Newly Opened Gunsmithing Shop in Walpole Offers Range of Services

Don Halpin, owner of the newly opened 1776 Gunsmithing in Walpole, is hoping to fill a void he sees in the region when it comes to repairing, modifying and customizing firearms.

Halpin's shop opened in January and is located at 2000 Main St. in Walpole next to Bead Addiction. So far, he said he is liking his Route 1A location.

He said his store will provide a range of services from custom builds to consignments to transfers and sales.

“Some shops only do specifically hand guns or one type of metal finishing, where we are doing it all,” he said.

The 28-year-old Canton resident said that firearms have been a passion of his since he was a kid.

“I used to shoot skeet when I was a little kid so I got into firearms when I was 8 or 9. And then I’ve always shot ever since. So I’ve always had a passion for shooting sports as well as hunting,” said Halpin. “As I got older in life I was always searching for someone to do work on my guns and I found that I like doing it myself."

Before branching out to open his own shop, Halpin worked at Lew Horton Distributing in Westborough and graduated from the Colorado School of Trades for Gunsmithing.

He said he will be using a local approach when it comes to the parts and supplies he needs.

“We’re trying to focus on Massachusetts suppliers. People say it’s not really a gun state but until you actually dig deep you’ll find that there’s tons of guns industry in the state,” he said.

For more information about 1776 Gunsmithing and to see more of the services they provide visit their website www.1776gunsmithing.com.