David Watson

Born ‘Down Under’ in Australia, outdoor pursuits are in David Watsons’ blood. Introduced to firearms at an early age by his father, David learned to shoot using the family .22 from a grass roots level, and later in both hunting and sporting environments. At the age of 17, David volunteered for service in the Royal Australian Army as an infantry soldier and later as an officer, where his shooting skills and his appreciation for all aspects of small arms usage were further improved.

Following his military service, David opened a gunsmithing business that specializes in the optimization of vintage and surplus military rifles to achieve maximum accuracy in competition, and his rifles have won many. David has also been heavily involved in civilian sporting clubs and also has participated in law reform programs, designed to bring fairer legal outcomes for firearms owners.

David is also a collector of classic military rifles and an avid hunter, spending a great deal of time in the Tasmanian Highlands hunting deer.

Aside from his interests in firearms, David is also a martial arts instructor of feudal Japanese battlefield arts, a recreational pilot flying aerobatics aircraft and hang gliders, and is involved in the development of experimental aircraft.

This book is born out of questions and conversations David has had with fellow shooters, military colleagues and gunsmithing customers. This book is also born out of Davids’ desire to achieve the best result out of each and every firearm, to treat every firearm as a treasured possession, and to rekindle that lost sense of pride that every shooter has in ‘their’ rifle.