Was on another forum and came across a thread that used this guy as a reference. His web site he has looks pretty good and in his forum things look nice and his work looks great. Any of you guys ever hear of him. His name is David White, here is a link to his site. Any feed back would be great.
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Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
Well, it LOOKS good but in his "about us" it tells me everything except what I want to know, i.e. where did he learn his trade? Way too many so called gunsmiths are nothing but guys who like to tinker and jick around with guns and actually know very little about gunsmithing. A really good gunsmith has usually been to a formal school for the trade or at the very least has got some serious machinest credentials.
Anyone can buy a lathe and hang out a shingle. And if they are careful, they can buy a lot of basically "pre-fabed" parts and put together some things that go bang. And with a few manuals and a bit of mechanical ability they can fumble around and replace most broken parts in most guns. But I wouldn't give them the title "gunsmith." I've known a lot of duds and one very, very good one. He went to the college for it in Trinidad, Colorado where Ackley taught.
Write this guy and ask him. If he's offended, he probably doesn't need your business and has something to hide. JMHO
Pavomesa, I have to dissagree with your comments this time. There are great gunsmiths that haven't attened a "formal school" Hotburn I have never heard of this guy but your on the right track in searching for satisfied customers. If you go to websites like http://www.pa1000yard.com/or some of the other ranges that hold matches you can see the different calibers and the different gunsmiths shooters use. Some of these gunsmiths are full time and some work out of their basements or garage. Bruce Bear, Eric Springman, Mark King are a just a couple of very good gunsmiths here is PA. Sometimes the Tinkerer or Hobiest turns out to be the very best.
Well, it LOOKS good but in his "about us" it tells me everything except what I want to know, i.e. where did he learn his trade? Way too many so called gunsmiths are nothing but guys who like to tinker and jick around with guns and actually know very little about gunsmithing. A really good gunsmith has usually been to a formal school for the trade or at the very least has got some serious machinest credentials.
Anyone can buy a lathe and hang out a shingle. And if they are careful, they can buy a lot of basically "pre-fabed" parts and put together some things that go bang. And with a few manuals and a bit of mechanical ability they can fumble around and replace most broken parts in most guns. But I wouldn't give them the title "gunsmith." I've known a lot of duds and one very, very good one. He went to the college for it in Trinidad, Colorado where Ackley taught.
Write this guy and ask him. If he's offended, he probably doesn't need your business and has something to hide. JMHO
Thats a pretty stupid statement to make, yes there are alot of jacklegs out there, but dont combine all of us with them!. Ive never been to a formal school that you think of, I do most of my work the old fashon way, I build some of my own parts,I build some of my own tools, I turn out great work!. I also know some that have been to gun****hing schools that I wouldnt let them work on a bb gun!. So weather they have had formal training or not, its their work that shows it!, not a peice of paper on the wall!.
Gunner/Devil - I agree with what you are saying. There are some guys who have been to the gunsmithing tools of the nation who shouldn't be allowed near a screw driver. And there are some guys who haven't been to any school or had formal training that are smart and skilled enough to teach themselves and be good gunsmiths.
My post above was intended simply to provide some suggestions for Hot on what possible things he might do to determine the qualifications and skills of someone he did not know. As you suggest, DD, it is their work and not a piece of paper. But I've seen enough fools who claim they are gunsmiths that I'm very skeptical of all until I KNOW their work. And that's the rub. How do you know when you don't know.
If you are as skilled as you say you are, DD, my hat is off to you and I wish you a long and prosperous career. We need more like you! Forgive me if I have offended. I assure you I do not combine all uncertified into the same box. I had a good friend who lacked any formal training and was self taught...and he was good. I never had a problem allowing him to work on my guns. You are certainly right that both good and bad exist on both sides of the fence. This is exactly why I urge caution until a shooter knows who is who.
Hotburn, that fella used to frequent this sight about a year ago. You can do a member search with David White. I dont know the whole story but it seems that David and another fellow named Kim Monthonyhad a shop together called Precision Rifleworks and they had a parting of the ways. I have looked at each one of their websites and have found the same exact rifle pictured there so someone is mts representing it as their own. I remember reading a post where the owner of a firearm that David White was posting a picture of came on and claimed he was mis representing it and probably didnt have the right to use it. I have went back and looked and all I see are red X's.
Gunsmiths?
