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Hey all, I'm wanting to get deeper into gunsmithing and would like to find a smith around Redmond that would be willing to pass down some knowledge. I've spent the last 4 years in manual machining with 10 years of experience in tig, mig and stick welding.

Not looking for employment necessarily as I have a steady job now, mostly as a hobby or weekend work.
 
I have, but I'd rather have in person instructions. I'm in Redmond and will be the new match director for rimfire Challenge this season, I'll be at the range this Saturday if you're there.
I volunteer 3 & 4th Sundays at RP. Only time I go to the club. Just too far to travel. I know, I'm in Redmond, but I only drive 8 minutes to shoot. The range takes a bit longer.
I used to be at Rimfire and AP every week, but it gets to be a bit much.
 
Here in UK gunsmithing is an apprenticed trade, taking up to seven years to accomplish, and ending up with membership of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers, a guild set up in 1637 in the City of London to maintain standards of workmanship and skills required of a gunmaker.

Same in Germany. Belgium and France.


The patron is King Charles III.

As you can see, being a gunsmith here in UK is a VERY serious business.
 
Here in UK gunsmithing is an apprenticed trade, taking up to seven years to accomplish, and ending up with membership of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers, a guild set up in 1637 in the City of London to maintain standards of workmanship and skills required of a gunmaker.

Same in Germany. Belgium and France.


The patron is King Charles III.

As you can see, being a gunsmith here in UK is a VERY serious business.
Boulder dash.

Our fore fathers fought a war to overcome such tedious traditions...

Put some glock stickers on the ice box, watch a few videos on the computer than hang a shingle. Anyone can be a gum smith. :s0108:
 
The difference between a gunsmith here in UK and Europe and the US is that here we require that the gunsmith be able to make a gun from scratch, hence the long apprenticeship. The first 'test' is making a sphere from a block, and a block from a sphere, using only files. After that it just gets harder.

In the USA you tend to assemble components made by somebody else, and call that gunsmithing. Just like you do, we have many people like that here - makers of custom target rifles and so on. They are undoubtedly skilled craftsmen, but gunsmiths they are not.

Even the likes of Shiloh Sharps, who DO build guns entirely in their own shops, do not have one person making one rifle at a time. True, there ARE many gifted gunmakers in the USA who can craft an entire gun from scratch, mostly in the field of muzzleloading, and the remarkable gentleman who made that incredible round-action rifle, but they are, for the most part, self-taught.
 
We do have a great many makers of parts, and having parts to do easy swaps is all good and fine if it's that easy.
I get guns that come in bags with missing parts, some of which have to be made.
There is something real satisfying about making a part and getting the heat treat just right and getting a real old gun to work again. I recently had the pleasure of fixing a 1878 Colt Double hammer.
Let's face it. The parts warehouses like Jacks are great, IF the part fits. doesn't always work out.
 
The difference between a gunsmith here in UK and Europe and the US is that here we require that the gunsmith be able to make a gun from scratch, hence the long apprenticeship. The first 'test' is making a sphere from a block, and a block from a sphere, using only files. After that it just gets harder.

In the USA you tend to assemble components made by somebody else, and call that gunsmithing. Just like you do, we have many people like that here - makers of custom target rifles and so on. They are undoubtedly skilled craftsmen, but gunsmiths they are not.

Even the likes of Shiloh Sharps, who DO build guns entirely in their own shops, do not have one person making one rifle at a time. True, there ARE many gifted gunmakers in the USA who can craft an entire gun from scratch, mostly in the field of muzzleloading, and the remarkable gentleman who made that incredible round-action rifle, but they are, for the most part, self-taught.

I find it so amusing that parts swappers call themselves gunsmiths these days.
I worked with many old grumpy gunsmiths and only when they told me I was a gunsmith I took that title.
Good way to go broke in the US is specializing in making firearms from the ground up. Many folks have tried it.
 

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