I'm 16, and I'm interested in a firearms related career. Please help

[M-Cameron]

yeah i know what you mean. i'm only 16 and my goals have changed over the years too. i'll give it some time to decide what I want to do but in the mean time I'm still getting prepared to join the marines. but say if i still want to do something related to firearms after I get discharged, would it be possible to study mechanical engineering/business to start up my own small firearm manufacturing company? I know it's not easy, but I'm just wondering if it would be possible at all?

possible.....sure
easy......no, but then the fun stuff never is.

if you are looking to open your own company....what i would do.......once you get out of the military...or even before......ide get a degree in engineering......and at least an associates in Business....

you will need to find a job and work your way up to an engineering position, most places wont hire someone right out of school to a full engineering position.....

once youve worked in an engineering position for several years, apply for engineering positions at a major firearm manufacturer(many require at least 5 years engineering experience).......work there until your in a lead engineering roll and have gained suitable knowledge, not just on firearms, but also ruining a business and managing a team.

from there you should have a strong platform to get started in your own business.

thats the quick-n-dirty version.

 

[TMiller556]

You're best bet is to work through a college prep program in high school to get a degree in engineering if you want to design firearms.

Artillery isn't a supporting career field for your future plans. Small Arms/Artillery Repair would be.

You need to PM Owen since he's successfully done what you want to do.

you're right, small arms repair/technician would be a better choice. thanks

 

[Vyacheslav]

would it be possible to study mechanical engineering/business to start up my own small firearm manufacturing company? I know it's not easy, but I'm just wondering if it would be possible at all?

it sure as hell would be with the right business knowledge. and dont listen to people who say it's a bad idea to do something you love for a career, that's a bs excuse used by old men who did something they hated their entire lives because they missed an opportunity to do something they love

 

[TMiller556]

possible.....sure
easy......no, but then the fun stuff never is.

if you are looking to open your own company....what i would do.......once you get out of the military...or even before......ide get a degree in engineering......and at least an associates in Business....

you will need to find a job and work your way up to an engineering position, most places wont hire someone right out of school to a full engineering position.....

once youve worked in an engineering position for several years, apply for engineering positions at a major firearm manufacturer(many require at least 5 years engineering experience).......work there until your in a lead engineering roll and have gained suitable knowledge, not just on firearms, but also ruining a business and managing a team.

from there you should have a strong platform to get started in your own business.

thats the quick-n-dirty version.

wow thanks man. really helpful stuff. wouldn't I be able to start my own company after the first mechanical engineering position or would working for another firearm manufacturer give me some knowledge on how firearm companies work and get me prepared to open my own?

 

[Zak Smith]

There isn't one recipe. You'll need engineering knowledge. You'll need some "natural" talent. You'll need some business knowledge. You'll need a bunch of common sense. And some money. You'll need to know a thing or two about manufacturing. Starting a business is not rocket science or a big mystery, but many people gloss over the mundane parts like, "what can I make that I can sell enough of to stay in business?"

 

[TMiller556]

There isn't one recipe. You'll need engineering knowledge. You'll need some "natural" talent. You'll need some business knowledge. You'll need a bunch of common sense. And some money. You'll need to know a thing or two about manufacturing. Starting a business is not rocket science or a big mystery, but many people gloss over the mundane parts like, "what can I make that I can sell enough of to stay in business?"

yeah but the way everybody is saying it, they make it sound like it's hard to make it in the gun business. but i'd rather them be honest than lie.

 

[Zak Smith]

In some sense, it's easier for an excellent engineer/businessman/manufacturer/marketing-person to make it in the gun business because the bar is set rather low. I say this as someone who has worked for big corporations doing engineering for 14+ years and someone with a gun-related manufacturing business for 4+ years.

It's hard to make it in any business, and a lot of small business fail. But if you have good ideas, money and the right people to bring them to market, and a good business plan, sure, you can make a bunch of money. It's not hard to think up a half dozen very successful gun companies that were more or less completely unknown 6 years ago.

