From Andy Johnston

In the 1970s I did the original Country Traveler TV series. We traveled the U.S. doing stories on unusual and amazing people. Our stories were shown on TV newscasts in about a dozen cities. It was the best job in television. In 1974 we came to Monticello, Georgia to do a story about E. W. Kelly. Just like your members he had a lifetime love of guns. When he was about 12-years-old he would take apart his father’s shotgun to see how it works. 53 years he was a master gunsmith known all over the region. For decades he was a skilled machinist who repaired guns on the side. When he retired, he started gunsmithing full time. Remember, this was back in the days when parts for older guns were rare or impossible to find. So, he made them. A 65 he estimated that he had enough work to keep him busy for a decade. But he always found time for a friend with a busted shotgun.

Last year I discovered some video tapes of those old original TV news stories and started posting them on YouTube. I added the story about E. W. Kelly this week. I thought that you and visitors to your American Gunsmith Facebook page might enjoy seeing some gunsmithing history from 49 years ago. It’s a reminder of how devoted gunsmiths are to their art. Please feel free to pass the link on to anyone else might be interested.