No copyright infringement intended. An incredible video detailing the intricate and steps required to masterfully create a beautiful black powder firearm from the 18th century.
This documentary was made in 1969, two years after I was born. Just 50 years ago television programs did not consider their viewers dumb. No hyped-up fast-paced narration. You can actually see every single operation. The combination of a narrator and a first person singular account works amazingly well. A treasure.
Nowadays, I can make my own gun by ordering parts, simple machining, 3D printing, a Dremel, and hand tools from Brownell's and Home Depot. If I had the space, I could set up a lathe, drill press, table saw, CnC, and make everything but the barrel bore from benchstock. This guy makes me look like I'm playing with Lego. Make a forge. Make a hammer. Make a crucible. Make your own chemicals. They say that any sufficiently advanced technology will seem like magic to a primitive, but as technology progresses past us needing to do these things, "The old fashioned way" looks like pure alchemy to a modern eye. Being able to tell time and date by the moon and stars makes my friend think I'm some kind of sorcerer. Watching this guy make his own screws has me similarly in awe.
It's like in modern time we're removed from things like this. I get a similar feeling when watching Primitive Technology, especially when PT made an iron tool. Both these people are taking materials from the ground, moulding them, heating them, hammering and shaping them into a complex tool with many different parts with their own unique functions, basically from mundane materials. It's... raw, primal, using what you have in the earth you stand on.
EDIT: Thank you to many people for correcting me - the master gunsmith Wallace Gusler is still living. Another person with his same name passed away in Virginia in 2022. Apologies for spreading misinformation! Rest in peace Wallace Gusler, 1931-2022. A true master of his craft!
A friend of mine just passed month ago 37 22 had just as much info. These old timers can teach us if we allow are selves. I bet these young men In this recording still have them rifles & will out live them
I spent three years building custom 1911 pistols on an assembly line. My hands were like raw hide when i left. I used modern mills, lathes and surface grinders. But I also used files every day. It really makes you appreciate the skill of a guy like this to do what he was doing. It's hard to explain but when you look at the same steel parts day in and out for years you can see a half thousands of an inch difference. My mentor there said that, that some of the guns he had from the late 1800s had much tighter tolerances on fine fitted parts than today's guns. And those dudes did not even have electricity. Lol great video.
i tell my non machinist friends i can see in thousandths of inches and they tell me i'm crazy when i can see the imperfections in a table's flatness and texture glad i'm not the only crazy
The term “tolerance” is not the same as “precision”. If you are making a lot of parts and you want them to be completely interchangeable, then you define how big and how small they can be and still fit and function. That is tolerance. If you are making one thing by hand, you can make its parts fit very closely even if you don’t know their numerical size. That’s precise, and a wonderful fit, but because interchangeability is not important, tolerances are irrelevant.
Really enjoyed this throughout the whole program. Wish they could do tv like this today. No flashy scripts. No fast cutting between 50 different camera angles. No host screaming "VERY DANGEROUS" every 15 seconds. Just focused on the art itself and the artisan. Thanks for sharing this gem. Cheers!
Today corporate greed rules the media, movies and production of merchandise. They must try to sell something to enrich the CEO retirement packages and , of course, the general public is too freaking stupid to enjoy a production like this, right???? Gotta have those "Buy this pillow, it will cure gout and dandruff, not to mention it will make you better looking." ads.
The smith forges the barrel UNDER DANGEROUS FLAMES *rock music plays while slow motion footage and dramatic cuts show the smith hammering a piece of steel*
As a retired mechanical engineer I watched with fascination the craftsmanship and precision of this gunsmith work. It is a true work of art! I am very very impressed with a skill of this man.
This is a fine example of what a TV show should look like. Clear, concise, informative, no "hidden messages" wonderfully narrated, with only what the viewer needs to know. Zero waffling.
I've watched this video at least 50 times over the years. I started building muzzleloaders in 1975. I'm nowhere close to Mr. Gussler's level, but I enjoy doing it. He was a true artist. Even if you're just a kit-builder, you'll learn a lot about the craft.
