Expert Details

Firearms, Gunsmithing, Firearms Safety, Firearms Design

ID: 736023 Arizona, USA

My experience with firearms began at the age of six through the recreational use of small bore rifles, pistols and shotguns. The combination of my keen interest in firearms and my basic personality type naturally drew me to all of the artistic and practical enterprises involving firearms which utilize a wide variety of tools and materials. My interest in firearms both as tools and art objects coupled with my natural talents culminated in a passion for the art and science of gunsmithing.

Over the years my passion led me to learn more and more about firearms, gunsmithing, machining, manufacturing and metallurgy. Having worked in a custom machine shop and having received formal training from some very talented people has provided me with an exceptional background to evolve my knowledge in all of these disciplines.

In the mid 1990s several attorneys who came to know me personally suggested that I market myself as a legal expert in firearms. They felt that my formally broad educational background in art, science, mathematics, logic and philosophy coupled with my practical and technical knowledge of firearms and gunsmithing made me an ideal candidate to work as a legal expert.

One of these attorneys referred me to another attorney who was representing a client who had been charged with some very serious felonious crimes involving a semi automatic rifle. This attorney asked me to examine his client's firearm and render an opinion regarding its condition and operating characteristics. My investigation of same enabled me to testify and write a report which resulted in the complete vindication of his client. After the fact I was surprised to learn that this attorney in a written report attributed the "not guilty" verdict solely to my testimony and that the prosecuting attorney had dropped most of the charges against his client immediately after reading my notes from the examination of the firearm.

Since that time I have been involved in legal cases both civil and criminal and I have discovered that I love doing this kind of work Everything about being a legal expert perfectly dovetails with my interest and talents.

It is worth noting thereto, that my professionalism as an expert cannot be tainted, altered or infected with social or political agendas. I am an analytical and disciplined thinker who in all matters of inquiry rigorously adheres to the tenets of both deductive and inductive logic as well as the scientific method. This is the good news. The bad news is that I am an analytical and disciplined thinker whose professionalism cannot be tainted, altered or infected with social or political agendas because in all matters of inquiry I rigorously adhere to the tenets of both deductive and inductive logic as well as the scientific method.

In the past I have been approached with requests to alter or tailor my testimony to serve the various personal, adventitious and exigent needs of various individuals. I unequivocally refuse to comply with all such requests. My integrity is not for sale and from the onset I promised myself that financial gain would never become a variable in how I conduct my work.

The foregoing is also indicative of the concomitant fact that I am not a conformist. I cannot be swayed by popular public opinion or by the arbitrary and irrational rules of political correctness. I strive to be direct, explicit and expressive of truth as I perceive it to be predicated upon the rules of rational thought.

Key areas: firearms, gunsmithing, firearms safety, firearms design, shooting

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Education

Year	Degree	Subject	Institution
Year: 2005	Degree: Certificate of Completion	Subject: Gunsmithing	Institution: Trinidad State College
Year: 1998	Degree: certificate of completion	Subject: Gunsmithing	Institution: Lassen Community College
Year: 1973	Degree: MA	Subject: Philosophy	Institution: Southern Illinois University
Year: 1971	Degree: BS	Subject: Design, Philosophy	Institution: Southern Illinois University

Work History

Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1977 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Consultant	Department:
Responsibilities: Worked with renowned pistolsmith Ron Power, building custom revolvers. Effecting design modifications for improving firearm performance and performance. Developing new products for the aftermarket firearms industry; including applications of advanced materials, finishing and manufacturing processes. Authoring original publications on specific firearms and custom modifications to firearms.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1993 to 1994	Employer: Pachmayr Gun Works	Title: Custom Gunsmith	Department: Custom Gunsmithing
Responsibilities: Building custom single action semiautomatic pistols for law enforcement and top competition shooters.

Career Accomplishments

Licenses / Certifications
NRA certified instructor in rifle, pistol, shotgun, firearms safety and personal protection California DOJ certified firearms safety instructor

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Rule 26 List 1.1995 (for defendant) - Question of whether an AR-15 was a full automatic or a semi-automatic intentionally converted to fully automatic. Issue of firearm legality. 2.1997 (for plaintiff) - Serious injury due to accidental discharge of semi-automatic pistol. Issue of basic firearms design and safety. 3. 1997 (for plaintiff) - Serious and permanent injury due to accidental discharge of a single action revolver. Issue of basic firearms design and safety. 4. 1997 (for plaintiff) - Accidental discharge of a shotgun due to use of a trigger lock, resulting in serious and permanent injury. Issue of basic lock design and safety. 5. 1998 (for plaintiff) - Head injury to a construction worker from having been intentionally shot with pneumatic rifle by two minors. Issue of which rifle and which shooter was responsible. 6. 2000 (for plaintiff) - Accidental discharge of Glock pistol by police officer resulting in serious hand injury due to the application of a heat cured polymer finish to firearm. Issue of firearm design and safety. 7. 2001 (for defendant) - Issue of whether a 380 caliber pistol can fire a 43 or 44 caliber bullet. 8. 2003 (for plaintiff) - Serious and permanent injury due to accidental discharge of semi-automatic pistol. Issue of basic firearms design and safety. 9. 2004 (for defendant) - Issue of whether or not a telescope parallax compensation device infringed on a patent for a rifle scope sun shade. 10. 2005 (for plaintiff) - Serious injury due to accidental discharge of single action semi-automatic pistol resulting from broken fire control part. Issue of design reliability and safety.

Expert Witness Experience

Rule 26 List
1.1995 (for defendant) - Question of whether an AR-15 was a full automatic or a semi-automatic intentionally converted to fully automatic. Issue of firearm legality.
2.1997 (for plaintiff) - Serious injury due to accidental discharge of semi-automatic pistol. Issue of basic firearms design and safety.
3. 1997 (for plaintiff) - Serious and permanent injury due to accidental discharge of a single action revolver. Issue of basic firearms design and safety.
4. 1997 (for plaintiff) - Accidental discharge of a shotgun due to use of a trigger lock, resulting in serious and permanent injury. Issue of basic lock design and safety.
5. 1998 (for plaintiff) - Head injury to a construction worker from having been intentionally shot with pneumatic rifle by two minors. Issue of which rifle and which shooter was responsible.
6. 2000 (for plaintiff) - Accidental discharge of Glock pistol by police officer resulting in serious hand injury due to the application of a heat cured polymer finish to firearm. Issue of firearm design and safety.
7. 2001 (for defendant) - Issue of whether a 380 caliber pistol can fire a 43 or 44 caliber bullet.
8. 2003 (for plaintiff) - Serious and permanent injury due to accidental discharge of semi-automatic pistol. Issue of basic firearms design and safety.
9. 2004 (for defendant) - Issue of whether or not a telescope parallax compensation device infringed on a patent for a rifle scope sun shade.
10. 2005 (for plaintiff) - Serious injury due to accidental discharge of single action semi-automatic pistol resulting from broken fire control part. Issue of design reliability and safety.

Fields of Expertise

firearms