Gunsmith Bob Chow

This 1987 video is in Japanese, but you can hear Bob talking as the translator does his thing. Shows his San Francisco gun shop, and also shows him assembling one of his custom 1911s. There is also a shot of him shooting at a range. At the end he says that he's 80 years old, but that doesn't doesn't stop him, and that "if you like to shoot just keep shooting." I like that.





A man of many parts: 1948 Olympic team shooter, Bullseye shooter, first known Chinese-American ham radio operator, and first Chinese-American to attain a Navy rating higher than cook (according to one obit). They don't make 'em like this anymore...

Fantastic video.  Thanks for sharing.  

My friend at the range just happened to be shooting his new Bob Chow 45 for the first time today.  It's nice to see the man that made it.

Dave

Dave, I have a Bob Chow 1911 as well. It's a sweet, sweet, shooting pistol. He's not as well known as some of his contemporary bullseye smiths of the 1950s-1980s who got more attention and publicity, but his workmanship is comparable, I think. It's nice to know where your "baby" was born, and who the "Doctor" was.

Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
F. Robert Chow (1911-2003) known as Bob Chow to his family and friends was born in 1911, in the U.S. to Chinese immigrant parents and passed away in 2003. He was a pioneer ham radio operator in his youth. He joined the Navy Reserve in the early 1930s. He became a noncommissioned officer, a rarity then for an Asian American. 

Bob established 37 world pistol records, and in 1948 qualified for a place on the U.S. Olympic Team and competed in London. He was the first Chinese American to compete in pistol shooting in an Olympic game. Bob was the only U.S. rapid-fire shooter to score 60 hits in the match and placed 13th overall. After returning from the Olympics Bob coached young American shooters and raised the standard of American gunnery to competitive internationally. 

During his stint as a movie extra he taught John Wayne, Roy Rogers and others how to increase their accuracy in pistol firing. Bob was an all around sportsman and loved Motorcycles. Bob played saxophone and banjo with American jazz groups during the Prohibition days following World War II. Eventually he and his wife Bobbie settled in San Francisco where he owned and operated a gun shop until the 1960s. He was an avid gun collector before becoming a master gunsmith. His guns are highly valued by collectors. The Nevada Museum in Elko holds a permanent exhibition containing 65 of his rare pieces.

Bob Chow is responsible for Steve Reiter becoming a BE shooter. Steve bought his first pistols from Bob Chow's shop in San Francisco in the early 70's.
Jon

In the very early 70s my Mentor, LtC Miller, was real strong on Bob Chow guns more than any other.  But life happened and I settled on a Gold Cup.