I've been looking into online gunsmith classes, and they look really damn affordable. This is is down my ally because I'm a poorfag. I made this thread to discuss what potential jobs/careers one could obtain with a diploma in gunsmithing. I don't want to go and get the diploma, just to find that I have no clue how to make money with it.
Is there anyone here actually in the business who could help me get started?
Careers in gunsmithing
Jonathan Walker
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Liam Russell
God dammit, I'm missing the e
Jose Hughes
Fuck no
The best way to go would be to find someone to apprentice under, even if it is a fudd. Good luck there though. A lot of fucking old guys will do nothing but bitch and moan about young guys no matter how interested or dedicated they are to learning trades.
The second best way to go would be getting into machining professionally and getting a good handle on woodworking on top of that, while also knowing some gunsmiths who could point you in the right direction and put in a good word with potential employers.
You can't drill and tap a receiver , you can't ream a chamber, you can't mill, turn, or hand file replacement parts, you can't make a stop, you can't engrave, you can't do anything with a handful of videos you downloaded from some fake college. Working in a job shop dealing with precision work would be a good stepping stone to gunsmithing.
See if there are any local community or technical colleges offering certificate programs for machining. These sorts of things will give you a basic handle on the use of machine tools, metrology, and just working metal in general. More importantly, I've found that the instructors for these sorts of things tend to know the right people, so getting work after finishing is easier. You can learn woodwork at home without a huge investment in tools. I'm currently in such a program and have an in with a guy for a pretty decent job next year. It's probably less expensive than any online gunsmithing courses, and if you are poor, you can get scholarships easy from community colleges.
No matter your skill level, no one is going to hire some fresh faced kid as a full fledged gunsmith. If you show them a degree, they will not only reject you, they will laugh.
Oliver Thompson
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I figured there would be a catch.
I do want a formal education specifically on weapons though, just as a means to get my shit straight.
I did find one program that actually sends you a series of hands-on projects, tools, diagrams, and books through the mail. Eventually you'll send back your work, and they'll grade you on it. I'll provide a link to the course details:
Regardless though, I'm definitely going to go with your advice regarding certification in machining, as I'm sure it is one of the corner stones of gunsmithing.
Thanks for the input.
Gavin Johnson
That program actually looks like a much better deal than some of the others I've seen, a better value at least. Sonoran Desert Institute charges 16000 and doesn't offer that much more, still though, I think my idea would be a lot better ultimately. The site itself states that it provides "entry-level" education and isn't really aiming to churn out highly skilled professionals to go straight into the field.
In anything technical and tangible, it really helps to have some short tempered old guy looking over your shoulder telling you when you fuck up.
The program I'm in has a few issues, but the only ones that really cause issues are the schedule, and the not infrequent lack of coordination between instructors. The main classes are grinding, lathe, layout and benchwork, CNC, and milling, one class each day of the week, with one half in the classroom and the remainder in the shop, where 3-5 guys, mostly retired machinists make sure no one gets turned to hamburger. When five different instructors are teaching things in the classroom, some stuff gets redundant, but that's not a big deal. Later in the evening there are two math classes a week, blueprint, and OSHA 10 hr safety certification classes. Next semester Solidworks and QC will be covered. Really it will only be scratching the surface of the field, but the basics get pretty well drilled in, and you get those juicy reference letters.
On the shop floor, being able to ask a professional for an opinion before performing an operation or after making a fuckup is really valuable. You can get direct input on technique and outcome, and you can see exactly how they do things. It really utilizes the senses, and had nuances that can't be picked up on unless you are right there feeling it.
Whatever you end up doing, make it's something you can reasonably plan a future around. Good luck.
Landon Carter
There just isn't a market. The supply is too high and the demand I too low. You will forever make shit money and be easily replaceable
Thomas Collins
Holy shit that is theft
I'm definitely looking into machining certification though, that sounds like it could be useful in a variety of fields. Even if the smithing plan doesn't come to fruition, I can at least have it as a hobby later.
Thanks, and good luck to you too.
Yeah, I kinda expect to get buttmangled to death, but I may as well try to do something I take interest in for a living rather than wagie shit.
Ryder Cooper
Alernatively to going the civvy route:
Join the military and go for ordnance corps small arms and artillery repair.
Nathaniel Peterson
Military experience in the trades world is like gold because the company gets tax credits and won't question whether or not you actually know how to do something unless you say something to suggest otherwise. Fake it until you make it is the way of life in professional trade jobs to the point where an average HVAC technician who does his job/actually measures things is considered a grade-A technician, so I would highly recommend this route so long as you take the shortest contract feasibly possible, keep your head low, and try not to die for Israel.
Adam Wilson
We do not tolerate anti-semitism on this board.