Gunsmiths bemoan decline
By Kim Fundingsland, Minot Daily News
MINOT, N.D. — In the Old West, the local gunsmith was as important as the farrier or harnessmaker. Today, gunsmithing is considered a dying art.
"There's less people shooting — a lot less than there used to be," said Dave Jacobs of Dakota Gunsmithing Specialties in Mott.
"The real heyday for gunsmiths came right after World War II when soldiers brought back rifles from the war and had them customized. That lasted until the mid-'70s to early '80s," he said.
"A lot of industries are consolidating," said Melissa Sheppard of R & G Gunsmiths in Dickinson, N.D. "The mom-and-pop entrepreneur has the most difficulty surviving. Sometimes it takes 20 years to build up a reputation."
Sheppard and her husband, Dave, purchased R & G Gunsmiths after finding it nearly impossible to open a similar shop in California.
"We moved here from the San Francisco Bay area last July," Melissa Sheppard said. "My husband went to gunsmithing school but we just couldn't get a federal firearms permit. The counties in California just don't want any guns in the neighborhood."
Dave Sheppard knew that if he wanted to pursue his passion, he'd have to find an area of the country where gunsmiths were still welcome. The trail led to North Dakota.
"It's been a great move. I wish I'd done it 30 years earlier," Dave Sheppard said. "The people here are just great."
Melissa Sheppard finds North Dakotans friendlier and more trusting. "And we don't have all that urban congestion and rushing about," she said.
R & G Gunsmithing is the Sheppards' retirement job. They say it would be pretty tough to earn a full-time living as a modern-day gunsmith. Nevertheless, Dave Sheppard is quite happy in the shop.
"Yes, it's a dying art," he said. "There's still quite a few doing it but it's hard to make a living at it unless you are really specialized and have a reputation for doing good work. I'm never going to make a lot of money at it. I do it for the fun. I like seeing old and unusual guns and get them working again."
Jacobs is an old-timer when it comes to North Dakota gunsmiths. He's been working on guns for more than 20 years and has witnessed the shrinking numbers of his colleagues.
"We had one in Hettinger. He passed away. There was a couple in Dickinson but not anymore," Jacobs said. "The one in Belfield is no more. A friend of mine quit the business. There's been more than a few that have disappeared."
Bob Heiser operated a gunsmith shop in Minot for five years. He still has Dakota Gunworks, although on a smaller scale than when he first set up in Minot.
"It's kind of hard to make a living as a gunsmith in a town the size of Minot," he said.
Brad Abel of Minot does gunsmithing on a part-time basis under the name Ward County Firearms. He began the trade because his gunsmith of choice quit the business.
"I had a Wildcat custom rifle built and fell in love with that concept," Abel said. "I got the fever. I had an interest in building rifles and dove into it head first and started building custom, long-range rifles."
Abel does some repair work but his real passion in building rifles from scratch. In his shop, he has the necessary equipment to do the precision work required, including a metal lathe and a vertical mill.
"Gunsmithing, I think, is dying out," says Abel. "What has really dropped off is the actual machining and metal working."
Jacobs cites a lack of young shooters, increased federal regulations and more options available from today's manufacturers.
The finer art of gunsmithing, fashioning parts and bettering the fit and accuracy of a firearm, is not nearly as in demand today as it was just a few years ago. Gunsmiths are still needed when something goes wrong with a firearm, but the firearms industry has undergone big changes, such as synthetic stocks and stainless steel barrels, that have lessened the demand.
"I don't do a whole lot of re-barreling anymore. It just gets too expensive for most people," Heiser said. "I do a lot of recoil pads on shotguns and rifles. I do a lot of muzzle brakes and adjust triggers. I can make a rifle more accurate than they are from the factory but most people just don't require that."
Many of today's gun owners are more likely to order a part and try to make the fix themselves than call on an experienced gunsmith. Heiser said that's not always the best solution when it comes to firearms.
"Sometimes it works out," Heiser said. "All of the firearms today are pretty well made. The older guns? A lot of stuff was hand-fitted. Even today a lot of parts need fitting. That's where the gunsmithing part comes in. You can order a part and it may fit but it also may require fitting to really work properly."
Mark Vickerman of Minot works part-time in his gunsmith shop, Mark's Gun Works. Vickerman retired two years ago following 24 years of service in the National Guard.
"I really like it when somebody brings in grandpa's old shotgun," Vickerman said. "That's what I enjoy, figuring out the puzzles. Those are the kind of jobs I like to take on. I like to see the craftsmanship. I like my work to look good and function well."
Gunsmiths agree that if gun owners did a better job of cleaning and maintaining their firearms, there would be even fewer trips to the gunsmith.
"A lot of problems come from just getting too gummed up," Heiser said. "Guns are meant to be kept clean or you can expect troubles."