I was a friend of Mike Walker of Remington in the last 12-14 yrs of his life. He was retired but still working 3-6 hrs every day doing gunsmithing/reloading and benchrest shooting.. Mike's last rifle that he built before his death at 101 yrs old was a 260 ackly. I was able to help some on this rifle. He built it for me to deer hunt with. One of many over the years..... What a great man with lots of interesting stories from his work at Remington!! I still have some of his tools and rifles I bought that he used in benchrest competition.. This video was well made. Thanks for posting!! .
@@308alaska sorry to hear that. I had 2 shoulder surgeries in the military, they aren't fun AT ALL. I wish you Godspeed and a quick recovery my friend.
It was released in 1969 My birth year It’s a different level of gunsmithing They had to know absolutely everything from steel fordging to wood finishing They were definitely true craftsman
I would think that, 300 years ago, a man like Gusler, with skills enough to build the whole gun, would do best to train and employ ten or twenty specialists, to turn out more guns per man-hour.
My grandfather built these as a hobby. I did not understand their value until I was later told one was worth $7000 in 1960's dollars. Unfortunately, they were stolen.
@@wryanddry2266 back then one gun would be passed down for generations so why would a skilled craftsman created unnecessary competition? There was no demand like today he’s maybe selling 20 rifles a year & you’d pay for it before it was made because of the expense, say twice that in pistols which were cheaper & easier to carry so one village only needed one gunsmith & two apprentices tops & only two because one will most likely die of something before adulthood or move away to get married, I got a friend does this & he’s very careful not to share hard earned secrets
I love the documentaries of that era. We had the same in USSR. Thorough, slow paced, very detailed and beautifully narrated. Made to educate people as a primary goal, not for a momentary entertainment.
Same in the UK. Had shows like Horizon, just great documentaries which didn't speak down to people. I agree documentaries now just don't feel the same, even if many are good.
The rifle built in front of our eyes is a treasure indeed. I have been to Williamsburg three times in my youth, and was always drawn to this foundry to watch the Gunsmith at work. He was different each time, and in the different time of construction on a musket or rifle. But I learned to appreciate the skills and patience needed to have a finished product. The last time I was at Williamsburg, I was 14, just three years short of my first .22 rifle. It was a real learning experience as I was able (with careful monitoring) to shape the stock somewhat. Real experience that I was able to take into my 20's and 30's as I specialized in restoring stocks on rifles that were burned or broken. "Furniture" stocks, handguards, and forends were called, and quite rightly so as it took many hours to restore or replace the burned wood from house fires and neglect. I really learned to appreciate the work that goes into gunsmithing (it doen't stop when sights are installed, many things you have to learn and apply to your calling). I am 67 now, a little slower but much more learned.
This has to be one of the most interesting videos I've ever watched. I never considered the skills needed to be a gunsmith, particularly the blacksmithing.
So many people think that all smiths do is change sights and put slides on Glocks. Maybe an optic cut or trigger replacement Absolutely aggravating when i hear that crap. Talented gunsmiths are in rare form these days. If you find yourself a good 1911 smith, you have someone that can handle quite a bit on anything. Regarding the forging,- These days, most smith's don't do much forging, but rather fine skills with a mill and lathe using good material. TIG pops up here and there and then the occasional use of a heat treat oven to reharden or case harden. Gunsmithing work is one of the most satisfying things I do with my time. that said - I absolutely agree. the work that used to go into every rifle is ASTOUNDING. What we now rely on CNCs for, they did with a hacksaw and file and done perfectly.
I’m 4th generation machinist/grindhand in my family, and this stuff is a passion. When I started watching the gun drilling procedure, I immediately wondered how many bits he breaks. I got my answer. That takes so much skill to do that without the “feel” you have on today’s feed mechanisms. Pretty amazing that guns have been made for as long as they have.
My dad was a gunsmith in Ranson WV for 50 + years. He had one of Wallace Guslers flint lock rifles in his shop. A man brought in a couple of rifles from Harper's Ferry and one of W. Gusler. Guslers rifle was beautifully ingraved. The customer wanted them fixed up for display. Seeing this video was an amazing experience for me, and I thank you. I lost my dad on April 4th, 22. You brought back so many memories for me, and I'm grateful to you for that. This video was amazing.
