Parts of this was written by Louis Mrace and given to me in 1992. This history of TSJC should be interesting to all gunsmiths. The question is where did they get started?

Following World War II P.O. Ackley was deluged with inquiries for gunsmithing apprenticeships by veterans from all over the United States. At that time there were no formal schools for gunsmithing and the trade was learned solely through an apprenticeship. In the fall of 1946 Ackley approached the officials of Trinidad State Junior College about starting a school for gunsmithing. Along with Ackley’s guidance the college began preparation to set up a course. The first students (12-14) were accepted in January 1947. The regular full two year course was set up in September of 1947. After an agreement between the students and TSJC, the machine shop and other shop courses were revised from one hour a day to three hours a day. Ackley taught the theory classes and supervised the operation of the GUNSMITHING DEPARTMENT. He operated his custom shop with about twelve to fifteen employees and a number of part-time apprentices, such as Louis Mrace a stockmaker. Mrace was hired by Ackley in 1949 as a stockmaker and he stayed at TSJC when Ackley left in 1951. Ackley told Mrace that he didn't think the school would survive without P.O.'s help.


In 1945-1946 Parker Otto Ackley had a large gun shop and a national reputation as a gun maker. His shop manufactured gun barrels for commercial use and did custom gun making in his shop located in Trinidad, Colorado on Elm Street. A new shop was built in Jansen in 1947 and used until P.O. left Trinidad. The fall of 1951 saw P.O. deciding to disband his shop in Trinidad and set it up in Salt Lake City, Utah. He took the employees who wanted to go with him. Later this shop was sold to Easton Engineering, Inc. of Salt Lake City.

Bill Prator was the head barrel maker with P.O. Ackley. Upon P.O.’s leaving, Prator was hired in 1951 at TSJC as gunsmith machinist instructor, appointed Department Head in 1966 and retired from the college in 1982. Bill Prator was an armorer for Gen. George Patton in Europe.

Bill Prator recieved his Master's Degree by designing his own barrel making machines and making the castings needed for the machines. These machines were behind the Prator home in his own machine shop. Bill taught several of the students barrel making on these machines. I believe that most of the cut rifle barrels of today are an off spring from Bill Prator's instructions. This is where Atkinson and Marquart got their training as students there in 1952-53. I had a talk with Paul Marquart a few years ago at TSJC when he came to teach in the NRA summer classes.

I took pictures of several places around the school, but failed to take pictures of the barrel shop. I have tried to locate some of the older students that were there to find out if anyone has the pictures. If anyone can furnish these pictures I would like to include them in part of the history of TSJC. I knew Bill Prator and Louis Mrace both as my instructors. Class of '63 Lester Brooks

Les,

Good posting.
When I graduated from Penn State in 1957, I had P.O. Ackley build a 7mm Ackley Magnum for me. It was my first custom rifle, and it was on a Springfield '03-A3 action. The rifle had one of his barrels on it, and it did shoot well. I had gotten the '03-A3 full up rifle from the DCM for about $17 a few years before.
Ackley was then located at 2335 Arbor Lane in Holiday, Utah IIRC.

Don

Lester, my name is Brad Davis. You may not remember me as I wasn't in any of you'r classes, as I was in 3rd year when you were teaching there. A man named Joe Tasari ( not sure of the spelling ) bought all of ackley's barrels when he left the area, and was a instructor as well at the college. He passed away a few years back, but his wife or family might have some pictures. Lenard Bull, or Kieth Gipson may be of some help as well and are both still living in trinidad.

What are you up to these days? Are u gunsmithing? I went back to working construction and am only gunsmithing for myself, close friends, and family.

Les,
The only rifle I ever built completely from scratch (didn't do the heat treat)was a Hauck copy falling block in 219 Donaldson Wasp I built using a barrel I did on that very same equipment in 1953. The first barrels I used after I finished at TSJC were for a matched pair of 300H&H and 375H&H on 17 Enfields and with A&M barrels. Prator really liked free help from students when I was there and would teach as you went. The third instructor when I was there was Jim Wilson. Mrace had a very neat shop in his basement after he went to the High School to teach and it was there I saw my first rifle bedded in plastic. He was using Devcon and I went home and immediately tried it, successfully I might add. Never saw a good technique I would'nt appropiate for my own. If memory serves Prator had a very nice collection of German Walthers he once showed me. He said they liberated the Walther plant and he went straight to the engraving section and just swept the work in progress off the benches. Had a particularly nice half engraved PPK I remember as being very beautiful. I remember well the night of the birth of his daughter ,Sandy I believe, when he couldn't get his Pontiac started and had to have help. They were going to the hospital in Raton I believe for some reason. It was a good two years for a young guy and well remembered. A book WOULD be a nice thing to have. Have a couple of yearbooks but took very few pictures while there.