Success In Gunsmithing

WELCOME TO THE NO BS ZONE OF TEDDY JACOBSON


The first time I ever met a Gunsmith I was about 9 years old. My father was a big rifle person and knew quite a few gunsmiths in New York City in 1950. It was something for me at that age to go to a gun shop and look at everything and I was allowed to go in the back of the shop to see where the work was performed. These were not pistolsmiths, these were general gunsmiths that worked on everything whether it was a rifle or shotgun or a handgun. There was one shop in NYC that even provided gun props for the movie industry. If a scene was to be shot for a movie in NYC, this is where they came to get their tommy guns and shotguns etc, all movie props. I never did know if they were inoperable. These smiths made a decent living because they did more than just fix your rifle, they rented these props out and apparently did well.


From day one, my main interest became handguns even though I used rifles only at that age. In order to learn gunsmithing there were people that worked under supervision in these shops. This same thing was true of electricians and plumbers etc. Years ago there were people like me that just did everything by hand, that is long gone today. I can not begin to tell you the tedious training that people went through in order to learn a trade when I was a kid. I spent 2 years in school for Architectural drafting. I spent days and weeks just manually printing the alphabet. I wrote each letter hundreds and hundreds of times day after day after day. The teacher was very hard on us, if our letters were not perfect we had the privilage of doing it over and over. I learned how to see every detail of everything I did. This story about my architectural background and then mechanical drafting background set the stage for me in my gun work. That is the reason I have even brought it up, the average person is not born with the attention to detail that is necessary to be a craftsman. Its true you may have some talent as you grow older but its the intense training that results in becoming better and better.


Next becomes the difficult time to find some one to help or guide you. All I ever wanted to learn was internal action work, there is no place that just teaches that specific area of expertise. Sure they have gunsmithing schools around the country or a workshop that may last for 5 days. You go to another state and stay in a motel and you take a course in a very expensive machine shop where the instructor tries to show you how to make a 1911 pistol. After your 5 day course and after having spent thousands of dollars, you then go home to your kitchen table, and what have you accomplished ?? You tell me........
After almost 100 years its still about making the 1911 pistol. Its a wonderful pistol if its tuned right, but most still are arguing about the basics, if Colt is still having trouble doesn't that say it all.
I assure you if you go to most any forum or gun chat room they are still discussing the very basics of the 1911 pistol. THESE PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT IN A REVOLVING DOOR WITH NO EXIT. They will never get to see the light, because common sense eludes them.


Years ago if you were a true craftsman and did good work you would only get recognized thru one of the gun publications. If you were fortunate enough to meet or know a well known gun writer he could help you. There was no way one or two or three articles would set your place in history. You would have to become a recognized name in the gunsmithing business to eventually struggle to the upper end where you could make a living. IT TOOK YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. It certainly helped if you could buy advertising ads but in order to keep a bought reputation you had to earn it with consistant quality work. Many people just could not hold up as you are scrutinized by everyone.


Many gunsmiths never worked full time, it was always a very difficult way to make a living. Most were part time Smiths that just tinkered after their regular job. How can a person make a living by just fixing a broken firing pin or a broken spring. They could not. The smart people came to realize that the money was in selling parts. The 1911 parts market made some people very well off, but they were smart. There was no big money working on a few guns a week, it is just dedication that motivated some one like me, nothing more.


The internet changed it all, now an unknown who could never get an article written in a magazine or had no gun writer or editor to talk with had the opportunity of a lifetime. He or she could now start or buy or operate their very own forum and promote their own work.
A customer of mine who is a very smart young fellow was over here and we had a discussion and magazines (publications) became the topic of discussion and he said he would not buy a magazine. I was very surprised and I asked why and he said in these current times of the internet or the information super hiway these "gun rags" are obsolete. I never dreamed that this new breed of gun person felt so strongly about how to obtain information that is gun related. He was very sincere in his belief, I am certainly not a computer person and still would rather read a magazine than look at a screen with my neck so very bad.


So after almost 100 years of seeing a 1911 pistol, people are still making or trying to make a living off this old war horse. Its just part of our history that is cast in concrete. There are some very good machinists and platers that can do wonders with a 1911 pistol. But always remember the beautiful checkering or the beautiful plating or any of the cosmetics have never saved anyones life, but my internal action work has allowed many people to be able to go home at night and their attacker went to the morgue sporting a brand new toe tag. That is fact...


AUTHORS PERSONAL NOTATION:
This commentary as well as all my previous commentaries are my personal opinion and my personal viewpoint only.


Teddy Jacobson / Pistolsmith (semi retired)
www.actionsbyt.com
281 277 4008
tjacobson@houston.rr.com
jaj45f@alltel.net
www.actionsbyt.blogspot.com/