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Looking through the NRA magazine yesterday and I sent off for a Gunsmithing info packet.
Anyone a certified Gunsmith? Any suggestions?
This won't be a full time job, more of a hobby. But they did say that to work on others guns, you had to have an FFL, which would be pretty good also, then I could do transfers of guns also.
In some areas, local Junior or Community Colleges offer Gunsmithing courses.
As a hobby, Gunsmithing can be very rewarding. Here are some tips:
Once you work on someone else's firearm or get involved in transfers (basically middleman sales) you need a FFL. Holding a FFL imposes some restrictions upon you and subjects you to liability that you should serious consider before you jump in that far.
If your desire is for more personal reasons (hobby) and aren't really going to make a business out of it, a FFL can make your life more complicated. Using an FFL to advance a personal collection of firearms isn't really a good idea unless you plan to make collecting a big deal. No one can go into your house without a warrant (legally) or without reasonable cause to prevent a crime (in general terms). When you hold an FFL any place you maintain or work on firearms is an open door for authorities involved in enforcement activities that can be related to your FFL and that isn't a difficult link to make, especially these days.
Gunsmithing is having the knowledge and skills of a machinist, quasi engineer and tinkerer all put together. Much of the knowledge and skills needed to "gunsmith" can be acquired by learning machining, welding, metallurgy and basic materials engineering. The tinkering will come naturally. After that, any courses you take in Gunsmithing will be much easier as you'll have a good foundation of knowledge and skill to advance quickly.
Note that many "Gunsmiths" have little to no formal training, they learned through trial and error. How many people ask for credentials of the Gunsmith who will work on their firearms? Few I bet. A good Gunsmith is hard to find and if you are good, work comes to your door.
There is the liability factor to consider when working on someone else's firearm. It's almost like working on the brakes for their car. The service you provide really can affect their life, both ways, good or bad, life or death. An improperly serviced firearm can injure or kill the owner as easily as if someone shot them so before putting your hands on someone else's gun, please make sure you really know what you're doing. Unlike two buddies getting together than swapping grip safeties or lightening a trigger pull, when you do it you become responsible if something goes wrong. We'd all like to think that the people asking for service are all one big happy 2nd Amendment loving family but the reality is that they will sue you as fast as the anti-gun lobby lawyer hoping to make a quick buck.
Here is a place to start as far as Community Colleges goes:
Lassen College has a very good reputation and turns out world class Gunsmiths. Depending on your dedication, you could go there and leave ready to run a Gunsmithing business with a very fine credential under your belt. Although it is in California, once there you'd think you were in some other state where firearms ownership isn't something to be shunned or hidden.
Be aware that once having gone through a school like the one at Lassen, you'll see most of what you read on these gun threads as pure nonsense. Just the way it is.
I'm not sure how far I will go in this, but in the end it will be free (VA) and when/if I get my FFL, it will be more towards the transfer of guns. Where I live there are very few gunsmiths, they are here, but..they have some attitudes, and even less who will transfer without a steep price. I figure I can do it for $20 or less...most here are $35 and up.
If I started, I would start with cleaning guns and stuff like that. Not much, just to see...then obviously I would work my guns to show off what I can do...and of course do transfers.
I don't think this will get very large, as I do have a full time job and still young (42). And in the end I love guns and this will be free education.
When I do this, I was also thinking about getting a LLC to go along with the company name....
I don't plan on this happening tomorrow, but if/when it will be in the near future to make it happen.
Looking through the NRA magazine yesterday and I sent off for a Gunsmithing info packet.
Anyone a certified Gunsmith? Any suggestions?
This won't be a full time job, more of a hobby. But they did say that to work on others guns, you had to have an FFL, which would be pretty good also, then I could do transfers of guns also.
Just looking to seek some extra information...
I started about 25 years ago following some truly bad workmanship by a supposed pro gunsmith. So I became self-taught, though I had been a long-time auto mechanic working on such mentally challenging things as Weber (Italian!!!) carbs.
I just worked my way through my own rifles, and after experiencing some especially ruinously bad 'smithnig by a "pro", at a not-insignificant charge-out btw... I decided to build a semi-custom rifle by using my new FFL to send a well-worn lefty Rem 700 out to be professionally match-grade barreled by Douglas, and then I had McMillan fit a nice leftie thumbhole stock. I also developed custom handloads, and added a threaded (adjustable) barrel tuner and Robar's spectacular NP3 Teflon-Nickel finish. So I had a beautiful custom shooter in 6.5-'06 Ackley that would easily shoot 3 - 4 140 gr bullets [@ ≈ 3100 fps!] into 0.8" at 100 m. A full-on antelope rifle good out to at least 600 m!
