i wanna be a gunsmith

[Mike aka BandAid]

To echo what others have said, tool quality, go to the community college and learn how to use a welder, a lathe, a mill... These will make you soooo much better.

As for trying to do it all? That's VERY tough. Most gunsmiths I know have a "nitch" that they prefer to work on. Mine is antiques, and restoration. I can make my own springs, checker wood, and have an amazing stock duplicator. I can niterblue, salt-blue, cold blue, brown, and slow rust blue. I have had the pleasure of working on $25,000 shotguns, and have an original 1873 44-40 in the shop now for a new leaf spring.

I can work on your AR, but I LOVE the old rifles and doubles!

Remember: The fastest way to make a million dollars as a Gunsmith is to start with 2 million, and cut your losses after the first million is gone.

 

[EPS]

may try this if you want to have the option of staying home.

Get Your GUNSMITH License TODAY!

Lol you can get a gun Smith license on line I say license because in some states you have to basically work for a FFL OR have a FFL to work on guns you just hand over a gun to someone in some states and after you work on it you just can't hand it back to someone my problem is when my friends ask me to help them work on there guns I get so nervous about messing it up lol just think if someone brings in a $10.000 gun to work on forget about it HEHEH

 

[JRuby]

The problem is that if you work on someone's gun and then they hurt themelves with it and you have no formal firearms training who do you think they are going find in fault. The license may be a joke but it works in the "gunsmiths" interest and the more of those courses that they have attended starts to create credibility
That's why gunsmiths don't want untrained people working on thier customers guns. - LIABILITY

 

[EPS]

The problem is that if you work on someone's gun and then they hurt themelves with it and you have no formal firearms training who do you think they are going find in fault. The license may be a joke but it works in the "gunsmiths" interest and the more of those courses that they have attended starts to create credibility
That's why gunsmiths don't want untrained people working on thier customers guns. - LIABILITY

Yep if they put reload in there shot gun and it blows up in there face and you worked on there gun and took money for it your liable for damages even if they where the ones who reload the ammo

 

[BlindedByScience]

Not trying to be a dick here, but 'wanna' isn't a word. Instead use 'want to'. Why? If I'm going to hand thousands of dollars of rifle and optics off to a guy, I want a professional. Impressions matter, first impressions matter most.

Good luck.....;-)

 

[EPS]

Not trying to be a dick here, but 'wanna' isn't a word. Instead use 'want to'. Why? If I'm going to hand thousands of dollars of rifle and optics off to a guy, I want a professional. Impressions matter, first impressions matter most.

Good luck.....;-)

OK THANKS RICHARD

 

[BlindedByScience]

OK THANKS RICHARD

The name isn't Richard. Got a point to make...??

 

[EPS]

The name isn't Richard. Got a point to make...??

I guess you didn't get the point that was the point anyway I know we have at least one teacher on here you can talk to about using correct words I got out of school YEARS AGO NOW I DRINK MY BEER AND HAVE TO PUT UP WITH GUYS LIKE YOU CORRECTING MY POST LOL IT WASN'T EVEN MY POST YOU UNDER STOOD WHAT HE WAS SAYING COME ON MAN

 

[BlindedByScience]

You missed my point completely. If he wants to be in the business, and not just do work for his buddies, he's going to need to be professional about it. Hey, he can talk any way he wants, but if he's in the business, he may wonder why people take their high dollar rifles and optics and pistols somewhere else. And, it's those high dollar jobs that make quality gunsmiths solid cash.

I've got no axe to grind, I was hoping to make a point. It's not a slam on you or him or anyone else. Simple facts about the business. Any business, really. No offense intended. Sorry it went over your head.

 

[EPS]

You missed my point completely. If he wants to be in the business, and not just do work for his buddies, he's going to need to be professional about it. Hey, he can talk any way he wants, but if he's in the business, he may wonder why people take their high dollar rifles and optics and pistols somewhere else. And, it's those high dollar jobs that make quality gunsmiths solid cash.