@@nbbistudent7 Was very privileged to build a Kibler Kit rifle with Wallace Gusler at the NMLRA WKU Gunsmithing Seminar. Happens every year. Check it out. Life changing event for me. Wallace is the gunsmith shown here- he had a decorated career at Williamsburg that eventually took him out of the gunshop, but he never stopped building and researching. Absolutely phenomenal teacher.
@@charlesharper7292 I have a deep connection to mine, having assembled it myself. Very cool experience, especially since it was my first time. In the coming week I am releasing a video covering my entire account building the rifle at the WKU seminar.
Saw this back in high school in the early 70's. Absolutely astounded. For those who don't know, Mr.Brinkley,the narrator, was part of the nightly news for NBC ,a distinguished journalist during the the tumultuous era of the 50s, 60s and 70's. Mr. Devane, who voices the gunsmith, a prominent actor of the time. Never got the chance to visit Mr.Gusler at work in his shop sadly. Brilliant film,thank you for posting.
Steve, Thanks for putting a name to that distinct voice. Brinkley goes back to my day and his voice is forever etched in my brain! (RE: The gunsmithing art---it's an extremely labor intensive effort--I have much respect for the skill)
@@trappenweisseguy27 He played JFK in the 70s docu-drama “The Missiles of October “ about the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.Devane was great but soon typecast,sadly.
I'm not sure what people are watching, but documentaries in this style are still made today, slow and patient but with better camera work, more thorough details being shown for longer and some with no narration, just subtle pleasant music and the sounds of something being made by hand. Blacksmiths, cobblers, wool suits, everything.
Wow, that was one of the best documentaries I’ve ever watched! I am a locksmith by trade which, compared to many other trades today, is still pretty old school. Yet this is just in a league of its own! I wish I was a tenth as skilled as Mr Gusler! What a craftsman, what an artist, what a tradesman. I believe that that is truly what a great tradesman is and should aspire to be. Though I know that with today’s technology spending 300 hours building such a work of art from such raw materials is truly in a completely different realm in actual feasibility. It really does become art! Just how proud this craftsman must feel about his work I cannot fathom and can only be left in complete awe! I enjoyed every second watching that. 😮
one of the best clips I have seen in my entire life. Now I am 56 years old and intersted in firearms since I was a kid at the age of 4 years. Among decades I always was interested in gunsmithing and this clip brings back the importance of these skilled men. Without them in the 18th century USA would never been founded. This clip should be seen by everybody in the whole world to show and remind in the great history of the early decades of the young USA. This outstanding nation is built and crreated by strong, skilled and free men who decided to settle down in the new world from Europe to create a better world. AND THIS HAPPENED AMONG THE CENTURIES......
@@m1a1abrams93 It’s not some genetic trait that our ancestors possessed that made this country great; it was the opportunity that called to our ancestors to come and live up to their dreams and potential. That opportunity still calls to people who seek freedom and a chance to contribute to our American legacy.
Всем доброго дня! Дамы и господа, это же настоящее наслаждение: смотреть за работой людей с поистине золотыми руками! Старинное искусство, воспроизведенное в полноценном фильме-исследовании - замечательная работа! Браво и низкий поклон мастеру! Спасибо всем! С уважением А.Т., Россия.
@@fainderskurs-koi8767 , наверное, удивлю, но соглашусь насчет "тупорылых бестолочей" - того же сантехника с прямыми руками найти практически невозможно! Крайне мало мастеров...
As Armoury is part of my profession and the quest to understand how guns were made, I miraclosly stumbled on this film a few days after thinking how they did it and I was blown away by the artistry of Mr W Gustler. I was mesmerized by his ability of completing every facet and after watching realised that he was more than just a gunsmith he was a Grand Master Gunsmith. I hope people can apreciate that a gun from that era was made with blood sweat and tears. I am still in awe............
My grandfather was a gunsmith for a living. I am a hobbiest one just for my own guns. The amount of work Gustler did was amazing just with hand tools and not modern lathes and milling machines. Hats off to him. I have milling machine and modern lathes. Doing all that work by hand is amazing.
