Gunsmith Training

[Jevyod]

Just wondering what is a good way to learn some gunsmithing. The reason I asked is I ran into an older gentleman recently who wants out. He said he is looking for somebody to teach to take his place. He said there are very few younger guys in the area that do gunsmithing, and he thinks there would be plenty of work. (I am 28) Is this a good idea to pursue? I wouldn't make it my main livelihood; I would do it more evenings and weekends. I do have an interest in guns, and am mechanically minded. So what say ye? What are some things I should be looking at? I am scheduled to meet with him in e few days to talk about it. Any particular things I should discuss with him? This guy is a very nice older gentleman, and seems to know his stuff. We have several gunsmiths in the area that are good when it comes to replacing parts. i believe this guy is the next level, and said he would be willing to teach me all he knows. So have at it! Am I crazy for considering it?

[nhrifle]

If he will take you under his wing, jump at the opportunity. I have been working with a guy who's "been there, done that". He has had tons of training at the benches of most of the manufacturers you can think of, and is a warranty station for most of those. This is a one day a week thing for me and I am having so much fun and learning new things all the time. The best information you will get are the little tidbits of secrets that make this craft seem magical to the average shooter. Just today a customer handed me a beautiful Weatherby rimfire rifle that he almost gave up on because it wouldn't stop jamming. A little cleaning and repairing some firing pin damage to the chamber and it was functioning as new. About 20 minutes of my time and I had performed what for him was a miracle. Moments like this are what do it for me. I also have fun with the guns brought in by someone who said to himself, "Hey, I can be a gunschmidt too!" I am handed the shell of the gun and a bag of parts and asked to reassemble it. I just smile and give a chuckle.

When you speak with him, just talk about your passions and why you want the job. Remember, this is not a clock in, clock out kind of job, it is a labor of love so let that come across in what you say and ask. If you have built a gun or two, by all means bring them along so he can see your work.

[Bzcraig]

Old Proverb: Nothing ventured nothing gained. At this point it will only cost you time but I would say don't waste his time if it doesn't interest you enough to do it full time at some point.

[frkelly74]

go for it!

[Love Life]

Real gunsmiths are a dying breed. Parts assemblers are so blah. Jump at the chance.

[pretzelxx]

I would do about anything to be in your shoes. I would probably drop everything in my life to do that.

[Bullshop Junior]

I would take it in a heart beat. I wanna go to school for it but it takes way more money then I would ever have.

[waksupi]

Remember, once it turns into a job, it isn't nearly as much fun.

[jonas302]

It would be a great way to learn but you have to ask yourself a lot of questions on what you want to do there is a lot more to a business than working on guns are you prepared to do all the paperwork, deal with customers, money ect get your ffl nights and weekends? when are you going to shoot your stuff? How soon does he want out its not like your going to be a custom smith in a year and how much does he want on buyout? I worked for a guy once the same idea when the time came his buyout was completely out of line

When its time to make it a living it becomes less about working on stuff and more about running a business

[aspangler]

My gunsmith has been training me now for the last three years and I am still humbled by what I don't know. He is one of the dieing breed who are not parts replacers but actual smiths that can and do make parts. He also does some custom work and builds custom BR guns. I am privileged also to call him FRIEND. I was told just the other day that the next gun I build he will not help me with. I think this might be my graduation exercise. I have fixed a few for him while he was busy with others and gotten his approval so I must be learning something. BTW he just renewed his ffl by my urging he is 76 and is only keeping it for a few of us friends. I hope to pass inspection soon and get my own ffl and set up as small shop.

[MTtimberline]

sounds like an opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to learn firsthand from the experience of someone so skilled is much more valuable than can be obtained in any school. He must see something in you to be willing to make such an offer.

[Jevyod]

I really don't know what he sees in me! I actually only met him once! I took my 260 over to get some work done. But he knew I have an interest in gunsmithing. It was kind of amusing because before I knew it, he was showing me some of his casting stuff, swaging things etc. I spent more than an hour there! One thing I am really excited about is learning how to do bluing. He did it for years, but finally stopped because of his lungs. But it sounds like he did a serious amount of it, and stood behind his work, and had plenty to do. As far as I know, there is basically nobody around my area that does bluing anymore. Most guys ship it out.
jonas302, Thanks for that advice. That is some good stuff to be thinking about and also talking with him about. That whole thing about buyout was something I was wondering about. Also, should I be offering to pay him for his training me, or is it generally more of a thing where he just "takes me under his wing" idea.

