30 | November/December 2014 30 | November/December 2014
After Hours
G
arrick Whitaker likes to tinker.
He's often found at a corner work
bench in his garage, surrounded by spent
ammunition casings and black powder, where
he meticulously crafts rounds for his collection
of antique firearms.
And he's gotten quite good. Whitaker can
transform 10 modern rounds into custom-cut,
milled and pressed bullets modified for firing
in one of his antique pistols in about an hour.
"To watch me doing it may make it look
simple, but I've done considerable research
into cartridge specs and load data to make sure
I get it right," he says.
A few of the items in his collection, which
features a mix of rifles and pistols, include: an
1884 Webley No. 2 Royal Irish Constabulary
Revolver, an 1889 Glisenti Bodeo Italian service
revolver, and a replica 1860 Colt Army revolver,
which was used by Northern troops during
the Civil War.
Over the years the Garrettsville, Ohio,
Antique Firearms are
Crew Leader's Hobby
resident's collection has benefited from his
friendship with a local gun shop owner. As a
result, hard-to-find ammunition and unusual
side arms tend to make their way onto
Whitaker's bench.
Collecting antique guns is a hobby he
picked up while working at Davey. The certified
arborist and DITS graduate started at Davey
in 1997 and is now a crew leader at the West
Cleveland territory.
"My kids actually got me interested in
firearms, and I've been collecting now for 15
years," Whitaker says. "I wasn't a big shooter
as a kid myself. My two boys prefer modern
guns. I'm more into history."
Whitaker's pieces don't just sit in a gun safe
or in a case on display. He uses them for target
shooting regularly—hence his penchant for
modifying modern ammunition—though he's
not a competition shooter.
"It might be fun to do someday if I have
the time," he says. "Mostly I just like to plink
around and challenge myself."
He prefers shooting pistols over rifles.
So which pistol is his favorite to fire?
"All of them," Whitaker says.
Garrick Whitaker
Garrick Whitaker can transform 10 modern
rounds into custom-cut, milled and pressed
bullets modified for firing in one of his
antique pistols.
Whitaker (right) shows off one of his
antique firearms.
