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Further Foundation information –
The American Custom Gunmakers Guild Foundation
The Doug Turnbull Firearms Restoration Arts Grant
Purpose:
This is a grant made to a gunsmithing school.
To introduce as many gunsmithing students as possible to hands on experience with the research, tools and techniques used to restore vintage firearms to original condition with original metal and wood finishes.
The gunsmithing school may offer this grant project to gunsmithing student volunteers or perhaps even require it as a part of the curriculum. Regardless, the function will be left up to the school to choose how they can best integrate it into their students’ shop work.
The dollar amount of the grant is yet to be determined. But should be sufficient to cover the cost of purchasing the candidate firearm and any major parts needed along with supplies.
Team effort; It is intended that a ‘team’ of students would participate. That each student over the course project would be able to do a part or several parts of the work. That for the entire project every student would be involved in the planning and daily involvement in direction and problem solving. The team of students would be led and guided by their instructors. The school will be allowed plenty of flexibility to accomplish this as best suits their structure.
Example: An octagonal barrel has eight flats and the draw filing and the polishing of each flat could be divided up among as many as eight or ten students. The point would be to have all the student team participate in as much of the work as possible. Wood restoration and / or replacement are also included.
Candidate Firearms Should be representative of firearms that are typically restored in today’s marketplace. The guns should likely be over one hundred years old. Winchester lever actions (or any similar rifle) and double shotguns are the classic arms. At this time (for the next few years) handguns should not be considered, but as the program advances, they may be added if desired. Vintage frontier revolvers and dueling pistols would add interest and color to the program but might best be introduced after the program has a successful launch. The arms should be quality guns. Cheap rifles and hardware store double guns should not be a part of this program. Extensive modifications should be desired. Pulling and replacing double gun ribs and putting the barrels and action ‘on face’ are examples. The school and students should be able to choose the firearm they want to restore.
Wood and metal finishes will be important and must be the original style. Rust bluing, charcoal bluing and blacking, Carbonia charcoal and oil rotating furnace bluing, along with color case hardening would be the desired metal finishes. Oil, varnish, piano/ violin varnish and French polish should be the wood finishes.
Season
The grant should come at the beginning of the school year but not compete with the scholarship season (Sept. 1 to 30.) October may be the best time to allow students to arrive at school for a new year and do research about what candidate firearm they might like to restore.
Application
Early in October (perhaps by the 15th), The school should make an application for the grant. The application should mention the selected candidate firearm, its cost, and any cost for other items such as barrel blanks, stock blanks or other parts. Consumable supplies such as sandpaper and grit paper should not be included.
The application should name the students who comprise the team who will be performing the restoration work and the names of instructors who will guide and oversee the process.
A general description of the work to be performed along with the finishes to be made should also be included.
A simple schedule of the work process including a completion date should also be included.
A statement that the work performed will be a school sanctioned project and covered by the school’s liability coverage also should be included in the application.
The completed firearm will be the school’s property, but should be loaned to the ACGGF for photography, display and promotion.
Currently there is excellent industry support. Quality firearm candidates will be available at a significant discount to the schools.
The funds for this program are already secured.
Things yet to be determined
After the first year We may need to limit it to one or maybe two schools per year (two grants) . We may also need to keep a school from applying for the year or two after it received a grant the previous year.
There are ten gunsmithing schools and if we were to do two schools a year. We could get them all inside of five years.
This is an opportunity for some great promotion. Both on social media and within the firearms industry. Progress photos are to be encouraged.
Using the Turnbull name brings great name recognition.
Filing and knowing how to bring curved areas up to flat areas along with being able to draw file without tipping the flat one way or the other are fundamental gunsmithing and gunmaking skills. This is taking things back to basic gunsmithing skills and can also hopefully get the instructors motivated as well. Educating and inspiring instructors is a clear secondary goal of this program.
Launch will be on July 10th, 2026.
Pennsylvania Gunsmithing school has been selected as the recipient for the 2026 Grant.
Applications for the 2027 season Grants should be available on the Foundation web site by about October 1st, 2026. The current plan is to have TWO grants handed out each year staggering them by about 6 months. Hence we would have one near completion and one started each calendar year.