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Larry Gardner has long been in love with the outdoors. As a child in school in South Dakota, he would sit by the window of his classroom, consumed with frustration, longing to be "out there" hunting, fishing and exploring the wide open country that he loved. He also had a love of drawing, often using the birds and animals he saw as his models.
Larry established himself as a graphic artist and, concurrently, began to explore building muzzleloaders as a hobby. His artistic aesthetic informed his gunmaking style and he found a place in the ranks of fine craftsmen working in that field. He left his career behind in 1993, to begin Art and Arms, Ltd., producing beautiful, contemporary reproductions of black powder long rifles.The hallmark of Larry's work is a meticulous attention to the exquisite aesthetic details. His rifles are technically perfect as well.
To quote from an article in the December, 2002 issue of Muzzle Blasts Magazine: "His guns are absolutely correct from architectural and historical perspectives and, plain or fancy, are always aesthetically beautiful. Real shooters and real works of art!"
Today Larry and his wife Joan share the pleasures and challenges involved in running Art and Arms, Ltd. on their mini-farm in Silver Spring, MD. They travel extensively to shows and to shooting competitions, as Larry has never lost his inborn love of shooting and continues to pursue his early love of hunting too.
Larry works his practical magic in a one-man workshop adjacent to his home, building each rifle with the care and craftsmanship for which he has become renowned. He is also a superb restoration specialist, using his own technique to return old, battered and abused muzzleloaders to their former glory. He has won many awards, including the coveted Best of Show in the 2001 Dixon's Gunmakers Fair, for his spectacular Kentucky style long rifle.
Larry also continues to work in acrylics and pen and ink as well. Both his paintings and muzzleloaders are in private collections throughout the United States. He accepts orders for both by appointment with each potential client. He will be pleased to talk with you. Please see the contact information above. You may write, call or send an e-mail, as you prefer.
