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Tools Needed To Do Real Gunsmithing

4K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  goofy 
#1 ·
I just watched a video that I think is worth sharing; feel free to delete the post if my judgement is faulty. This link ( ) leads to a presentation by Gene Kelly of the American Gunsmithing Institute which describes the tools one needs to do most gunsmithing tasks. It's a blatant sales pitch for the enhanced Master Gunsmith course that AGI sells, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that; enter at your own risk, and if you end up signing up for the entire course, don't blame me.

I know there are many of us who love to tinker with our firearms, and some of us may be intimidated by a lack of tools, or knowing what tools to buy to get started. Consider this a primer. Gene does an excellent job of presenting what I would consider a minimum tool kit for working on guns.

My dad, and my uncle Bob, both told me that there's no such thing as too many tools. This video has given me a few ideas for expanding my collection, and making Dad proud.
 
#3 ·
While the video is really an advertisement for AGI's gunsmithing courses, video has always been one of their outlets for advertising. That is not bad nor are the courses they offer. I have many of the individual courses and all are good. The ones I get the most information out of are the ones by Bob Dunlap. He was the instructor for the original Master Gunsmithing course. The original course was done on tape maybe 20 years ago and has been transcribed to DVD maybe 10 years ago (??). I'd really like to see all the old tape/DVD's redone but as Bob is not a young man and still has a gunsmitihng business of his own I doubt that will happen.

Bob is an old school gunsmith. If he can't get a replacement part he'll just make a new part. He is not a parts changer and does not advocate that as a way to repair guns. He wants all the students to understand how the gun works before throwing parts at it. His Master Gunsmithing course is probably the best way into gunsmithing as a business if you can not afford an attendance style gunsmithing school. The courses offered by others allow you to do the common gunsmithing tasks (mount scopes, new recoil pads, maintain working guns). Often real gun repair is not part of those other's courses. Bob stresses theory and shop work. He is an excellent instructor and honed his instructor skills for decades running a 2 year gunsmithing program in a Norther California junior college.

When I retired years ago I entertained taking the Master Course but I really had no need for that level of education as once retired I had no thought of ever going back to work. Then there was the cost which on a retiree's income was just out of reach especially when I would not pursue it as a new career. So I just buy the Armorer Courses for my particular guns and I did buy the very expensive Trigger Video which made trigger work as easy as pie (and still safe).

As for tools, I have those too (I too am a tool nut), some only used a couple times for the their intended task. Fixing guns is one of the several things I do with my time in retirement so having the tools is therapy.

I write this advocation of AGI because I believe that for some, that can not afford the time or loss of income to go to a resident gunsmithing school, this is a viable option. The lesser courses than the AGI Master Gunsimithing are a waste of time and money, in my opinion. Go to a multi-year gunsmithing school or take the AGI Master Gunsmithing course and forget anything less for the best education and value.

LDBennett
 
#5 ·
This is a open ended question.
In the beginning you better have enough money to live on.
After years in the business after you get a good reputation you can make enough to live on.
You better be able to save money because unless you have a specialty you will go hungry a few months a year. and insurance is HIGH.
You will never make enough to be rich.
I do total restores, Hot bluing ,wood work including checkering and have a VERY GOOD rep. I have guns shipped to me from all over and if it was not for that I too would be hungry. April thru August the only steady work is my restores I have some repairs but not enough to live on the money from them.
So this is not a get rich job and you have to have good nerves because you WILL be putting up with some really stupid stuff.
And you HAVE to love to work on guns or you will get burned out real quick.
Remember you need money to make money.
I have $1000s and $1000s of dollars rapped up in tools, equipment and supply's.
It will take you years to break even and then you see that you need something else and you are back into breaking even.
Mike
 
#6 ·
I'm no gunsmith but with 70+ years of life experience here are my thoughts:

The reality is you need steady work. Guns rarely break but suffer the inhumanity of ham fisted owners who try to repair or totally clean them and can not get them back together. Everyone needs a scope mounting with a service to re-zero the gun. They also need recoil pads installed. That is more regular work, I would think, than gun repairs. If a guy got hooked up with a few gun stores around town both of these task might keep him busy. Then there is the cleaning of guns that no one wants to do. Offer a gun cleaning/hunting preparation service but that is only good during hunting season.

Even with a higher education degree, working for a large company you'll never get rich. But you will be better off than the guy without an education. I worked as an aerospace engineer for a very large company and I NEVER got rich. My family never suffered for anything they NEEDED. My Dad owned his own business and did OK but he too did not get rich and suffered both good and bad financial times. It take risks with money to get rich if you don't already start out rich. Gunsmithing is a small business and, like all small businesses, the owners rarely get rich. You have to develop a specialty like goofy has just to make ends meet as a gunsmith. And remember you have to have liability insurance, heath insurance, and other business insurances as well as having to pay rent or a mortgage and buy expensive shop equipment. Goofy made all that clear. It is tough unless you do it out of your garage and risk no liability insurance.

But here's a thought. Work a steady job and do gunsmithing on the side. Join a shooting club and be there for all the events and advertise you are a gunsmith. The club members might just go to you that they know rather than an unknown gun store for services. One gun store I use to frequent had a gunsmith come in on Saturdays to offer on the spot gunsmithing services or at least if the repair or service required his shop he would take the guns in at the gun store. It helped him make ends meet.

But no matter the rewards work at a job you love rather than one you hate. Life will be much better regardless that the rewards are not great.

LDBennett
 
#7 · (Edited)
Too add to LDBennett thoughts(which are very good) if you do gunsmithing as a side job.
YOU STILL NEED INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With out it if you have a FFL it will be taken away if you are doing smithing and ATF come to check you and you have none.
On top of it if ANYTHING goes wrong you lose EVERYTHING you own.
I have contracts with 5 other retail gun shops that way they can offer gunsmithing to there costumers and they make money too.
I have other shops that send there costumers to me and only ask me to work on there personal guns as a payback.
I also do amorist work for a few local LEO departments but to do that you need to have your armorist degree in law enforcement guns and the Glock course from Glock instructors.
I got mine from AGI and from Glock. They are not cheep to get and have to be retaken every couple of years.
I have over 200 cds on guns. I got them from AGI and GCA I have looked and studied every one. This helps ALLOT because all guns do the same thing (shot a bullet) but different ways with different mechanisms on how they do it.
Example is not all guns have sears some the trigger is the sear and so on.
I got in my first Browning citori when I opened it up to strip it for restore I looked at it and thought
YEA RIGHT how in the h### do I take this apart and get it back together (It looks worse then it is) so I took out the cd and looked at it and remembered what I had seen before and it was easy. There is a order in which you take a gun apart if you don't do it in order it will not come apart(without breaking something).
So if you are going to be a smith then start learning try and be a apprentice with a smith and in 5 + years you can go on your own.
REMEMBER one bad job can ruin your rep. and if you are just starting out it can shut you down.
Here is a question for you do you oil a firing pin? or a striker?.(do you know what a striker is?)
I could go on and on but..............
Mike
 
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