You are not a gunsmith (rant)

[mljdeckard]

I very much agree with the OP, in that if you call yourself a gunsmith, you better be able to do more than routine assembly/disassembly of common firearms. There's a requirement for machining, calibrating, and art as well.

I would very much like to become competent enough to install my own night sights, adjust my own triggers, and build my own uppers, but even when I can do this, I might call myself an armorer, not a gunsmith.

You can call yourself anything you want to. Attending a bar mitzvah does NOT make one jewish.

 

[yooper_sjd]

hmmmmmmmm, kinda like i said in post #52:

Gunsmith!? broad title

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Well i don't consider my self a smith nor a master. But after 20 yrs as an armorer and small arms instructor. But when i have licensed dealer, whom the brother is a licensed smith hand me a bag with a barrel sticking out of it, and tell it is mine for NADA if i can put it together. I was like a kid in a candy store. grabbed bag and ran for the truck with a smile on my face. The muzzle poking out of the bag had a flash suppresor, and black. Poked my nose into the bag, and i see pistol gripped receiver and seperate stock with recoil spring, whooo hooooo scored a g-3 or cetme.

i got home and noted it was a CETME Sporter, and had it assebled in 2 min. Some bubba disassembled (sorry wrong word) tore it apart with a hammer and screw driver. I got my jewelers files out and my ceramic stone set and set to work, smoothing out the dents and dings from the bubba-rizer hammer and screwdriver disassembly method.

but long story short, got a perfectly good functioning weapon at no cost, and no paper trail.

moto of story, i got the knowledge to recrown a barrel, did it my self, freinds lathe was usefull. i can rechamber a barrel if need, but don't have the tooling. i can definetly polish a trigger assembly and clean cosmoline from weapons. but i do not consider myself a smith nor a master. I just little ole me who is just trying to survive. I mearly consider myself a weapon mechanic.
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Naval Gunners Hit Harder, and Penetrate Deeper

 

[BADUNAME37]

Man I've had some work done and the person must have used a hatchet and hacksaw to do everything to the Mauser that I wanted. I paid the money, picked up the gun, took it home and was amazed that someone could actually do such horrendous work!

After that, I had the gun about one more day.

 

[shdwfx]

If you are in the Fort Wayne Indiana area and are looking for a good smith, PM me.

There is a local guy there you won't find in the phone book. A little slow on turn arround, but he did amazing things for my Hi-Power "project." That gun turned into a very sweet shooter, thanks to him.

 

[1911Tuner]

It's mostly a matter of perspective or personal preference...and/or money. If the wrench focuses on 1911 pistols and nothing but 1911 pistols...he's a specialist. It's not that he can't work on other designs...and often does, even though he doesn't advertise the fact because he'd rather concentrate on his chosen area...because that's where the money is. He's in business to make a buck, after all.

Making a decent living working on guns usually calls for 70 and 80-hour weeks. I've worked as a smith...but I didn't quit my real job.

There aren't as many general gunsmiths as there are specialists these days. A generalized smith is one who can repair about anything that he encounters. He's part machinist...part mechanic...part engineer...and part Mr. Fixit. If he's never seen the inside of a given design, you don't want to bet a lot of money that he can't figure out what's wrong with it and make it right.

But...again...the problem is money. Sometimes a missing part must be fabricated with nothing more than a fuzzy schematic to go on...which means a lot of trial/error fitting...which means time...which means money...which means that the gun owner usually doesn't want to invest more into repairing the gun than the gun is worth. Sometimes Mr. Fixit understands what will be involved, and he simply doesn't want to fiddle with it. It can get tedious beyond reason. Trust me.

Specializing is easier than generalizing. Less to learn, and less to know...and less to remember. That translates to speed. The more you perform any task, the easier and faster it becomes, and the less likely you are to miss something important. Even masters of their trade miss little things at times. Anyone who tells you that they don't is either lying, or they haven't been practicing their profession long enough.

I'm pretty much a specialist, though I have worked on several designs...and will do so again, should the need arise...but I don't advertise it. I'm not in business any more, so money isn't a driving force...so I work on what I feel like working on...or what I like to work on...and refuse to work on whatever I don't like to/feel like...even though I can.

I can do a double-throwdown bedding job on a bolt-action rifle...but I hate doing it so much that I'll only do it for myself or maybe as a favor for one or two close friends.

I work on'em mainly because I like to help shootin' folks...and because I like to fix things...but I'm almost to the point that I don't enjoy it so much any more. My eyes are betraying me, and the older I get...the more jealous I am over my time.

That may well be the reason that some smiths won't work on an AK. They don't like'em, and won't drop precious time on a gun that they don't enjoy working with. Another point to consider is that they may dislike the Kalashnikovs for personal reasons. If they've ever been fired on by someone pulling the trigger on an AK...they may feel the hair stand up on their necks at the sight of one...or particularly at the sound of one.

The reasons for a smith turning down work are as varied as guns and gunsmiths themselves. Never assume that a refusal equates to incompetence.

 

[krs]

Perfect post, Tuner.

 

[Cannonball888]

Sally Struthers called. My diploma is in the mail.