HISTORY

In 1959, Robert H. Dunlap enrolled in the Gunsmithing program at Lassen College in Susanville, California. Bob completed the two year course in a year and a half with straight A's and then began work almost immediately as a gunsmith. After working in the gunsmithing trade for 12 years, he applied for the position of gunsmithing instructor at Lassen College. He soon discovered that in order to stay current on the latest developments in the firearms industry he needed to continue working in the trade. So, in January of 1974 he started Pacific International Service Company (PISCO).

At first, Bob worked alone, but the demand was so high for a talented gunsmith who did top quality work that after only three years he built a large shop and hired his first employee (a recent graduate from Lassen College). As word of PISCO spread more and more work poured in and the business continued to grow until there were a total of nine gunsmiths on staff. PISCO handled not only repairs but wood and metal work as well. Because Bob and his associates had such a top notch reputation, many firearms manufacturers contracted with PISCO to do their warranty work.

In 1995, after 25 years of teaching, Bob made the decision to retire as Senior Gunsmithing Instructor from Lassen College. Because of the changing trends in the firearms industry, PISCO no longer needed such a large number of full time gunsmiths, so the decision was made to relocate PISCO to Coquille, Oregon to reduce operating costs and allow reorganization of the company. Two of the employees remained in Susanville and presently operate their own gunsmithing businesses there. Some employees took positions in shops as far away as the East coast, while others got jobs teaching at various gunsmithing schools.

PISCO no longer does woodwork or custom metal work, but now specializes exclusively in firearms repair. "The reorganization has increased the efficiency of the shop so much that our turnaround time for repairs is now the shortest it's ever been," Bob says, "You might say we are leaner, meaner gunsmithing machine, still providing the best possible service at reasonable rates."

In 2014, Bob began transferring ownership of PISCO to Ken Brooks. Ken graduated from Lassen College in 1991 and has been employed at PISCO since that time. In addition to doing top notch repair work, Ken is PISCO's TIG welding specialist, using his skills to tackle those really difficult jobs that require a special touch.

Both Bob and Ken also continue making how-to gunsmithing videos for American Gunsmithing Institute as well as teach in-person classes from their Coquille location.