Is it impossible to make it as a gunsmith?

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It always comes down to who you know when it comes to career choices.

Most gunsmiths will start out working at a gun shop that I've seen. You get to know your products. Then if you get lucky, then get that dream job in Austria for Glock. Good luck on your future endeavors.
 
My gunsmith is Keith Warner, of Memphis. I knew his father-in-law before knowing Keith. His FIL, Jim, told me that Keith always wanted to be a gunsmith.

Keith told me he went to a gunsmithing school, the name of which I forget, and also to a trade school for machinists. When he got far enough along, he apprenticed with Ed Mason and Sons gunsmiths, also here in Memphis, and also studied under H.L. Highsmith, maker of African rifles for rich cottonmen.

Keith ventured out on his own, opening his shop in a sporting goods store, and finally opening his own shop.

To be a good 'smith is not only to be a good 'smith, but to be a business man as well.

As to being a mechanical engineer, I worked with many of them in my career, and while never an engineer myself, was a mechanical designer and had the time of my life. I worked with good, well educated folks, had a good office job on wet, cold days, or when the temps hit 100 degrees. But also visited many job sites, climbed up tall ladders, climbed up on top of grain silos, worked on river barges and railroad cars. Flew to many parts of the country, stayed in very nice hotels and ate in good restaurants.

Your choice.

Bob Wright
 
Get A B.S./B.A. In Something

Society demands an education.

All of our bodies wear out much too soon.

I loaded airliners for twelve years. I am not a large person.

As a result I have had just about every operation you can name.

I also worked with the public with several airlines.

Many of my peers are dead. Alcohol/pain killers, etc. took their toll as well.

Get an education (B.S./B.A. etc.). Then when you wear out mentally or physically you still will have options. Very few blue collars have white hair.

The time will pass like a rocket. Learn something you love and can do when you wear out...
 
The only full time gunsmith in this area closed his shop several months ago and went back to an industrial job with steady paycheck and benefits.
I know several part timers who do neat work, though.
 
Thanks for every one of the responses guys. I certainly will heed your advice and I won't drop the possibility of mechanical engineering just yet. I'm still very undecided but you all are right... not being strong in math isn't a sufficient reason to drop the thought of studying M.E. altogether. One again, I appreciate all of the feedback
 
Retired as an EE but over my last 25 years had the pleasure of working with some truly great ME types. Any of the engineering disciplines pay well but more important is doing what you like, working a passion and getting paid.

I liked hso's say:
OTOH, if you have a passion to be a gunsmith then you should consider becoming a machinist and then going to gunsmithing school.
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Every really good smith I have known over the years has had strong machinist skills. That is a must and while the math is not as complex as becoming an ME it is required. Many of the really good smiths I know also take on apprentices or helpers, like an apprentice in the trades before journeyman is achieved.

Just consider this. Make darn sure you choose a career path you like and will enjoy working. A good career can be a long time and when looking at 40 plus years you would like a happy 40 plus years. :)

Wish You The Best
Ron
 
As a practicing M.E. I'm going to have to chime in here. The math in school sucks but once you get out of school you'll never use it again. Thats what computers are for.


BTW making big coin makes up for the fact you arent doing your hobby as a job PLUS you don't have to deal with the ATF. Just saying.
 
In my first life I was Tool and Die Maker, but there are two trends working against you in that field.
1. Mathematics is deeply ingrained with that field.
2. It is hard to find a Tool and Die training program today.

Having said that, Tool and Die Making as well as machining is a noble and lucrative trade which will allow you to develop some of the skills needed to be a gunsmith. Operating a business requires both economic understanding, management skills, and skill in the endeavor you are pursuing. As one who was somewhat forced by economic conditions to first learn another trade and then become a business owner, I can tell you the path is long and hard, but if you apply yourself, can be greatly rewarding. Ownership is neither a 9 to 5 job nor is it a quick ticket to riches, but if you truly have mechanical skills (something which I believe is genetic) and the self discipline to completely apply yourself, you can be successful in whatever endeavor you apply yourself to.
 
The gunsmith I used most recently, to rebarrel one pistol (I supplied the barrel) and to fix a bullet-stop in a .22 pump, can surely make a good living.
I took him two old .22 pump rifles, and asked to have the donor rifle's stock put onto the better rifle. Also, the neither rifle had a 'bullet stop', but I told him that a BB would do the trick, and that the replacement part was impossible to find.
To put a BB into the rifle and swap the butt stocks, $100. To rebarrel the pistol, $100.
 