By Kim Fundingsland, Minot Daily News
MINOT, N.D. — In the Old West, the local gunsmith was as important as the farrier or harnessmaker. Today, gunsmithing is considered a dying art.
"There's less people shooting — a lot less than there used to be," said Dave Jacobs of Dakota Gunsmithing Specialties in Mott.
"The real heyday for gunsmiths came right after World War II when soldiers brought back rifles from the war and had them customized. That lasted until the mid-'70s to early '80s," he said.
"A lot of industries are consolidating," said Melissa Sheppard of R & G Gunsmiths in Dickinson, N.D. "The mom-and-pop entrepreneur has the most difficulty surviving. Sometimes it takes 20 years to build up a reputation."
Sheppard and her husband, Dave, purchased R & G Gunsmiths after finding it nearly impossible to open a similar shop in California.
"We moved here from the San Francisco Bay area last July," Melissa Sheppard said. "My husband went to gunsmithing school but we just couldn't get a federal firearms permit. The counties in California just don't want any guns in the neighborhood."
Dave Sheppard knew that if he wanted to pursue his passion, he'd have to find an area of the country where gunsmiths were still welcome. The trail led to North Dakota.
"It's been a great move. I wish I'd done it 30 years earlier," Dave Sheppard said. "The people here are just great."
Melissa Sheppard finds North Dakotans friendlier and more trusting. "And we don't have all that urban congestion and rushing about," she said.
R & G Gunsmithing is the Sheppards' retirement job. They say it would be pretty tough to earn a full-time living as a modern-day gunsmith. Nevertheless, Dave Sheppard is quite happy in the shop.
"Yes, it's a dying art," he said. "There's still quite a few doing it but it's hard to make a living at it unless you are really specialized and have a reputation for doing good work. I'm never going to make a lot of money at it. I do it for the fun. I like seeing old and unusual guns and get them working again."
Jacobs is an old-timer when it comes to North Dakota gunsmiths. He's been working on guns for more than 20 years and has witnessed the shrinking numbers of his colleagues.
"We had one in Hettinger. He passed away. There was a couple in Dickinson but not anymore," Jacobs said. "The one in Belfield is no more. A friend of mine quit the business. There's been more than a few that have disappeared."
Bob Heiser operated a gunsmith shop in Minot for five years. He still has Dakota Gunworks, although on a smaller scale than when he first set up in Minot.
"It's kind of hard to make a living as a gunsmith in a town the size of Minot," he said.
Brad Abel of Minot does gunsmithing on a part-time basis under the name Ward County Firearms. He began the trade because his gunsmith of choice quit the business.
"I had a Wildcat custom rifle built and fell in love with that concept," Abel said. "I got the fever. I had an interest in building rifles and dove into it head first and started building custom, long-range rifles."
Abel does some repair work but his real passion in building rifles from scratch. In his shop, he has the necessary equipment to do the precision work required, including a metal lathe and a vertical mill.
"Gunsmithing, I think, is dying out," says Abel. "What has really dropped off is the actual machining and metal working."
Jacobs cites a lack of young shooters, increased federal regulations and more options available from today's manufacturers.
The finer art of gunsmithing, fashioning parts and bettering the fit and accuracy of a firearm, is not nearly as in demand today as it was just a few years ago. Gunsmiths are still needed when something goes wrong with a firearm, but the firearms industry has undergone big changes, such as synthetic stocks and stainless steel barrels, that have lessened the demand.
"I don't do a whole lot of re-barreling anymore. It just gets too expensive for most people," Heiser said. "I do a lot of recoil pads on shotguns and rifles. I do a lot of muzzle brakes and adjust triggers. I can make a rifle more accurate than they are from the factory but most people just don't require that."
Many of today's gun owners are more likely to order a part and try to make the fix themselves than call on an experienced gunsmith. Heiser said that's not always the best solution when it comes to firearms.
"Sometimes it works out," Heiser said. "All of the firearms today are pretty well made. The older guns? A lot of stuff was hand-fitted. Even today a lot of parts need fitting. That's where the gunsmithing part comes in. You can order a part and it may fit but it also may require fitting to really work properly."
Mark Vickerman of Minot works part-time in his gunsmith shop, Mark's Gun Works. Vickerman retired two years ago following 24 years of service in the National Guard.
"I really like it when somebody brings in grandpa's old shotgun," Vickerman said. "That's what I enjoy, figuring out the puzzles. Those are the kind of jobs I like to take on. I like to see the craftsmanship. I like my work to look good and function well."
Gunsmiths agree that if gun owners did a better job of cleaning and maintaining their firearms, there would be even fewer trips to the gunsmith.
"A lot of problems come from just getting too gummed up," Heiser said. "Guns are meant to be kept clean or you can expect troubles."
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