I’m a 35 year old blacksmith in Kentucky, I’m a one man shop. THIS was incredibly inspiring!!! I wish they made documentaries like this today, thanks for sharing.
This man is certainly a Master Craftsman and is amazing what boggles my mind is that someone long before him thought of and designed each and everyone of these parts and figured out how to make this whole thing work as one unit. Not to take anything away from this man of course.
THE OLD GUNSMITH'S HUT From dust to dust we go, meanwhile working wood and rock, it's metal so tedious and slow, he makes it working like a clock. A gunsmith lives by iron and coal, together with piles of wood. Made by the template of his soul, a pride for his neighbourhood. The gunsmith's hut is falling down, the anvil's heartbeats no more. Modern times has come to town, no gunsmith here for sure.
@@tomrobards7753 It's not really gone. There is still a lot of respect for old fashioned, skilled trades, and there are some who keep the crafts alive to the extent they can. It may seem gone, but I think it's just napping.
@@blackandgus yeah I built a Kentucky long rifle back in the late seventies from a rough kit took it to work show some of the guys and the maintenance supervisor offered me $400 for it in the kit cost 125 and all I did was take it out of the sleeve case he never even looked at it
@@tomrobards7753 That's pretty neat. I've confined my efforts to, so far, to miniature models of muskets and long rifles, plus a few other breach loaders of the next era. When I was a kid, I was visiting a kid down the street and saw that his older brother and dad were building a Kentucky long rifle in the basement. It was kind of magical to me, at the time. I couldn't imagine how one could just "build" such a fine thing. But maybe one of these days, when I acquire a few more tools and actually can forge out some small parts, I may try my hand at a kit. I doubt I could make a working lock, but I wouldn't mind trying to cast a trigger guard and butt plate in the styles found on the old Brown Bess muskets. Combing that with a good rifled barrel would suit me. Take care.
@@blackandgus you don't need all that many tools there's a company called CVA that makes kits of all kinds of black powder guns but the most beautiful rifles were the Pennsylvania rifles they command high dollars when one's finished but I built my kids strictly with common hand tools some files and Emery cloth and hand polishing and I made a buffer out on Old washing machine motor and some buffing wheels to put the high polish on the brass pieces you don't need that many tools to do one simple tools I know $40 with her or so would buy all those tools if you can salvage an old washing machine motor maybe $50 in Ann arbor for my hardware store for that motor and a little time I spent most of the winter building that kit from Christmas time till about March early April
It has been nearly 30 years since I saw this video. I remember the video well. I first got into muzzleloading in the mid 70s. Movies like this never really get old.
When I was stationed at Fort Eustis, VA, I'd frequently visit Colonial Williamsburg. At that time the gunsmith was backordered 2 years for a custom made rifle or pistol. A rifle cost $2,500.
A wonderful culture that sadly is fading away... and I'm not talking about Colonial days, but the value that was once placed on knowledge such as this, and the remembrance of how we came to be Americans.
Same is happening almost every European country, woke leftist mentality news media adds social media is all just one big leftist propaganda. They say you dont have culture and your nationality like its history is something to be ashamed. Just remember that white straight man is rasist and the oppressor off all.
@@southside1975 they've been destroying it for 100+ years... It didn't start with this administration. It started at the founding of our country. It's just back then they knew who those people were and actively sought them out and made examples of them.
Wow, this is without a doubt the most interesting video I've seen in a very long time. The craftsmanship is astonishing, over 300 hours to make a beautiful work of art, I wonder how much he would be paid for that.
@@FBIforreal152 yes, I agree. I can spend many hours even days putting together 20,000 piece models, some can take up to 6 months to complete but this craftsmanship is on another level.
I've been a tattoo artist for a decade and I thought putting 100 hours into a backpiece was something....its NOTHING compared to this. Pretty amazing. This guy is still alive and still making guns at 79 as far as I can tell by some quick internet sleuthing.
I will estimate the cost. At say $25/hour by 300 hours equals $7500, cost of materials say $2000, so I would say he probably sells them for say $12,000 for him to make a profit and pay tax. He must only make say 7 guns a year, all collectors item
@@emanuelmifsud6754 I don't think the materials would be anywhere near $2K. Wrought iron flat stock would be the toughest to find. Old horse drawn farm machinery or wagons would be your best supply stock.
