Gunsmithing at home?

[Smiledriver]

Recently I decided to look in to Gunsmithing as a profession. Every course I could find said I could attain a degree at home. I'm doubtful, you could really learn a trade like this without some hands on experience. Still, I could not seem to find a course that wasn't done "from home."

Any Gunsmiths on the forum? Are such at home courses how things are done?

[rwguinn]

Recently I decided to look in to Gunsmithing as a profession. Every course I could find said I could attain a degree at home. I'm doubtful, you could really learn a trade like this without some hands on experience. Still, I could not seem to find a course that wasn't done "from home."

Any Gunsmiths on the forum? Are such at home courses how things are done?
Since I mostly do my own (On my muzzle-loaders) I think a lot of hands-on is necessary. I would want anyone who touches my high-power stuff to have served a hands-on apprenticeship

[BigAl]

Recently I decided to look in to Gunsmithing as a profession. Every course I could find said I could attain a degree at home. I'm doubtful, you could really learn a trade like this without some hands on experience. Still, I could not seem to find a course that wasn't done "from home."

Any Gunsmiths on the forum? Are such at home courses how things are done?

Gramps was a gunsmith and worked out of home. As a kid, I watched. He learned by being apprenticed to his father while they both worked at one of the custom finest gun makers in England.

If you were a general machinist you could pick up the metal-work side (if you had a machine shop in the basement).

There are many specialties in the trade. I wanted to be a gunsmith. As a target shooter, I knew it would be in the high-accuracy design side. I knew I would need a mechanical engineering degree and would pick up the machine shop skills on the side. I couldn't imagine myself carving a gunstock or doing decorative inlay work.

Contact all the real gunsmith schools you can find. Get the catalogs and look at all the course descriptions and see what you are interested in. Join a gun club, learn who the friendly gunsmiths are and talk to them.

I don't know how someone starting from scratch could pay the rent at this trade, but then I don't know how any artist/craftsman pays the rent. My pop guided me in another direction (he could make a very pretty gunstock from a tree but he went into economics. ) I have no regrets.

God luck.

[Smiledriver]

It seems that simply an at home course will not get you anywhere near a job as a gunsmith?

Am I wrong.

...I guess I'm wondering if it's how people get started in the trade or just a waste of time?

[ponderingturtle]

It seems that simply an at home course will not get you anywhere near a job as a gunsmith?

Why don't you ask a gunsmith how they would recomend getting into the business? Try looking for a gunsmithing forum.

They will likely know more about the specifics than people here, unless some gunsmiths show up.

[Springfork]

I do metal engraving and have worked with several gunsmiths. To become a REAL (read competent) gunsmith you either need to apprentice with a gunsmith that knows his stuff or, go to the gunsmithing school in Trinidad, CO. It's the best one in the country.

[sadhatter]

Can gunsmiths make replicas? I always wondered if they got a real one to do it, or if it was a different company.

[dropzone]

I built a black-powder pistol from a really crappy kit. I looked at that POS and swore I'd never fire a weapon I'd built.

With the proper training and someone who wasn't me looking over my shoulder and suggesting safety gear I'd need before firing it I could do better, but I doubt it since I had a raw amateur (me) doing the same thing and he was scared.

Ultimately I topped off the can of black powder with water and tossed it in the trash. Someday it may dry out, but not in this climate.

[Drewbot]

If someone could build a 470 Nitro Express for about $500.00 I'd buy it.

[ponderingturtle]

I built a black-powder pistol from a really crappy kit. I looked at that POS and swore I'd never fire a weapon I'd built.

With the proper training and someone who wasn't me looking over my shoulder and suggesting safety gear I'd need before firing it I could do better, but I doubt it since I had a raw amateur (me) doing the same thing and he was scared.

Ultimately I topped off the can of black powder with water and tossed it in the trash. Someday it may dry out, but not in this climate.

It should have been reasonably safe provided it was a mussel loader. As long as the barrel was secured effectively and made properly I can't think why your poor workmanship would make the barrel weaker.

[a3sigma]

A number of tech schools around the U.S. offer gunsmithing courses, don't know about Canada. Several members of a metalworking club I belong to have attended this one:

http://www.montgomery.edu/cenra.htm

and highly recommend it. Some were already experienced machinists, and had only good things to say about the quality of the facilities and instruction.

DC

[rwguinn]

I built a black-powder pistol from a really crappy kit. I looked at that POS and swore I'd never fire a weapon I'd built.

With the proper training and someone who wasn't me looking over my shoulder and suggesting safety gear I'd need before firing it I could do better, but I doubt it since I had a raw amateur (me) doing the same thing and he was scared.

Ultimately I topped off the can of black powder with water and tossed it in the trash. Someday it may dry out, but not in this climate.
Probably the same one I built. It works well, and is reasonably accurate.
Also built a "derringer" by the same bunch. in order to penetrate 1/2 inch wallboard, the ball damn near is at the muzzle...
We call 'em "poke and hope"--at least the smoke cloud gives you enough time to reach the 12 ga shotgun...

[dudalb]

Since I mostly do my own (On my muzzle-loaders) I think a lot of hands-on is necessary. I would want anyone who touches my high-power stuff to have served a hands-on apprenticeship


As a Black Powder Enthusiasts, I can do simple repairs but anything more complex I send to a Gunsmith who has been doing this for 30 years..first as a hobby and ,for the last five, as a living.

[dudalb]

I built a black-powder pistol from a really crappy kit. I looked at that POS and swore I'd never fire a weapon I'd built.

With the proper training and someone who wasn't me looking over my shoulder and suggesting safety gear I'd need before firing it I could do better, but I doubt it since I had a raw amateur (me) doing the same thing and he was scared.

Ultimately I topped off the can of black powder with water and tossed it in the trash. Someday it may dry out, but not in this climate.

The general opinion of Black Powder Enthusists is that the majority of the kits on the market are crap,and the best gunsmith on earth could not build a decent weapon from the parts provided.

[BigAl]

If someone could build a 470 Nitro Express for about $500.00 I'd buy it.


http://www.ruger.com/products/no1Tropical/models.html

They don't list .470 but they do .450/.400. Gramps made guns like that for Anson Deeley back in the days when it was cutting edge. I have a chunk of his maple intended for a gunstock that would go great with a Ruger barreled action but we are still well above $500.

I love dropping-block single-shot guns.

[rwguinn]

As a Black Powder Enthusiasts, I can do simple repairs but anything more complex I send to a Gunsmith who has been doing this for 30 years..first as a hobby and ,for the last five, as a living.
I built my .50 flint from a Green Mountain barrel, and a chunk of maple roughly shaped like a rifle. Tom Fox of Colorado worked over the lock, and it's as smooth as silk...

[dropzone]

It should have been reasonably safe provided it was a mussel loader. As long as the barrel was secured effectively and made properly I can't think why your poor workmanship would make the barrel weaker.Bolding mine because it's pertinent to the discussion. :eek:

[Ranb]

Any wood working or metal working skill needs lots of hands on experience, leaning it from a book is just not enough. I know enough about gunsmithing to cut and turn down barrels on a lathe, make my own silencers, perform minor shaping of stocks and a few other things, but I am no gunsmith.

Ranb