Once A Gunslinger, Now A Gunsmith...
...this is simply the story of a local gunsmith.
John Paton and his wife have lived in Crawford for the past 34+ years. He retired a few years ago. As he puts it, “the wife said if I’m gonna work 4 days a week at this gunsmithing thing, I’m darn well gonna charge for it”, so retirement turned into a part-time business and he opened a little shop out back, behind his house.
I stopped by his house one afternoon, just to see what a gunsmith really does and I was greeted at the front gate by a sign that reads, “Beware, Dog on Premises”. After a brief sniff and a half hearted tail wag, Jake, the dog, wasn’t much interested in whether or not I entered so I proceeded.
My next hesitation came when, after a firm knock on the screen door, I was summoned inside and I came face to face with a large, black, mean looking rifle aimed in my general direction. It was mounted on a tri-pod and John assured me that I wasn’t in the crosshairs so the interview continued.
Having spent 29 years in law enforcement, John is no stranger to guns. He started with the County Sheriff’s Department in the 80’s, worked on patrol and as a detective and then moved on to the Department of Corrections, finally retiring in 2010. Aside from on-the-job training, over the years John has attended armourer’s school where he learned to maintain and repair small arms and weapons, took classes at Trinidad State College and he’s certified as an FBI Firearms Instructor. He was instrumental in converting the Sheriff’s Department to semi-automatic hand guns.
John says that the gunsmithing business is changing these days. “A lot of stuff, I don’t do any more because the manufacturers offer a lot; what with an assortment of warranties and high tech component and such included.”
There’s still plenty of trigger jobs, refinements and bedding jobs to keep John about as busy as he wants to be. His days in the shop consist of lots of custom work with older guns, which he really enjoys but says parts are sometimes hard to come by, “There isn’t a NAPA store for gun parts, ya know and some used parts are in worse shape than the one you’re replacing. You’re dealing sight unseen and I’ve seen a lot of unhappy customers. I only deal with dealers that I know and trust.”
He says, “It’s hard to sugar coat telling someone that the cost of fixing their gun is more than the gun is worth but sometimes it just is, what it is.”
John fabricates some parts but says it’s hard because some parts that you need to rebuild are well worn or non-existent so you don’t know what you’re getting into.
On occasion, John says, “someone will come in and say they want a 2 pound trigger on their favorite elk rifle but I won’t do that. In my opinion, it’s too light a trigger for a hunting rifle and especially if I don’t know who the person is and what their capabilities are.” That might upset some folks but John says nothing leaves his shop without meeting his approval and expectations. He wants it done right or he doesn’t take the job and suggests that a simple rule to improve the value of a gun is to take care of it and keep it clean.
Another natural part of his retirement business is appraisals on old guns, “…but not antiques”. He says that one lesson that folks ought to be aware of is that an old gun doesn’t gain value if you get it fixed up, re-blued, etc. It actually loses value. “Collectors want guns in original condition; normal wear and tear is accepted. If you alter that, you can destroy the value. Original condition is what collectors want in an old or antique gun.”
As you’d expect, John objects to the idea that you need to have a piece of paper giving permission to carry a gun. He has a federal firearms license that allows him to work on and sell guns but it comes with certain recordkeeping requirements. He says, “That’s an issue with a lot of folks. If the government could do something to instill in folks the need to comply with laws we could do away with 90% of the dang laws and everyone would be happy.”
In the background of our conversation country music played on the radio, accentuating the smell of gun oil, that bit of the old west that still remains in Crawford and the craftsmanship that is apparent in this semi-retired gunsmith’s shop. As I got up to leave, I asked John about the poster on the wall above his workbench.
His response: “Yep, the last great American Hero!” and doing his best John Wayne impersonation, “‘Life is tough, Pilgrim. It’s even tougher if you’re stupid.”
By: Gloria Crank
John Paton and his wife have lived in Crawford for the past 34+ years. He retired a few years ago. As he puts it, “the wife said if I’m gonna work 4 days a week at this gunsmithing thing, I’m darn well gonna charge for it”, so retirement turned into a part-time business and he opened a little shop out back, behind his house.
I stopped by his house one afternoon, just to see what a gunsmith really does and I was greeted at the front gate by a sign that reads, “Beware, Dog on Premises”. After a brief sniff and a half hearted tail wag, Jake, the dog, wasn’t much interested in whether or not I entered so I proceeded.
My next hesitation came when, after a firm knock on the screen door, I was summoned inside and I came face to face with a large, black, mean looking rifle aimed in my general direction. It was mounted on a tri-pod and John assured me that I wasn’t in the crosshairs so the interview continued.
Having spent 29 years in law enforcement, John is no stranger to guns. He started with the County Sheriff’s Department in the 80’s, worked on patrol and as a detective and then moved on to the Department of Corrections, finally retiring in 2010. Aside from on-the-job training, over the years John has attended armourer’s school where he learned to maintain and repair small arms and weapons, took classes at Trinidad State College and he’s certified as an FBI Firearms Instructor. He was instrumental in converting the Sheriff’s Department to semi-automatic hand guns.
John says that the gunsmithing business is changing these days. “A lot of stuff, I don’t do any more because the manufacturers offer a lot; what with an assortment of warranties and high tech component and such included.”
There’s still plenty of trigger jobs, refinements and bedding jobs to keep John about as busy as he wants to be. His days in the shop consist of lots of custom work with older guns, which he really enjoys but says parts are sometimes hard to come by, “There isn’t a NAPA store for gun parts, ya know and some used parts are in worse shape than the one you’re replacing. You’re dealing sight unseen and I’ve seen a lot of unhappy customers. I only deal with dealers that I know and trust.”
He says, “It’s hard to sugar coat telling someone that the cost of fixing their gun is more than the gun is worth but sometimes it just is, what it is.”
John fabricates some parts but says it’s hard because some parts that you need to rebuild are well worn or non-existent so you don’t know what you’re getting into.
On occasion, John says, “someone will come in and say they want a 2 pound trigger on their favorite elk rifle but I won’t do that. In my opinion, it’s too light a trigger for a hunting rifle and especially if I don’t know who the person is and what their capabilities are.” That might upset some folks but John says nothing leaves his shop without meeting his approval and expectations. He wants it done right or he doesn’t take the job and suggests that a simple rule to improve the value of a gun is to take care of it and keep it clean.
Another natural part of his retirement business is appraisals on old guns, “…but not antiques”. He says that one lesson that folks ought to be aware of is that an old gun doesn’t gain value if you get it fixed up, re-blued, etc. It actually loses value. “Collectors want guns in original condition; normal wear and tear is accepted. If you alter that, you can destroy the value. Original condition is what collectors want in an old or antique gun.”
As you’d expect, John objects to the idea that you need to have a piece of paper giving permission to carry a gun. He has a federal firearms license that allows him to work on and sell guns but it comes with certain recordkeeping requirements. He says, “That’s an issue with a lot of folks. If the government could do something to instill in folks the need to comply with laws we could do away with 90% of the dang laws and everyone would be happy.”
In the background of our conversation country music played on the radio, accentuating the smell of gun oil, that bit of the old west that still remains in Crawford and the craftsmanship that is apparent in this semi-retired gunsmith’s shop. As I got up to leave, I asked John about the poster on the wall above his workbench.
His response: “Yep, the last great American Hero!” and doing his best John Wayne impersonation, “‘Life is tough, Pilgrim. It’s even tougher if you’re stupid.”
By: Gloria Crank