As a person interested in history I have read about gunsmiths of the 18th and 19th century and tools they used. On a tour through the Oregon Trail Museum in Montpelier, Idaho, I saw a pair of wooden lathes and was curious. The tour guide did not know what they were used for but allowed me to take a closer look. History kicked in. One still had the rifle grooving bit installed. When I told him that I believed they were for boring and rifling rifles he was surprised. Today, 10 years after seeing the lathes and 65 years after getting interested in history, I finally got to see the manufacturing of a flintlock rifle, from raw metal and a block of wood. Wonderful documentary work.
As a layman, this was incredibly fascinating to watch. Much respect to the talent and craftsmanship of a master at work. It would take approximately 37 continuous days to create this masterpiece.
I have seen tens of thousands of videos on youtube here, and this is the best thing I have ever seen. My jaw dropped and stayed there the entire way through! Absolutely amazing thanks!
They played this film in my grade school history class in the mid-80’s. I never forgot it and am super psyched to get to watch it again after so long. Over the decades I have become a very competent knifemaker and woodworker. And, the seeds of all of that could have very possibly been from seeing this as a kid. Blew me away then, and still does now.
Thanks for posting! I visited here in 1967 with my family when I was 15 and fascinated with firearms. Unfortunately the gun shop wasn't manned but I distinctly remember the spiraled timber and rack used for the rifling. I also remember hundreds of smooth-bore muskets lining the walls of the armory. I did get to see them demo one of the muskets with a cloth wad as a blank. Even if the blacksmith had been there, only a very small part of this lengthy process would have been seen, and now I know the whole story, so thanks again for posting!
I had never seen this before. Brilliant and lovingly made. David Brinkley (Huntley and Brinkley) is the narrator and William Devane, the veteran character actor (recently starring in Bosch-Legacy) is the voice of the gunsmith. Very much worth a watch, even if you don't care for firearms you may appreciate the art, engineering and craftsmanship that these 'tools' encompass. They forged and sustained our new and vulnerable Republic. They are a significant part of who we are and what we would become.
This was such a lovely video. A final shot of the whole gun shown just on it's own against a plain background would have been satisfying. This video shows a glimpse into the changes and adaptions over the history of making rifles and many other firearms. Thank you so much.
This is hands down the coolest, most interesting and informational video I’ve ever seen. I’ve always wondered how such beautiful guns were made and the type of tool used to make them. Not only did they make beautiful rifles they made the tools used to make it also. I’ve always wanted to get into blacksmithing I have some wood working skills. I think I want to make my own black powder rifle. Since they’re not regulated by the government I think I’m gonna try. Thanks for the amazing video.
There are kits you can buy. A channel called Duelist1954 completed one of those kits a while back. Still an enormous amount of work,but very satisfying. Look him up,see if such is for you. Cheers.
That was amazing to watch from start to finish. I have so much admiration for the gunsmith's art and skill in this era. The broad nature of what are really specialist skills, all in one craftsman, allowing the creation of such a rifle shows the height of what a person could achieve in the pre-industrial period.
Thank you mr Wallace Gusler, the producers and the uploader for sharing your astonishing craftsmanship. It is a joy and an education to watch half a century later.
I think I discovered this video a little over 40 years ago, bought VHS copies and DVDs of and everything else offered by Colonial Williamsburg, but this one remains one of a handful of life changing introductions that have opened up a world of study I might have missed. I am so glad it is still getting viewed. One never fully understands the past until you know something of the technology of the times, and without that, you can't fully appreciate our own time.
thanks for sharing this.. what an incredible artisan and craftsman.. its amazing to see how he builds it all from first principles.. and you can really appreciate the work and effort put into making this gun. Truly amazing.. when he makes his own spring you can really feel he is the master of his craft
These old documentaries are truly national treasures, what a remarkable thing it would be to still have this level of skill at our disposal. Sadly those days are gone for the most part and will never return, such a shame to lose this form of art in gun making.