[Jevyod]

Ok so I was over there several hrs today! He wants nothing for his time. He has some health issues and he said he doesn't know how much time he has. He wants to teach me all he knows. As far as his business is concerned, he really is just a guy who fixes guns. He doesn't sell any guns. He wants nothing for me taking on what he has left off when he passes. It really does seem like an awesome opportunity! He also is not just a replace parts kind of guy. He makes some of his own parts. What he did, was give me several books to read, and said to read them, and get in contact with him. If I still want to go forward, I will be buying some of my own tools. The next step he wants me to do is build a gun. He has the action, and barrel to do one. He would have me cut the threads, set the headspacing, etc. and we would build a gun. All this is sounding pretty good to me!

[jonas302]

You will be sure to pick up tons of knowledge that way best of luck to you

[M-Tecs]

I would jump at the chance. You will not be out of anything other than time. Try and figure out what you want to specialize in. Additional training as a machinist can be very beneficial.

One word of advice on getting him to maximize the quality of training he gives you. Ninety percent of the effort goes into the last ten percent of completing the job. Try your best to understand what his expectations are and ALLWAYS exceed them when you complete your tasks. The more serious you are the more serious he will be about providing quality training.

[M-Tecs]

I would take it in a heart beat. I wanna go to school for it but it takes way more money then I would ever have.

If you want to go to school and can't afford it take a serious look at the National Guard or Active Duty Military. On the Guard side I would recommend the Air National Guard and for Active Duty I would recommend the Air Force or the Navy.

[pretzelxx]

The GI bill is kind of limiting as to which schools you can go to for trades like gunsmithing. Also tuition assistance has been reduced by 25%. While the military is a good way to do that free schooling opportunity, be cautious of the brain cells you might kill off while serving. I feel stupider every day I'm in with some of the people I'm around.

[felix]

Agree VERY strongly with M-Tecs. ... felix

[Wag]

Do it.

--Wag--

[robroy]

I spent a huge sum of money going to gunsmith school. I learned alot but feel I would be further along that road if I had been able to work under a master after school. Those who have undergraduate degrees know that once you have your diploma it is time to start learning how to do your job, by doing it.

Take the man up on his offer. He can likely teach you everything I learned in 16 months at school plus a whole lot more.

[Love Life]

Go for it!!

[aspangler]

Where are you located?

[Red River Rick]

Remember, once it turns into a job, it isn't nearly as much fun.

Ric..................you got that RIGHT!

[concho]

16 months at school ! Robroy Where did you go to school for gunsmith Training ? Jevyod keep your day job !

[Jevyod]

Where are you located?

I am located right in the center of Pa.

[Jevyod]

I am rather sad! I was going to sign up for a basic machining class in our local career school. It would teach metal work on lathes, drill presses, and milling. Unfortunately, since nobody signed up, they cancelled the class:(

[aspangler]

Maybe the smith will teach you what you need to know. Mine taught me a LOT of what I needed to know about the metal working. Now I can run the lathe and mill by myself. Ask him. It can't hurt.

[wv109323]

I would love to have the opportunity you are describing. Except for obsolete/unavailable parts you would be better off to buy replacement parts than making them. I have no experience but with blueing guns it would seem to me you would be better off doing several at a time instead of onesey's at a time. I would build a rifle with him and learn that first. If you could learn how to barrel an action and do stock work I think you would stay busy. Custom Rifles of high quality are an art form and will always be in demand.
The other thing if I pursued the opportunity I would get my own FFL ASAP. That takes months with the present administration. If he would happen to die you may have several months without an FFL which would be essentially "out of business".

