? for bigbulls

[idahoelkinstructor]

I understand that you are almost finished with school to become a gunsmith. First of congradulations, it think that is awesome. My question or questions are. What school did you go to? How long does it take? And how old are you? I myself work construction with my brothers, we are the owners. We have only been on our own for two years now. It is good as long as we have good weather but from mid-December to mid -March its slow I didn't work a day last January. I can't have another winter like last or it will backrupt me. Anyway to make my point I have been thinking of what I could do instead of a part time low paying job just to get buy during those months. I have been interested in gunsmithing but not sure where to look or how to get started. If your don't mind I woluld like some info from you. I don't care if you want to respond here or e-mail me eithr way I will be happy thanks.

[bigbulls]

I'll respond here incase any one else might be interested.

I went to Colorado School of Trades. The total cost after tuition and all of your tools is about $18,000. If you stay on schedule the total time in school is 14 months.

It is a general gunsmithing school so they do not teach the artsy stuff like engraving and all the pretty gee wiz stuff.

They start you (everyone) out in "basics" and you learn how to file, refinish stocks, refinish metal etc...

Then you go to machine shop and learn the manual lathe, manual mill surface grinding, gas welding and such.

Then off to stocks where you build a rifle from your action and barrel that you chambered in machine shop. You make a stock from a semi-inletted walnut and an MPI fiberglass stock shell. You also learn checkering.

Then you go to design and function. Here you learn how to diognose and repair different firearms. You must work on 25 customer guns and 10 more that can be either your own or customers guns. After you finish these guns you get to do a "specialization" project of your choice. This can be anything that you want as long as it is gun related and safe. You can build a rifle, work on more guns, learn TIG welding, teaching assistant, etc.... I decided to build a friend a custom 22-250 since I will be building rifles sometime soon. I also decided to do some more work on my won guns like port my .444 and completely refinish it down to the screws.

The also have numerous fire arms companies come to the school to teach armorers courses. This is an aditional cost and is payable directly to the company. Some of the instructors also offer you the chance to take a course that they have been specializing in for years such as 1911 & Smith and Wesson customization, M1 accurizing, and oter things.



Thanks for the congratulations. I hope to start off in my house/ shop doing things like bedding jobs and stock refinishing and take the money I make and put it toward buying tools and equipment as I go until I am able to fully build custom rifles. I don't want to take out a huge loan to buy everything at once and get into an expensive lease and not have an established client base starting off.

[killer243]

wow good luck! way to go man!

i would love a job like that and have been tossing it up in my head for a while. what i want to know is- was it worth it? i mean it is a big risk and everything but would you advise someone to give it a shot? i am only 16 and i love to build and work with my hands. however i was always was afraid of getting in over my head and end up haveing to go back to college and settle on a normal job.

well i still don't know if i will ever become a gunsmith but i know i will always want to.

[bigbulls]

I forgot to say that I just turned 30 in July.

Was it worth it? So far, yes it was. Everybody has to figure out what their passion is. I was in the Navy for three years and after I got out I went from job to job trying to find one that I actually liked getting up in the morning for. Of course I never did find one that I liked much less enjoyed. I hated getting up in the morning and I was always in a bad mood. Finally I was selling tile flooring and I absolutely hated that job and as a result my job performance suffered and I was fired. So I said to H@## with this crap I am gonna do what ever it takes to do what I love to do and get paid to do it. So here I sit about to graduate on Tuesday, and move to Dothan, Alabama (South East corner) and hopefully begin a new and happy life building guns.

Everyone always tells you that if you do not like getting up in the morning for work you are in the wrong job and you will never be happy until you do. Wether you want to be a gunsmith or a rocket scientist........go do it. Do what you love to do and make it work.