I've got no axe to grind, I was hoping to make a point. It's not a slam on you or him or anyone else. Simple facts about the business. Any business, really. No offense intended. Sorry it went over your head.

Right over my head lol might have grazed me but still a miss sorry I went back and read your post again your right over my head I missed it sorry brother

 

[billdeserthills]

The name isn't Richard. Got a point to make...??

I suspect Richard is long for Dick

 

[EPS]

I suspect Richard is long for Dick

Yes I was basically calling him a dick because that's what he said but I was jumping the gun I didn't see what he was trying to say he was trying to say be professional and don't use slang I missed it but I admit I was wrong and apologized I think sorry brother

 

[EPS]

But I think the Richard thing went over his head lol so be it

 

[EPS]

I don't want to discourage you but a gunsmith these days is not a money making job part-time OK if you're good at certain stuff you could make some extra money but the technology of today most guns are made by CNC MACHINE ALONG WITH THE SMALL PARTS basically what I'm saying its a hobby that you could make extra money at best unless you have a shop full of tools and machine 's that you could produce multiple guns and parts IT'S A HOBBY

 

[rcnpthfndr]

if you want to be a gunsmith you have to have a type01 FFL according to the BATFE. which means you have to have all the bs that goes with that.

Federal Firearms Licence Types
Usage

Type 1 Title 1 dealer or gunsmith other than destructive devices. Can also deal in Title II NFA firearms with class 3 tax stamp.
Type 2 Title 1 dealer doing business as a pawnbroker
Type 3 Licensed collector of Curio & Relic (C&R) firearms
Type 6 Licensed manufacturer of ammunition and reloading components other than Armor Piercing ammunition
Type 7 Title 1 manufacturer of firearms, who can also act as dealer, other than Destructive Devices, ammunition and ammunition components other than Armor Piercing ammunition. Can also manufacturer & deal in Title II NFA firearms with class 2 tax stamp.
Type 8 Importer of Title 1 firearms and ammunition. Can also import Title II NFA firearms with class 1 tax stamp.
Type 9 Dealer in Title 1 firearms including NFA destructive devices, Requires payment as an SOT Class 1 (can act as an NFA Dealer) and registration with the US Dept. of State as a Broker under ITAR/D-TRADE. To deal/broker any DD with an explosives content (i.e. Flash-Bangs), requires an additional FFL; Dealer of High Explosives
Type 10 Manufacturer of Title 1 firearms, ammunition and ammunition components, manufacturer of NFA Destructive Devices, ammunition for Destructive Devices and Armor Piercing ammunition (can act as a dealer). Requires payment as an SOT Class 2 (can act as an NFA Dealer) and registration with the US Dept. of State as a Manufacturer under ITAR/D-TRADE. To manufacture any DD with an explosives content (i.e. Flash-Bangs), requires an additional FFL; Type 20 Manufacturer of High Explosives.
Type 11 Importer of Title 1 firearms, ammunition and NFA Destructive Devices, ammunition for Destructive Devices and Armor Piercing ammunition. Requires payment as an SOT Class 1 and registration with the US Dept. of State as a Broker under ITAR/D-TRADE. To import any DD with an explosives content (i.e. Flash-Bangs), requires an additional FFL; Importer of High Explosives.

 

[IronMonster]

I will just say I have been around metal fab/machining all my life. Have owned a fab/machine shop for 15 years. I have several lathes, mills, surface grinders specialty saws and other bits of expensive equipment. I am a certified welder as well as a competent blacksmith.

When I need quality work done to a firearm, I send it to a gunsmith.

Now by a lot of standards I could be considered a gunsmith and I have done a fair amount of gun related work, but when it matters I recruit an expert.

A true gunsmith needs to be a master of several crafts, I would guess in the real world out of every 20 or so guys who sets out to be a gunsmith one succeeds, maybe one out of 20 of those really becomes a known master gunsmith.

