is there really much of a career in firearms?

[Angler]

ive considered gunsmithing/machinist,been an iron worker for24 years,my true love are guns and at 42 i really want to go a different direction. sounds crazy?

A new gunsmith opened up here about a year ago and did some barrel threading for me, turnaround was 1 week. I took a 77/22 in two weeks ago and he said I am "two months out" In fact he hired an assistant. And wow does he have all the big tools needed!!!

If you build it, they will come.

 

[EPS]

I think he made his decision by now op was 2012

 

[GOG]

There's a fairly brisk trade in the Midnight Expedited Firearms Transfer business in most Democrat controlled cities.

 

[revjen45]

As a graduate of the Lassen Community College Professional Gunsmithing program I can comment.
1) Out of all the dozens of people I went to school with Jack Huntington and Marc Krebs are the only stand out successes I know of. Lots of people went bust at it.
2) Your wife will need to have a good job while you learn what you really need to know and build your business. This is no guarantee of success, but it sure helps.
3) See #2. 3 years in school taught me enough to learn how to do it but actually knowing enough to do it well and fast enough to make a living takes a lot longer.
4) If you think you would be doing what you love, look into it and remember that actually succeeding at it is highly unlikely. If you allow this to dissuade you, good. You don't have the requisite determination and I have saved you a lot of trouble.
5) You will need to invest substantial money in your tools: lathe, mill, hand tools, dividing head and about twice the investment in these for stuff I haven 't named.
6) My Gunsmithing degree got me a job in aerospace that I was not otherwise qualified for, leading to my retirement from Boeing in '15 so it wasn't a loss.
7) Should SHTF go down I have a useful skill set.

 

[shibbershabber]

The only living to be made in firearms is putting on a uniform and carrying one.

Anything else and you're scraping by or working for someone else as a commissioned salesman... Likely also scraping by

 

[Medic!]

It's true.
These here Mountains are all trapped out.

And The Grizz just aint no more.

 

[Ruger Rich]

I'm up there in years, past 3/4 of a century now. I've gained some experience/wisdom, and the following applies only to myself. Follow your heart and include a good examination of the surrounding and pertinent issues. Don't get old and think to yourself, "What If .....". If you try and fail there is satisfaction to some measure knowing you tried. If you just think about it and never try, you'll forever kick your azz. It's like the girl in hi-school you thought was hot, if you never ask her out you'll never get a kiss. However, if you ask her out, she might just say "Yes". And you might just get that kiss.