Tapos Gunsmithing

Alex Christenson grew up in a gun-free household but picked up hunting at eighteen. His first shotgun—a Remington 870 Super-Mag—introduced him to firearms work when he had to disassemble and reassemble it himself. That curiosity never stopped. When 2020 hit, he bought an AR-15 and started customizing it. That's when he knew.

Instead of staying a hobbyist, Christenson enrolled in Sonoran Desert Institute's Associate of Science in Firearms Technology program in February 2021. He graduated in January 2022 with a 3.98 GPA, Dean's List honors, and Magna Cum Laude recognition.

"There was a large vacuum in my area for gunsmiths. Many of the older generation that had served my area for years had either retired or moved on. Iowa gunsmiths were getting harder to find."

In June 2022, Iowa legislation allowed home-based FFL operations in Davenport. Christenson launched Tapos Gunsmithing, LLC on November 28, 2022 as a part-time operation. By March 2024, the business was booming enough that he went full-time. As of July 2025, he's completed nearly 1,000 jobs—many from repeat customers.

Gunsmith Services: - Custom firearms builds and modifications - AR-15 customization and assembly - General firearm repair and maintenance - Laser engraving for NFA items (suppressors, short-barreled rifles, etc.) - Fingerprinting services for NFA registration

Location & Contact: 2226 N Pioneer St, Davenport, IA 52804 (563) 503-0423 [email protected]