Founder: Defensive Creations Gunsmithing
Professional recognition: American Custom Gunmakers Guild pistolsmith
Primary areas: Custom pistols and revolvers, machining, repair, reliability, maintenance, and technical firearms education
Professional Biography
Dave Laubert is a pistolsmith, gunsmith, machinist, firearms technical educator, and founder of Defensive Creations Gunsmithing in Alliance, Ohio. His work connects traditional mechanical craftsmanship with the practical requirements of firearms used for training, competition, professional service, and personal defense.
Laubert established Defensive Creations in 1999 after many years of applying his professional machining knowledge to firearms. Published profiles describe approximately 25 years of machining experience before he entered gunsmithing professionally. That background shaped an approach grounded in dimensions, geometry, tolerances, alignment, surface interaction, material behavior, wear, and mechanical diagnosis.
Defensive Creations operates as a full-service gunsmith shop serving military, law-enforcement, and civilian customers. Its work ranges from cleaning, inspection, repair, and maintenance to complete custom builds and extensive rebuilding. The shop is particularly associated with 1911 pistols and double-action revolvers, including work on Colt, Springfield Armory, Dan Wesson/CZ, Kimber, STI/Staccato, Smith & Wesson, Colt, and Ruger firearms.
Laubert’s standing as a pistolsmith is independently supported by his current listing in the American Custom Gunmakers Guild directory. His custom work includes defensive revolvers, 1911-pattern pistols, and other handguns in which reliable operation depends on careful fitting rather than simple component replacement.
His experience also extends to AR-pattern rifles and Remington 870 shotguns. Defensive Creations has offered technical instruction covering operation, nomenclature, complete disassembly and assembly, inspection, maintenance, troubleshooting, parts compatibility, worn-component replacement, barrel and gas-system work, and equipment configuration.
This educational role is an important part of Laubert’s contribution. An armorer or gunsmith must do more than recognize that a firearm has stopped working. Useful diagnosis requires understanding the cycle of operation, the relationship among components, the expected tolerances, the signs of wear, and the difference between a failed part and a larger assembly or configuration problem.
Laubert also became connected to the professional training community surrounding the Alliance Police Department training facility, Pat Rogers, and EAG Tactical. That environment exposed firearms to high round counts and demanding use, generating practical information about reliability, wear, maintenance, parts quality, assembly, and configuration.
The relationship between a gunsmith and high-volume instructors creates a valuable feedback loop. Instructors observe failures and recurring patterns across many students and firearms. A technically capable gunsmith can examine those observations mechanically, identify causes, make corrections, and return better information to the training community. Continued use then tests the solution.
Laubert’s custom defensive revolver work has also received detailed coverage. S.W.A.T. Magazine examined a pair of modified Smith & Wesson K-frames known as the “Spinny Twins,” documenting his practical approach to building fighting revolvers rather than display pieces.
P&S Connection
Laubert has contributed directly to Primary & Secondary technical discussions, including P&S 145 — Gun Nerds 14: The Pistol Episode. On panels with instructors, shooters, armorers, and industry professionals, he provides the perspective of the person responsible for understanding what is occurring inside the firearm.
Within the Extended P&S Network, Laubert represents the connection between use and mechanical understanding. His experience helps convert failures observed in training into diagnosis, repair, reliability improvements, maintenance practices, and knowledge that other shooters can apply.
Selected Sources
- Defensive Creations Gunsmithing — official shop information
- American Custom Gunmakers Guild — Dave Laubert member listing
- RECOIL — Defensive Creations profile
- S.W.A.T. Magazine — The Spinny Twins
- Primary & Secondary — Gun Nerds 14: The Pistol Episode
Profile last reviewed: September 10, 2026.
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Dave Laubert; David Laubert; Defensive Creations; Defensive Creations Gunsmithing; Alliance Ohio gunsmith; pistolsmith; American Custom Gunmakers Guild; American Pistolsmiths Guild; machinist; machining; custom firearms; custom 1911; defensive revolver; Smith & Wesson revolver; K-frame; Spinny Twins; Manurhin MR73; Colt revolver; Ruger revolver; AR-15 maintenance; AR-15 troubleshooting; Remington 870; firearm repair; firearm reliability; firearm inspection; mechanical diagnosis; Pat Rogers; EAG Tactical; Alliance Police Department training facility; technical firearms education; P&S Gun Nerds; P&S ModCast; Primary & Secondary; Extended P&S Network.