I've recently lost my job, and I am seriously considering changing my life and my career by starting my own business as a smith and bluer/refinisher..now, please understand, I'm not going into this cold, I served 9 yrs under a master smith, and have been an automotive and diesel truck/heavy equipment mechanic for 29 yrs, 25 yrs professionally so I am no stranger to tools, I am simply seeking input as to how well business is in this troubled economy, are people seeking your services? thank you for your attention and responses and/or advice.
To any and all working gunsmiths, a question
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I've recently lost my job, and I am seriously considering changing my life and my career by starting my own business as a smith and bluer/refinisher..now, please understand, I'm not going into this cold, I served 9 yrs under a master smith, and have been an automotive and diesel truck/heavy equipment mechanic for 29 yrs, 25 yrs professionally so I am no stranger to tools, I am simply seeking input as to how well business is in this troubled economy, are people seeking your services? thank you for your attention and responses and/or advice.
john traveler
Member
Sorry to hear about your employment status. I'm in the same boat. Near retirement age, but with so many formerly good paying industries and positions gone, finding a new one is hard.
In a word, business sucks. I don't know about elsewhere, but general gunsmiths and refinishers in my part of the country are hurting. A fella can go hungry doing this. A simple guage is the number of gun shops that have closed or gone under in the last few years. Another indicator is the diminishing membership of gun clubs and shooting ranges.
Where are you located? For some locales, the local environmental unfriendly regulations alone could put you out of business. Prohibitions against operating machine shops or chemical handling/disposing abound. Getting approved for the FFL and business permit by the local authorities is a big obstacle.
I imagine that a few still doing well are the niche specialty shops: custom pistols, custom revolvers, restoration services, and so on. After years building a reputation, they still have people waiting in line. Those have always served the high dollar customers, and even in a slow economy, there may be fewer customers, but they will always wait for the unique services and products.
In a word, business sucks. I don't know about elsewhere, but general gunsmiths and refinishers in my part of the country are hurting. A fella can go hungry doing this. A simple guage is the number of gun shops that have closed or gone under in the last few years. Another indicator is the diminishing membership of gun clubs and shooting ranges.
Where are you located? For some locales, the local environmental unfriendly regulations alone could put you out of business. Prohibitions against operating machine shops or chemical handling/disposing abound. Getting approved for the FFL and business permit by the local authorities is a big obstacle.
I imagine that a few still doing well are the niche specialty shops: custom pistols, custom revolvers, restoration services, and so on. After years building a reputation, they still have people waiting in line. Those have always served the high dollar customers, and even in a slow economy, there may be fewer customers, but they will always wait for the unique services and products.
29aholic
Member
That's a hard business to get in to, and even harder to make a decent living at, unless you have a specialty (ie custom guns, finishing, etc.)
Getting established will be the biggest hurdle as a lot of people arent going to trust a "new" gunsmith. Then there's the hassle of the folks that will bring a $20 gun that needs a $100 worth of work and expect you to do it for $5.00
Most long standing gunsmiths started part time in addition to their regular job (I guess not an option for you) and once established and making money they quit their day job or retired
Getting established will be the biggest hurdle as a lot of people arent going to trust a "new" gunsmith. Then there's the hassle of the folks that will bring a $20 gun that needs a $100 worth of work and expect you to do it for $5.00
Most long standing gunsmiths started part time in addition to their regular job (I guess not an option for you) and once established and making money they quit their day job or retired
dlstewart01
US Veteran
Yeah, I got laid off back in November. I wanted to work another year or two, but with the job situation the way it is I just went ahead and retired. It is going to work out much better than I expected. Heck I won't even have to practice saying, Welcome to Wal-Mart, you need a buggy???
Hope it works out for you,
Don
Hope it works out for you,
Don
truckemup97
Member
I can't tell you anything about the smithing business, but I can tell you that a good diesel mechanic is hard to find. Unless you're burnt out on it, why not find another job wrenching and do smithing nights and weekends at home until you build up a business?
gunsmith11
Member
When times are tough, recreational things go first, I opened a gun shop in 1977 things looked good, by 1981 interest rates were up to 23%, things got real bad, I closed the store in 1982. At the beginning I used 8 wholesalers, by the end only 2 were left...keep the day job
Bassamatic
US Veteran
I'll tell you what. If you open up in the right area, you could make a killing. The nearest gunsmith to us is probably 60-70 miles away. You could do very well in an area like this. Lots of hunters and gun nuts, most which have no idea how to repair their weapons.
One piece of advice: Consider offering archery equipment along with the guns. Lots of archers in these parts but a good bow man is as hard to find as a good gunsmith. Hell, you could teach yourself bow tuning and fletching in a week if your serious and it would be a potential money maker if the gun side of the shop is slow. And vice-versa.
Go for it.
One piece of advice: Consider offering archery equipment along with the guns. Lots of archers in these parts but a good bow man is as hard to find as a good gunsmith. Hell, you could teach yourself bow tuning and fletching in a week if your serious and it would be a potential money maker if the gun side of the shop is slow. And vice-versa.
Go for it.