I know one true gunsmith. He was a machinist by trade and did that for 40 years as a career. Gunsmithing was his passion and hobby. He stayed busy, but will admit he made fun money off of it and likely cou not have done it for a living. Metalwork, woodwork....he can do it all. He is the only man I ever knew I would trust to work on my Colts. I dread the day he is gone.
 
I suppose I can speak with some authority on this subject having attended a formal gunsmith school and have worked in the industry. I will also add to the opinion that you should become a competent machinist before going to gunsmithing school. That was the greatest learning curve for me while there. All of the hand work I was a natural at but the machining took a lot more time to become proficient. Just as you are getting good, school comes to and end and you are out in the real world. I worked my way up to master gunsmith for an AR-15 company before they closed their doors and I was forced to find another job. I did a one year stint at a local indoor range and discovered that I much prefer production gunsmithing over repairs and customization. I did so many cleanings that I got bored at it. After a year I was ready for a change. After those jobs I was hired at a local spring company as a tool and die apprentice. I am currently there and learning a lot about the tool and die trade (not a bad thing). We can make anything out of metal and that is a good skill to build on. I suggest you pursue an actual day job and leave the gunsmithing as a hobby skill that you build over time.
 
I worked as an Electrical Engineer for several years and now am a Quality Engineer, so I know the math for engineering sucks but you can do it. I struggled with math all the way through, but I have not used it since I graduated 10 years ago. Go with the engineering degree, and see if you can take some summer courses in machinist school, or work in a machine shop as an intern.

If you want get the B.S. in ME, then see if you can go to night school/part time machinist school after graduation. If that will not work fine a good machinist/gunsmith to spend time with outside work. Learn the trade and do it on the side while you work a real steady job. Build a client base, then see if you can start your own shop. Please take a few business courses so you can do the administrative side of the job, I find most technical people have no idea about the "office side" of a business.

Sorry for the rambling, been a long week at work and I am tired.
 
ColtPythonElite said:
He is the only man I ever knew I would trust to work on my Colts. I dread the day he is gone.
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I've known two...both in Sacramento of all places.

One I've lost track of...Southern Ca was the last I heard...the other moved to OR
 
Taurus 617 CCW said:
I suppose I can speak with some authority on this subject having attended a formal gunsmith school and have worked in the industry. I will also add to the opinion that you should become a competent machinist before going to gunsmithing school. That was the greatest learning curve for me while there. All of the hand work I was a natural at but the machining took a lot more time to become proficient. Just as you are getting good, school comes to and end and you are out in the real world. I worked my way up to master gunsmith for an AR-15 company before they closed their doors and I was forced to find another job. I did a one year stint at a local indoor range and discovered that I much prefer production gunsmithing over repairs and customization. I did so many cleanings that I got bored at it. After a year I was ready for a change. After those jobs I was hired at a local spring company as a tool and die apprentice. I am currently there and learning a lot about the tool and die trade (not a bad thing). We can make anything out of metal and that is a good skill to build on. I suggest you pursue an actual day job and leave the gunsmithing as a hobby skill that you build over time.
Click to expand...
I second that. Learn machining and get a job doing that while taking in jobs on the side. I regret not learning machining very well, and don't have a mill or lathe of my own. So I do parts replacement and such as a hobby. I did spend some time in the Army as a Unit Armorer, and got a little time in at a Division level maintenance depot. If I had the time and money, I'd probably be building AR's and 1911's. Instead I work in the optical field. Funny how my work and my hobbies (I reload as well) require intense attention to detail and the ability to 'eye' minute measurements, as well as highly accurate measurement devices.
 
I'd say get into Tool and Die. There are jobs out there needing filling and that will give you knowledge and skills to make parts: both off a firearm and on it. My dad did Tool and Die for 30 years and made good money, which starting out as a gunsmith and businessman you'll need a good nest egg for the early hard years.
 
I have an engineering degree. As others have said, you learn a lot of math but rarely if ever use it. If you can get through the first year of Engineering math and physics, you can probably get through the whole program. If you fail there, take the tech/trade route instead.

You do need to know your basic math forwards and backwards -- what you'd learn in high school through algebra II. If you forget what order to do multiplication/division/addition/subtraction, or can't subtract negative numbers, or can't deal with fractions, you'll never get through the higher math. If you take a placement test and are borderline in basic math, take the lower of the borderline remedial so you get it good (and its easier to take a class where you already can do half the material). Much of learning math is the teacher and relating it to how YOU think. It also helps to be detail oriented, which a good machinist needs to be too.

Engineers make about double what techs or machinists make at the company I work for.
 
The way I've heard it....

Q - What's the difference between a large pizza and a gunsmith?

A - The pizza can feed a family of four.
 
rondog said:
The way I've heard it....

