Breaking into the firearms industry

Sambaru

Sambaru

CGN frequent flyer
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Hey, everyone,

Fairly new member of CGN here so wanted to say hey. I've already had some posts and there is so much great info/folks on here... wish I had found this place sooner!

I am looking into pursuing a firearms related career. Range Warden would be nice but would settle for working at a store and eventually getting qualified to do safety training and beyond. My main inquiry regarding this is how does one break into this industry? From my experience, besides the super great peeps on this forum, everyone I meet is very elitist. Scoffing at me when I ask if they are hiring, etc when they don't even know my credentials. I'd like to get my foot in the door somehow but it's like if you don't have 20 years of experience or have a brother already in the industry, no one even bothers to give you a shot. Does anyone have any tips?

I am currently a corporate trainer so I am good at teaching people, I am great with people, and I am a pretty good salesman as well. These qualities, combined with my knowledge and passion for firearms/shooting would make me an apt candidate for many positions but I'm not even able to get anyone's attention since I "only" own 4 guns and I have "only" been shooting a couple of years. Any advice would be appreciated... or if anyone knows of a place where you qualify for a job by shooting well, at least I could earn it!

Thanks and I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say!
Sam
 
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The only money to be made in this industry is opening your own store or opening your own range. Both involve lots of moeny time and serious paperwork and background checks, as well as ridiculously tight compliance to ridiculous rules and regs. Even at that you are not guaranteed to make it. Location is everything, and there is not a huge market for this stuff. Range officers dont make any money, and most guys who run any kind of training operations for clubs or even licensing do it on the side. It is not a full time job. You should move to the US if you are serious. That would be my suggestion!
 
Fair enough, mlehtovaara! I'm definitely not expecting to become rich being a Range Warden. I have a full-time job, my rent is paid and there are always beers in the fridge... I'm willing to even accept something part-time (evenings/weekends) to get started with crappy pay just to do spend more time doing what I love and I was also thinking I can dedicate whatever extra income to ammo/goodies... I would feel less guilty this way too!
 
My suggestion would be to take any courses you can at your range. My range offers a RO course once you take a bunch of other courses. There are a lot of people that would like to turn there passion into there job, but very few actually can.
Good luck and welcome to the site.
 
surfer365, mind if I ask what range you work at?

I totally thought about BlackWater/Xe and Front Sight and all those American training facilities actually... I assumed they would be expensive but maybe I should actually do some research! I think taking some of their courses would help me be taken seriously.
 
Sambaru said:
Hey, everyone,

Fairly new member of CGN here so wanted to say hey. I've already had some posts and there is so much great info/folks on here... wish I had found this place sooner!

I am looking into pursuing a firearms related career. Range Warden would be nice but would settle for working at a store and eventually getting qualified to do safety training and beyond. My main inquiry regarding this is how does one break into this industry? From my experience, besides the super great peeps on this forum, everyone I meet is very elitist. Scoffing at me when I ask if they are hiring, etc when they don't even know my credentials. I'd like to get my foot in the door somehow but it's like if you don't have 20 years of experience or have a brother already in the industry, no one even bothers to give you a shot. Does anyone have any tips?

I am currently a corporate trainer so I am good at teaching people, I am great with people, and I am a pretty good salesman as well. These qualities, combined with my knowledge and passion for firearms/shooting would make me an apt candidate for many positions but I'm not even able to get anyone's attention since I "only" own 4 guns and I have "only" been shooting a couple of years. Any advice would be appreciated... or if anyone knows of a place where you qualify for a job by shooting well, at least I could earn it!

Thanks and I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say!
Sam
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Jeff Cooper once wrote that he was often asked how one could make a living with firearms. He said, IIRC, that making a living from firearms was something like making a living riding a horse. IIRC, "It can be done, but there is a trick to it."

The trick might be in identifying your product or service and then finding a market for your product or service.

Firearms manufacturers need engineers, machinists, and sales people. Reed Knight (Knight's Manufacturing) has said that he has a place for talented machinists, for example.

People generally seek instruction and advice from those who they perceive to be especially qualified in the given field. There are many would-be instructors, but there are relatively few who actually have a demonstrated expertise in a related skill-set. Short of you becoming a soldier or police officer (to gain access to MIL/LE-only advanced training, and to gain first-hand experience), you can seek relevant training - including instructional training - on your own, and you can become a competitive shooter.

