Learning to gunsmith

[vork08]

I was looking for opinions on where to start learning the art of a gunsmith.

I have always been a firearms enthusiast, but now as my kids are getting older, and along with my wife, more involved and interested in them, and my collection about to grow exponetially with 4 more people adding to it. I was thinking about being able to learn to fix, alter, and modify them myself. Mind you I have always had interest. and would never attempt something on my own without the proper training and knowledge. I do like all ten of my fingers equally!

 

[fireball168]

NRA Short-Term Gunsmithing Schools

 

[stack23]

have you been watching sons of guns?

 

[Kagnew]

Start by disassembling and reassembling a Ruger Mark III. That should get you some advanced credits.

 

[Destro]

are you wanting to do this for a living, or in your garage?

 

[Drail]

Unless you plan on specializing in say, 1911s or shotguns, be prepared to lay out a LOT of money on tooling. And then be prepared to lay out some more for insurance. I did it back in the 1980s and 90s and I wouldn't do it now. Your profits will not be very high. You will get a lot of satisfaction from the work. You also get to sign away all of your Constitutional rights when you accept an FFL. Fedreally licensed gunsmiths are not citizens. They are subjects. The ATF can come to your place of business at 3:00 AM on a Sunday morning while you are out of town and tear the place apart looking for anything they can dream up. And then just leave a note saying they didn't find anything illegal. Believe it.

 

[vork08]

are you wanting to do this for a living, or in your garage

I would need to approach it now as a hobby but, in a perfect world, early retirement from my day job in a few years would allocate time and financials to make it a "living".

 

[gunfreak6989]

goodluck i know a guy in griffith thats a pro he would give u good start if u interested pm me