"the video": Gusler's "The Gunsmith of Williamsburg"

[spgordon]

I just watched this video for the first time and was blown away by it. It is fantastic.

As I understand it, this video has been very influential (and I understand why). I'm wondering if listmembers would be willing to contribute their thoughts about it? Was this video crucial in kindling (or cementing) your enthusiasm for learning about the Kentucky Rifle, whether learning how to build them or just learning how they were built?

Was the video unavailable for a lot of years and so known of more by reputation? Or has it always been relatively easy to view it?

I've posted this query here, rather than on "over the fence," because I am particularly interested to hear from the posters who are both builders and researchers on how this video influenced them.

Thanks,

Scott

[Dave B]

I was greatly influenced by it. I had just started taking a night class at the Highschool in rifle building and was disappointed when I found out it was on muzzleloaders and not modern rifles. The next class session one of the past students brought in one of his finished projects and they played the movie on the16mm projector. I changed my mind about this when the movie was over.  I got my own copy of it and have watched many times, Never tiring of it.

[Shreckmeister]

That video inspired me to want to recreate the Shreckengost gunsmith shop
and to start my first build.

[flintriflesmith]

The Gunsmith of Williamsburg movie has never been unavailable. It was rented on 16mm by hundreds of clubs and schools. Many libraries purchased copies. It was, and probably still is, the most popular of all the CW produced films on 18th-century crafts. (They made a 30 minute version for use on TV as well.)

When VHS tape became availble it began to be sold in that format and now it is on DVD. Cilonial Williamsburg sells the DVD through the Visitor Center Bookstore and online (19.95). NOTE: It is copyrighted and folks have gotten in trouble for posting it on UTube, etc.

http://www.williamsburgmarketplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductView?catalogId=12122&storeId=10001&langId=-1&categoryId=25873&parentCategoryId=27572&start=1&end=12&sortBy=featured&priceRange=

[spgordon]

Thanks for all these replies.

Again, I'm particularly interested in whether (and how) this film influenced people who were studying eighteenth-century rifles as well as people who were interested in re-creating them.

"The Gunsmith" may also be the best of those old Colonial Williamsburg films: the DVD of "The Gunsmith" also contains "The Colonial Printer"--and it's awful. It's 25 mins. and maybe 5 of those involve the "trade" of printing (i.e., how the trade was performed). The rest of the film offered a narrative about the political activities of printers during the Revolution. Could have been interesting, but definitely not the same sort of film as the gunsmith one.

[flintriflesmith]

The second best of the CW films is on the Cooper's trade. Watching the hand -eye coordination of George Pettengell in shaping those white oak barrel staves is amazing. The Blacksmith and Silversmith are also pretty good.

Dave Wagner, now deceased, was inspired by the Gunmith film while in a shop class in Mifflenburg PA about 1973-4. He came to Colonial Williamsburg 1976 and worked as a summer helper during his college days. After a time spent teaching he came back and finished a full apprenticeship. He was one of the most talented apprentices I ever had! Unfortunately he left the shop when his health failed at an early age and only years later was he diagnosed as having Lymes Disease.

Gary

[Larry Pletcher]

I used each of the films Gary mentioned in school.  "The Gunsmith of Williamsburg" was my favorite. Next was "The Hammerman of Williamsburg" (blacksmith).  I did like the Cooper and silversmith too.  I don't know the exact titles of these last two.
Regards,
Pletch