The Business of Gunsmithing

As a gunsmith, we are often tested on our knowledge of a certain repair, our knowledge of firearms, reloading, target shooting, etc. Included in those knowledge tests, I am certain you have been confronted with the question of, "How do you become a gunsmith?" More importantly, how does the person asking you become one? As you all well know, this is not an easily answered question if you plan on giving the answer that best covers the process. Why you ask?

Well, as we know on this side of the gunsmithing fence, this job is very diverse and complex and explaining it to that person in any level of detail can lead you to wander somewhat with your reply or explanation. More often than not, we use our own road taken or journey as the platform for our response. What I often find the most challenging in that conversation is trying to cover what I think the person asking would need to know.

And that is most difficult when you really know nothing about the person you are talking with. What are their skill sets, what have they done already (if anything) to start their path towards becoming a gunsmith, and what stage are they in their life that will help them with their career choice? In reality, you really need more information from that requestor so that you can formulate a logical response. I’m certain that you don’t get this question asked of you often, or maybe at all.

But when you do, you pretty much have to pull your thoughts together quickly to cover at least some of the process. I recently had this question asked of me by the father of a young lad that seems to want to become a ‘smith one day. He is currently fourteen and is trying to get smart on all things guns.

So where do you begin with answering the dad that knows nothing about guns, has no idea where to begin, where to go, what to do, what he should be doing right now; essentially, what can he do to help his son get on the right path. And this is only one scenario that you may be confronted with.

There are others, like the person that tinkers with guns and wants to formalize his work and become a gunsmith, or the person that can’t stand his or her nine-to-five job and wants to work with his or her hands and gun work excites them. So you see, the simple question is not so easily answered. Until now. About a year ago, I began working on a manuscript that describes the process in greater detail. Why you ask?

I did some research and I personally could not find a source that covered the topic, at least all in one place. The more I researched and thought about my own path, I realized that there are many complexities related to taking this type of career path. And the greatest complexity that I found is determining exactly where the person thinking of taking on a career in gunsmithing is, in their particular life, and at that very moment.

In order to convey a proper or suggested path forward, you really need to understand what that person has done so far in their life that would help them get on the path towards becoming a gunsmith. It was at that point that I felt that a well-thought out response was in order. I took on the challenge of walking through the process from the thought or idea of taking on a career as a gunsmith, to what you should be doing, not be doing, and more importantly, what you can expect when traveling down that road.

Let me say here that there are so many roads that can be taken that I was unable to cram them all into one book or guide. And coupled by circumstances that each individual person contemplating this type of career path could have, there was without a doubt that I would not be able to cover every single individual situation. Therefore, I began by covering my particular path, including successes, setbacks, and real life situa-