Good Firearms Related Jobs??????

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Blain

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Ahhhh, got to love the slow economy. Just curious, does anyone know any good firearms related jobs that they could recommend for a brother? Things like gunshop work armed guards, etc. Something involving carrying or being around firearms. working at a gunshops would be neat, but most of them can't afford to hire new employees, and who they have is who they plan to keep.

I have heard of some type of sweet job where one was paid to "guard" rich peoples houses. Can't get much nicer than that.

Now that's the type of job I'm looking for. How one obtains a job like that, though, beats the heck out of me. I know a couple of armed security jobs that have open positions (AMSA, Pinkerton, etc) but they are not paying near what I would like to make.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
Blain, you have to be very very very very very very very very very good. Rob Leatham has a million dollar contract to shoot for Springfield.
 
Yeah... I think it goes something like this.

Pick up a handgun you've never fired in your life, generally point it at a target 15 yards away, empty the gun shooting about 3 times per second.

Go look at the target.

If the shots are in a group larger than 2", resume looking for another 'Average Joe' job cause you ain't cut out for top level competitive shooting. :p

Lots of guys think they would ever have a snowballs chance in hell of shooting like Leatham or Koenig or Miculek... Not likely. These guys can draw and empty their gun accurately into a moving target 10 yards away in about the same time most reasonably-experienced shooters can draw a 1911 and take the safety off.
 
If its like the fishing circuits like BASS.
You start out in small tournaments, paying your own way, and win alot. After a while maybe a big company will see you and give you a contract.
Would be a great job though.
 
My dad's old college buddy and fellow local LEO that moved west and made sheriff of his county took to writing firearms write-ups that he submitted to major magazines. He got a few published, and finally got a contract. With that leverage, he moved on to another magazine with more articles, a collumn, and a better contract. He quit sheriff'n' altogether, 'cuz it got in the way of his gunwriting gig. Jim's got a pretty sweet deal, now-- gun manufacturers want him to evaluate their guns and ammo manufacturers want him to evaluate their ammo. Often the best way to do this is to go on guided hunts that are provided for him.

What with the gun shows, conventions, shoots, hunts, and meetings with reps, he's on the road a lot.

Still, it must be a heckuva life. :)
 
My personal strategy is to make a truckload of cash and then have fun on the weekends or on vacation time. IMHO if you're unemployed now, you can't be too picky about where you work or how much you make. If you are employed and you just want a career that is gun related, I would suggest contacting the major firearms manufacturers for a position. What area do you specialize in?
 
I have heard of some type of sweet job where one was paid to "guard" rich peoples houses. Can't get much nicer than that.
Click to expand...

Those jobs generally go to retired cops.

My advise is to get into college. Join the army national guard to become an armorer.
 
I have heard of some type of sweet job where one was paid to "guard" rich peoples houses. Can't get much nicer than that.
Click to expand...
Executive protection is not an easy job. Best way to get in is to get training in executive protection. Some folks get this while serving as a police officer assigned to a protection detail. Others are ex secret-service. Some go to private schools. Some of them seem to hang out here: http://www.tacticalforums.com/ so you might want to ask the question there.

But don't think this is an easy, piece of cake job.
 
If the industry in which I work doesn't pick up soon I might be looking for a source of income soon too. Over in Louisiana the nutria are destroying the wetlands and the state is paying a bounty of $4/tail and the hunter can sell the hides and meat elsewhere if he can find buyers. I wouldn't mind cruising around plinkin' at those ugly critters for money for awhile. I don't know if most nutria hunters use guns or traps or if it has become territorial yet but it's something I've thought about. Sixty or so a day should cover fuel and bullets and still leave a decent daily income.
 
obviously a job in law enforcement, or an hunting guide. you could carry around a pistol for a sidearm and lug rifles out into the field. i'm takin the law enforcement route, it'd be fun to be on the swat team and play with the guns :uhoh:
 
Executive Protection (EP) isn't always as glamourous as it seems on TV. A lot of times it involves sitting outside in the dead of winter, keeping idiots from bothering your principal. Several of the clients I've worked for were just women who had filed for divorce from abusive husbands and were concerned about their safety. So, you stand in the line of fire in case the old man decides he'd rather kill the wife and himself than lose her and the kids. (Been in that situation, thankfully his friends were able to keep him away.)

The company I work for also does security for a large, gated community that is the residence for several pro athletes (NFL and NBA), retired and current corporate executves, and a supermodel (dang, she's as hot in real life as in the pics). These people have fans (which IS short for FANATICS), stalkers, and paparazzi that you have to keep out of their hair. Especially the supermodel, she has at least two stalkers that the FBI has warned us of. Most of the time, this detail involves stopping people as they enter the community, inquiring as to the nature of their business, and taking the appropriate action.

