The Lowly SKS

[ArmySGT.]

There are two Gunsmithing schools in Colorado. Both have mills and lathes.

Trinidad State has a hand operated rifling machine, while School of Trades also trains farriers so they have forges.

School of Trades would be gone in a nuke exchange with the Federal center and the Capitol less then five miles apart each.

Trinidad is pretty sparse country but is rich in natural gas and coal. The coal fired power plant there and in Raton are were shut down decades ago because they are too dirty.

Railways pass right through each. Bring in specialists in forging and casting you could have an arms industry over night. There is a barrel maker in Raton too with three powered rifling machines. Bo Clark.

Trinidad could make 81mm mortar tubes on the five 13 inch lathes, while turning down barrels and doing chambering on the twenty 10 in south bends. Three B&S lathes could be turning out precision pins. The CNC mill could be turning out all manner of parts.

Finally the skills to make a champion benchrest rifle make sub-MOA sniper rifles easily, all you need are scopes.