Q - What's the difference between a large pizza and a gunsmith?

A - The pizza can feed a family of four.
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Truth.

A half assed M.E. Is going to earn 70K within 5 years of college and 100K within 10. More if you are actually any good or living and working in a higher wage area. A gunsmith won't. The pizza analogy isnt far off.

A M.E. will have paid vacation, insurance, bonuses and won't have to buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment every year to stay relevant. He works 9 to 5 ( 6 to 3 in my case ) and leaves the office at the office. He doesnt work weekends unless he wants to work someplace like that. If he gets tired of his M.E. 9-5 job he can bag it and go to work someplace else where his new employer will pay him $30K to move there and be their guy.

A gunsmith is NOT his own boss. He has 50 bosses at a time telling him what to do and calling to find out when their stuff will be done. No vacation, pays his own Obamacare costs, late nights, lots of equipment to buy etc.. Crappy wages after expenses. Like everything else its a good thing someone does that stuff and some folks with a good rep and business savvy can make a good living but they are definitely the minority. Stay in school and reap the rewards.
 
TMiller556 said:
The only bit that I'm skeptical about when it comes to studying mechanical engineering is that my math skills are not very strong. Long story short, I lost both of my parents while I was in high school and had no stable place to live for a short amount of time. I missed school and although I'm back on track now and am a very good student, there are holes in my math education. I'm a bit far behind. Math isn't my strong suit regardless. Maybe I'm making excuses.. but I don't know
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I teach college chemistry part time. The biggest struggle I see in general chemistry is math. My reccomendation would be to focus on taking the appropriate math classes you need to brush up your skills before diving deep into engineering. In the mean time knock off a few general Ed classes as well even if it takes you a little longer to graduate, so what. Your mechanical engineering degree will likely open opportunities to,work in the fire arms industries. You could also look for intern summer positions in the firearms industry as well.
 
GET THE DEGREE FIRST !!

Making a living as a gunsmith is very diffficult. Making a good living as a gunsmith is rare .

Complete your formal education and achieve your degree in ME or in another field if you desire. But don't screw up your chance to get a degree, and in a field that you can find work - and at good pay .
 
I would encourage you to continue college if you can. Do not give up on mechanical engineering...get help for the math stuff. Once you are out, you'll have computers, tables, and manuals to do the math. If that does not work out, yes, go the machinist route at a good tech school and maybe back it up with welding. You can make damn good money in that field and it is almost essential for serious gunsmithing. Listen, you generally can't make a great living as just a gunsmith, but a good gunsmith is gold to us guys.
 
Not sure of your age, but if young think about the military. There are some good trade jobs there which would help you later and the GI bill will also help with school.

If you do it, be SURE that you are getting the job you want and what you will be doing in that job. There are guys who work on weapons systems but they are not the same thing as a unit armorer (1-2wk school which doesn't teach you much).

Welders as mentioned before are also a job in the Army.

Something to consider if you want a change.
 
Ohen Cepel said:
Not sure of your age, but if young think about the military. There are some good trade jobs there which would help you later and the GI bill will also help with school.

If you do it, be SURE that you are getting the job you want and what you will be doing in that job. There are guys who work on weapons systems but they are not the same thing as a unit armorer (1-2wk school which doesn't teach you much).

Welders as mentioned before are also a job in the Army.

Something to consider if you want a change.
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I wa going into the Marines, but I was medically disqualified due to a chronic leg injury that required surgery. I was 2 weeks from shipping out.
 
The only bit that I'm skeptical about when it comes to studying mechanical engineering is that my math skills are not very strong. Long story short, I lost both of my parents while I was in high school and had no stable place to live for a short amount of time. I missed school and although I'm back on track now and am a very good student, there are holes in my math education. I'm a bit far behind. Math isn't my strong suit regardless. Maybe I'm making excuses.. but I don't know
Click to expand...

Take math classes at a local comminity college. Buy math books and work through them. Hire tutors since they are all over the place at community colleges. Commit to two hours a night, four nights a week. Do it until you have the skill! It is like anything else: you must put in the work. Nothing says you cannot finish a degree two or three years down the road.

Remember, you do notneed to take classes to learn math, but they help by providing a structured method with milestones.
 
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What is a good gunsmith? I have dealt with quite a few and only one would I really consider to be "good".
The ones I have dealt with have been poor businessmen. They either tried to turn a repair in a day or made you wait three months and charged the same.

How does one repair $300 guns and make a profitable business? You can't. Most modern guns are nearly disposable.

Get a career started where you can make decent money and work as a smith on the side. Don't expect to make any money at it for a while but expect to learn a lot.
 
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