There is no secret path that people have to take to become successful. There are many paths, and there is a bunch of knowledge and experience that help people become successful. I know successful gun companies that were started by former military, by just gun "geeks", by hunters, by people who knew nothing about guns but knew manufacturing, and people with no college education or formal engineering background (though both of those things do help).

If you want to design guns or gun parts and do it with your own company, I would recommend getting a very solid mechanical engineering education, getting a business education, and some knowledge of graphic design (it saves hiring artists when you need marketing materials).

 

[Steve CT]

I think you cannot go wrong by starting your career in the military, for three reasons:
1) You can learn shooting fundamentals and weapons maintenance/repair in very structured and time proven ways (but probably not Field Artillery)
2) While on active duty you will have the opportunity to use your Continuing Education benefits to take the college courses you will need to build your business and technical knowledge.
3) When you leave Military service, you will have substantial educational and life benefits to support you in pursuing your dream.

Unstated in all of this, is that you can develop the values and build the relationships that will stand you in good stead throughout your life.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

College -vs- Military

Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but there is nothing the military can do for you careerwise that same time spent in college won't do for you.

Uh, well, okay. This is not entirely accurate, but there's enough of an "it depends" factor that it's not just a "wrong" conclusion.

The military provides an environment and ethos that, frankly, you are never going to find in college. Unless your college is West Point or someplace like that.

What I learned in the military wasn't just a range of technical subjects (in my case, electronics and related stuff), but also an attitude and perspective.

I've taught college. Trust me, the stuff I picked up in my military years just plain isn't available in college.

Technical stuff? Sure, it's there. If you get a good school with good teachers and a solid curriculum, you can get a head full of the good stuff -- as long as you can ignore the squishy stuff offered along with it.

One of the things I learned in the military is that, properly approached, any subject can be learned. That's an attitude.

We were not encouraged to convey that attitude in our college classes. In that environment, it was more along the lines of, "hey, we can teach you that, too, so come see us when you need it." That's a rather different attitude.

There's a lot of theory that isn't going to be available directly from military training. I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing. Once you have the "I can learn whatever" attitude, what you find in college will find a better home in your skull. It's the difference between "I'm learning this" and "someone's teaching me this."

Anyway, I would personally lean in favor of a military foundation.

But, hey, that's me.

It's your mileage that matters.

 

[TMiller556]

In some sense, it's easier for an excellent engineer/businessman/manufacturer/marketing-person to make it in the gun business because the bar is set rather low. I say this as someone who has worked for big corporations doing engineering for 14+ years and someone with a gun-related manufacturing business for 4+ years.

It's hard to make it in any business, and a lot of small business fail. But if you have good ideas, money and the right people to bring them to market, and a good business plan, sure, you can make a bunch of money. It's not hard to think up a half dozen very successful gun companies that were more or less completely unknown 6 years ago.

There is no secret path that people have to take to become successful. There are many paths, and there is a bunch of knowledge and experience that help people become successful. I know successful gun companies that were started by former military, by just gun "geeks", by hunters, by people who knew nothing about guns but knew manufacturing, and people with no college education or formal engineering background (though both of those things do help).

If you want to design guns or gun parts and do it with your own company, I would recommend getting a very solid mechanical engineering education, getting a business education, and some knowledge of graphic design (it saves hiring artists when you need marketing materials).

Someone else mentioned studying marketing. Would that be beneficial too? And would I need to work for another firearm manufacturer to get some knowledge on the way they operate before I start up my own company? I think this part might be unnecessary but I'm just wondering.

 

[19-3Ben]

My advice would be go to college and then law school. Become in-house counsel for one of the big companies like Ruger or Colt.

If you major in engineering in college, and then get an LLM in patent law at law school, you can help the firearms manufacturers patent their new designs or defend against infringement on old ones.

