Becoming a gunsmith

[BladeOfAnduril]

Hi all. If I wanted to become trained as a gunsmith, what would be the best way to do that? Is it formal education at a school, or apprenticeship, or some such? Thanks!

[DucatiRon]

Well PA gunsmithing school would be a great start. Unless you got a relative that already has a shop I doubt you'll get an apprenticeship without going there first.

https://pagunsmith.edu/more-info/

[free]

Hi all. If I wanted to become trained as a gunsmith, what would be the best way to do that? Is it formal education at a school, or apprenticeship, or some such? Thanks!

I don't know. But as with an kind of training endeavor, you should look at the direct costs, the opportunity costs, determine the ROI and compare it against your alternatives to choose your best course of action. Also, have an entry plan, determine your 5 year goal structure, and an exit plan - before beginning anything.

That PA Gunsmith school has a sticker price of $33K and requires a minimum of 16 months.

• https://www.prepler.com/colleges/pen...school/tuition
• https://pagunsmith.edu/more-info/

How long is it going to take you to recoup that cost and time?

One estimate has gunsmith salary at $45K/year for the "median" (no idea how accurate that is).

You can easily get at least $31K working full-time pretty much ANYWHERE these days. So that's an annual differential of $14K. Divide that into the school sticker price and you get roughly 2 years and 4 months to hit your break even point - and that's ignoring ALL other costs, including the ability to work full-time while going to school (which is a HUGE cost).

Realistically, with these figures, your most realistic break-even point is a minimum of 3 years. Even more realistically...you're probably not going to be a brand new gunsmith making the median, especially if need to apprentice for the shit wage you're likely to get as an apprentice. You're looking more at the low-end (or worse), which isn't much more than what you can make working full-time in fast food these days. Your break-even point becomes more like 5 or 6 years before you start to pull ahead of most any other full-time job these days. If you are unable to work while going to school full-time, you lose the ability to earn some $40K (minimum). That puts your ROI more in the 8-10 year range.

That also assumes you can even GET a job as a full-time gunsmith somewhere. You really should look at what that job market and the demand for gunsmith is like, and fully evaluate the possibility that school will actually secure you the position you seek, before "pulling the trigger" on this effort.

Last but not least - it's important not to confuse your hobbies and what you like to do with fun with making money to pay for such hobbies, along with everything else.

Goodluck!

[esh21167]

Maybe OP should apply for a job at Geissele or Lehigh Defense. They are both about 30 minutes or so from Doylestown.

I have to agree with free (as I frighteningly have been doing more and more).

If you want to do your own business, the upfront equipment cost for equipment/tooling will probably run you another $20-$50k. Then you have to build a customer base.

Many years as a young man, I knew a couple with a sign business. They were both very artistic. Another acquaintance was talking with us about starting a business doing something they really enjoy. The wife owner of the sign company became somewhat animated and told her NO, NO, NO! Don't do it. You'll come to hate what you now love.

Work to create resources to do what you want in your own time on your own schedule.

[cdi]

I say, run away. Free*s analysis is a little ethereal but fair. The most useful part of a formal gunsmith school is the businesses part. Mechanical ability is important, but without the ability to manage a business you*ll get in trouble-ask me how I know.

How old are you? Do you have any useful skills? Are you trying to support a family? I have about 40 years experience in the trade- mostly as a side business. Do you want to see what it really looks like?

Stop by and see me, I*d be happy to straighten your ass out.

Eta, I was going to keep my mouth shut but then I thought if I could help save just one life from being led down the path to the dark arts*

[JoshIronshaft]

The best smith*s are machinists. Learn to be a manual machinist. And a TIG welder. Then gunsmithing is just applying those skills in different ways.

[BladeOfAnduril]

Well... Count my hopes and dreams as thoroughly crushed. Haha kidding.

I appreciate the honest feedback. Sounds like if this were a ship I wanted to sail I'm about 15 years late and should have picked it when I decided to get a degree in network engineering instead.

I'm just getting tired of riding a keyboard and am interested in getting into a side gig that involves more "real" interaction with the physical world. Gunsmithing was a thought but I think you all are right, so thanks for squashing that idea for me.

[free]

Well... Count my hopes and dreams as thoroughly crushed. Haha kidding.

I appreciate the honest feedback. Sounds like if this were a ship I wanted to sail I'm about 15 years late and should have picked it when I decided to get a degree in network engineering instead.

I'm just getting tired of riding a keyboard and am interested in getting into a side gig that involves more "real" interaction with the physical world. Gunsmithing was a thought but I think you all are right, so thanks for squashing that idea for me.

I know a programmer that became a plumber. Makes more money and is happier.

If you want to get out of riding a keyboard, wiggle your way into management.

[BladeOfAnduril]

I know a programmer that became a plumber. Makes more money and is happier.

If you want to get out of riding a keyboard, wiggle your way into management.

I could, but I'm pretty sure that would be even more soul-sucking. I think your programmer-turned-plumper had the right idea.

[free]

I could, but I'm pretty sure that would be even more soul-sucking. I think your programmer-turned-plumper had the right idea.

The real solution of course is to forget about the idea that your job should provide any personal satisfaction whatsoever, and treat it purely as a source of income. Use that income to get life satisfaction elsewhere.