Hi /DIY/,
Does anybody here know anything about gunsmithing or have a career as a gunsmith? I'm wondering about the profession and just thought I'd come to here to ask you. What sort of experiences/credentials would one need? What are the most enjoyable parts and most tedious parts of your job? What is your average workday like? Pic unrelated; thank you in advance for your answers.
Best regards,
O.P.
P.S: I originally asked this in /k/ but figured /DIY/ might know a bit about gunsmithing considering they know a lot about tools, doing projects themselves and may possibly work as gunsmiths/similar professions given they involve tools.
It's a profession full of hacks as well as super craftsmen. Customer wise full of wack jobs and serious user/collectors. If you are a top machinist and know your shit inside out you will attract the serious clientele and do OK. If you buy a lathe and mill and take a 2 week course you are going to be up against a pile of shitty competition competing for shitty clients.
If you really like guns and really like precision machining, and are willing to put in a few years to learn and gain experience, you could do OK. It's not easy or big money though, even if you're ace and find good work.
Check and read the gunsmithing forum at Practical Machinist to get an idea what's involved in the work.
>>969025
I know I wondered some of the same things. I am watching this thread now.
Not really into guns, but love precision machining and an excuse to use some of my material engineering knowledge.
Backed off after seeing a bunch of legal requirements, nothing I couldn't do but seemed a bit more work than I cared for just an interest.
>>969025
If you're good at the stocking side there is work in muzzle loaders, meaning flintlocks. It'll take years of a few rifles a year to build a name and customer base to the point you can do it for a living, but the legalities aren't nearly as involved. And you need to be very good. The whack job customers, like on /k/, will make you shake your head in disbelief if you go with modern firearms.
>>969025
Part time Gunsmith here. Had buddies that also went and took the classes and got accredited, I have not.
I would not do it as a full time job, unless you love it, and I mean really love it, and that is all you want to do.
If you wanted to give it a try, take the classes. See the people in the classes doing stupid stuff to guns...those are some of your customers.
Also, especially if you are doing precision gun work, there is a huge investment in equipment that is costly.
I dont want to say "dont follow your dreams" because good gunsmiths are awesome but demand is mostly word of mouth and you will probably not make much money.
The way I hear it, gunsmithing as a profession suffers from the same issue that something like say, watchmaking does: you'll not be doing a lot of actual making watches, but most of your time is spend servicing (read cleaning) some rich fags rolexes.
In the same vein a gunsmith these days doesn't really smiths guns so much as he services them. Installing scopes, cleaning, minor repair etc, etc.
So don't go into it thinking you'll be building bespoke guns for your career.
>>969025
I wanted to be a gunsmith for a while but ended up becoming a welder.
Anyway here's what I gathered from browsing night /k/ for a couple years. Some of this might be dubious but from my experience as a gun owner this seems spot on.
-Jobs are kinda scarce and the few reliable ones in terms of hours consist of either installing scopes or being a bitch for stupid customers who fucked their shit up, often both.
-"True" gunsmiths often have a hard time getting by doing just that, being a good machinist who works on guns tends to be a better way of doing things.
-It can be kind of a hassle to set up shop.
-A lot of gun tools are pricey as shit and very far from always being a good investment over the years.
-You can make it if you find a niche you like with a halfway reliable customer base, but it can be an uphill battle.
>>969226
Holy shit are you me? I wanted to be a gunsmith, but I'm now a welder as well
>>969232
this is life anon, it happens all the time
>wanted to be a gunsmith but became a weldor
>wanted to be a portrait painter but became a bricklayer
>wanted to be Jeff Beck buck became Tom Morello
>>969232
>Holy shit are you me?
m-maybe
>>969162
90% of them are just guys that want to retain what little firearm rights they have left. Anyone who likes guns should understand, regardless of what type you like.
>>969241
Muh guns...exactly what rights have been taken away?please be specific because im calling serious bullshit on your /pol/ comment.
>>969243
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_Control_Act_of_1968
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Firearms_Act_of_1938
>>969243
RIP thread
It was nice while it lasted.
>>969246
Holy fuck a law from 1938?gtfo
>>969250
So fucking what
Do you know anything about how laws work?
Of course you don't, you just called bullshit on a subject you don't know dick about.
>>969247
Dont blame me.Anons the one who couldnt help but whine about muh guns.
>>969254
I do blame you.
You're the one who didn't bother to check basic information because muh facebook feels.
>>969250
>laws from a long time ago don't matter
>I'm also mentally retarded and don't know about any of the more recent gun laws
>for example, the recent limit of personal gun sales
>or the change to the acquisition of NFA items by way of a trust
>>969252
Fair enuff.i hope "they" come take your guns away you fucking nut.
>>969255
Facebook feels?are you not able to read two statements and place them in chronological order?whatever.ill leave you faggots alone to talk about making guns.
>>969265
>Fair enuff.i hope "they" come take your guns away you fucking nut.
I hope "they" come and take your freedom of speech away, because that is next bitch
>>969025
Guns are not that interesting and are a bit too specialized. Also, the market is kinda flooded with gunsmiths.
Guns are just another kind of tool or device. It's kinda dumb to specialize in one kind of device when the skills you use apply to other things.
Like say if the US had this huge subculture revolving around chainsaws, and you had chainsawsmiths, specializing in all makes and models of chainsaws but today if you said you were a chainsawsmith and only worked on chainsaw motors, chainsaw chains, chainsaw electronics, you'd have no business. While if you were a small-engine mechanic and lawnmower mechanic, electrician ect, you'd have 'okay' business instead.
They'll end up banning half the products you work on as a gunsmith in the next 20 years, so I'd say learn machining so you can fabricate guns and their componets if the market exisited for that, and also machine useful things besides guns.
