Small Arms Design as a Career?

[Crunker1337]

So, I'm going off to college next year. No military experience, no LE or soldiers in my family. Is small arms a field I can get into? What sort of major should I go out for? Mechanical engineering? What impresses employers? Do small arms designers get paid well? What do I need to know?

Anyone in the field, please answer!

Thanks.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I'm not in the industry but I would think mechanical engineering along with graphic design (CAD, 3d modeling, etc) would be useful. Are you going to college in NJ? Not a very good area to get into the field! Go to colorado and intern for these guys: Clicky

 

[Hoppy590]

would seem to me that CAD machining and mechanical engineering would be most applicable

 

[cliffy]

CAD and COMMONSENSE will get you through the tough times

Improving upon current firearms will constantly become a challenge. Remember the Ruger Mini-14 is the third world POWER to be reckoned with. Think you can best the best? Go for it? Beginning with .243 Winchester chambering shall be a REALLY STRONG start. Improve the current AR-10s firepower, and become the modern AK-47 destroyer. Mayhaps your design will remove most of the AK-47s from third-world hands. cliffy

 

[JohnL2]

Well I would try and talk to people in the industry first. Go on a tour of a manufacturer if you can. Get to know a good gunsmith in your area too.
The engineers would be the elite of course. But then there is the production end of it also. If you can run a CNC lathe or mill you have essentially doubled your usefulness.

In my line of work (not gun related) I have worked on equipment that was 60+ years old (real "battleship" equipment); and in an instant the latest programmable computerized piece of gear with all the bells, whistles, assists, and safety equipment built in.

A lot of the work seems to go to boutique gunsmiths who do refining and customization.

Then again if you want to work for the likes of Raytheon designing next-generation missiles, then by all means get your butt to CalTech or M.I.T. and get your engineering degree.

 

[PLRinmypocket]

Mechanical Engineering degree is a must IMO if you want to try to get a job designing for an existing gun manufacturer. It's not the easiest degree to get, so it means a lot to have one. (took me a while to get mine)

Some other degrees like Industrial Engineering, Manufactureing engineering, or even 2D/3D drafting will also help you get a job and it may be easier to get your foot in the door of a firearms manufacturer that way...then you can try to work your way up. I don't think there are many entry level firearms design jobs out there at any given moment, if there are, expect competition to be fierce.

The hard part is actually finding a design job in the industry..I was lucky to get my foot in the door. Best bet is to send out written letters to several firearms manufacturers asking what they would want in an entry level designer...Even offering to do an internship would be helpfull.

I am in the industry. feel free to PM me with any specific questions.

 

[misternothingman]

As an upperclassmen Mech. E student, I'm looking into the future at career possibilities. If you are serious about getting into firearms design, you need to be thinking Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on design, and probably a minor in materials. But as the guys before me said, you will face some heavy competition (probably myself included). If I could go back and do it again, I'd start in a tech school somewhere learning how to run CNC machines as well as the older stuff they teach us on here at my school. You can take calculus and differential equations and physics as well as a lot of gen. eds there as well, so you won't really have "fallen behind". CAD skills will be necessary, but most design-minded people pick that up pretty quick, and at least at my school, three different CAD programs are required, so that won't be something you have to learn on your own. ProE, SolidWorks, UGS NX5, and of course the old school AutoCAD are all prevalent in industrial design, but firearms design probably has a preference, so find out which program you need to master to get that job you want.

The tech school guys I've run into here are a LOT more proficient as engineers, in my opinion, and they tend to get out of school sooner (inside of 5 years). I'm getting a minor in material science as well, because as anyone in the industry will probably tell you, that's where the next breakthrough will be. Ceramics and their composites are getting more useful as time goes on. Having the knowledge before going into the work force will most likely help you later on.

I would say getting to know a gunsmith would be a must. You're bound to benefit from the knowledge he passes your way, and you may get the inspiration for the breakthrough design you're after. Tour a manufacturing facility if you can. Talk to designers themselves. Any or all of the above.

And as the person before me said, Mechanical Engineering isn't easy. It has taken me 3+ years so far, probably looking at 5.5 when its all said and done. But if its what you want to do, it will be well worth it in the end. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[daskro]

I'd take a guess that is much easier to get hired by a defense contractor who also does small arms design, such as ATK or General Gynamics, than to get hired by Colt or a S&W.

 

[CWL]

ME degree is a must, understanding polymers (Chem E.) wouldn't hurt. Maybe even aviation engineering.

I'd suggest the defense contractor route as you will likely be able to get a job that pays well supporting high tech military weaponry.

Unless you invent a firearm and have shares in a gun company, I doubt that you will earn much with firearms design.

 

[Crunker1337]

A few notes:

I am presently in Calculus 2 (BC, I think) AP and AP Physics C, with As in both. I'm a big math/science guy, it just comes naturally to me, so it looks like Mechanical Engineering's right up my alley.
My parents, unfortunately, are as anti-gun as they come, so I can't really visit a gunsmith, nor can I send letters to gun manufacturers for fear of them noticing any replies I may receive.
I find using computer software natural. I've taught myself Flash and Photosohp, as well as other programs like Particle Illusion, VDub, Illustrator, and others.
I have a close family friend who's an engineer for the Navy, I believe he works on Ospreys. Not quite small arms related, I guess, but if I want to design vehicles or larger munitions, I know who to talk to.
I applied to Caltech. I don't think I'll get in.

I will talk to those of you kind enough to invite me to PM you if I have any questions. Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it, and I'll be bookmarking this thread for future reference.

PS: I'll probably end up going to a tech school, and I fully intend to get a Master's in whatever major I take.

 

[hankdatank1362]

As a former ME student, I applaud your ambition.

Think fondly of me in your statics and thermodynamics classes.

 

[big_bang]

Go for a Mechanical Engineering degree. Emphasize (or even pursue a master's degree in) materials and manufacturing in the course of your studies. Then pursue a job with a contractor that makes small arms (FNH, Colt, Sigarms, etc.). That last bit may be tough, depending on the job landscape when you get out with your degree.

Ignore the post about Caltech or MIT. There are a whole ton of other great schools out there.

 

[Lurp]

One of my prof's in an ME CAD class I took was a former defense industry engineer. Originally thats what I had wanted to do so I talked to him about it for a while and his reccommendation was for me to follow through with my degree in ME. In the end he decided to teach because of the moral dilema of designing weapons to kill even though the money was much better. He told me they had him start to work on a new land mine when he decided he didn't want to be associated with that kind of weaponry and finally quit. My reccommendation would be to go into ME if your interested in small arms design and such, but be ready to put in your work.

 

[PLRinmypocket]

Another suggestion,

get started learning 3D CAD now, and start designing anythig (If your parents are anti-firearm, try designing ariguns, or nerf guns, or even water guns). there are free versions of some pretty good 3D CAD programs available out there.

I suggest Alibre design ( https://www.alibre.com/ ), just because the basic version is free and it will get your feet wet. Once you are in College there will be a specific design software that you will probably have to learn and may have to buy.