A champion competitive shooter, himself (or herself), will become a product that is attractive both to sponsors and to prospective employers. He (or she) will be able to offer product endorsement and his (her) own training (the service) to customers and clients.

If your profile is known, and your reputation is perceived by them to be worthy of respect, they will come to you, and your firearms career will have begun.
 
"...get started with crappy pay..." Starts at minimum wage and more often than not, stays there.
"...don't have 20 years of experience..." That doesn't help. The jobs are very few and far between for anybody. Even worse for a new guy.
"...opening your own store..." Nope. Gun shop owners rarely make much money. Neither do smithies. New shop owners get no credit terms from suppliers, so you must have lots of cash until you earn a credit rating from them. Your current credit rating means nothing. The banks won't lend you money either.
"...qualify for a job by shooting well..." No such thing. Not even the CF or armoured truck companies care.
 
Many will tell you that if you do something you love, the money will take take care of itself.

Others will say that if you love something, don't do it as a carreer, as that will suck the enjoyment out of it. This is often mentioned for photography. Lots of burnt out photogs that have taken far too many grumpy bride or "grip and grin" publicity photos.
 
firearms

Get started by getting your PAL as a first step. Read everything you can on firearms and shooting. There are courses a plenty that you can send away for, everything from basic gunsmithing to long range shooting. Get some trigger time in at the range, talk to folks and make some contacts. The shooting community are always looking to promote their sport in any way they can. By doing the above your course of action in getting where you want to go will become clear. It may take some time but the journey will be lots of fun if you like firearms and shooting. I would also recommend buying a new hunting rifle such as a Remington 700 in 308 or 30/06 caliber with a good scope like a Nikon Monarch 2.5X10 - 50MM and a basic reloading kit. Stay away from used weapons, you do not know enough to buy a used rifle smart. Do not be afraid of reloading your own ammunation. If you can fry an egg or pour a glass of water without burning the egg or breaking the glass you can learn to reload your own bullets. The secret to safe and sucessful reloading is careful reading and checking and rechecking yourself and your bullets. Just by doing the above and with your qualifications any gun store would love to hire you if they have a position open. Most of the time you get someone behind the counter that does not know a 22LR from a 30/06. I find that to be frustrating and a time waster. Good luck in your pursuit.

Cheers & TIghter Groups: Eaglesnester
 
sunray said:
"...qualify for a job by shooting well..." No such thing. Not even the CF or armoured truck companies care.
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hehe.. exactly what I meant. I shoot better than over half the range wardens at BOTH ranges I frequent... I was just stating I wish this was the case in some dream world so that I could EARN the job! True enough that gun store owners may never be rich, but there is a guy here who owns a gun store and he has a Walther WA2000... that's like owning a unicorn in my opinion! The fringe benefits alone attract me enough!


eaglesnester said:
Get started by getting your PAL as a first step. Read everything you can on firearms and shooting. There are courses a plenty that you can send away for, everything from basic gunsmithing to long range shooting. Get some trigger time in at the range, talk to folks and make some contacts. The shooting community are always looking to promote their sport in any way they can. By doing the above your course of action in getting where you want to go will become clear. It may take some time but the journey will be lots of fun if you like firearms and shooting. I would also recommend buying a new hunting rifle such as a Remington 700 in 308 or 30/06 caliber with a good scope like a Nikon Monarch 2.5X10 - 50MM and a basic reloading kit. Stay away from used weapons, you do not know enough to buy a used rifle smart. Do not be afraid of reloading your own ammunation. If you can fry an egg or pour a glass of water without burning the egg or breaking the glass you can learn to reload your own bullets. The secret to safe and sucessful reloading is careful reading and checking and rechecking yourself and your bullets. Just by doing the above and with your qualifications any gun store would love to hire you if they have a position open. Most of the time you get someone behind the counter that does not know a 22LR from a 30/06. I find that to be frustrating and a time waster. Good luck in your pursuit.

Cheers & TIghter Groups: Eaglesnester
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. Got my PAL/RPAL and 5 guns (Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 is my hunting rifle.. saving up for a Rem 700 in .308). I know enough to buy a used rifle but I would never because I'm a big believer in the break-in period but the majority don't seem to be. Not gonna pay 1 penny for a rifle meant for precision if I don't know it's been broken in properly... call me anal, call me paranoid, but this is important to me. Now used pistols or shotties on the other hand :D Thanks for the reloading advice as well.

Thanks to everyone else who contributed. I'll keep at it and hopefully it works out.
 
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