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MZ Builder Training - Yes / No?

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jdixon

45 Cal.
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I am curious - of those of you here who are "professional" gun builders - and I would define professional as anyone who has sold at least one of their builds to someone else, have you ever received instruction from another, either paid for, or as an apprentice, or were you for lack of a better term, self taught?
 
Yep, third generation gun builder. :thumbsup: Every thing else has come from other builders telling me how things should look or feel. I have learned alot from this forum actually.
 
I've been "hobby building" since 1980 and have sold all {15} but 3 MLers which have been my squirrel rifle and 2 elk rifles. Served a 5 yr. tool and diemaker apprenticeship so the change to building MLers wasn't quite that big a deal except for the "artwork". Reading most of the "how to" books and studying Kindig's and Shumway's books helped a lot. If I were to start over {knowing that there's a better way to learn}, I'd have attended some seminars and classes on LR building and started the "right way" instead of muddling around and finally getting it right after a few yrs. Seeing I went through a very formal,technical apprenticeship, you would have thought that some formal type of training would have been the logical conclusion.... but it didn't happen that way because of time restraints due to competing interests. This site and others are an invaluable source of info and Mike Brook's illustrated tutorial is probably the closest thing to attending seminars and classes and Mike should be congratulated for his generosity and knowledge......Fred
 
Keith Casteel, whom I consider to be among America's best builders, used to take on one apprentice at a time, and one of his former apprentices that I know has gone on to build guns for which there is keen demand. I would imagine that other full-time builders take on an occasional apprentice.
 
I have hobby built since the late 70's and sold all but a few that were made for myself and family.
What I learned as far as ML work was from books and magazine articles.
Working on modern firearms was learned from my dad and uncle starting when I was 10.
The info that is on the net including this excellent resource right here would have made the learning curve much easier to accomplish.
Its amazing to me the amount of talent that is right here in one place :thumbsup:
 
I started building in 1980. I went full time in 1996. I attended University of Western Kentucky 2X. The first time they didn't have hands on, all lecture. The second time I took the engraving class with Lyntton McKenzie. I also attended the weekend seminars at Conner Prairie for many years until they finally got tired of me hanging around and hired me to instruct the week long gunbuilding classes. I Learned quit a bit here and there from Hershel House over the years. I've also learned quite a bit from Jim Chambers , Jim Klien and John Schippers.
I'm mostly self taught and have picked up the tricks of the trade along the way in the past 27 years. I've made and sold over 250 guns in that time. In fact, I don't own any of my own work. :redface:
 

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