This Traditional Gunsmithing Video is Truly a One of a Kind
In a world where millions of Youtubers do their best to create interesting videos, this classic video on traditional gunsmithing video may never be matched.
In lots of ways, Youtube has become something really really positive. I’ll admit that, like anything, it’s how you use it, but the site contains seemingly endless tutorials on how to do almost anything. Sure, you have to wade through a lot of garbage to get to the good stuff, but every once in a while you find a real gem showing you something you would otherwise never know or see. Personally, I’m also thankful that Youtube has created a place for traditional craftsmen and people with traditional skills a place to show the world what they know. One gem of a video I recently came across showcases a traditional Master Gunsmith at his best.
This colonial gunsmithing video follows the master craftsmen (more on him in a moment) through the entire process of gun making in the Revolution period. From building a barrel, to forging springs, to the intricate carving, this video has it all. How in the world does it have less than 100,000 views???
If you’ve got some free time, or can make some, this video will take you back +200 years. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, I’ve included a cheat sheet below help you skip around.
Hopefully, you take the opportunity to watch the entire video. If not, here are a few major transitions in the video.
Barrel Making - 55 seconds in.
Making the Lock - 16:55 minutes in.
Making the Brass Mountings - 29:35 minutes in.
Stock Making and Assembly- 34:28 minutes in.
Shooting - 55:44 minutes in.
If you’ve watched the video there is a good chance you wondered, “Who is that guy?” Many folks already know this, but the guy in the video is Wallace Gussler. As you might guess, Gussler is well-known by folks in the traditional firearms community. He was working for Colonial Williamsburg when the video was created, and worked there until his retirement in the early 2000s. If you’d like to learn more about Mr. Gussler, you can watch this video that features the Master Gunsmith.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with your friends or anyone you think would be interested in watching the traditional skill in action. To my knowledge nobody else on Youtube has made a video like it. With over 300 hours invested in the labor alone, there isn’t likely to be anytime soon either.
You might also like my Just Yarnin’ Series of mountain man short stories here.
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