Want to be a gunsmith?

Gunnar excellent post ,i just reopened a gunsmith shop in Nova Scotia.
The funny thing about the gun business,i find it goes in cycles,now more than ever the cycle is peaking probably due to the fact that most of our shops have closed up.
the cost of setting up a shop is expensive,i've spent 30,000.00 in the last few month due to the fact that if you want to do the work you need the tools.And i was in business before.so i already have alot of tools.
the money i invested did not go to stock (scopes rings parts etc.)these are just tools.
and i could sit down tomorrow and figure i need another 30.000 in tools.it's not hard to get carried away.

Training ,if you can apprentice under a gunsmith and learn i beleive your far better off than taking a correspondence course,but they are better than nothing.
I took a correspondence course but hands on is what really counts,and if you do not specialise then you need to learn even more.
Much like the many other professions you are continuously learning ,and yes i have made mistakes everyone has and they probably will again.but you will also learn from them .most of the time it comes out of your pocket.fortunately some are not as costly as others.
and when your starting your business don't expect to make 50 dollars an hour you will find some firearms that are just pigs and you probably won't make any money on them.But you have to put in the time and keep at it.

Gunnar i may call for some advice some day and your welcome to give me a call.
Because i do not know everything.but it's nice to think i do.lol
 
Trigger Finger said:
Gunnar excellent post ,i just reopened a gunsmith shop in Nova Scotia.
The funny thing about the gun business,i find it goes in cycles,now more than ever the cycle is peaking probably due to the fact that most of our shops have closed up.
the cost of setting up a shop is expensive,i've spent 30,000.00 in the last few month due to the fact that if you want to do the work you need the tools.And i was in business before.so i already have alot of tools.
the money i invested did not go to stock (scopes rings parts etc.)these are just tools.
and i could sit down tomorrow and figure i need another 30.000 in tools.it's not hard to get carried away.

Training ,if you can apprentice under a gunsmith and learn i beleive your far better off than taking a correspondence course,but they are better than nothing.
I took a correspondence course but hands on is what really counts,and if you do not specialise then you need to learn even more.
Much like the many other professions you are continuously learning ,and yes i have made mistakes everyone has and they probably will again.but you will also learn from them .most of the time it comes out of your pocket.fortunately some are not as costly as others.
and when your starting your business don't expect to make 50 dollars an hour you will find some firearms that are just pigs and you probably won't make any money on them.But you have to put in the time and keep at it.

Gunnar i may call for some advice some day and your welcome to give me a call.
Because i do not know everything.but it's nice to think i do.lol
Click to expand...


Where in NS.are you located?
 
“And it seems to be virtually impossible to accurately predict when work will be completed”

“We will be closed to the public - and to phone calls - every Tuesday and Thursday”

My question is; is this a a serious, viable business or a hobby shop primarily for ones own personal enjoyment
Click to expand...

In a viable bussiness, guns come in and are placed in order for service. Until a gun is in the vice you can't always predict how long it will take.

If you ever tried to run a dozen guns through a finishing process you would understand why a viable bussiness would want to have a day or two a week with out interuptions to insure high quality work. Nothing like some one yacking/BSing when your trying to do quality work.
 
One other thing I'd really like to get into is painting/refinishing stocks and barrel/action. My friend Catwork has gotten into this already.
One thing I think I won't be able to do is paint a stock "pink", as Gatehouse? hasdone in the past thread some months ago. I still can't get that pic out of my head sometimes. That was very funny.
 
Here's a question... Gunsmithing interests me as a part time thing. For someone who has their PAL and RPAL, how would I go about working on prohibited firearms? I can't get 12(x) status, so what would be the options? Would I have to limit myself to non-restricted and restricted only? Is there an option for a gunsmith to have prohibited firearms for repair only?

Do existing gunsmith's test fire the guns after they have finished working on them? Is there any issue with ATT's for a gunsmith to take a restricted to their local range to test fire?

Once my shop out back is completed this year, I may outfit it with a benchtop mill and a lathe, but I haven't decided yet. I know I could make the investment back cutting motorcycle parts as most of my friends race competitively in Canada and are always in need of work done.

I do have a little bit of time on mills and lathes, nothing huge, but I can still learn more. There are a number of machinist amonst my neighbours who I could certainly get help from.

Any ideas of projects that are affordable that a person could start with to try and learn. I would have no problems picking up a couple of guns to use as learning tools.

Thanks,
Corey
 
Good point Bushwacker! I am a tool maker who last May made the leap to general contractor. Tool and die and the machining industry is taking a hit.
Wages have not change that much in probably over 15 years. Why would anyone want be an apprentice? Big companies pay well, but you can't get in and it's boring work. Jobbing shops have little or no benefits, pension, crap vacation etc... It's not even respected anymore (lucky if someone knows what it is). I can't say that I'm done with it, but taking a break has been nice.
I'm a week away from going to my firearms and hunting coarse, and what started my interest was the mechanical side of guns. Fit, finish, precision accuracy is where it all began. Gunsmithing sure does sound interesting and I look forward to messing around with my first riffle. At least it's to expensive to ship your gun to China, so gunsmithing can stay on our soil!
God Bless
 
Gunnar, your website is tops!

The clear updated photos are great.
How the other firms expect you to buy a gun
without seeing it is beyond me.

