How to become a gun smith?
- Thread starter funkymonkey
- Start date
Heheh... there really isn't a school to attend.
(Well, I heard there was one in Quebec somewhere... but it was vague at best.)
EDIT: You'd probably be better of joining the military and becoming a ***Weapon Tech*** .
Otherwise, take a full time machining/tooling course at your local trades school... once you know how to do everything with metal, gunsmithing would be a simple transition for one who enjoys working on firearms. From what I understand it doesn't pay the bills initially - you need to build up clients and word will spread
Of course I could have it totally wrong... so don't look too much into what I am saying, but if I could do it over again... that's what I'd do.
~Cheers
(Well, I heard there was one in Quebec somewhere... but it was vague at best.)
EDIT: You'd probably be better of joining the military and becoming a ***Weapon Tech*** .
Otherwise, take a full time machining/tooling course at your local trades school... once you know how to do everything with metal, gunsmithing would be a simple transition for one who enjoys working on firearms. From what I understand it doesn't pay the bills initially - you need to build up clients and word will spread
Of course I could have it totally wrong... so don't look too much into what I am saying, but if I could do it over again... that's what I'd do.
~Cheers
"...joining the military and becoming a gunner..." A Weapons Tech, not a gunner. Even then, weapons techs are not gunsmiths. Last I saw, here, the PQ school is French speaking only. There are no other smithy school's in Canada. Nor are there many jobs.
There are a few schools, Stateside, but you'd have to have lots of money just to live as you wouldn't be allowed to work.
There are a few schools, Stateside, but you'd have to have lots of money just to live as you wouldn't be allowed to work.
- Location
- Newfoundland
When I asked a buddy who is a gunsmith what I would need to do to become a gunsmith he said the first thing to do was go into the bathroom and flush my doun the drain then go and do it at least once a month !!!!!
I think he may be a little bitter though ......
That being said ,other that correspondance(sp) the school is your only other option in Canada is the school in Quebec. However I think that you have to speak French to go there.
I think he may be a little bitter though ......
That being said ,other that correspondance(sp) the school is your only other option in Canada is the school in Quebec. However I think that you have to speak French to go there.
There is a gunsmith school near of where i live in quebec, it's located in MANIWAKI excatly, very well known school, i can have all the info if you need it...
Sorry, here it is , even in english
http://www.armurerie.ca
Sendero
Sorry, here it is , even in english
http://www.armurerie.ca
Sendero
G37 said:
I was a weapons tech for a short time in the reserves. Oddly enough, I don't recall learning anything about:
checkering,
reblueing,
touching up wood stocks,
fixing bent magazine TUBES for 22 lever actions,
and a million other things that a civilian gunsmith does
Find a smaller machine shop, preferrably a custom shop. Work. In about 5 years you will understand what you are trying to do, material composition, cutting action, tool geometry, order of operations, e.t.c.
This also would include a gunsmith if they were willing to take you on. It would take less time with a gunsmith since you would be working on what you really want to learn instead of some of the more mundane things you would be doing in a machine shop.
Last but not least, you cannot really understand what is going on by reading a book. Nothing beats practical experience in any trade. Not that I'm saying that learning basics out of a book is wrong, it's just not real world.
Ripstop
This also would include a gunsmith if they were willing to take you on. It would take less time with a gunsmith since you would be working on what you really want to learn instead of some of the more mundane things you would be doing in a machine shop.
Last but not least, you cannot really understand what is going on by reading a book. Nothing beats practical experience in any trade. Not that I'm saying that learning basics out of a book is wrong, it's just not real world.
Ripstop
tootall said:
As a presently serving weapons tech land in the reg force,I find your statement to be a little inacurate.
Maybe its just the shop and people I work with,but in the last 3yrs of being trade employed,I have learned more techniques for firearm repair than just replace the part.
We are encourged to broaden our knowledge on repair,cold blueing(after having to re-blue portions of weapons bound for storage,300 to be exact),wood repair(as the butts for our MAG 58(c-6)are like gold),bench fitting,bedding and all round maintinance.
Not to say all gun plumbers are on par with gunsmiths.This would be brazen and arrogant of me,but being the local wpns shop on base,we do as many rabbit jobs on our own time as we do work orders on work time!(including many of our own wpns!)
I have found that have been a machinist prior to joining has helped me greatly.Metallurgy,blueprint reading,process planning and being able to"see" how something can be created are all valuable skills.On the wpns tech side of the house,Theory of operation of different types of actions,understanding of repair techniques,gauging and what it tells you,and most important of all the confidence that all this builds are some of the most valuable skill sets.
Not all of us concider ourselves "part changers".There those that don't know what a SMLE is,or the difference bettween a 12 ga or 20 ga,or even how to blue something.Does this make them bad techs?No,just uneducated.
tootall said:
You answered your own question by saying 'reserves'.How much time on
small arms can you posibbly(because thats all a reserve 421 Wpns Tech is trained up to including some ancillary equipment) obtain working only a few hours a week and maybe one weekend a month :? In the Regular Force 421 world we do it 8hrs a day 5 days a week and with this "new" training implementation called the "B.T.E." it could last a helluva lot longer up to 6 weeks or more on top of that :!:
Fixing a bent magazine tubes or checkering are'nt part of the training plan for QL3 or QL5 but if somebody walked into our shop with such a problem I'd like to get my hands on that sort of job.I think they call that;
Initiative and Willingness to learn,No we are far from being a gunsmith,
but we DO reblueing,we DO wood stock repair and with plenty of sportsman in the area we get plenty "rabbit" work which could inlude;drill & tap, scope mounting and boresighting,stock re-finishing,"reblueing",small repairs and last but not least "maintenance & corrective maintenance".