Superb documentary television. If programmes were made like this, no artificial drama and no skipping over the detail to pander to short attention spans. I'd watch tv if it were like this, hence why i watch largely instructive videos on RU-vid. This programme really makes me appreciate my 1904 Pratt and Whitney 10" engine lathe let alone my more modern workshop tools.
What a fascinating video! The craftsmanship is masterful. Very difficult to find this kind of multi-talented craftsman in our times. I visited Colonial Williamsburg in 1971 as part of a "Living History" training tour with the National Park Service and observed some of these craftsmen working in their shops. This visit truly brought history to life and solidified my appreciation for the skills and products of fine craftsmen. This video tells such a wonderful story and tells it so well. If ever presented with the opportunity to visit Colonial Williamsburg, do not miss it! Thank you so much for making this living history documentary available on RU-vid.
Every single American that served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War was watching this man make this Rifle with a smile on their faces. 😊
yes, I cant even believe one person has the patience and endurance to forge weld it much less all the rest of the finishing, I forge simple knives as a hobby, this makes that look like nothing at all and making a knife is damn hard in my book.
The skill and patience this gunsmith has is amazing. I was wondering what machines there were, but everything is hand made, even the tools. Shows how much engineering has advanced. The most enjoyable video I have seen in a long time.
All I can say is I'm utterly impressed in every station of this rifle build. This man and those equal of his extreme ability, were masters, and men of astounding caliber and character..
What an absolute gem of a historical documentary this is! The level of highly accomplished skills are truly remarkable for one person, particularly one so young! He literally made every single piece of that rifle from raw materials, then brought them together to create this beautiful, working piece of art. I haven't enjoyed and appreciated a historical documentary like I did with this one, its truly captivating! Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of history, subscribed.
Starting the video: "This is an hour long? There's no way I'm watching this whole thing" 58 minutes later with a tear in my eye: "This is the greatest piece of cinema I've ever seen..."
Awesome video, the multiple skills involved and the sheer volume of work involved just to make one rifle is mind blowing. Just remember people that this process would be done over a number of days but what you don't see is the amount of time it takes just to make the tools to make the rifle, multiple files in multiple shapes and roughness, god knows how many different drill bits, as he said a few get broken with every rifle made screwdrivers chissels engraving tools, mandrill's, the rifling machine /bore drill. It's a mamouth task just making those let alone the rifle. True craftsmanship indeed
As a gunsmith my self, i find it super interesting how hard all the cutting jobs were, especially deep hole drilling, when all you had was carbon steel made tools, constant reshaping, constant re hardening and resharpening just to do a simple boring job. Going from carbon steel tools to HSS was the same big leap back then as we advanced from HSS to carbide Tools. I actually own some very good gunmaking literature from the 1950's and there is still described how to make your own rifling buttons out of carbon steel. Also the use of simple carbon steel drill bits was still the norm.
As a blacksmith and custom knife maker this video really amazed me. The amount of craftsmanship that went into making this fine firearm is absolutely outstanding.
Wow!!!! No bells and whistles to keep people's attention! Just straightforward narration with no assumed ignorance of the viewer. Where have we gone to??
Thanks for uploading this. Years ago, when I was in welding school, our teacher showed us this it's great to see it again. That man is a true master of his craft.
Thanks you! I first watched this video about 45 years ago when I was 12 years old. I was fascinated watching it then and fascinated watching it again. I am sharing this video with a few of my friends. We are not gun smiths but we are all very much hands on people and greatly admire hand craftsmanship of all types!
My dad (who died in 2014) loved making flintlock rifles. He bought the barrels and flintlock mechanisms from Dixie Gun Works and made his own gunstocks; we lived in the country, with a lot of walnut trees on our land. And yes, he used them to hunt deer.
This video,if you like guns was absolutely incredible! It is incredible to see how a gunsmith of the time could make such a beautiful weapon. Of all of the RU-vid videos that I have seen this is the most enjoyable video I have ever watched. Please get you a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy this! YOU WILL. THANK YOU MR.GUSLER!
