John McLaughlin

Over 20 years of experience stems from early inspiration of great teachers. Harold Thomason and Cliff LaBounty had the largest impact on John’s education while attending the Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) gunsmithing and summer NRA programs in Colorado. After graduating from TSJC in 1996, John acquired experience as a metalsmith/designer for a double rifle manufacturer before moving to a company specializing in Sharps rifles and sights. In 1999 he opened his own shop in his hometown of Butte, MT. In 2007, John was given the opportunity to fulfill the dream of teaching at TSJC along with summer NRA courses. After eight years of teaching, his heart called him back to Montana, where he now resides with his wife Joanna and daughter KatieLee in Helena. Nationally certified in nine disciplines in machining, John currently teaches manual machining at Helena College.