By: Daniel Alonso

I visited Johnson Customs LLC in Springfield, Oregon to interview the Johnson brothers and capture the day-to-day processes of their work.

ESTABLISHING: On Saturday, July 29th, 2017, Kenny Johnson prepares his workspace at his business, Johnson Customs LLC. Kenny, along with his brothers Darrin and Jim, specialize in custom firearm assembly, coating, and repair. The Johnson brothers have been passionate gun enthusiasts their entire lives.

ACTION: Kenny Johnson reassembles a freshly coated firearm. This rifle was coated in a camouflage print for the hunting season, a popular request among locals.

DETAIL: Firearm coating requests can range from utilitarian camouflage to a simple display of patriotism. This rifle is used as a model to highlight the kind of coating work the Johnson family provides.

CLOSE-UP: “This is the fun part of the job”. Jim Johnson aims down the sights of a recently repaired MG 42. After repair or modifications, Jim must test the firearms in the field.

INTERACTION: Kenny speaks with a prospective customer about firearm repair. While most of the Johnsons’ customers are local gun owners, the three brothers often fulfill requests from private government contractors.