Video—Preserving the Skills: Gunsmithing at Colonial Williamsburg

by
posted on December 23, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Most folks know Williamsburg to be one of the premiere living-history sites in the nation. What few perhaps realize, however, is in an effort to preserve that history to its most intricate detail, the majority of trades and skills being demonstrated at Williamsburg are done for real. The blacksmiths there are actually forging tools, the wheelwrights are making wheels and the gunsmiths, well, they're making firearms. In this edition of the Preserving the Skills video series, check out the fine art of gunsmithing at Colonial Williamsburg

Additional Reading:
Making the American Rifle at Colonial Williamsburg
The Guns of the Colonial Williamsburg Collection 

Colonial Williamsburg Fire a Flintlock Musket Program  









Latest

Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special 1
Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special 1

The Model 87 Ultra Special: A Rare Survivor of Ithaca's Final Gamble

In the spring of 1990, an 18-year-old received a shotgun he didn't order. The Ithaca Model 87 Ultra Special he got instead was the last gasp of one of America's most iconic shotgun makers.

As Gun Sales Stay High, Violent Crime Hits a Historic Low

According to a recent report from the FBI on national crime statistics, violent crime has decreased 9.3 percent from 2024, marking the largest year-to-year drop since the 1930s.

Five Million Friends

From one room of friends in Missouri to a nationwide movement, Friends of NRA celebrates more than five million lives touched through community, volunteerism, and a shared commitment to the future of the shooting sports.

Federal to Provide Rifle Ammunition to Top Nordic Police Agencies

The Nordic Police, comprised of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, recently selected two Federal Ammunition rifle loads for duty and training use.

New For 2026: Beretta APX A1 Ported

Beretta first entered the polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol market in 2017 with its APX, and nearly 10 years later, the company has added the APX A1 Ported to the lineup.

CDC Restores Basic Armed Citizen Data

As of Aug. 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage is again providing defensive-gun-use data.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.