Gunsmithing

You will make less than a garbageman and do absolutely nothing enjoyable or satisfying.

The best gunsmiths are machinists first, gunsmiths second.

>>34176762
Is absolutely correct. Machinists are in incredible demand; dedicated gunsmiths are not. Advances in gun design and products offering convenient solutions for common problems (ie mounting a scope) have created a situation where gunsmiths are far less necessary than in the past. Do it as a hobby and not as a career.

>>34176801
>>34176762
Thanks for the advice guys

>>34176762
FWIW, the garbagemen around my area make close to 70k a year because no one wants to do it (my guess as to why so much anyway).

>>34176869
I would recommend looking into nearby trade schools that offer machining and drafting classes. You can easily land a well paying job and use that to buy small scale machine tools to cook up whatever strange ideas pop into your head.
My home state even had a full scholarship for machinists due to a shortage of properly trained people.

Gunsmith here
The previous posters are retards

Working for Gander or Cabelsas is fucking stupid
If you open your own store you'll make decent money.

Colorado School of Trades and Pine Tech are the two big ones

>>34178385
>you'll make decent money.

by decent he means meager.
gun owners like working on their own guns. replacing gun parts is no science and literally everyone takes apart their own guns to clean and replace parts when needed.

gunsmiths make less money than a fast food employee.

>>34176730
>Is it a career

no

If you become a marine, you won't need classes

>>34176730
>Can I make a good living?

Good hobby. not a living.

The only way you make real maoney in gunsmithing is by getting a position in a major corporation making around 40-60k a year. You'll be on a production line doing the exact same operation over and over.

Analagous to being a watchsmith (horologist) or any moron popping pistons into internal combustion engines on mound road in Warren, MI.

Unless of course you have EXCEPTIONAL skills in a particular area and can prove it to a wide swath of collectors and get your company known by word of mouth far an wide.

For example... ?You know the very intricate ins and outs of case colouring, blueing, and wood finishing. Maybe custom stock cutting, other wise you are a diamond dozen...

>>34179480
>diamond dozen.

somebpdy post double advocate, diamond dozen plz...

>>34179493
Allow me to play doubles advocate here for a moment. For all intensive purposes I think you are wrong. In an age where false morals are a diamond dozen, true virtues are a blessing in the skies. We often put our false morality on a petal stool like a bunch of pre-Madonnas, but you all seem to be taking something very valuable for granite. So I ask of you to mustard up all the strength you can because it is a doggy dog world out there. Although there is some merit to what you are saying it seems like you have a huge ship on your shoulder. In your argument you seem to throw everything in but the kids Nsync, and even though you are having a feel day with this I am here to bring you back into reality. I have a sick sense when it comes to these types of things. It is almost spooky, because I cannot turn a blonde eye to these glaring flaws in your rhetoric. I have zero taller ants when it comes to people spouting out hate in the name of moral righteousness. You just need to remember what comes around is all around, and when supply and command fails you will be the first to go.

Make my words, when you get down to brass stacks it doesn't take rocket appliances to get two birds stoned at once. It's clear who makes the pants in this relationship, and sometimes you just have to swallow your prize and accept the facts. You might have to come to this conclusion through denial and error but I swear on my mother's mating name that when you put the petal to the medal you will pass with flying carpets like it’s a peach of cake.

Absolutely, unequivocally, not a career path. At least not if your intention is to open up a shop in your local community and start making enough money to pay your bills by fixing guns.

Here's why: First, most "gunsmithing" is diagnosing a problem and replacing a part for someone who doesn't know what's broke or how to fix it. Think alternator or brake pad replacement - EXCEPT that the item you're working on is usually worth $500 or less, and people really never want to invest more than about 10%-20% of value in a fix or they think they're being ripped off. So, you can charge $50-$100 for just about any repair on a $500 gun without someone thinking they're being screwed and giving you bad word-of-mouth. Depending on the part, you could spend half that "sweet spot" amount on part+shipping. For example, look up prices for a proprietary spring, pin, or screw on common handgun models - you could spend $10+S/H on a single tiny piece of metal. Then your time figuring out the problem and your time fixing it, only to tell the customer "it was a broken spring/pin/screw" and you just charged them $50-$100, which means they're certain you overcharged by a huge amount.

Now, I agree - IF you manage to capture a niche market and get really good at cold rust bluing, stock refurbishing, etc. for those folks that want to restore an antique high-dollar gun, you can keep the lights on. But - you are going to have to get good fast, because you don't have much room for screwing it up without it costing you a mint, too.

In-shop sales, particularly impulse sales, are another way to add a few dollars here and there, but you can rapidly become a gun shop owner who does a little gunsmithing instead of a gunsmith who sells a few items.

Real gunsmithing means machining, welding, finishing, not just parts replacement. And most people don't really want to pay much for those skills unless they have a pretty sentimental item.

>>34179661
>Real gunsmithing means machining, welding, finishing, not just parts replacement. And most people don't really want to pay much for those skills unless they have a pretty sentimental item.
So you're saying OP should get into making custom 1911s?

Just like other Anon's said it's good as a hobby not a career. I have a friend thats a gunsmith and he makes awesome unique custom made guns and he sells them for good money. But he's a retired aircraft machinist in his late forties. So like I said if it makes you happy, do it as a hobby, but don't put your life savings into it.

>>34176730
I drive a tow truck an make like $13/he plus tips and some bonus money. It's a great job. My boss let's me open carry at work.