My Biography

My name is Dave and I grew up in a friendly small town named Greensboro, of about 800 people. Everyone knew your neighbors; everyone pitches in and help who ever needed anything. I was about 12 years old before I handle my first firearm. My Dad, Steve, sat down with me an explained the danger of handling a firearm. I loved my Dad, miss him dearly. He passed way October 13, 1998. My Dad was a WW II veteran and fought for this Country to keep us safe. He taught me about love and respect of people and the equipment you used and encounter every day. That means whether you are working with tools, vehicles, firearms or even talking to other people, you respect what they have to say. My Dad drilled these rules in my head all the time and I will never forget them. He said when you get married and have kids of my own and hope I would give the same rules and advice to them.

1 Finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

2 Always point the firearms in a safe direction.

3 Always treat the firearm as it is loaded.

4 The safety is on until you are ready to shoot.

5 Firearms are only as safe and the person that is handling it.

6 Always look beyond your target because that is your round that you are sending down range.

 I love to hunt, fish and most of all I love is shooting. When a firearm malfunctions, I would start troubleshooting then repairing my own firearms. I shoot competition shooting and really enjoy shooting a lot. Started to reload my own ammo and was really enjoying life. I have a passion for firearms and competition grew and then I started teaching others how to shoot and the fundamentals of firearms and being safe around firearms.

 A little background of myself. I lived in a 92-acre cemetery where my Dad was the caretaker. I grew up with two brothers and two sisters. I started working for my Dad in the cemetery and after graduating High School. I decided to work on cars and trucks. Yes, is was a gearhead, going fast was my thing. I worked as a mechanic for about 30 years and then decided to go back to school. I have a degree in Electronic Engineering. Started working on computers and in the electronic field. After two years and the economy was falling, I decided to try law enforcement. After finding I was to old to go into law enforcement, well I went into the next best thing. I became a Correctional Officer, which I liked a lot. I figure I had a great life but, I want something more. I decided to go into the firearms business because it is my passion for many years. My business is called D & J Firearms Specialist and I want to help as many people as possible into shooting and owning their own firearms. Firearms is only as safe as the one handling it. Firearms do not kill; they cannot jump up and shoot something or someone. People shoot others and this message needs to be made. I would like to retire and knowing as a person in this earth that tried to help as many people as possible. When people are doing what they really loved to do in this Country then this Country will be a Great Nation.

I worked as a mechanic for 30 years. Having a mechanical background, understanding how components function and figuring out how the mechanics work came easy for me. I am able to study a problematic mechanism, figure out what is causing the issue and repair it. My Dad always said I had a gift; to me it simply feels like second nature. For the people in my life I have been the regular “Go to” guy when mechanical problems arise with their vehicles.

 In 1981 I started working part time with a good friend at a gun shop. He recognized not only my interest in the field of firearms, but my potential to excel within it as well. My enjoyment and enthusiasm for the use of firearms certainly did not hurt. In fact, this friend was the one that suggested I explore competition shooting. As it turned out I was particularly good at it. I averaged firing 500 rounds a week just in practicing. He once suggested that I needed to understand the inner workings of a firearm and comprehend how they function to truly become an expert in the field, and that is exactly what I did.  It began with him simply giving me a problem scenario of a mechanical issue, and asking me two things; what is the problem and how do you fix it? I would study the problem, work it out in my mind and present an action plan on how to repair it. Just like working on a vehicle, troubleshooting a weapon came natural to me. I started working on my own weapons around 1985.

First, I learned the function of as many different weapons as I could, and in turn how to disassemble and of course, how to reassemble them. I learned how to refinish weapons by disassembling, cleaning, buffing, and then using bluing salts.  I did different types of finishes like, parkerizing, mat finish, gold, nickel plating, and a metal neat type of finish. After the job was completed the weapon was reassembled and test fired to test the functionality of the weapon before it was returned to the owner. I custom made hand grips for handguns. Custom building firearms is one part of working on weapons I really enjoy. To have an idea and to fulfill that vision into reality is an amazingly satisfying accomplishment.