One plus side of the job is I that last Friday I got to do the security detail for the Jeff Fisher (TN Titans head coach) Charity Softball Game. I was able to meet many of the Titans, Kenny Chesney (nice guy), and several other celebrities.

There are several ways too get into EP work. The most popular and preferred ways are with a LE and/or military background. It is possible to get into without experience, but you'll generally not end up working many of the choicest gigs.

Frank
 
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The best firearms related job is probably to study really hard in college, go into a career where you will make good money, then take your money and spend it on your hobby.... shooting.

I've been poor, and I've been, well, not quite so poor... Seems like I have cooler toys now
 
You want a gun related job and you don't want to be poor? I don't think there are that many options

Gunshops? Seem to pay minimum wage usually.

Security? Unless you are ex-military or a cop it seems you usually have to start in unarmed security (lets see, you are looking for trouble, wearing some kind of uniform and if you are lucky you are carrying a flashlight and pepper spray- no thank you). You may be able to get armored car guard without experience but that seems to be pretty backbreaking work, and not a lot of money. It also seems that most of these jobs don't pay that well (maybe low $20s with some experience).

Military? How old are you? What is your physical condition? Most aren't much different from civilian jobs, though you may get to qualify w/ a pistol and/or rifle once in a while and occasionally go out and play w/ one. Or you can go MP, infantry, armorer, etc to deal w/ guns more often. Money? With a college degree (and if you are young enough) you can become an officer and money isn't bad. Enlisted, you don't make much but many of the benefits can make up for that (GI bill, if you have student loans already sign up for 3 or 4 years and the Army will pay $60K of your loans, VA loans, etc). You could also use this background to get better paying jobs and better jobs generally in security.

Become a gunsmith. Well, there are few good ones, but there are tons of smiths out there. Once you take the training courses you will need to build a reputation and that may take a while. Most smiths seem to do it on the side, and there is a reason for that.

Work for a gunmaker. Well, they are companies with the needs of any other company. So you can do marketing, sales, PR, accounting, etc. for a gunmaker and at least be in the industry. But will you really have any more contact with guns than if you did the same thing for Ford?

For a comfortable paycheck, and living and working around firearms directly the best option I see is police work. Around here starting salary for most localities is upper $30s and even $40K+. With some experience you can do various specialties that may make the job more interesting or give you even more guns to use (SWAT for instance). With a degree and experience you may even be inclined to go into federal work (Secret Service, FBI) which really does seem to pay pretty well. You could also go into various security jobs on the side or after leaving and do it in a better job and for more money than most others going into security.
 
Almost forgot one more job that could involve a gun:

Late night shift at a convenience store or gas station. While pay may only be $9-10/hr you will almost certainly need to carry a gun at work. Similarly, for a little more money but a similar situation you could do pizza delivery after dark.
:evil:
:neener:
 
huaco

I used to shoot Nutria when I was a youngster. Never got more than two of them before the rest of the herd would stampede into the brush. :D

Traps might work if you can figure out a good bait, but that's time consuming and somewhat expensive.

Maybe some train some ferrocious fetching dogs? That'd probably involve the least amount of sweat. You might even be able to cook the nutria as dog food (cause lord knows I wouldn't be eating any).

I haven't shot one in 30 years and I can still smell them :barf: Can't imagine what a large pile of those stinking critters would be like to have laying around. :barf: :barf:
 
Betcha' never thought of this...

How about Fish and Wildlife Resources Management.
Game Warden in most areas. Around here, they carry
side arms, are trained to do so, have arrest powers
(even traffic citations), good vehicle, pretty good pay and
nearly come and go as they please. Of course they have
the uniform and badge.
 
Armored Car work is definitely a good way to go. I've been doing it for four years and love going to work in the morning. Pay is what you make of it and some regions pay better than others, though this is usually because there is a higher risk and/or unions.

Honestly, the work is physical but I'm 350#, mostly blubber, and I can jump the heaviest route in good time. You just have to have the right mindset.

The biggest plus is that jobs are relatively easy to come by and it gives you an excuse to buy that new gun or whatever. Shooting is your hobby now, but when you have to carry for your safety on the job, it becomes "work-related".

Need an AR15? No, you don't use them at work, but you might one day if crime gets bad.

Need a customized revolver? No, but you might decide to switch over to a revolver in the future...for reliablity's sake.

Need a .22 pistol? You can't carry that at work, but it helps with trigger control and sight picture development.

It's amazing what you can justify when your job and maybe even your life will depend on it. :D
 
There are none -- no jobs anywhere, armed or unarmed. Trust me, I've been looking. Why do think I'm trying to move?:fire: :banghead:
 
 
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