 

[TMiller556]

My advice would be go to college and then law school. Become in-house counsel for one of the big companies like Ruger or Colt.

If you major in engineering in college, and then get an LLM in patent law at law school, you can help the firearms manufacturers patent their new designs or defend against infringement on old ones.

I see what you mean, since that would probably be one of the best paying jobs in the firearms industry but I'm more interested in designing the guns, experimenting, etc.

 

[gearhead]

Your own personality and talents should determine your course of study in college. If you’re a hands-on, mechanical guy who can handle math and physics and if you’d rather hang out with a couple of guys and go shooting or work on trucks than go out to clubs and talk to complete strangers then you’re probably better suited to be an engineering major. If you find retail sales enjoyable and you can’t wait to go up to a potential customer and help them select just the right item for their style and needs, and if you find comparing specifications and discussing the pros and cons at great length to be fun and exciting then you’re probably better off in sales and marketing. A business degree can’t hurt either, if you’re the kind of person who has lots of ideas and wants to be in charge of seeing those ideas become reality and seeing the products on the shelf or being used by others then business could be your primary focus. Otherwise, it’s not difficult nor time consuming to get an MBA after completing your primary degree.

Good luck!

 

[TMiller556]

Your own personality and talents should determine your course of study in college. If you’re a hands-on, mechanical guy who can handle math and physics and if you’d rather hang out with a couple of guys and go shooting or work on trucks than go out to clubs and talk to complete strangers then you’re probably better suited to be an engineering major. If you find retail sales enjoyable and you can’t wait to go up to a potential customer and help them select just the right item for their style and needs, and if you find comparing specifications and discussing the pros and cons at great length to be fun and exciting then you’re probably better off in sales and marketing. A business degree can’t hurt either, if you’re the kind of person who has lots of ideas and wants to be in charge of seeing those ideas become reality and seeing the products on the shelf or being used by others then business could be your primary focus. Otherwise, it’s not difficult nor time consuming to get an MBA after completing your primary degree.

Good luck!

For me, it's a little bit of both. I think I would like being in retail, helping out customers choose a gun but I'd probably get more out of designing and manufacturing my own parts/guns and I find it more enjoyable. But if I change my mind, sales/marketing would always be a good option. Thanks

 

[blackDdefense]

I am a version of you ...but 13 years later. I AM currently employed as a mecahnical engineer with a firearms manufacturer. I just had my BATFE inspection at my property to get my type 07 FFL. It took many years of designing fixtures and other not-so-fun stuff to get my feet wet in engineering. I have a unique realationship with my company in that they will let me manufacturer weapons that they currently do not without conflict of interest. I am also former US Army. I started out as a Forward Observer and worked my way into the arms room. The Army gave me something that college did not....The chance to serve the country that I love so much!!!

 

[J-Bar]

Very few of us are doing the kind of work that we thought we would be doing when we were 16. People change, interests change, times change, and unforeseen things happen.

Get a good education without trying to specialize too early. Give yourself a chance to find out who you really are before narrowing your options. The degree I earned at age 22, did not work for the career I chose at age 30...had to go back to school for a while. And I did not expect to be doing the work that I am presently doing at age 68 after earning either of those degrees.

Your life is a buffet...enjoy the variety.

 

[blackDdefense]

J-Bar........Good solid advise! I swore I was going to be a farmer at age 16 and I would not listen to people that were trying to tell me to explore other options at the same time.

 

[Zak Smith]

Someone else mentioned studying marketing. Would that be beneficial too? And would I need to work for another firearm manufacturer to get some knowledge on the way they operate before I start up my own company? I think this part might be unnecessary but I'm just wondering.

If you want to own and operate your own company, you need to have a lot of resources and a solid background in areas other than simply the "making" parts. As for what you "need", there is no set formula for what you need. There are a lot of areas of experience and knowledge, and just "knowing that there are experts", that one needs to start a business and make it succeed. One could argue that some of them are not necessary given people who have already succeeded, but on fair footing, the person with more relevant experience and expertise can excel. I know people who have started new companies from nothing with no relevant industry experience. If anything, I would say that relevant experience in industries other than guns would be just as or more useful to the business side of it.

