Lassen College: forging gunsmiths since 1945

Having been burnt a number of times, I'm not a real fan of custom gunsmithing. It's as simple as that. Why you ask? Well, it's amazing how quickly a hack can ruin a fine firearm. Something I learned the hard way when I was younger. Back then, I traveled around my state to some of the "better" smiths to have work done. What I got was the chance to pay to have a custom rifle wrecked, and a couple prize handguns violated. That really soured me.

I was lucky though. I have a good friend named Donny who's just naturally talented with metal and wood. After some hack had his sinful way with a rifle or pistol of mine it was invariably Donny who fixed it. Payment usually consisted of a pepperoni pizza, which he munched on in-between scolding me and fixing my piece. For someone with no actual training as a gunsmith, it was amazing what he could accomplish. I always wondered what would have happened if a skilled professional had taken Donny's natural talent and shaped and forged it into a trained gunsmith.

Where Would You Go?

I'm sure there are a lot of people like Donny out there, people that just naturally have the touch. People that if given the opportunity to sit under professional instruction, have the potential to become skilled gunsmiths. The question though, is where on earth does someone actually go to learn the fine art of gunsmithing?

This is where things become murky, and to be blunt, I didn't know. So I made numerous inquiries, and soon found myself on a roadtrip to find the answer to my question.

My quest took me far from the salty smell of the Atlantic on the rocky Maine coast, clear across our great and beautiful country. I eventually arrived in Northern California, my destination the small town of Susanville. It was here in the vast rural California countryside that I was to find my answer, Lassen Community College.

The 11th oldest community college in California, Lassen is notable for their accredited Vocational Gunsmithing Program. The school's history stretches all the way back to May 4, 1925. It was on this date the Junior College Department of Lassen Union High School was founded. By 1941 the school had grown large enough to require its own facility. As the years went by the school continued to grow, and in September of 1945 a gunsmithing program was added.

One Man Made It Happen

This program actually began due to the badgering of one student, Harlan Fritts. He approached C.W. Frost, at that time the Lassen Union High School industrial arts teacher, about obtaining a junior college course in gunsmithing. Frost, who had been a custom gunsmith before the war, consented and although tools were lacking, a course was started on a trial basis.

Throughout the 1945-46 school year, Harlan Fritts was the only student. Although the course was not advertised, enrollment jumped to 13 the next year. The following year there were 21 students and the year after 32. By the 1949-50 school year, enrollment was up to 47 with 138 requests for admission turned down due to limited facilities.

Instructor Frost moved the program into a separate building which had new metal working tools needed for the course. These initial courses covered the conversion of surplus military rifles, which were plentiful after the war, into custom sporting rifles. After five years, Frost was superseded by Hugh O'Daniel, who taught through the spring of 1957. He was followed by John Wise, who was to teach at Lassen for some 25 years.

Growing To Serve

Under the leadership of John Wise, Lassen's gunsmithing program was greatly developed and expanded. The courses became fully accredited and the school moved to its present campus. Master gunsmith Bob Dunlap, who had attended Lassen as a student in 1959, returned to help teach in 1972.

As enrollment grew, a number of other teachers and teacher aids were added to the schools' staff, in 1984 the NRA's unique short-term summer gunsmithing classes were added. As the years went by, Lassen continued to grow and evolve to better meet the needs of its students.

Today Lassen's campus consists of 165 acres and 39 buildings. In addition to classrooms, laboratories and offices, it has a dormitory, library, college union, computer rooms, large gymnasium and outdoor recreation facilities.

While Lassen offers a wide range of vocational programs, one of the longest running and certainly the most notable is their gunsmithing program.

Here a student can earn a fully accredited Associative Science degree in gunsmithing after successfully completing one of their two-year courses. Located in the John Wise Vocational Gunsmithing Building are three classrooms with benches, a machine shop, armory and safe area.

It Takes Tools To Teach

The machine shop houses 21 lathes, four mills, three drill presses, two sand blasters, three buffers, seven grinders, a planer, two TIG welders and a complete tool room. Their armory boasts nearly 250 different makes and models of arms for instructional aids. In addition, a 700 yard range is located a short distance from the campus.

My visit to Lassen took place this past July, while they were teaching one and two week NRA gunsmithing courses. Before I arrived I wasn't sure of what to expect, or if my quest was at an end, but pulling into the campus I liked what I saw.

I was impressed by the school's layout, well kept grounds, and modem buildings. In addition, the school is located in scenic north eastern California and the view from the school, especially at sunset, is spectacular. During my visit there were four different summer courses being taught. Of the four, three were being taught by visiting professionals.

Outside Expertise

These classes consisted of Wood Stockmaking taught by Charles Grace, Advanced Engraving taught by John Barraclough, and Custom Built 1911 taught by Marc Krebs. In addition, Basic Rifle Barreling was being taught by Lassen's John Martin

I spent my week at Lassen exploring the campus, sitting in on the four classes, talking to students and faculty members, and snapping pictures. I was very impressed by the quality of instructors Lassen is able to provide students.

Stockmaker Charles Grace

For example, Charles Grace graduated from Trinidad State Union College in 1973 and has been doing full-time custom stock-work since 1980. He's not only a charter member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild, but is also on their Board of Directors. His skill with wood can be seen by the fact he was chosen to stock the guild's 2001 annual project rifle. This is a great honor that reflects his abilities.

