- Location
- Northwest Peace River Country
I want to become a gunsmith and am curious as to what I would earn? Colter.
What does a journeyman gunsmith earn ?
- Thread starter airedaleguns1
- Start date
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You need to be a good machinist, a good troubleshooter and a convincing reference. The good gunshops have a retail trade that keeps guns, ammo and gear coming in the back and going out the front door. The business is extremely cyclical and you'd better be prepared to go to the gun shows to sell and advertise.
In short, it is not a good paying job. There are some books sold in the US on the gun business that will set things straight.
In short, it is not a good paying job. There are some books sold in the US on the gun business that will set things straight.
I knew an accomplished gunsmith that worked for a well known firearms manufacturer behind the former Iron Curtain. He immigrated to Canada and worked for a big gun shop and his wages kept him riding a bus and living in an apartment, if that gives you any idea.
Your best bet is to go and apprentice under someone and learn the trade, knowing it will be dirt wages for a few years, then go out and open a shop of your own in the backyard where you have no overhead.
If you are lucky and apprentice with the right guy, you might find a new job or partnership.
Your best bet is to go and apprentice under someone and learn the trade, knowing it will be dirt wages for a few years, then go out and open a shop of your own in the backyard where you have no overhead.
If you are lucky and apprentice with the right guy, you might find a new job or partnership.
The only problem I see with apprenticing is how can an experienced gunsmith not making a lot of money, afford to supervise and fix problems and teach an apprentice when he screws up? What is in it for the experienced gunsmith? Who pays who for time and knowledge?
There is no "journeyman gunsmith" as far as I know..... it will cost you a lot to take a two year course in the US, I know that.
There is no "journeyman gunsmith" as far as I know..... it will cost you a lot to take a two year course in the US, I know that.
tootall said:
This is a list of recognized Interprovincial Red Seal trades. I have both Metal Fabricator and Welder IPRS papers. There is nothing for Gunsmith. However, I had my Metal Fab (actually called Steel Fab then) papers from BC for a long time before it became recognized Interprovincially. So perhaps one or two provinces may have an apprenticeship in GS. But somehow, I doubt it.
These guys talk about a recognized diploma.
http://www.gunsmithing.ca/pages_en/index.html
These guys sell videos
http://www.americangunsmith.com/
My suggestion. Become a journeyman Machinist, make a good wage doing that, then learn GS on the side.
If you work fulltime for someone else as a machinist, you can set up a GS shop on the side, without having to woory about paying for the mortgage. Of course, this makes it harder for other fulltime GS to compete, and you will face the stigma of people thinking that you are an "amatuer"
Once you make a name for yourself, you will make some money. I am a machinist by trade (WOP) and since I have paid off my mortgage, I am looking into buying a lathe and milling machine. Then I will start trying some things out that have been on my mind for awhile.
I've been in the trade for a good many years (26) and make good money $50,000+ after this many years. Don't get trapped into piece work machining as you will be a button pusher for a long while. Find smaller machine shops where they depend on people to run a variety of machines and stick with it. Alot of it will be repetative but you will learn - and make money.
Gunsmithing is a hard trade to make money in without a name for yourself. Even if you were to apprentice under a gunsmith, I don't think many people would let you work on their beloved firearms. You would end up spending time stripping down, cleaning, and doing non critical work until - one again - you make a name for yourself as a respectable, talented professional.
Good luck.
I've been in the trade for a good many years (26) and make good money $50,000+ after this many years. Don't get trapped into piece work machining as you will be a button pusher for a long while. Find smaller machine shops where they depend on people to run a variety of machines and stick with it. Alot of it will be repetative but you will learn - and make money.
Gunsmithing is a hard trade to make money in without a name for yourself. Even if you were to apprentice under a gunsmith, I don't think many people would let you work on their beloved firearms. You would end up spending time stripping down, cleaning, and doing non critical work until - one again - you make a name for yourself as a respectable, talented professional.
Good luck.
What kind of gunsmithing do you think you'd like to do? Maybe you can learn/practice on your own firearms and if you become good at it, people will pay you to work on there's. It would be a great way to subsidize your own shooting habit, but it's pretty tough to make a living at it.
Alternatively, you could join the military and try to become an armourer. You would probably need a backup career plan though for when you get discharged.
Alternatively, you could join the military and try to become an armourer. You would probably need a backup career plan though for when you get discharged.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I have known several REAL journemen gunsmiths , and they were all Europeans, German, Swiss, etc.
One fella in B.C. was apparantly trained at the Rigby factory, and there is one in Bentley who is a Scottish gunsmith.
