How do I get into Gunsmithing?

[redneckemt]

I'm thinking about getting into Gunsmithing as a side gig
I wanna learn to fix and restore old guns, build basic hunting (scout) rifles. That kinda of stuff. I don't want to build 1911's or AR's.

Where do I start? I understand that there are 4 Gunsmithing Schools in the US, that the NRA works with. But I can't just take two years or more out of my life, right now. I'm looking at going to the NRA short term classes next year, but are they worth it?
Can I work as a Gunsmith without a Cert?
Are the mail order classes any good?
I really don't want to run a GunShop. I'd rather work, word of mouth, or work through a Shop.

So in short cause I'm rambling... Without giving up two or more years of my life. How do I become a GunSmith?

 

[snubbyfan]

I've done most of my work word of mouth. People up here would get a gun, shoot it until it doesn't work then bring it to me to make it work again. Or they'd get a hand me down gun that's been sitting for decades and have me get it ready to shoot. Somebody would get a pawn shop .22 revolver give it to me to clean, repair and make a custom holster for. Of course I've done my own trigger jobs and spring changes. I'm not certified but I don't run a shop, nor do I work for a shop. Fixing guns and making custom holster was just a way to raise money for my gun hobby. I'm dying to do a trigger job on my wife's 4" 66-3. She says she likes it just the way it is and if I change anything on it she's gonna use it on me. Yes dear. I gotta admit it's a great gun just the way it is.

I should add that I was studying to become a gunsmith but my dream was cut short when I started having problems with my hands. Now that I'm short on funds and have useless hands, I'm learning what I can by reading posts on forums like this one.
If it's something you want to do and feel passionate about, go for it. Other's have mentioned the AGI courses, I'll add my recommendation. You never know what the future holds.

 

[Moonman]

There are no SHORTCUTS to learning to be a CRAFTSMAN.

You can wish and hope all you want, but if you DON'T HAVE

THE TIME AT THIS STAGE OF YOUR LIFE, and the DEDICATION

to become one, just keep on dreaming.

Spent 4 years on a Machinist Apprenticeship, then decades

more still learning my craft.

I retired decades later, STILL LEARNING MY CRAFT.

Mass Production, Cheap Foreign Labor, ALONG WITH an

Increasing THROW AWAY WORLD, at a LOWER PURCHASE

PRICE POINT RULES THE WORLD NOW.

The Old World style of Craftsmen is a DYING ART, replaced by CNC MACHINERY,

ROBOTICS, and a WAL-MART PRICE POINT MARKETPLACE for products.

Firearms manufacture and repair subjects you to the LEGAL $$$$$$$$$$$$ LIABILITY world for sure.

Good luck with your hopes and dreams though, the world is not an easy place in which to live.

 

[VPNAVY]

There are no SHORTCUTS...You can wish and hope all you want...decades more still learning my craft...Old World style of Craftsmen is a DYING ART...LEGAL...LIABILITY...Good luck with your hopes and dreams though...

Darn Moonman - why don't you rain on his parade!

 

[hobby-gunsmith]

gunsmithing school

I would recommend American Gunsmithing Institute. They have several gunsmithing courses and the professional gunsmithing course. Check their web site AGI.com and send for their free intro course. They are great to work with and the courses are designed to work on your own pace at home. I started with the Practical Gunsmithing course and have now completed the Certified Law Enforcement Armourer's course on 17 guns and the latest addition to the course is the MP 5 submachine gun. Also, their instructors work with you and their info is top notch. I know you will not be disappointed.

Nick

 

[chief38]

There are a few ways...............

You can do it the way a lot of us did it - by just sitting down un-distracted and start taking apart a gun, study the way it works, figure out the mechanics, and learn by trial and error. CERTAINLY NOT the least expensive way because YOU WILL make mistakes, however you will probably not repeat that mistake ever again. In the long run you will learn by doing.

You can take either an actual GS course or an online or video course. Those courses might save you time and money and give you the confidence you need. They might also show you some better ways of doing things than you can come up with by yourself.

The best way (unfortunately I did not have this opportunity) is to learn from a class A GS that is willing to take you under his wings and teach you the trade.