I asked Grace what made him take time from his hectic schedule to teach at Lassen. His answer was a simple one, he liked working with the students, and remembers what it was like when he first started. He says that one of the most difficult hurdles for a student to get past is when they suddenly realize just how much time and hard work stockmaking requires. While it was his first time teaching at Lassen, he said he really enjoyed it and looked forward to coming back. This is a good thing, as his students loved him and couldn't say enough about his teaching skills.

Engraver John Barraclough

Whereas this was Charles Grace's first time teaching at Lassen, John Barraclough has been coming back to teach engraving for 22 years. Born, raised, and educated just outside of London, Barraclough initially learned the art of engraving from a Master English gunsmith in the late 1940s. This old gentleman would get work from Holland and Holland and other shops who received guns in from around the Empire. He taught John how to engrave to "get him Out from under his feet."

In 1949 Barraclough moved to the U.S. and eventually studied under Neil Hartliep. He began teaching at Lassen in 1980 and his work is truly amazing.

Barraclough is a very likable and easy going man, no doubt partly due to the amount of patience his work requires. As we chatted about engravers I mentioned that I had visited Tula's museum in Russia and he rolled his eyes and smiled. We talked about the exquisite masterpieces there, and then he handed me a Colt M1911 in .38 Super. The result of over 1,200 hours (!) of painstaking work, it was beautifully embellished with small intricate gold scroll work as applied to the presentation guns given by Col. Colt to the Czar of Russia and Sultan of Morocco.

Just something he made for himself, valued at around $55,000, but who's counting. Barraclough says he comes to teach at Lassen every year for the students. He says he loves to see the light bulb suddenly come on when a student finally grasps an idea and makes it his own. Like Grace, Barraclough's students praised both the content of his course and his teaching skills.

Pistolsmith Marc Krebs

As mentioned, the 1911 class was taught by Marc Krebs. Krebs is well recognized by his peers as being an innovative and talented gunsmith. His work on 1911s brought him national recognition for both his creativity and the quality of his work. As an example, he first created the "snakeskin" effect, now widely copied by others.

Unlike Grace and Barraclough, I knew Krebs, having worked with him on a facts finding mission to Russia in 2001. Also, unlike the others, Krebs is a Lassen graduate.

"Lassen changed my life," remarked Krebs. "By giving me a way to go that I really like. I love gunsmithing, and so I some back every year so that others can learn from my experience."

While a little over the top, Krebs is naturally talented, and works very hard with his students. It's not everyday you can build a 1911 under the guidance of someone like Krebs, and his students devoured his class.

Talented Home Team

While these three men are certainly gifted, Lassen's regular instructors are also excellent. I spent time with Gary Boyd, the Director of the Gunsmithing Program, Steve Taylor who specialized in welding, instructors John Martin and Bob Chavez, and assistant instructor Dave Renner.

I asked them about their teaching methodology, why they taught, and what they looked for in their students. While I liked what I heard, I was more impressed by how they interacted with their students. All are laid back professionals who joke and kid amongst themselves while teaching their students, but this relaxed approach doesn't hide their dedication to the school and its mission.

In addition, the school's Vice-President, Linda Kennedy, is an ardent supporter of the gunsmithing program and a shooter herself. Considering how liberal and anti-gun much of California is, it was good to see a community college there with a well-established gunsmithing program.

Students Make The School

And just what are Lassen's students like? A good and diverse bunch from all walks of life. Men and women who ranged in age from 20 to 80-something and from across the country. Some were full time students while others attended part time. They all had one thing in common though, a love of firearms and a desire to learn.

Some were here with the desire to eventually become professional gunsmiths, others were practicing professional gunsmiths here to increase their knowledge and skills, and some were here just to learn for their own knowledge. I spent as much time as I could with as many different students as possible, talking and listening to what they had to say, seeing what they were working on, and just talking guns.

Some had been taking summer courses at Lassen for decades in an effort to broaden their skills. There were a number of fellows who said, "I come here for a week or two every summer, its like my vacation, the one thing I do just for me." That speaks very highly of the school, its instructors, and the curriculum being taught.

Lofting Bowling Balls

Lassen isn't all work and no play. I had the opportunity to go to the range with some of the students and instructors for a little fun. Here we e relaxed and I had a chance to shoot some of the rifles built by the staff and students. I have to admit though that one of the female students from the engraving class handily out-shot me with a .50 BMG rifle.

The highlight of the evening was when the instructors broke out a bowling ball mortar. Lassen offers a huge array of courses, one of which is cannon building! So we sat back and watched as their creation threw full size bowling balls almost out of sight. It was, to say the least, spectacular.

My quest came to an end at Lassen Community College. An old and well respected school that's fully accredited, Lassen has been forging gunsmiths since 1945. Their semesters are thoughtfully divided up into one week courses to allow part time students to attend within their work schedules.

In addition to their regular courses they also offer Law Enforcement and NRA gunsmithing courses. If you've ever desired to become a gunsmith, or would simply like to learn some skills to aid you in working on your own firearms, I suggest contacting Lassen. Their gunsmithing program may be just what you're looking for.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Lassen Community College

Highway 139

P.O. Box 3000

Susanville, Ca. 96130

[530] 257-6181

www.lassen.cc.ca.us

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group