SCOTT PILKINGTON
Scott has long had a fascination with guns and shooting, ever since he was a kid, when he started out with a leather gun belt and a set of Lone Ranger cap pistols. In the years since, he has travelled the world, as a gunsmith, gun engraver, and in a variety of capacities as a member of the US Shooting Team. When he was a teenager, Scott learned the art of engraving, a skill that has served him well as his chief occupation for nearly 20 years. He has received global acclaim for several of his engraving projects and has had his work published in numerous domestic and international publications. More than a dozen hardback have his engravings in their pages. Most recently, some of his work and accomplishments are featured in American Engravers: The 21st Century and American Engravers III. He remains very much connected to the field as a teacher, author, and practitioner of the art of engraving. For 14 years, from 1994 to 2008, Scott travelled the Emporia, KS, to spend several weeks each year teaching basic engraving classes for the GRS Company.
Scott earned a spot in the prestigious National Guard Marksmanship Training Unit during his 23-year long military career, through his interest and expertise in gun mechanisms and gunsmithing. There, he learned the skills of being a match armoror, studying under such luminaries as Gene Barnett, Joe Chambers, Frank Smith, and Dave Mattice. He enjoyed working as a pistolsmith on the NG Truck at the National Guard training facility at Camp Perry, OH, as well as the Wilson Matches and other events. But he does not miss the nasty hands and ruined clothing that came with tearing down filthy black .45s all day long. It was under Dave Mattice’s tutelage that Scott acquired the international gunsmithing skills necessary to be an Olympic-level gunsmith.
Scott’s security pass from the 1995 Pan-American Games.
Scott was a part of the US National Team at a series of major events, beginning with the 1995 Pan-American Games in Buenos Aires; he returned to the Pan Am Games in 2003 in the Dominican Republic. He also went to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, and Sydney in 2000. Additionally, he went to the World Championships in Barcelona in 1998, and again in 2002 when they were held in Lahti, Finland. And, finally, Scott went to the 2001 World Shotgun Championships in Cairo. He has also attended a whole bevy more World Cup events across the globe, from China to the US, over the years.
Scott’s security pass from the 1996 Olympic Games.
Because of his involvement and interest in Olympic shooting and his vast connections throughout the American shooting world, the Steyr-Mannlicher company asked Scott to be its American agent for its competition line of air guns, back in 1997. Originally, he figured this would be a part-time gig, to complement all his other activities and interests. But it quickly evolved into a full-time effort and today the business employs a handful of full-time employees.
Scott is passionate about gun safety and works to promote the safe usage of air guns and his writings and commentary in this area has been quoted and/or recognized by such major organizations as the NRA, the USAS, and the CMP. He is a member of the American Society of Testing and Standards, working on the F15.06 committee, Safety Standards for Non-Powder Gun Products. He is also an avid sponsor of Olympic Spots and the athletes who make the movement so great.
On the mechanical side, Scott enjoys old cars, primarily Corvairs and, especially, his Corvair on steroids, the UltraVan. The UltraVan was his primary transport to shooting events and also for his military duties around the country. Scott was a proud member of both the National Guard and the US Army Reserve, retiring in October 2005 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3, after 23 years of service.
Recognizing that the gunsmith’s job at major world shooting events is somewhat akin to the buzzard’s patience in waiting for something to expire, Scott began taking photographs and writing stories about the shooting athletes for publication back home in the US. Scott also enjoys organizing tours of European gun factories and the cultural attractions in the nearby areas for shooters of all ages.
He is also an inventor, and in 2012, he was awarded a patent by the US Patent Office for his airgun AR-15 upper design that is now manufactured by the Crosman Corporation of Bloomfield, NY.
Ultimately, Scott enjoys helping you achieve your goals, whether it’s an Olympic gold medal or just having a fun night of shooting in your basement.
To read more about Scott, click here.