Then I worked on some of my friend's rifles, and over time learned how a lot of such mechanisms are typically assembled. And the key elements to building in accuracy. You should build on what you learn. Upwards and onwards forever!
The biggest concern nowadays is, as noted above, the new level of invasive legal responsibility. It may be enough to stop you in your tracks, since no-one will insure gunsmithing, and even if it was not your fault, the liberal anti-gun courts may well make you absorb a little, say, $250,000 or $1M award against you. That will likely upset your wife , I'll bet!
It used to be an enjoyable hobby or employment option, but even when I'd made it into a relatively financially successful job, it was a bit scary nowadays. So frankly, I'm happy now to be getting out of it.
But if you insist, the tools you'll need can run from hobby level to full-on professional. See: Brownell's and have a good line of credti on your Amex card! Also, it's best to find yourself a v. good machinist to do the very fine level of accuracy-requiring work. Otherwise, you'll get a bad rep!
I'm not saying you shouldn't consider it, but expect to spend about $8k for the right tools (starting with screwdrivers and punches and some necessary special tools like, for instance, the Rem 700 bolt disassembly tool.. and so on and so on.)
You have to buy the right tools as you discover the job at hand cannot be done by whacking things with an old hammer and a cold chisel. Always have the right tool to do the job right, but the other problem comes when you have what you know will be a once-in-a-lifetime job. Do it badly and you lose. Do it right, charge it out at, say, $50, but then, you possibly had to buy a $250 tool just to do it right.
And NEVER leave a scratch on any rifle or firearm you work on, even if the firearm is well-worn. . No excuse for that, EVER!
Of course, if you are young enough, you may well recoup that special cost somewhere in the future of your business, but then again... oooppss!
Tell you what: if you wish, DM me and we can talk on the phone. [Mod cut]
I'll be keeping the tools I will need to do any repairs for my close friends (back to my roots!) and repeat customers, but I'm no longer welcoming walk-ins.
As usual, advice, even bad advice, is free!
Last edited by ElkHunter; 09-20-2013 at 10:47 PM..
Reason: Advertising
I would specialize on a specific gun and even a specific nitch in that market.
Like learning how to do compitition action jobs in a s&w revolver. Only a few people do them and they are way backed up. Gunsmithing is about word of mouth, if you do things well and have a fast turn around time you will be successful. You have to be really really really good to be successful with a long turn around time.
Thanks for the info everyone, that's why I'm asking. I Love guns, love to work on mine, if I decide to go any further than what is stated above, that will be far down the road.
I'll start off small with my own guns, trigger jobs and such, bring them to the range, let people shoot them...then provide my card...
mr bolo, I have a great job right now. I retired from the Army in 2009 (21 years 24 day LOL) so we are very satisfied, just looking for a hobby. Even if it just to say I'm a certified gunsmith and if never get to use the the actual gunsmiths course.
I'm sure around here, I can make my money back in just FFL transfers.
Thanks for the info everyone, that's why I'm asking. I Love guns, love to work on mine, if I decide to go any further than what is stated above, that will be far down the road.
I'll start off small with my own guns, trigger jobs and such, bring them to the range, let people shoot them...then provide my card...
mr bolo, I have a great job right now. I retired from the Army in 2009 (21 years 24 day LOL) so we are very satisfied, just looking for a hobby. Even if it just to say I'm a certified gunsmith and if never get to use the the actual gunsmiths course.
I'm sure around here, I can make my money back in just FFL transfers.
Keep the suggestions and advice coming.
rifleman DM sent.
An ffl for gunsmithing and an ffl for sales/transfers are two different things.
An ffl for gunsmithing and an ffl for sales/transfers are two different things.
No they're not...
Type 1 FFL dealer and smith other than DD (May hold an SOT for NFA items)
Type 7/10 Manufacturer of firearms (Type 10 also requires SOT 2)
Manufacturer is not a smith, a Smith may also be a manufacturer. This may be your point of confusion, commonly a gunsmith could be either someone who makes bespoke weapons, or a mechanic/tuner, if they make bespoke or limited runs they're a type 7 or type 10, if they're a mechanic/tuner they need only need a Type 1.
An ffl for gunsmithing and an ffl for sales/transfers are two different things.
As Gungnir said, I have to have an FFL to work on other peoples guns. Or at least that is what I'm told.
As far as I know and what I have read, I need nothing else, once I have a FFL, I can work on guns (other peoples) and also accomplish gun transfers.
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