Please keep up the good work.
 
Spud said:
Good point Bushwacker! I am a tool maker who last May made the leap to general contractor. Tool and die and the machining industry is taking a hit.
Wages have not change that much in probably over 15 years. Why would anyone want be an apprentice? Big companies pay well, but you can't get in and it's boring work. Jobbing shops have little or no benefits, pension, crap vacation etc... It's not even respected anymore (lucky if someone knows what it is). I can't say that I'm done with it, but taking a break has been nice.
I'm a week away from going to my firearms and hunting coarse, and what started my interest was the mechanical side of guns. Fit, finish, precision accuracy is where it all began. Gunsmithing sure does sound interesting and I look forward to messing around with my first riffle. At least it's to expensive to ship your gun to China, so gunsmithing can stay on our soil!
God Bless
Click to expand...

That about sums up the machining trade Spud.It's without a doubt the most undervalued trade in Canada.There have been times where I wanted to call it quits and do something else,especially when you see that plumbers are getting paid more than you are.
I have noticed this trend is reversing,because there are less young people getting into the machining trade and it is creating a shortage of skilled machinists.When I say skilled machinists,I mean those who have a strong manual background,not just button pushers.the button pushers are a dime a dozen these days and most couldn't operate a manual mill or lathe if their life depended on it.
 
I don't plan on stoppping any time soon. so when I am old and gray and have to use a walker to go up range who will fix my guns when I forget how they go back together. thinking about taking a corse always have lots of time off in the spring. why does every thing have to be about money as long you have food and a dry place to sleep and ammo to shoot. gunsmithing is not the only hands on trade in need of young new blood.
 
Skilled trades

Matt_S said:
That about sums up the machining trade Spud.It's without a doubt the most undervalued trade in Canada.There have been times where I wanted to call it quits and do something else,especially when you see that plumbers are getting paid more than you are.
I have noticed this trend is reversing,because there are less young people getting into the machining trade and it is creating a shortage of skilled machinists.When I say skilled machinists,I mean those who have a strong manual background,not just button pushers.the button pushers are a dime a dozen these days and most couldn't operate a manual mill or lathe if their life depended on it.
Click to expand...


There is a very small demand for the real machinists and when there is, once again employers are not paying for what they are demanding. Some people break off and specialize ie... gunsmithing. My skills in Tool and Die have help me in every aspect of everything I do, form renovations, measuring to taking something apart without a bigger hammer. The schools are pumping out button pushers all the time. The best CNC guys I've met are all good machinists first. And you are correct Wickit money is not the only thing, but without it we won't be able to buy guns!
 
coreyd said:
Here's a question... Gunsmithing interests me as a part time thing. For someone who has their PAL and RPAL, how would I go about working on prohibited firearms? I can't get 12(x) status, so what would be the options? Would I have to limit myself to non-restricted and restricted only? Is there an option for a gunsmith to have prohibited firearms for repair only?

Do existing gunsmith's test fire the guns after they have finished working on them? Is there any issue with ATT's for a gunsmith to take a restricted to their local range to test fire?

Once my shop out back is completed this year, I may outfit it with a benchtop mill and a lathe, but I haven't decided yet. I know I could make the investment back cutting motorcycle parts as most of my friends race competitively in Canada and are always in need of work done.

I do have a little bit of time on mills and lathes, nothing huge, but I can still learn more. There are a number of machinist amonst my neighbours who I could certainly get help from.

Any ideas of projects that are affordable that a person could start with to try and learn. I would have no problems picking up a couple of guns to use as learning tools.

Thanks,
Corey
Click to expand...


Anyone have the answer to the 12 (x) status issue? Been wondering the same thing.
 
I'm going to college for Tool and Die, doing good at it (honors) and should be done my final project (a die we build from start to finish including the die set) 3-4 weeks early. :) Anyways Gunsmithing looks nice but my real interest is the manufacture. One of these days after I'm done my apprentiship my goal is to save a bit of money I'll probably put together my own shop and make rifles (Enfields, Semi-auto brens, etc) and maybe Webley Revovlers if I ever get around to getting a restricted license. :)

Dimitri
 
Good luck Dimitri, I don't mean to dicourage you. There are some good shops, you just have to weed out the many bad ones. The cool thing about the trade is all the machines you have access to (and if it's a good machine shop they have stainless and titanium as well).
 
Being a retired machine shop teacher, and a tool&die maker, I'd be interested, but wouldn't know where to start. I don't have a shop at home, but are there opportunity's to learn
 
I have a diploma in firearms repair which means only theory, I own only semi auto rifles military types, and I'm seriouly planning to open a buisness, but the commercial liscense is confusing to me at least the form I have to fill out.
I do not know how much it will cost me just for gunsmithing rifles. Please anyone with that knowlegde help me!
will5835@hotmail.com
 
Will I Am said:
I have a diploma in firearms repair which means only theory, I own only semi auto rifles military types, and I'm seriouly planning to open a buisness, but the commercial liscense is confusing to me at least the form I have to fill out.
I do not know how much it will cost me just for gunsmithing rifles. Please anyone with that knowlegde help me!
will5835@hotmail.com
Click to expand...

If you are not selling guns then the license is $100 for 3 years. You only pay the higher price. So for $100 you can also sell ammo, etc if you apply for that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom