Seeking Firearms Job / Career

[HANKYPANKY]

Hello,
I am all about firearms and wanted a career change from a 13 year run at bartending.
I spend most of my days researching guns, parts, how they work, and the history behind them.
Currently living in Roseburg gives me a few options for applying to work for a licensed FFL.
Eventually I would like to have my own business and FFL7 to manufacture and build my own creations to sell.
Just having a hard time finding an entry point to get my foot in the door as most folks around here are already fully staffed.
Please if you have any advice or words of wisdom to help me along the way in this journey it would be greatly appreciated .

Thank you 2A family and have a wonderful holiday season!

H.G.

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[User 1234]

The Small Business Administration or a local business promotion agency might give you some direction. Guides to starting your own business, researching a market for your intended products, finding startup financing, etc. The NSSF may have firearm industry specific resources too.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

I'm shocked you can't find a job, I have know a bunch of gunsmiths and I would wager that every single one of them would have loved an on-staff bartender

 

[HANKYPANKY]

The Small Business Administration or a local business promotion agency might give you some direction. Guides to starting your own business, researching a market for your intended products, finding startup financing, etc. The NSSF may have firearm industry specific resources too.

I will look into your suggestions thank you so very much!

 

[User 1234]

Rural Business Development Grants in Oregon

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses.

www.rd.usda.gov

https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/homeareas/byboregon/Pages/startup.aspx

 

[HANKYPANKY]

I'm shocked you can't find a job, I have know a bunch of gunsmiths and I would wager that every single one of them would have loved an on-staff bartender

Bartending was a great job for me from 21-34 years old but I am married now, I don't have that party mentality that most bartenders get use to. I just want to follow my true passion.
Assembling firearms for me is honestly more fun then the activity of target practice.
Nothing is better then working with your hands to build what I call "man legos".

 

[HANKYPANKY]

Hello,
I am all about firearms and wanted a career change from a 13 year run at bartending.
I spend most of my days researching guns, parts, how they work, and the history behind them.
Currently living in Roseburg gives me a few options for applying to work for a licensed FFL.
Eventually I would like to have my own business and FFL7 to manufacture and build my own creations to sell.
Just having a hard time finding an entry point to get my foot in the door as most folks around here are already fully staffed.
Please if you have any advice or words of wisdom to help me along the way in this journey it would be greatly appreciated .

Thank you 2A family and have a wonderful holiday season!

H.G.

 

[2ATasto]

Oregon Rifleworks in Tigard is hiring. A bit far from Roseburg though

 

[Jasonanddeonna]

Careers

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Nosler seems like they are always hiring. They run adds non stop on the local news.

 

[AMT]

As we all know, good gunsmiths are hard to find. If you are good, and can work on an assortment of firearms, I am fairly confident that starting your own business wouldn't be too terribly difficult. Apply for a business license, pay the fees, get your work area licensed (IE: home based business), and you should be golden.

Good luck!

Edit to add: Keep your day-job (for lack of a better term) while you get everything rolling. You can always gunsmith in your off-time until you have enough work to keep you busy full-time.

 

[ColeInOregon]

I'd start here:

Gunsmithing Degree

Gunsmithing Degree and Certificate

www.trinidadstate.edu

 

[Member 38805]

I'd start by continuing to stop in at every place that sells firearms until they realize you're never going to stop, and they give you a job. Make sure that if they at least accept applications, that you fill one out. Also emphasize that you want this as your career, and will do whatever entry level job they have to get your foot in the door.
In the meantime if you have a permanent residence you can start your own FFL business, and buy and sell. I had my own business while holding down a full time job in a trade, and had my license set up as "by appointment only" where it asks for your business hours. So I sold guns evenings and weekends, and made extra money. I hit every gun show around, even if I traveled an hour or two each way. I bought and sold firearms and made decent extra funds, but also expanded my collection with the profits I made.
I never got into the business full time as it was working out too well to keep my steady income, and have the FFL as a side job. Eventually I gave up my FFL, and I only deal in antique firearms now, which don't require any type of license. Wish I had started that way, as I could have saved all the paperwork, and headaches of having the FFL. It wasn't all fun and games.

 

[titsonritz]

Ruger was hiring a while back.

 

[Nosferatu]

Look for some trade schools that offer machining, mechanical engineering, gunsmithing.

Go work in any machine shop and learn as much as you can. Calibrate your eyeball. Do as much finish work on parts as you can. The devil is in the details. They might eventually let you run a mill or lathe.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Look for some trade schools that offer machining, mechanical engineering, gunsmithing.

Go work in any machine shop and learn as much as you can. Calibrate your eyeball. Do as much finish work on parts as you can. The devil is in the details. They might eventually let you run a mill or lathe.

Came back to say this. You should also learn to run a file, and that's cheep. I good way to start is get a good file, a file card, a saw and a chunk of something to file, you can even use a piece of hardwood. Take the wood and saw cut a chunk slightly over 1" square. Now take your file and turn it into a perfect 1" square. Like with 90* angles and each side 1"x1". Pro tip: get A LOT of wood to practice on

 

[StacattoP]

You know leupold's in Beaverton I don't know how far away that is from Roseburg but they're always hiring too

 

[Nosferatu]

Came back to say this. You should also learn to run a file, and that's cheep. I good way to start is get a good file, a file card, a saw and a chunk of something to file, you can even use a piece of hardwood. Take the wood and saw cut a chunk slightly over 1" square. Now take your file and turn it into a perfect 1" square. Like with 90* angles and each side 1"x1". Pro tip: get A LOT of wood to practice on

Yep, you can pick up some basic hand tools and start practicing on scrap materials at home.

Files, deburr tools, sandpaper, scotch-brite, etc.

When you go to shops, your interview will likely be "here's a part, deburr it." You may or may not be handed a drawing.

I made myself super valuable to one shop simply by being outstanding in the blast cabinet. They sent almost everything out for anodizing and needed a uniform, matte finish before they left the shop. I perfected my technique and was "the man" for blasting. Getting everything even, especially picatinny rails, was no easy task.

Be good at the menial tasks, you'll move up quick to learning other skills that all apply to 'smithing.

 

[solv3nt]

CONSIDERING SELLING MY SMALL GUN PARTS BUSINESS

I have been making and selling recoil buffers for a sub compact alloy chassis 45 acp called the Star PD since 2009. Not a high volume business but steady. Have sold over 4000 buffers to citizens and law enforcement all over the world. I am the only source in the world for this part. Due to life...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[solv3nt]

I'd start by continuing to stop in at every place that sells firearms until they realize you're never going to stop, and they give you a job. Make sure that if they at least accept applications, that you fill one out. Also emphasize that you want this as your career, and will do whatever entry level job they have to get your foot in the door.
In the meantime if you have a permanent residence you can start your own FFL business, and buy and sell. I had my own business while holding down a full time job in a trade, and had my license set up as "by appointment only" where it asks for your business hours. So I sold guns evenings and weekends, and made extra money. I hit every gun show around, even if I traveled an hour or two each way. I bought and sold firearms and made decent extra funds, but also expanded my collection with the profits I made.
I never got into the business full time as it was working out too well to keep my steady income, and have the FFL as a side job. Eventually I gave up my FFL, and I only deal in antique firearms now, which don't require any type of license. Wish I had started that way, as I could have saved all the paperwork, and headaches of having the FFL. It wasn't all fun and games.

I don't believe they let you do "by appointment" anymore, from what I've read, you have to have posted hours of operation.