If you're a gun guy, you know the name Doug Turnbull. Turning out some of the most marvelous and unique creations in the firearms world today, he’s pretty much the Willy Wonka of classic firearms restoration, inimitable metal finishes and custom manufacturing.
This week, Modern Shooter goes behind the scenes where the magic happens with a visit to Turnbull Restoration and Manufacturing in upstate New York. There, Turnbull’s master craftsmen tirelessly ply their art — not to mention a dab of blood and sweat — to make peerless one-of-a-kind guns and the old new again. And boy howdy, do they pull off some miracles.
Sam Chappell gives a solid example of one such feat in the above video. The Turnbull restoration specialist goes step by step through what it takes to breathe new life into an old gun — in this case an early 1911. Stripping the pistol to its bones, smoothing every well-earned dent and pit, and applying a rock-solid new finish, the true classic is born again hard. In all honesty, it would be difficult to tell Turnbull’s project from an original that rolled off the assembly line more than a century ago. And that's Turnbull's aim with every timeless pistol, rifle and shotgun that passes across the workbenches.
Catch the rest of Turnbull’s incredible creations in this episode of Modern Shooter 10:00 p.m. EST Friday on the Pursuit Channel. The episode rebroadcasts Monday at 12 p.m. EST and Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. EST.
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