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

Beretta APX Ported 01
Beretta APX Ported 01

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.

Rifleman Review: Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo

Since Taurus USA joined the micro-compact market with its GX4 in 2021, the company has expanded the line to include a number of different options, and the latest, the GX4 Strike Bravo, incorporates a unique chassis design.

Old (Un)reliable: Finding a Magazine that Works for Your 1911

There have been more than 100 manufacturers of 1911-style pistols and magazines, some more faithful to the original drawings than others.

3 New Shotgun Suppressors for 2026

Just because you're in the field hunting for upland game or busting clays at your local range doesn't mean you can't protect your hearing.

First Breach Begins Trading on NASDAQ Under "FBDT" Ticker Symbol

In August 2026, First Breach Defense Technologies, a producer of ammunition and unmanned aerial systems based in Hagerstown, Md., announced that its common stock had begun trading on the NASDAQ capital market under the ticker symbol "FBDT."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.