and raw materials.

I have accomplished everything through passion, from antique restoration, building of antique guns to building modern custom target pistols and rifles. I also enjoy working on the 21st century space guns. My forte is antique arms; vintage Colt and Smith & Wesson double action and single action revolvers, and of course, the Colt model of 1911.