I consider myself a fairly accomplished "GS" when it comes to S&W Revolvers, Colt SAA, Colt 1911, Browning A5 and a few other older models, but when it comes to the newer plastic stuff like the Glocks, Sigs, AR's, AK's,
and the modern Auto's I have absolutely no interest in them and don't own any so I have never had the need to learn about them. Since I am not a Pro and don't get paid to fix guns, I take my time and do the job right; I don't get paid anyway so time is cheap. I always seem to have a few guns on my bench (it's funny how everybody needs a repair job, or tune up or parts replacement) to keep me busy and I enjoy the hell out of playing with guns. Occasionally I'll take on a job that I have had no experience with. For instance I just did a trigger job on a Ruger 10/22 for a friend. Now I do not own any Rugers and have never seen the inside of one before. I installed a few Power Custom parts and smoothed up the inside of the gun a little and it was a very simple job. The Power Custom kit drops in for the most part - a slight fitting of the Sear to the Safety is all it needed, but I now fully understand how those Ruger 10/22's operate. That is how I personally like to learn - kind of on a need to know basis. Since I am not a Pro, if there is a job I either don't feel qualified to do or just don't want to do for what ever reason I do not feel obligated.

Chief38

 

[Rule3]

I second the AGI. I did not want to become a Smith but I am a DIY person on most all household stuff and used to be able to work on cars.

I bought the AGI videos when they were half price for most brands of guns I own. I can do basic tear down and tweaking on them.

The AGI has advanced classes. You can get some go information here. But like most things nothing beats actually doing it and experience.

AGI - American Gunsmithing Institute

 

[2152hq]

"I'm thinking about getting into Gunsmithing as a side gig
I wanna learn to fix and restore old guns, build basic hunting (scout) rifles. That kinda of stuff. I don't want to build 1911's or AR's."

If your interests are in restoration go in that direction and specialize in something there. With all the wood work and metal work specialtys in that business, there's more than enough there to keep a good craftsman working. Some make a living at doing just one thing like rust blueing.
Some repairing shotgun bbl dents, bores and re-laying the ribs on SxS bbl sets.
Others doing factory original polish finishing. Checkering, carving, original style wood finish and refinish.
It may sound silly,,but nothing more than fixing screws and plugging old screw holes in valuable firearms.
I just got done doing 4 jobs doing nothing more than that plus recutting damaged lettering & rust bluing. No one else would do the jobs. Being able to do several of the specialtys,,I get the work.


If you're good, the work will find you. There are not a lot of gunsmiths around that do true restoration type work.
Everyone wants to do custom work it seems. You do get more publicity for it if you're good obviously.
The best compliment to get if you're a really great restorationist,,is none at all.

Plus,,if you can do quality restoration,,you can always do custom work should you choose to take on any of it. It'll be a diversion at times from any 'work' aspect of a restoration job.

Custom build work as a general way of business, is a tough go.
Unless you have a sugerdaddy customer that has fallen in love with your work and buys everything you make, it's tough to sell custom made stuff on speculation for what it's really worth.
The market always has 'name' builder rifles and shotguns on the used gun market for about 1/2 of what they cost to build,,and still no takers.
There are a couple exceptions of course.,,see first comment.

Working with someone is the best way to learn of course. Usually you are left to personal experimentation (hours of unpaid work), or selling your restoration work for 1/4 of what it's worth just to get it out there.
That's the way it works in the trades.
Videos, seminars, schools are all invaluable sources available now. Take advantage of them if you can.
Don't go over board on buying expensive machine tools. They're not needed to learn the trades I'm talking about. They can come in to play later.

While not a strict restoration type organization, the ACGG does have members that work in that direction. Perhaps some info can be gotten from this website.

Promoting the artistry of fine custom firearms : American Custom Gunmakers Guild

 

[Gunslinger808]

I did it through the Govt., they sent me to just about every armorers course out there.
Then on my own time apprenticeships from Three different gunsmiths.

Depending on your age, one of the oldest and best ways is as a machinest mate in the Navy, work hard, pay attention and they'll show you how to use machine tools such as lathes, mills, and presses.

Big difference between an armorer and a gunsmith is armorers generally just replace old parts with new.
A gunsmith needs to be able to manufacture those parts from scratch.

Without giving up two or more years of my life. How do I become a GunSmith?

Really, there is no easy way, and it'll take a lot more than Two years to even become a half competent gunsmith.

 

[H Richard]

If you start without a formal education just remember you are working on someone else s treasure. It is very easy to ruin a nice gun through ignorance. If you try this, be sure to set aside enough money to buy all your mistakes.

 

[VaRecon]

To me, Gunsmithing is a lot like tattooing. It is a craft that needs a lot of devotion, willingness to learn and not something you will be successful at unless you learn in an educational environment.
It takes years to be competent. There is a big difference between a guy with a Dremel and a bead blaster and a gunsmith.
If you aren't able or willing to make this a continuous and devoted practice don't get started or you will lose money.

