[Old_Crow]

With computer aided machinery turning out everything I would pursue a career as a CNC machinist first. It pays well and you can take gunsmith courses part time. If you play your cards right by the time you finish the gunsmith courses you can save enough to hang up a shingle. Even if you decide not to hang up a shingle you will be surrounded by the tools to build anything you can dream up.

[zaitsev44]

Me and a few of my friends are planning to open a gun store, we already have the individual jobs picked out, with me a gunsmith and owner, and the others taking parts like floor salesman, trades, ect.

[Ultimate_sig]

Originally Posted by zaitsev44

Me and a few of my friends are planning to open a gun store, we already have the individual jobs picked out, with me a gunsmith and owner, and the others taking parts like floor salesman, trades, ect.

I want to do that as well. Was thinking of turning my garage into a store front, converting it and all

[willshoum]

Originally Posted by Old_Crow

With computer aided machinery turning out everything I would pursue a career as a CNC machinist first. It pays well and you can take gunsmith courses part time. If you play your cards right by the time you finish the gunsmith courses you can save enough to hang up a shingle. Even if you decide not to hang up a shingle you will be surrounded by the tools to build anything you can dream up.

Not to start a war of machinist, he will be more adept at learning manual lathe and mill work.....Just my two cents......Besides, how many cnc machines use a four jaw chuck......

[Old_Crow]

Originally Posted by willshoum

Not to start a war of machinist, he will be more adept at learning manual lathe and mill work.....Just my two cents......Besides, how many cnc machines use a four jaw chuck......

You have a good point. I was watching a gun show on TV. Red Jacket was looking to hire gunsmiths. They were flooded with qualified applicants but very few could do the CNC work.

Lets be honest, most people who can really read blue prints can handle a 4 jaw chuck from what they learned in high school shop. Most roughnecks on an oil rig can handle a metal lathe, vertical and horizontal milling machines to make some pretty complicated parts. Are they master machinists? No! But they can make parts they are familiar with and understand how they work.

[zaitsev44]

I'm become (IMO) really good at surplus firearms and pistols. I'm decent at modern hunting rifles, but not as near as good as surplus. I'm looking for a broken and/or beat up mil-surp rifle for cheap to fix and get some experience with, anyone know where I can find some?

[willshoum]

Originally Posted by Old_Crow

You have a good point. I was watching a gun show on TV. Red Jacket was looking to hire gunsmiths. They were flooded with qualified applicants but very few could do the CNC work.

Lets be honest, most people who can really read blue prints can handle a 4 jaw chuck from what they learned in high school shop. Most roughnecks on an oil rig can handle a metal lathe, vertical and horizontal milling machines to make some pretty complicated parts. Are they master machinists? No! But they can make parts they are familiar with and understand how they work.

Gun Smith, They don't need cnc's...... Were all those pistols and rifles made on CNC'S......Robotics has killed the Gun industry........Hand made in the USA..........You get what you pay for.... Red Jacket is a JOKE.......

[gunner43]

I am one of those old retired farts that took up gunsmithing as something to do to keep my hands busy and because I love guns. Most of my training is from hands on work. My dad was a gunlover and worked on all of his and his friends. He even built a couple. Then there was the military where I stumbled into being an armorer and as a deputy sheriff I learned a lot. Finally to get a show thing to hang on the wall I got certified at Sonran Desert Institute and finally my AS degree with a major in firearms technology. Of course I just bought the FFL.
Anyway to make the long story short... Hands on, a little bookwork and desire plus Time makes the gunsmith.
I do it as a hobby but started my own business so I can deduct expenses.
Gunner43

[Celtic Warrior]

Ok, I'm a small time gun mechanic (not a certified Gunsmith) and I get plenty of work (not enough to live on and most of it I do gratis for buddies). Here are my recommendations for you to see if this is really for you:

1. Go to YouTube and watch everything there is on gun smithing, i.e. tearing a 1911 down to the frame, trigger jobs, building AR-15’s from scratch, tricking out Glocks.

2. Using these videos borrower all your buddies guns and tear them down and put them back together.

3. Once you feel this is for you them contact the different gun manufacturer and find out if they have online Armorer courses. S&W, Diamond Back and maybe Glock does this. A couple of months ago Diamond Back sent me an email on this and the only requirement was access to a Diamond back and but a small spare parts kit. Once the course is completed you get a certificate and Diamond Back list you as an Armorer. None of this really requires any machining capabilities.

4. If you are thinking military (which is a very good thing, because of all the training available + discipline) every fighting organization has an Armorer. This is another duty. You’ll do field repairs, modifications to M-4’s, M-9’s, like putting scopes on, changing out bolt carrier groups. But remember if you are doing this in the field you will be where people are shooting at you.

5. As stated above, you’ll need a machining background. You can get this at your local community college. This will require Algebra/Trigonometry, geometry, blueprint reading and machining. For a small Gun Smith CNC is only required if you are building one-off guns (which means you’ll need more than a 01FFL). CNC is not cost effective for the small gun smith. You can get by with the same system I have a combo lathe/mill, 24” lathe. A lot of the stuff you’ll be doing will be by hand. I contract all of my wood work out to a local furniture repair guy, for finish work.

If your plan is to open a gun shop having armorer certificates will put you way ahead of other gun shops. I work in a gun shop and we make a lot on
quick fixes and installing sights, scopes and the kitchen sink on AR’s.

these sites out:
RECENT PRICE IST SURVEY -
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/gunsmithing/pricing-gunsmith-work-more-brownells-survey-200977/

GENERAL TASKS, LOOK UNDER GUNSMITHING -
http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?
http://www.midwayusa.com/General.mvc/Index/VideoLibraryhttp://www.midwayusa.com/General.mvc/Index/VideoLibrary <

[Old_Crow]

Not everyone is cut out to run their own business. Learning to use CNC equipment means you can go to work anywhere and get a fair wage. I do agree that the old way is more precise and you end up with a better product. My gunsmith is a master machinist. Yet he still sends a lot of work out to CNC shops because they can make a profit and still do it cheaper than he can. It must work pretty well for him. Right now his telephone message states he is two months behind. He has hired a journeyman gunsmith to help him keep up with demand.

He is getting old and he is just doing the work because he loves it. He could retire and hang out at the range of his choice until he passes on. He is a retired tool and die maker from Colt.