Blog Posts

We recently received a one star review on Google. The Gunsmith determined that the potential customer wanted an illegal silencer installed. The customers girlfriend gave us one star with no comment. Mrs Gunsmith appealed to Google, with no joy. We are reaching out to our valued customers and hoping to diminsh the impact of that one…

Here in Minnesota, there are no “all in one” stores. There are tobacco stores, alcohol stores and grocery stores. I’ve seen an alcohol store right next to a gas station type store, or some tobacco products at the grocery store. The small gas station where I can buy cigarettes, beer, rum, doritos, a fishing license…

I enjoy discovering hole in the wall restaurants. In CA, Erik’s Deli is a small, Bay Area chain with the motto, “each one harder to find than the last”. They aren’t kidding, but the food is worth it. Deli’s of that style don’t really seem to be a thing here, at least, I haven’t discovered…

Here in the Midwest, gun and ammo purchasing is far easier than in California. The Gunsmith has customers that bought guns they know nothing about, even caliber or ammo type it shoots. Just bought it. I realize not everyone has their own personal Gunsmith, but wow. Buying a gun you know nothing about is much…

Politics and loss of Constitutional Rights aside, we learned a lot about what we truly need during the shutdown. Turns out, we don’t need 5 closets of clothes. Nor do we need a lot of clutter, or boxes filled with things we haven’t looked at in decades. In our town, donation boxes were full and…

I grew up standing with my hand over my heart, pledging allegiance to the flag, every morning before school. The teacher and the class stood together, One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. None of us thought to question why, or sit it out, we did it because that’s how school…

Shortly after our arrival in MN, it was time for the County Fair.  Having grown up in 4H, I have many happy memories of our local County Fair in Anderson, CA. I have been a Fair Fan ever since. I picked up my grandson and off we went to the fair. We didn’t have to pay…

It may seem a bit early, but I can’t recall how many times I’ve heard, “I’m supposed to go hunting tomorrow and I forgot my gun was broken…” No need for an expensive, last minute, rush job. Get the gun out of the closet, grab some ammo and bring it to Indian Valley Gunsmithing for…

Firearm and Ammo sales have skyrocketed to the point of empty shelves. New gun owners have a new means of defense, but are we all safer? When I started out, I purchased a S&W Featherweight revolver (as recommended to me by an experienced gun owner). Next was getting used to handling the gun, with no…

Occasionally, those new to the area ask, “where do you go to shoot?”. We belong to Alexandria Gun Club,  a marvelous range that we enjoy very much. It is members only, and it’s quite a ways away.We’ve done quite a bit of research on ranges and most lucky folks know someone, with a lot of…

Firearm parts and ammunition are tough to find these days. Once booming gun sales have slumped, due to lack of ammo to go with them. The empty shelves are sad, when will they be full again? Manufacturers have promised relief, but when? Is this our “new normal”? Sadly, we don’t have solid answers to any…

Hi there…Good morning… hope that everyone is doing well. One of the things that I’m asked is if I can “fix it”.  Sounds like a simple question, and it is for the most part, but… As in life there are always gray areas and gunsmithing is no exception. There is a difference between “parts changers”…