The fact remains, if a unsmith is ticketed, it is not a Canadian ticket he holds....
Cat
One fella in B.C. was apparantly trained at the Rigby factory, and there is one in Bentley who is a Scottish gunsmith.
The fact remains, if a unsmith is ticketed, it is not a Canadian ticket he holds....
Cat
guntech said:
My thoughts are that I'd be willing to pay for some training time with an experienced well recognized gunsmith.... You know like taking a course....
Seems to me that if a person (or group of people) wanted to learn enough to get buy doing the simple stuff to their own guns that paying a good gunsmith to teach them (on their own guns) would be good money. Good money spent on their end and good money earned on the GS' end.
Also he'd then have pick of the best prospects to offer real work to should he decide he wanted assistance. And they'd be less likely to screw things up.
Ever thought about opening a school?
David Henry
CGN Regular
- Location
- West of the big road
Gunsmith wages
As Papaneil stated I am running an advertisment in the Firearms Accsses news paper looking for both or either a fully qualified or an apprentice gunsmith. I have had some replies from several young people that sound promising but have not yet had any response from qualified workmen, but that's not a surprise. In reply to the initial question of how much a full time gunsmith makes for wages I do not wish to state my personal income because you guys would die laughing, but as the owner of a business then there are oppertunities to write certain things off as expenses which go a long way to support a lesser wage. For many shops the repair business is also seasonal and lots of overtime in the fall puts a bit more cash in the pocket. In reality Albertas economy is doing so well right now that a High school drop out can make a starting wage of $25 per hour working in the oilfield and have nothing more invested than a lunch pail and an H2S ticket. So as you can see its hard to compete on the same level when trying to source a trainee. "How much dose a journeyman gunsmith make" NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. But job satisfaction is priceless. David Henry.
As Papaneil stated I am running an advertisment in the Firearms Accsses news paper looking for both or either a fully qualified or an apprentice gunsmith. I have had some replies from several young people that sound promising but have not yet had any response from qualified workmen, but that's not a surprise. In reply to the initial question of how much a full time gunsmith makes for wages I do not wish to state my personal income because you guys would die laughing, but as the owner of a business then there are oppertunities to write certain things off as expenses which go a long way to support a lesser wage. For many shops the repair business is also seasonal and lots of overtime in the fall puts a bit more cash in the pocket. In reality Albertas economy is doing so well right now that a High school drop out can make a starting wage of $25 per hour working in the oilfield and have nothing more invested than a lunch pail and an H2S ticket. So as you can see its hard to compete on the same level when trying to source a trainee. "How much dose a journeyman gunsmith make" NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. But job satisfaction is priceless. David Henry.
gunasauras
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Western Manitoba
RePete said:
You would NOT be a qualified apprentice locksmith I'm afraid. The Security Containers Course is a specialty OSQ only avail to MCpl or higher rank, and it qualifies you absolutely nothing on Civie Street. I have the course and know this.....as well, you get no propane certification from the military unless you are a plumber/gas fitter by trade with Construction Engineering.
We used to have a gunsmithing course here in Winnipeg at the RRCC
Ralph Olson taught it. It was pretty good it was 5 levels of courses including a gunsmith machine shop course I completed the first four courses but never took the last one.
It was all on checkering and finishing kind of a, I think he called it master craftsman course but I went on holidays to Florida for a month
The best part was the machine shop course. Lots of hands on with all the different machines.
Ralph Olson taught it. It was pretty good it was 5 levels of courses including a gunsmith machine shop course I completed the first four courses but never took the last one.
It was all on checkering and finishing kind of a, I think he called it master craftsman course but I went on holidays to Florida for a month
The best part was the machine shop course. Lots of hands on with all the different machines.
guntech said:
As far as who pays who, my thoughts are based on my own steel fab apprenticeship, and what I have said to other apprentices,now that I am a journeyman.
First step is to get some basic training on your own time, at your own expense. For formal trades, this would involve a technical college, and it would be called Pre-Apprenticeship, or ELTT Entry Level Trades Training.
Once you have that, then you find someone willing to employ you. Of course, you work for reduced wage, usually in my trade starting at 55%, and working up as your experience and knowledge increases. What I have told young people coming up the ladder (I am also a substitute instructor in a local college) is that they will be paid partially in knowledge, and part in wages. If the wages are low, but they learn lots, thats OK. If the pay is low, and all they do is clean up the shop, and answer the phone, they are getting ripped.
Short answer, the employer pays, in two forms. The student repays in time served, and in future value to the employer.