And they want a life time warranty on the job.
*****
Sounds just like a conversation I had over thirty years ago with an older gunsmith (93 years). Cactus was the smartest man I ever knew.
Hoisting a cup of kindness to Cactus in his memory,
Bekeart
i'd like to thank everyone for the input ive received so far, and i welcome any additional insights you fine folks are willing to offer, it was very kind of you to not only read , but to respond to my post,,,,i think i might take a different angle on this,,,checking the yellow pages ive found 10 gun stores within a half hour of my house,,what i plan is to speak to the owners, find out if they ever have people come in looking forrepair work, if they have a smith they use or do they turn the work away, would they be interested in hiring a man who not only could work the counter but also set up a small work area in the back of the store for scope mounting and bore sighting, detailed cleaning, action jobs, repointing checkering, bluing touchups. action bedding and barrel floating, basically anything that could be done with handtools since i have almost of the tools i need already,,,,lets see how that works out,,and if its successful and i develop a name for myself around here then it might be time, in a yr or so, to branch out on my own,not to mention the economy could change radically in a year and the business environment could be much more condusive to starting a small business
For part-time work, it's fine. If you have to live on it, forget it. You need a lot of experience, patience, tools, reference material, just to get along. The time it takes to do a good job does not equate to the money willing to be spent. Bottom line - you can make more money cutting grass. It's more of a "hobby" than a business. Good luck in your efforts.
In checking with the local gunshops, see if they have a need for gunsmith services and what type. What type of work can you offer them,,what type of work do they need done,,if any.
Give the detailed list of your services offered and prices you'll do the services for. Price the work both retail and the price you'll charge the gunshop for it. Be up front right from the beginning so they know what their profit in this venture will be also.
Many shops send out refinishing/reblueing work,,if they bother to take it in at all. A local contact (you) could change their mind and create some work in that line.
Hardly any shops offer hot blueing anymore. EPA regs are strict, but it can be done.
Not working in their shop, but instead in your own shop/home shop would be my way of doing it.
Gathering the work from them on a predetermined basis and delivering it to them with payments due upon delivery.
They make money for being a middleman and having to deal with the customer. You make yours by doing the actual work, but not having to be bothered with the customer sitting around in your shop (home) all day talking your ear off.
It's a way to establish business relationships, your work gets out there and still your name gets known too, because people will want to know who did the work and they will find out.
General repair is a wide open field that can be very daunting because of it's vastness. The need for specialized tools, parts, and sometimes machines to do repairs can make it a costly endeavor. Don't be afraid to also link up with other gunsmiths and specialty shops that you are comfortable with to farm out the occasional repairs you get (ie:choke tube installation is a good example) that are over your head when it come to tooling, parts, knowledge and time. That way you're not refusing a job from a customer and turning them away. But let them know that it is going out to another contractor for the work (like Brileys, etc)
There are a few jobs that are better to just send back to a factory/manufacturer for work, etc.
When starting out, it usually starts as a partime business that you work fulltime at. It's just the nature of the business it seems.
Give the detailed list of your services offered and prices you'll do the services for. Price the work both retail and the price you'll charge the gunshop for it. Be up front right from the beginning so they know what their profit in this venture will be also.
Many shops send out refinishing/reblueing work,,if they bother to take it in at all. A local contact (you) could change their mind and create some work in that line.
Hardly any shops offer hot blueing anymore. EPA regs are strict, but it can be done.
Not working in their shop, but instead in your own shop/home shop would be my way of doing it.
Gathering the work from them on a predetermined basis and delivering it to them with payments due upon delivery.
They make money for being a middleman and having to deal with the customer. You make yours by doing the actual work, but not having to be bothered with the customer sitting around in your shop (home) all day talking your ear off.
It's a way to establish business relationships, your work gets out there and still your name gets known too, because people will want to know who did the work and they will find out.
General repair is a wide open field that can be very daunting because of it's vastness. The need for specialized tools, parts, and sometimes machines to do repairs can make it a costly endeavor. Don't be afraid to also link up with other gunsmiths and specialty shops that you are comfortable with to farm out the occasional repairs you get (ie:choke tube installation is a good example) that are over your head when it come to tooling, parts, knowledge and time. That way you're not refusing a job from a customer and turning them away. But let them know that it is going out to another contractor for the work (like Brileys, etc)
There are a few jobs that are better to just send back to a factory/manufacturer for work, etc.
When starting out, it usually starts as a partime business that you work fulltime at. It's just the nature of the business it seems.
oldfella
US Veteran
Your proposed approach of asking gun shops in your area sounds like an excellent idea - that's what I would do; working the counter and working your trade in the same store works well for at least one gunsmith I know. God luck.
Pete
Pete
Bassamatic
US Veteran
ex-texan: I think your plan is a good one. Before you go, think the financial side through and through. They are going to want a percentage of your take OR they may propose that you would be only an employee for them and take all the money and give you a salary or small percentage. Work the numbers.
Oh, and be leery of signing a contract with them. They always have a way of biting you in the butt.
Oh, and be leery of signing a contract with them. They always have a way of biting you in the butt.
