William T. Atkinson

Posted 2009-03-21 by Judy Wight Branson
The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona
Sunday, March 19, 2006

W. T. (Bill) Atkinson, age 81, passed away on Tuesday, March 15, 2006.

Bill was a longtime resident of Prescott. He was born Feb. 23, 1925, in Towbridge Township, Allegan, Mich.

He was nationally known as a premier rifle barrel maker and expert gunsmith. His barrels were used by target shooters and by the U.S. Olympic team. Bill also did work for Fort Benning, Ga., the Marine Corps Sniper Program, and made accuracy test barrels for Winchester.

In 1986, he was hired by Bill Ruger to manage the Prescott facility of Ruger Firearms. Bill was an especially valuable member of the staff, and chiefly responsible for the success of the P-Series handguns manufactured there.

In 2002, Bill retired and still enjoyed gunsmithing. He was a lifetime member of the NRA and Prescott Gun Club. He was a state champion small-bore and trap shooter.

Bill will be especially missed by his wife Dorothy; his three children, Dorothy McGovern, and John and Mike Atkinson; and his four step-sons, and his step-daughter.

A Military Memorial will be held at the Chapel at the V.A. Center in Prescott, at 1 p.m., Saturday. March 25, 2006