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Young Entrepreneur<br />
Success Story<br />
Award<br />
Cameron Coates<br />
C.C. Gunworks<br />
101 Hwy. 12 West, Bowman<br />
701-523-3006<br />
By <strong>City</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> Staff<br />
““Gunning for Success””<br />
Fascinated by guns from a young age,<br />
Cameron Coates loved getting his hands<br />
on guns that no one thought could be<br />
fixed. Taking a broken gun and making it<br />
functional became a career path for this<br />
25-year-old entrepreneur.<br />
A four-year stint in the Marine Corps taught<br />
him to, in his words, “Never doubt yourself.<br />
You can do it.” On December 3, 2008, with<br />
the help of his father, Merv, the owner of<br />
Bowman’s Hardluck Harry’s Trading Post,<br />
Cameron returned to his hometown and<br />
opened C.C. Gunworks.<br />
Tell us what your company does.<br />
I fix guns, of course, but mostly I build<br />
guns. I also customize guns to the owners’<br />
needs; I inform them about the different<br />
options available to help them and their<br />
guns shoot better.<br />
Cameron Coates, owner of C.C. Gunworks (left),<br />
and his father, Merv (right).<br />
Young Entrepreneur Success Story<br />
RECOGNIZING ENTREPRENEURS UNDER 30 WHO ARE CULTIVATING<br />
THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION IN N.D.<br />
What kind of skills do you need to be a<br />
gunsmith?<br />
I graduated from the Colorado School of<br />
Trades Gunsmithing School. A successful<br />
gunsmith needs to understand machining,<br />
lathwork and millwork. Attention to detail<br />
and patience is also important.<br />
Anyone thinking of being a gunsmith should<br />
know that you need to continue learning<br />
throughout your career. It’s just not, “I went<br />
to school and now I know it all.” When<br />
new guns come out, they are different than<br />
20-year-old or 30-year-old guns.<br />
How did you decide to be a gunsmith?<br />
I’ve always enjoyed building and taking<br />
things apart. After I got out of the Marine<br />
Corps in 2006, I wanted to come home to<br />
Bowman. My dad convinced me to start<br />
my own business.<br />
44 thecitymag.com