Gunsmithing as a retirement career?

[thorborg]

Something to ponder;
Being good working with your hands juxtaposed against ones ability to work with persnickety and sometimes insatiable people, make or break many small business.
If the latter is a deal breaker there is always the possibility of working as a subcontractor smith for a store or another shop overloaded that interfaces with the public for you.

 

[Koda]

the idea is too impractical for me but I always thought it would be fun to build a 1911 from the ground up with something like a Caspian frame. I wonder if its possible to be a custom 1911 builder made to order? You wouldn't have to actually machine or mfg parts from whole, just hand fit to order. People pay well for high end hand fitted 1911s, although the market and competition is well established as a retirement for fun project your not needing to compete. thinking about it, as a custom build fitter you wouldn't be limited to any brands components, each build would be made to order and unique.

 

[mcfoto]

the idea is too impractical for me but I always thought it would be fun to build a 1911 from the ground up with something like a Caspian frame. I wonder if its possible to be a custom 1911 builder made to order? You wouldn't have to actually machine or mfg parts from whole, just hand fit to order. People pay well for high end hand fitted 1911s, although the market and competition is well established as a retirement for fun project your not needing to compete. thinking about it, as a custom build fitter you wouldn't be limited to any brands components, each build would be made to order and unique.

I'm considering this in the future:

1911 University | Chambers Custom

 

[nwslopoke]

If you are looking for extra cash in retirement I'll pay you $5 hr to walk around the state capitol carrying a musket with a US flag sticking out of the barrel, while wearing a T-shirt inscribed, Does this shirt make me look fat?

Just an unuseful joke while at lunch. I've had similar ideas about retirement but most advice I read is the same. Not much money in it when everybody wants a bargain.

 

[DirectDrive]

I've been honing my craft (carp) since 1971.
No one nearing retirement is going to come in cold turkey and pull up beside me in regards to skill set, in a short period of time.
Full service gunsmithing would be the same scenario.

What about working the FFL and doing gun sales ?
You could also do Black Rifle work and Glock work with good hands and common sense.

 

[Cerberus Group]

the idea is too impractical for me but I always thought it would be fun to build a 1911 from the ground up with something like a Caspian frame. I wonder if its possible to be a custom 1911 builder made to order? You wouldn't have to actually machine or mfg parts from whole, just hand fit to order. People pay well for high end hand fitted 1911s, although the market and competition is well established as a retirement for fun project your not needing to compete. thinking about it, as a custom build fitter you wouldn't be limited to any brands components, each build would be made to order and unique.

I did that for a few years, and still do one now and then. There's a reason why custom 1911's are spendy...lot of labor intensive work compared to machine intensive.

I like to help folks with reliability issues, which is what my 1911 armorer class focuses on. Every part is examined for proper spec and adjustment. Once you get that down, the rest of the build comes a bit easier to understand.

 

[revjen45]

My degree in Professional Gunsmithing from LCC got me a FINE job in aerospace as a Manufacturing Engineering Planner for machined parts. I am now retired, which is where the OP stands and thus does not need to make a living at it. If you don't need the $, stay with it as a hobby. Doing gunsmithing as a job took the fun out of it for me. Besides, why draw the Eye of Sauron?

 

[CountryGent]

I am now retired, which is where the OP stands and thus does not need to make a living at it. If you don't need the $, stay with it as a hobby. Doing gunsmithing as a job took the fun out of it for me

Retirement is most assuredly some years off for me. But, as with most endeavours, I take the view to plan, learn, save and/or build well in advance. Recent events, which I won't go into lest the thread go wildly off-topic, has me planning the next phase of our family's journey. If that goes as envisioned, this is idea will most likely stay as a hobby. Thank you for the insight, particularly the success with the training you received.

 

[revjen45]

ADDENDUM:
"If you don't need the $, stay with it as a hobby."
And if you really DO need the $ DO NOT see gunsmithing as a route to income. With the exceptions of Jack Huntington and Marc Krebs the people I went to school with did not succeed in the business, even when Daddy set them up. Gunsmithing is not a good way to make extra money, unless your wife has a good job and it really doesn't matter if you make anything. It works when you have years to build skills and a customer base and lotsa $ for tools. The idea that you can buy parts and fit/assemble high-$ .45s is just not gonna work. If it would I would do it.

 

[Koda]

ADDENDUM:
"If you don't need the $, stay with it as a hobby."
And if you really DO need the $ DO NOT see gunsmithing as a route to income. With the exceptions of Jack Huntington and Marc Krebs the people I went to school with did not succeed in the business, even when Daddy set them up. Gunsmithing is not a good way to make extra money, unless your wife has a good job and it really doesn't matter if you make anything. It works when you have years to build skills and a customer base and lotsa $ for tools. The idea that you can buy parts and fit/assemble high-$ .45s is just not gonna work. If it would I would do it.