[Crank]

My two cents worth.
1) never pass up an opportunity to learn, even if it is not going to be your career, knowledge is power.
2) +1 on when it becomes a job, much of the "fun" diminishes, but that doesn't mean you can't make a living with it.
3) learning from someone one on one, is 10 times better than a school (not meant to downplay any of the current schools).
4) what you learn may not make you a living now, but might be invaluable later.
5) you have enough equipment to be a gunsmith with a good set of screwdrivers and files, everything else makes your job easier.
6) never stop learning!
7) if you aren't willing to make mistakes, find another field.
AND!
8) you can be a gunsmith and never do work for anyone else.

The short version of my life experience, is that I went to school for gunsmithing, loved learning it, burned out for a while after working in the field for several years and figured that was the end of it. 15 years later, I found myself working for the Navy after serving in uniform. By the grace of God, I wound up landing a position working on naval cannons. So today, I am still a gunsmith, however my subjects range from 25mm to 5". I never would have guessed this is where I would wind up, but the experience I gained earlier in life was what got me the slot. I am currently training a friend of mine 15 years older than me, as my apprentice. I have a garage that is basically a machine shop and still do work for others now and then, but mostly I test my skills on my own stuff and constantly rescue "road kill" for the challenge. Two quotes come to mind from when they welcomed us to the gunsmithing program. The first was "If you want to make a small fortune as a gunsmith, start with a large fortune" and the other was "the difference between a good gunsmith and a bad gunsmith is not that the good gunsmith never makes mistakes, but rather, he knows how to fix them".

Have fun with the opportunity, just remember, you have to deal with people and that can be a pain in the butt.

Mark

[robroy]

concho: I went to the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School. Does 16 months sound like too much or too little?

[izzyjoe]

Go for it! Years ago I had that opportunity, there was an old man that had a shop across the street from where I worked. I didn't know he had a smithing shop over, till one day he stopped by my shop looking for some WW's, and some scrap metal for a project. Well we struck up a conversation on rifles, and he invited me over to check out his place, and I was shocked that his place was right there under my nose the whole time. I had him do some work for me, and he asked me if I'd like to learn the trade, I said yes, but told him I didn't have the time, cause I was working about 60hrs a week. I went to hang out with a few times, and he showed me a lot of things you probably wouldn't learn in a school. I wished I would have had more time to spare, but At that time I was bustin' my back just make ends meet. But I missed my chance, cause now he's to old to want to fool with it, last time I was by there he said he was selling a lot of his stuff and slowing down, I bought a few parts rifles from him,and some tooling. But I remember the last thing he told me, when a Old man passes on, a library closes! So don't miss this opportunity!

[scpaul]

I don't know any rich gunsmiths,but if you like to tinker as much as I do....Why aren't you on the phone now? I'm a retired service tech(electronic and mechanical) Still got to be using my hands or retirement would have killed me already. By the way ; where's this 'smith live ? Go for it , Good luck, Paul

[Animal]

When I'm approached with these situations (not ever... really, if that means something to ya). I try to figure what my mindset will be in 30+ years from now. "Will the fact that I didn't jump on the opportunity I had 30 years ago give me a wrenching knot in my stomach?" If my answer is "yes" then I approach it with tenacity.

I was born with a severe clubbed foot that wasn't corrected properly. I knew military service was probably out of the question. That wasn't good enough for me though. I beat the doors down and joined anyway. It took a year of signing statements, seeing doctors and out-of pocket loss. I got to my 10th week in my enlistment. The doc told me to pack my sea bags and go home. I had no way to fight the separation. It was a done deal.

I have no regrets for joining. But even more importantly, I'll NEVER wonder "what if I did join?" That is probably the single best decision I ever made. Don't mean to get deep and sentimental, but no one wants to go to there grave with 'what ifs?' looming over there heads.

[David2011]

Another vote for going for it. I'm doing part-time gunsmithing to build up a business for a retirement job. I live in a small town that had no gunsmith 2 years ago. One guy opened shop and is so busy that all he wants to do is buld custom rifles. A gunsmith I know in East Texas built up his shop before he retired (relatively young) and hadn't taken a vacation in 2 years after he retired because he was so busy.

You have a golden opportunity. I wish that had fallen in my lap at your age. You would learn the "real world" side of the business. It IS work when it's a job even if part time but it's work I enjoy.

David

[screamingjohnny]

I say go for it as well. You can always use the knowledge for yourself, or in other fields of endever.