Firearm Sales Career

[Willy Leadwell]

I agree. Also, it's tough to get in if you're not a dealer/distributor/etc. Thanks so much for the offer. Resume inbound!

It’s attitudes like his that stifle ambition. If you want to be in the firearms industry, don’t let some negative Nancy take recommendations out of context and prevent you from going to the largest trade show in the industry to see if you can’t rub elbows with someone who matters. That’s some bull**** advice in my opinion. To the best of my recollection, no one said anything about going to shot show in hopes of landing a job. If my dad had said **** like that to me I wouldn’t have been running a million dollar company by the time I was 30. Listening to people like that is how you fail before you start.

I've been to trade shows like SEMA where 1,000 important people will walk right by you "too busy" to give you the time of day, only to find that Chip Foose will sit down at a table with you and talk to you like you're buddies. If you give up after the first 1,000 people you may never find that 1,001 is the one you needed to meet. You'll only fail when you stop trying. Or don't try like is being recommended here. Being recommended far too often actually. It's no wonder there is a staggering lack of ambition in this latest generation of the workforce.

 

[SOLGardener]

From what I've seen as I looked in to the same years back, if you are thinking about getting in to the business because you like guns, you're better off getting into a business that makes more money so that you can buy all of the things you want, a business that has good vacation and such so that you can go to the events that you want to.

I've had friends in the retail end and some in the distributor end. They tended to make less money and have less free time, and just not enjoy the gun time that they'd hoped to, and were generally stressed. It seems like they lost the passion for firearms after being in the business.

I went to machining school to get into the firearms MFG business making custom precision rifles.

I learned in school that turning parts is turning parts. Doesn't matter if its motorcycle parts or gears or barrels. It's just a part with specs and a number of pieces per hour.

I learned from the shop I was looking to work at that test firing the finished rifle is NOT range time. It's a task to complete the gun to ship it to get paid for your time. It wasn't relaxing downtime, but about efficiency, quality control, and back to the shop to pick up where you left off.

I decided I was better off making money and buying machining equipment and making my stuff as a hobby over being part of, or running a business.

 

[ngcsugrad09]

It’s attitudes like his that stifle ambition. If you want to be in the firearms industry, don’t let some negative Nancy take recommendations out of context and prevent you from going to the largest trade show in the industry to see if you can’t rub elbows with someone who matters. That’s some bull**** advice in my opinion. To the best of my recollection, no one said anything about going to shot show in hopes of landing a job. If my dad had said **** like that to me I wouldn’t have been running a million dollar company by the time I was 30. Listening to people like that is how you fail before you start.

I've been to trade shows like SEMA where 1,000 important people will walk right by you "too busy" to give you the time of day, only to find that Chip Foose will sit down at a table with you and talk to you like you're buddies. If you give up after the first 1,000 people you may never find that 1,001 is the one you needed to meet. You'll only fail when you stop trying. Or don't try like is being recommended here. Being recommended far too often actually. It's no wonder there is a staggering lack of ambition in this latest generation of the workforce.

Unless you have a very strong connection, SHOT show can be hard to get into. Its not an open show, and every year attendees are vetted more and more. The biggest feedback from vendors is to make sure the right people are there. One of the better shows to meet people is the NRA Annual Meetings. Its consumer driven and everything is more laid back, meaning people have time to talk.

 

[Willy Leadwell]

Unless you have a very strong connection, SHOT show can be hard to get into. Its not an open show, and every year attendees are vetted more and more. The biggest feedback from vendors is to make sure the right people are there. One of the better shows to meet people is the NRA Annual Meetings. Its consumer driven and everything is more laid back, meaning people have time to talk.

So to summarize, “it’s real hard, so you shouldn’t try.”

The point isn’t whether or not he can get in. The point is whether or not he’s doing any and every thing he can to expose himself to the industry/community he wishes to be a part of. So what if they “don’t have time to talk to him??” Listening and observing is better than sitting home waiting for the show that’s “more laid back.” If you gave me a choice between the two, I’d work twice as hard to be around the guys that “don’t have time” rather than the ones who are “more laid back” because I wanna be one of those guys that doesn’t have time to talk to you.