Thanks for the up load buddy ! This little program is an absolute 'gem', so informative, educational and very entertaining. The amount of man hours that went into making one of those rifles was simply astounding especially in this age of instant everything. Watching things like this inspires me to take on those projects that I thought were beyond my abilities, he (Wallace Gussler) did all that with the bare minimum of tools, a bucket load of hard work and skill. Hats off to all those long forgotten gunsmiths, artisans of their craft who helped people put food on the table and the 'Red coats' from the door (and I say that as a Red Coat, lol).
reminds me of my old neighbor who used to make .22 airguns with brass tubes. he was filing everytime i saw him. amazing crafts. worth watching every second of the video 👍👍👍
I just learned so many things. I always wondered how such precision needed to cut rifling could be achieved without power tools and such, using paper and wooden shims is beyond brilliant. The labor and meticulous expression of the craftsman poured into these creations is beyond the pale. I feel like I've witnessed something truly special, seeing this. I'm glad it's preserved. This feels important.
Fantastic! Seeing a talented craftsman working his skills is just amazing to watch. Building a fully functioning and accurate rifle from a pile of metal and a plank of wood...simply staggering to consider and without the benefit of power equipment. Loved this presentation. Now, back to my comfortable shop to work on my Kibler Colonial kit...with all the hard stuff already done for me!
Wow. Just amazing. A few years back I took a block of brass and shaped a new barrel wedge for my Thompson center and was bit by the bug. Now I've built a semi auto pistol from scrap and plan on forging my next firearm, whatever form that may be.
During WW2 my Father was in the Royal Engineers then the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. the closest he got to action was having to handle Mules in Italy. Whilst he was in the UK he constantly got into trouble because his issued rifle barrel had rust pits in it. Having no use for his rifle it became upsetting for him. (His job in the UK was dealing with unexploded bombs in and around London and lifting and replacing land mines on the beaches) Hence before leaving for Italy he strung a length of rope from one end of his hut to the other and coated it in cutting compound. He then threaded the rope through his barrel and ran the barrel up and down the rope until it shone. On arriving in Italy they had a weapons inspection where his rifle was taken away from him smashed and he was issued a new one!! Apparently the rifled barrel was now a smooth bore barrel.
@@h4l414 We were supposed to pour hot water down the barrel on our Lee-Enfield 303 rifles for 6 days after shooting . By taken out the bolt and pouring from that end with a funnel . Then using a pull though with rag on it. The metal would , " sweat " , so the hot water would remove powder residue . It was a good gun , very accurate in the hands of an expert shooter which I was not !
Wow...i was 9 years old when this movie was made...i was a firearms dealer for many years...so many of my customers would complain about the high cost of custom made guns like this...i would explain to them the time and expertise it takes to make a gun like this! I wish I had this film at the time, I could have shown them why it costs so much!
I am really staggered by the quality of this fabulous production, as said elsewhere oh if programmes were made like this now, what a great entertainment TV would be. Thank you so very much for showing the skill and patience that is here in buckets full, what a wonderful firearm maker and what a fabulous craft. Very many thanks for this fabulously entertaining film and what a magnificent rifle. RIP Mr Gusler. We are still fascinated by your artistry.
In 1969, at age 10, I still remember being absolutely captivated watching the original broadcast of this fantastic documentary. I wondered if I'd ever see it again and here it is! Mr. Gusler is an artist and a magician. Thanks Tyler.
Years ago, late 1990’s, I saw this film at the Minneapolis Institute Of Arts. Of special interest was that such a rifle by this young genius was on display! Wow! I took three metalworking junkie friends to see the film. Should have brought Huggies! How I can only dream of such skills! A few years ago I found and old caplock musket in an antique shop. Bought it for a friend who loves antiques of any sort. We thought the engraving on the barrel was a maker’s mark. Turns out the piece was a gift to a Royal Navy officer, 1772. Bore, something around .700, maybe a shotgun? I’m not a firearms person so beats me. Too bad it was not a flintlock. Now that would have been a real chunk of history! The trick was getting it from the store to my car, three blocks away. One does not walk through a downtown area carrying a gun. So I bought an old broom and a ragged tablecloth, wrapped both with the broom sticking out obviously. Folks presumed I was a tradesman en route. Did not get shot on sight by law enforcement.
