Daily AncestorGunsmith
A gunsmith built, repaired and altered guns, a skilled trade that combined fine metalwork and woodwork.
A gunsmith does more than an armorer, who usually only replaces worn parts in standard firearms. A gunsmith may build a complete rifle or shotgun from start to finish, restore worn guns to good condition, fit a stock to a shooter, and make parts that cannot be bought.
The work calls for the skills of a machinist and a fine woodworker, and some gunsmiths also engraved or carved decoration on guns.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1940 census
Danl. Kuntz, 46, Gunsmith
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Daily Ancestor. "Gunsmith." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/gunsmith. Last checked 2026-10-10.