 

[DWalt]

Many smiths might recommend you find some other source of part-time income that is more profitable. If you want to be a simple gun-fixer and parts replacer, that's not so difficult - but it can be at times. If you want to do PROFESSIONAL-quality customization and/or restoration, that's something entirely different. It takes far more knowledge, experience, skill, aptitude, and capital investment - lots of the latter. If you don't have any expertise in being a machinist and have not mastered the proper operation of at least a lathe and a milling machine, you have a long, long way to go. A good start, I'd think, would be go to a local tech/vocational college, etc., and take some night or weekend basic machinist/metalworking courses to see what it's all about.

There are many gunsmithing books out there, some good, some fair, some not so good. None of them will prepare you to meet all of the problems you will run into. But read them anyway. And don't believe all the **** you see on American Guns and Sons of Guns. Real life is nothing like that.

The best way to learn the trade is to work with an established and competent smith. That's not so easy to do, as most wouldn't consider taking on a rank amateur, unless maybe it was a relative.

Been there, done that.

By the way, just for clarification, a Navy Machinist's Mate is essentially a mechanic. A Navy Equipment Repairman is really a machinist. No idea why the Navy doesn't call them that.

 

[redneckemt]

Thanks for the answers folks.

Oh and to clarify... I have. A full time steady career and a family, I can t move off to Oklahoma, Carolina, Colorado or where the 4th Gunsmith School is (they are 2 years or so in length). I have a life time to dedicate to learning the trade, but only from my home area and this will always be a side gig.

 

[Moonman]

redneckemt,

Good Luck with whatever path you choose to pursue.

 

[VaRecon]

It seems like the best step if you do want to go forward is Dwalt's suggestion of starting with machining.
Most community colleges offer introductory and some specialty courses in machining that would give you the basic principals to build on.
Some companies like Cylinder and Slide offer courses too, if you wanted to devote some vacation time to take some courses and improve the skills you would learn in basic machining.
If you did decide to go on it would require a sizeable investment of time and capital.
Only you can decide how much it means to you and how far you want to go, so consider that before getting started.

 

[gregintenn]

You could start by gathering up your friends' boxes of gun parts they've aquired by taking guns apart and not being able to put them back together.
Once you can reassemble these without cursing, you'll be well on your way.

 

[Moonman]

Gun(SMITHING) is NOT taking firearms apart and putting them back together or putting in new parts like sights and springs.

"SMITHING" comes from the Old Country GUILDS, an Artisan (CRAFTSMAN), there are Goldsmiths, Silversmiths, Blacksmiths, and the like.

The Guilds MENTORED INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE for years in the Specific Trades, not in classroom type settings, ON THE JOB TRAINING.

These people Create and Invent things that they turn into reality.

If you could not UPHOLD and MAINTAIN the STANDARDS of the GUILDS, you were GONE.

A true Gun-Smith could take a piece of steel and with a set of files, start producing Firearms Components.

I believe Spain still has an OLD SCHOOL Gunsmith training program that runs 5-7 years of Apprenticeship.

"You learn to become a MAN-OF-THE-FILE"

Most older ENGLISH and GERMAN gun-makers that emigrated to this country have passed away or grown too old to practice their craft.

True CRAFTSMEN they were of Wood and Metal that produced wonderful works of ART, sadly too few firearms ARTISANS remain today.

 

[2152hq]

Building a muzzle loading rifle or two isn't a bad step toward realizing the bundle of talents required to do custom and/or restoration work.
I don't mean just assembling a 'kit',,but going a step or two farther and making the stock from a blank,,making most if not all of the hardware, modifying the factory assembled lock for better let off and function,,ect.
You'll have to do polishing, fitting & finishing both wood and metal.

Or buy an arm load of 'beaters', guns in disrepair and generally in need both mechanical and cosmetic work to make them both functional and saleable.
You'll learn everything from dis-assembly & function to making parts for the old ones. Wood and metal work, period finishing, ect.
You won't make money at it when you add up the hours, but it's a way to learn.
I did it that way. Never had a gunsmith school or training course to attend.
I did work with an engraver for 6 weeks once in the 70's when I was employed as a gunsmith @ Pedersen. That got me started in engraving. The rest has been all self taught.
It can be done. It all depends on how badly you want it. There's usually a long time learning w/o much compensation for it.
There is so much to know it's almost impossible to be good in every facet of the field.
Many find a specialty or two with in it and settle into that.
The 'general gunsmith' needs more tools, parts and machinery (more money) than the specialty gunsmith. Usually a bigger shop too.
Though the shop never seems to be big enough!

Best of luck to you..