Not trying to discourage you, but I don't see it as a lot different than someone saying I want to be a rock star or a pro ball player.

That's great, follow your dream and all that. Just have a backup plan

 

[NCW_Robert]

I will just say I have been around metal fab/machining all my life. Have owned a fab/machine shop for 15 years. I have several lathes, mills, surface grinders specialty saws and other bits of expensive equipment. I am a certified welder as well as a competent blacksmith.

When I need quality work done to a firearm, I send it to a gunsmith.

Now by a lot of standards I could be considered a gunsmith and I have done a fair amount of gun related work, but when it matters I recruit an expert.

A true gunsmith needs to be a master of several crafts, I would guess in the real world out of every 20 or so guys who sets out to be a gunsmith one succeeds, maybe one out of 20 of those really becomes a known master gunsmith.

Not trying to discourage you, but I don't see it as a lot different than someone saying I want to be a rock star or a pro ball player.

That's great, follow your dream and all that. Just have a backup plan

A backup plan:

This is pretty much why I say become a machinist with an eye towards gunsmithing. If you can become a proficient machinist then wish to use those skills as a gunsmith, good for you and your much farther down the road to doing quality work on guns.

As a competent machinist you can make a good living and be in demand almost anywhere, though only the larger cities will have higher pay scales.

If things don't work out as a gunsmith, you can still make a good living as a machinist.

What will make him a success as a Gunsmith?

Skill.

If you do top end work and don't screw things up the work will find you.

The limiting factor is how many customer guns you trash. Make mistakes with a cutting head going 800 rpm while trying to cut a new dovetail for a sight and it can go wrong quickly.

One false move with a file and it skitters across a barrel and you can't get those file marks out, how you going to explain that to a customer?

Working on guns as a gunsmith is a no second chance undertaking.

Many "would be" amateur gunsmiths do more harm then good and it comes 90% when they are trying to disassemble things.

Many so-called Gunsmiths can't even do something as simple as punch a sight out of a dovetail without putting scratches on your gun, google that if you want to read about "stupid Gunsmith tricks" for an afternoon.

~

 

[BlindedByScience]

NCW_Robert you nailed it. Kudos....

 

[JRuby]

My dad was a tool and die maker for GM ( Oldsmobile).in Lansing Michigan at Jet Plant #3. He used to talk about how long a chip they could run around the shop. I would of loved to have had the benefit of his knowledge and metallurgy however he lives back in Michigan. He made a pretty good salary and age 80 he has been offered a couple of jobs running shops. He is retired he says. A good machinist can do very well today however the skill set is changing.

 

[IronMonster]

A backup plan:

This is pretty much why I say become a machinist with an eye towards gunsmithing. If you can become a proficient machinist then wish to use those skills as a gunsmith, good for you and your much farther down the road to doing quality work on guns.

As a competent machinist you can make a good living and be in demand almost anywhere, though only the larger cities will have higher pay scales.

If things don't work out as a gunsmith, you can still make a good living as a machinist.

What will make him a success as a Gunsmith?

Skill.

If you do top end work and don't screw things up the work will find you.

The limiting factor is how many customer guns you trash. Make mistakes with a cutting head going 800 rpm while trying to cut a new dovetail for a sight and it can go wrong quickly.

One false move with a file and it skitters across a barrel and you can't get those file marks out, how you going to explain that to a customer?

Working on guns as a gunsmith is a no second chance undertaking.

Many "would be" amateur gunsmiths do more harm then good and it comes 90% when they are trying to disassemble things.

Many so-called Gunsmiths can't even do something as simple as punch a sight out of a dovetail without putting scratches on your gun, google that if you want to read about "stupid Gunsmith tricks" for an afternoon.

~

Solid advice. A good manual Machinest is a rare thing these days and they can more or less set their own wages in a thriving market. These days everyone trains to be a CNC operator. True Machinests are mostly old and retiring and it's leaving a void the younger generation does not seem interested in filling