I always thought the idea of a "retirement career" was that where you didn't need the money and that you did something out of pure enjoyment of it and to stay busy. I think it would be fun to build custom 1911s on the side.

 

[osprey]

I was setting myself up for an early retirement job as a fishing charter captain but unforeseen events with salmon regs and a great offer to buy my charter license pulled me out after chartering for three years. While I do not regret giving it a go, I could definitely see it eroding my enjoyment of fishing a bit. Dealing with difficult people is definitely a challenge that can sour your experience as well. Luckily I found the majority of my clients to be decent human beings but still there were a few that tested my patience. Much good info here from guys in the trade which is a great resource. I will offer this from my perspective. If you do it, go into it with conviction and your eyes wide open. If you do this and offer a good product your chances to succeed are good.

 

[Helocat]

Providing a product or service that does not make you $ is a hobby.

As a small business owner for 19yrs and self employed for 14 of them, I know this well from my early days. When you make it make you an income then it becomes a job and you lose a hobby. I have lived this.

 

[tac]

1How to make a small fortune gun-smithing.

First, start off with a LARGE fortune.'

Unless it is intended to me a kind of paying hobby, I'd rather read about it. All it takes is for one mishap with a firearm that you have repaired or modified in some way, and your life saving are blown out of the water.

 

[glockr]

I used to enjoy working on fixer-upper projects around the house. Thought maybe buying a fixer-upper house as a rental would be a good idea. Five fixer uppers later, any mention of a sixth by my wife causes me to seriously consider filing for divorce In my experience, making something fun into a job ends up making it not fun. I still enjoy tinkering with my Glocks, AR's, and Savage bolt guns and thought that "maybe one day..." After my experience with fixing up houses, I'm glad I didn't try to turn my gun hobby into a business.

 

[osprey]

1How to make a small fortune gun-smithing.

First, start off with a LARGE fortune.'

Unless it is intended to me a kind of paying hobby, I'd rather read about it. All it takes is for one mishap with a firearm that you have repaired or modified in some way, and your life saving are blown out of the water.

This is the same joke in the saltwater charter bizz but with a slight twist. How do you make a million running a charter fishing biz? Start with 2 million.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Am hoping Velzey jumps back in here, and slaps me if I'm off base...but with all the specialized tools needed for certain firearms, add in the caliber gauges, large tools, machines, bits N pieces...one will need to have a very wide knowledge of many firearms to keep the thing going...which is why, as more of a hobby type compared to Velzey...kept a very narrow scope.

 

[HB of CJ]

Respectfully ...

The firearms industry has to be one of most heavily regulated industries in the USA. Required licenses. Paperwork. Taxes. Etc. You might want to reconsider your retirement endeavor.

Respectfully.

 

[Velzey]

I like guns.....I like working on guns. I have a hobby that involves guns.
I love the fact my hobby also happens to be my profession.
It's not really a hobby for me, it's entire way of life.
I went into this with both feet. There isn't a whole lot of money specializing in one particular firearm.
AR building, working on Glocks none of that is really gunsmithing.


The license and paperwork, that's all the easy part of all this.

 

[leadcounsel]

I, too, have kicked around the idea of gunsmithing as a secondary career, fall-back career, source of income. I have the GI Bill and considered using it for courses. Having researched it a bit, the consensus is to skip it. Anything gun related requiring licensing, handling firearms, etc. for employment/revenue is going to draw scrutiny from the state and federal government at some level. And if there is a mishap, injury, etc. you might find yourself in that food chain and answering questions to 3 letter agencies.

None of that is worth fixing someones' trigger job or stuck bolt action for a few hundred dollars here and there.

You could easily invest many thousands of dollars and years of education and experience to never break even and end up loathing handling guns as well.

And one thing to realize about government licenses and permission is that it can be revoked at any time.

Keep hobbies separate from work.

Make birdhouses and grow extra crops to sell along side the road. Far less risk and responsibilities.

 

[HB of CJ]

Not to rain on anybodies parade here and I have absolutely no right to do so, but respectfully consider a certificate or perhaps degree and experience in being the person who works on and quickly fixes the many different modern medical machinery that provides quick accurate results for many different medical tests or procedures.

The person who fixes the machine that provides so many timely medical test results or procedures experienced today. The person who drives the Porsche who comes in at 2 am and saves the house's bacon.