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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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............
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.
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.
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. 😮
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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!!
It was released in 1969
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.
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.
I saw this movie back in 1976, in metal shop, when I was in high school. I never forgot it.
This is the video that molded me in my formative years. My family [reluctantly] also knows this video by heart. 11/10 So many lessons in this movie.
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.
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............
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.
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.
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. 😮