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Is it worth the money to take one of those classes to become a gun smith? I got some info in the mail, a self paced class for about $600. I know there are not many gun smiths in my area, but I dunno..... like I said, do you guys think its worth the money and time?

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$600 for a mail order course smells fishy! Some areas have college or junior college courses in gunsmithing. There are so many different levels and types of "gunsmithing" that you should really narrow your focus.

Maybe talk to some local or even national shops? Anyway-I wish you luck. Whatever you do to make a living it is something that you will be doing for 35 or 40 years. Might as well do something that you enjoy.

 

G O B

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No is not worded, like gob say go to a collage or junior college or get a job with a

gunsmith, or if you are single and have free weekends with not much to do

well, go work with one free, until you learn stuff, I did that for a while

long time ago and learn a lot of stuff but must about gun finishes, like to do it

some times, second, the trade does not pay these days, you have to have a dealer license

to practice gunsmith if you are going to do it commercially, or work with a

gun dealer on his shop and use his license, and if you look in the net

is a lot of gunsmith services, prices are low and well competition some

times is hard to beat, plus what do you like to do, as a gunsmith , like a say before

are people that specialize, and that pays a little more like this person as an example

best mauser conversion I have ever see http://www.hillsgunworks.biz/

 

However, if you like it, like I do, well do it, it is fun and the pleasure after seen that rusty gun become almost like new, after a new finish was put on, few people even think

that I got a new gun and exchange it for there rusty old gun that they bring me.

Edited by vjor
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thanks guys,

what I saw was a program from "Foley-Belsaw" it is suspose to include corse materials, traning videos, buisness start-up kit, and some basic tools. I dont know know if my college offers such a corse. I will check though. One thing though is I also do historical reinactment stuff. I have done some armorsmithing and I enjoy that as well. I wouldnt mind more tools to do more work, like a forge etc, but as far as Armorsmith.... while historical reinactment is growing its still hard to get paid enough for the work you end up doing. That is why I was also thought abou doing gunsmithing as well, its metal work, and it might help pay the bill.... I dunno. :)

 

I do know I'll have to learn how to weld. (which I know they teach at my college) Question is if I really want to go that rout. Spend money to learn, Spend money to get a work shop, and hope after all the spending I start to make money.

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  • 3 months later...

I don't think you should make your hobby( the one you really enjoy) your JOB, because it will turn into a job, sooner or later. Then you will be without the hobby that you liked!

 

Keep it a Passtime, Hobby, Escape, Passion or whatever, just don't make it your work.( pretty soon you will be calling in sick to the gun shop!!!)

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That is very good advice! I used to love working on cars, so after enough people told me that I could make big bucks as a mechanic, I got my ASE and worked as a mechanic. Needless to say, my personal vehicles fell to $h!t because I got so burnt out on fixing them. I would hate to see this happen to anyone else. MIG Welders are very inexpensive, and usually come with a good training video. The kind of gunsmithing that you want to do is easily learned over time on your own rifles/handguns. This path of logic also makes it necassary for you to purchase as many firearms as possible for learning purposes. You can buy a few for $600 and always recoupe the money when you sell them. Thats better than a home study course in my opinion. I would hand over my precious rifle to someone who could show me his work, and not a piece of paper that says he knows what hes doing.

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That happened to me, kind of. My Dad gave me his '57 chevy to rebuild and restore. He was going to teach me to do the work myself on the body. I soon realized I was going to have to find the right way to do all the work, ........ I am a Bodyman for 8 years and the '57 is still sitting in the barn. Only now, I am spoilt in a shop and there is no way I want to spend my free time outside of work on a dern car. Family, guns, and friends are way more important.

 

I would HATE to apply this hobby-to-work theory to my GUNS!!!!!!!

 

 

I do have a great career that is satisfying and accomplished!

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Hey Pistonring8 & Gunslinger308, boy do I know the feeling, I, like pistonring8 turned my hobby into a job not by choice but at the time jobs were few and far between. So some 15 years later I'm a Master Diagnostic Technician with Toyota and don't have the drive I use to with my so called project cars. I still have my 69 mustang fastback, untouched now for 10+ years, so I have kinda got into guns for a hobby now. Make damn sure you want to do this as you will hate it after a while, Garanteed.

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Cobra76two, Yea I bet he would!!! Maybe I can start on it after I finish my polebarn, but than again I got to finish my longrod 306 for my 84 GT first, and than finish the fuel cell project I started on my 82 GT. Shit, I got to much stuff to finish that I started even before I get to that thing. Tell you what, if I croak before I get to it, its yours!!!! :super:

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SWEET! PM me with the details! I wish you great health... Really! :lolol:

I know exactly how you feel. Every time I get ready to go back to work on my project car something comes up. It's either not enough time or not enough money but this thread is about gunsmithing, something else I wish I had time to pusue. That would be cool to work on guns and get paid for it!

You know I should start a hotrod thread. Alot of gun nuts are also car nuts. :smoke:

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Do yall use the knowledge about cars you have towards gun care and lube issues? i.e. what is the best lube and such? I know a mechanic that is top notch in our service dept that shoots IDPA pistols and 3gun, he leaves his guns soaking in Mobil1 until he gets ready to go shoot.

 

Any tips that you do differently because you are a mechanic?

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I bought a squeeze bottle of G98 synthetic gun oil CHEAP, now I refill the bottle with 5W30 synthetic motor oil. $5.00 for a 5 year supply! Also as an elevator mechanic, and an old navy engineman, drilling, tappping, filing, fitting metal/wood shaping are just natural things to do.

 

G O B

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