I want to get into gunsmithing

[sinac84]

I like guns, A LOT. Whenever I get a new one I pretty much clear the kitchen table and start taking apart the weapon usually with guidance via YouTube. I think I would like to take it to the next level and get some good education is gunsmithing. My question is where do I start? Do I do an online course? Should I take armorers courses? What's the simpliest way to get started? I have a good basic understand of firearms and for the most part I have owned and handled a variety of popular guns though not as many as I would like. I definitely would consider myself a novice but I do learn pretty quick with the hands on approach.

Any advise would be appreciated. THANKS!

 

[Byte Stryke]

before you quit your day job...

do you know the difference between a Large Pizza and a Gunsmith?




a large pizza can feed a family of 3.

 

[potenza]

before you quit your day job...

do you know the difference between a Large Pizza and a Gunsmith?




a large pizza can feed a family of 3.

That is true!!!

 

[sinac84]

I want to start out as something to get my foot into the firearms world. I find it fun to work on guns.

 

[2nd4ever]

A gunsmith has to be a Jack-of-all-trades. Just because you like guns doesn't mean you would make a good gunsmith. You have to be a better woodworker than the average Joe. You have to be a machinist, a welder, a metallurgist, a painter, sculptor, artist, perfectionist, mathematician, scientist, businessman, receptionist, taxman, part lawyer and in general just plain good with your hands. You have to have the ability to look at something and understand how each part relates to the overall function of the firearm. when you plunge into gunsmithing for profit you won't be able to just order replacement parts you will have to be able to make from scratch springs and exact replicas of parts and be able to hand fit those parts so that the firearm will function reliably each and every time it is called on.

That's enough of the doom and gloom, now the good stuff. When you restore grandpa's old shotgun and give it back to the customer the joy you see in their face is priceless. 99% of gunowners are the best folks you'll ever meet. You will meet a lot of people who have the same love of guns as you do and will even get into some friendly banter back and forth about AR or Ak, Glock or ...... There is no better sense of pride in being able to fix something that someone else just can't.

Now if you still want to be a gunsmith and you have the skills mentioned above, or most of 'em, then go for it. If you can find a gunsmith to take you under his wing this would be the best education you can get. Option 2 would be go to an accredited gunsmithing school. Option 3 is an online school, I prefer the AGI courses over the Penn Foster. As stated above don't quit your day job because you will need tools and if you take the money you make gunsmithing to buy tools then you will need another income to live on till you make a name for yourself. Always remember that an unhappy customer will tell everybody how you messed up and a happy customer will just come back

 

[DogLegArms]

Focus on something specific to get your foot in the door that has low liability and low overhead such as sight installation. Do it cheap, do it fast, and do as many as you can. Then you'll be 'the guy' who does cheap sight installations with a quick turnaround. Then continue adding to your repertoire. If it never takes off, then your not the hole a bunch of money.

Armorer's courses are great but you have to figure out how to get in since you're not in the industry. Manufacturers don't just let people off the street attend. I believe Glock still lets GSSF members attend their armorer's course.

BTW I'm not a smith but that's how I would approach it.

 

[givejunkfree]

Get your FFL, buy Zombie kit guns and sell them. You could be the envy of all the builders on this site! Seriously? I would look more at a specialty that spans over other things, like engraving, woodworking, lapping, staining. Everything 2nd4ever said and more. You are looking at a five year investment and a lot of practice pieces, so, yeah, don't quit your day job.

 

[rew]

The original poster never said they planned to quit their day job. Just that they enjoyed working on guns. I think that's great. Don't listen to anyone being negative. Glock still let's GSSF members take their course. There's a guy in Texas that will let you come out and guide you through making pretty much any gun you want. Larry Vickers also teaches a build your own 1911 class. He supplies the raw materials and guidance. You machine them and hand fit them to completion. Takes about a week. I'm sure there are other similar classes out there. Good luck and have fun!

 

[givejunkfree]

What is negative about "don't quit your day job"? I meet musicians every day and tell them that. Gunsmithing, like playing an instrument, does not happen overnight and you are well advised to keep doing whatever makes money until you can replace it with what you want to do.

 

[HuckleberryFinn]

before you quit your day job...

do you know the difference between a Large Pizza and a Gunsmith?


a large pizza can feed a family of 3.

Its funny cause its true! As an independent contracted gun smith for a few shops in my area i have to say its going to have to take a lot more than liking guns a lot to really want to do this. I honestly believe gun smithing seems to be a dying art form. Like 2nd4ever put it is pretty much true, you have to be a jack of all trades. It really isn't order parts and put them in some of them you have to make which is a pain in the ass most of the time haha. You don't make big money its more or less a lot of small jobs to keep you busy that add up. Tools are a huge cost in this industry buy quality the first time and save yourself tons of headaches. And please please please do not be that "youtube" gun smith. Ive seen more hack jobs roll though my doors because of youtube than id like to believe. Turns out its cheaper to have someone that knows what their doing do it for you than to mess up and have them fix it for you. Hence the 2 I'm taking a break from right now due to someones half assed cerakote job where they coated everything and rendered the guns unusable. Reputation is everything in this industry if you can't do the work or its not worth it turn it down rather than pissing off a customer. For every good job you'll do they'll tell 3 people for every bad one you do they'll tell the world. Everything has to be perfect, everything has to function 200% you have to think some people carry these firearms as self defense. there are no cutting corners. now if you really want to get started in this industry like they said don't quit your day job infact i still keep a full time job and I'm a full time smith as with anything its up and down all the time. somedays you'll have so much work you can't keep up the next you have nothing going on. Easiest way to get started get a part time at a gun shop, learn the basic tricks of the trade. talk to the smiths that come in try and get one to take you under their wing as an apprentice. if the shop offers courses through manufactures do everything you can to be in that class. Good luck with your endevors.

huck