 

[mgmorden]

I'm with most of the others - there isn't a whole lot of GOOD money to be made in the firearms industry.

Realistically, a lot of people who work in the industry don't do it for "good" money, but because they enjoy the work, and lot of others are in simply because it's a job (don't really matter what it is - work is hard to come by) and they are capable of doing it.

The latter probably outweighs the former to be honest. In a given job, the number of people who truly enjoy doing it is minimal. Work is something you'll grow to not enjoy, whatever it is. Whether it be guns, computers, cars, or anything else - I've seen a lot of people ruin their hobbies for themselves by choosing it as a profession.

Choose a career path where you can make the best money you can without working yourself to death. With the right pay check you'll be able to get about as much exposure to the firearms industry in your private time as you would ever want .

 

[Sky]

Military can teach many different things about yourself. When you think you can not make it any farther you will learn there is another good 5 miles left in your gas tank; being a Marine it will probably be another 10 miles?

I flew in the military so there was not someone standing over me unless I messed something up which I tried to never do. I am thankful of my experiences and they are part and parcel of who I am today and in some large part enabled me to find a well paying career when I got out of the service.

Again your life stretches before you and your options are many. Before you commit to anyone path try to envision where it will lead you. Some paths/roads are well paved and offer great rest stops along the way while others are dusty back roads with no food or water for miles and miles. Your life, think, educate, chose well.

 

[mbt2001]

Any military job where you can get experience as an armorer, ordinance specialist is a good idea.

 

[lemaymiami]

Tmill... there will be lots of time to work toward your goals - education will help, whichever way you go (and the military will teach you the discipline needed to succeed in any field).

On the labor end of things related to weapons, a skilled machinist, is still a guy that will be in some demand, but these days most manufacturing machine work is computer driven. I have a friend that builds high end fishing reels - and doesn't have an ordinary lathe or milling machine on the property. His factory consists of mostly high quality machines that produce machined parts with fine tolerances - everything is machined inside closed in, water bath cabinets. His "machinists" are computer operators... and they make multiple copies of one part or another day after day. All of the design work is done by CAD skilled folks as well. That requires education....

Good luck, work toward your goals and you can be certain that they'll change over time.

 

[TMiller556]

I want to thank everyone on here for the help.. I'm surprised this many people helped out. you guys have taught me a lot of things and gave me some direction to reach my goals. I'm going to continue trying as hard as I can in school and continue to prepare for the Marines. Once again, thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

 

[TMiller556]

Tmill... there will be lots of time to work toward your goals - education will help, whichever way you go (and the military will teach you the discipline needed to succeed in any field).

On the labor end of things related to weapons, a skilled machinist, is still a guy that will be in some demand, but these days most manufacturing machine work is computer driven. I have a friend that builds high end fishing reels - and doesn't have an ordinary lathe or milling machine on the property. His factory consists of mostly high quality machines that produce machined parts with fine tolerances - everything is machined inside closed in, water bath cabinets. His "machinists" are computer operators... and they make multiple copies of one part or another day after day. All of the design work is done by CAD skilled folks as well. That requires education....

Good luck, work toward your goals and you can be certain that they'll change over time.

Thanks. And you're right, they might change and they might not. I definitely wanted to be something else when I was 13 and my goals might be completely different in 5 years than they are now. But since this is my current goal, I want to be prepared to do what I have to do in order to reach it.

 

[Bobson]

+1 on combat-related military service, from one vet to (potentially) another.

No matter what you end up doing, starting off with a minimum enlistment contract will benefit you immensely. I've recommended military service to every male high school student I know. Just use your time wisely, and remember, almost everyone loves helping vets.