A Canadian Forces 421 Wpn's Tech is not a bad place to start if you want a career in firearms repair,as one progresses in rank & trg the knowledge is bountiful.From the 9mm Browning Hi-Power to the 105mm Howitzer and of course the 25mm Bushmaster,the .50cal anti-material wpns and soon I hope,the .338 Lapua Sniper rifle are all but just a fraction of what we do,
Hell I should be in recruiting...............................NOT.
Huntsman :roll:
Fair enough.
Good comments from both BDL and Huntsman.
Yes, I was a reservist, not a reg force member, so my experience was much more limited than yours has been.
Both of you mentioned taking on jobs outside of your military work. That shows your enthusiasm for the trade, and that comes from within, rather than CF training.
I posted my comments not to run down the Forces, but to point out a few things to those that think that being a WPNS TECH is a good way to become a civvy gunsmith.
Natural ability, enthuiasm, willingness to learn, etc are far more important, IMHO.
Good comments from both BDL and Huntsman.
Yes, I was a reservist, not a reg force member, so my experience was much more limited than yours has been.
Both of you mentioned taking on jobs outside of your military work. That shows your enthusiasm for the trade, and that comes from within, rather than CF training.
I posted my comments not to run down the Forces, but to point out a few things to those that think that being a WPNS TECH is a good way to become a civvy gunsmith.
Natural ability, enthuiasm, willingness to learn, etc are far more important, IMHO.
I had a full restore plus repair done to an old rusty double gun by Hunstman. The fabricating of parts to make the action work properly and sandblasting and bluing of the barrels was as good as the work I paid a gunsmith top dollar for a few years ago, "Jason Spencer, Ottawa".
I agree that a gunsmith is a hard person to find these days, no thanks to the gun registery and legislation. However it appears that the only way to go is mail order. I remeber when just about every small shop or hardware store used to sell guns, even canadian tire. Now guns are a taboo topic to some. It's sad but a true fact. The legislation has turned the owning of a gun into a secret topic.
My two cents
I agree that a gunsmith is a hard person to find these days, no thanks to the gun registery and legislation. However it appears that the only way to go is mail order. I remeber when just about every small shop or hardware store used to sell guns, even canadian tire. Now guns are a taboo topic to some. It's sad but a true fact. The legislation has turned the owning of a gun into a secret topic.
My two cents
PS
There are a lot of trades in the military that give you the training to become a ticketed tradesman after a few years and courses;
-weopons tech
-search and rescue tech
-chef( after years in the cook trade)
-heavy equuipment operator
the list goes on. I probably would'nt be doing what I do if I did'nt spend 6 years in the reg force.
There are a lot of trades in the military that give you the training to become a ticketed tradesman after a few years and courses;
-weopons tech
-search and rescue tech
-chef( after years in the cook trade)
-heavy equuipment operator
the list goes on. I probably would'nt be doing what I do if I did'nt spend 6 years in the reg force.
trubluscrew
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
I can't read French, but this school looks kinda of expensive to me. Bold added by me. For that price, I would consider being a rotary wing pilot.
You are wanting to become a full time professional gunsmith, making an income competitive with other occupations requiring an equivlent level of skill? Your training options are pretty much described in the preceding posts.
Another option is to start small and work up from there. Obviously you need a variety of skills using a wide variety of tools. Develop these. You need to have experience with a wide variety of different kinds of guns. You will have to build up a set of tools, both generalized and specialized, just as a mechanic must do. Acquire a library, and read everything you can. Get a Brownells catalogue. It is a valuable resource, even if you never order from them. Same thing with parts catalogues from Gunparts Corp. and Western Gun Parts. Start off doing hobby gunsmithing. Practice on clunkers. There are lots out there. Building flintlock longarms from basic parts (not from a kit) will allow you to learn a lot of basic skills, without any legal hassle. Make tools, once again, there is much to be learned. Strive to achieve a high standard of work. Don't even think about working on anyone else's property, until you know that you know what you are doing. Do you have a place to work? A lot of smiths have started out this way, and turned a hobby into employment. Even if you never set up a commercial shop, or work in one, you will learn a lot, and benefit from the time and effort.
Another option is to start small and work up from there. Obviously you need a variety of skills using a wide variety of tools. Develop these. You need to have experience with a wide variety of different kinds of guns. You will have to build up a set of tools, both generalized and specialized, just as a mechanic must do. Acquire a library, and read everything you can. Get a Brownells catalogue. It is a valuable resource, even if you never order from them. Same thing with parts catalogues from Gunparts Corp. and Western Gun Parts. Start off doing hobby gunsmithing. Practice on clunkers. There are lots out there. Building flintlock longarms from basic parts (not from a kit) will allow you to learn a lot of basic skills, without any legal hassle. Make tools, once again, there is much to be learned. Strive to achieve a high standard of work. Don't even think about working on anyone else's property, until you know that you know what you are doing. Do you have a place to work? A lot of smiths have started out this way, and turned a hobby into employment. Even if you never set up a commercial shop, or work in one, you will learn a lot, and benefit from the time and effort.
- Location
- BACK IN Newfoundland and lovin it!!!
I contacted this school; it is highly recognized and was considering attending it, while trying to retrieve info on it and trying to talk French on the phone!! I’m a newf lol not bilingual in the usual manner!!!, the course is only offered in French which is a real piss off, I’m retiring from the military next year, taking an early retirement and there is retraining offered to me so I figured do something I love to do. work on guns , I do a little stock work and bluing in my spare time and have fixed up some old bang sticks pretty good, but it seems that a program like this , being the only full time course in Canada, is only offered in French it seems a little discrimatory if you ask me!!!!
