Page 2 of 2
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:17 am
by silentfury214
I am planning to get a degree in some sort of engineering or business so that i have some what of a fall back option for when gunsmithing goes under.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:57 am
by Mike M.
Engineering or business? Very, very different levels of effort. Engineering is pretty well the hardest major out there. Which is why the demand is so high. Pick up a degree in engineering and you can forget gunsmithing as a career - engineering pays a lot better.
On the other hand, you would be in excellent company. Such as Bill Demarest. And I can speak from first-hand experience that it pays the bills quite nicely.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:09 pm
by silentfury214
Gunsmithing is my dream because i love how guns work. I would be just fine doing something that i love and not earning as much money than earning more money and not doing something that i love. I also plan to not only work in gunsmithing, but in gun manufacturing and design.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:46 pm
by Isabel1130
One of the best ways to become a gunsmith is through the military. You need to contact the AMU and see what the best path for you might be. My father became a gunsmith after being trained as a high level machinist/ aircraft armorer during WWII. David Sams, one of the most respected gunsmiths in the US, became a gunsmith after starting out as an MP (military policeman) and working his way into the AMU (Army marksmanship unit) as a shooter. At least that is what he told me.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:54 pm
by silentfury214
For something like that, i would love to be a marine armorer, but i am not sure i really want to go into the military.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:42 pm
by Mike M.
silentfury214 wrote:Gunsmithing is my dream because i love how guns work. I would be just fine doing something that i love and not earning as much money than earning more money and not doing something that i love. I also plan to not only work in gunsmithing, but in gun manufacturing and design.
That's why you go into engineering. Then get a job with a firearm manufacturer or with the military. Bear in mind that there are a lot of Civil Service positions in the Department of Defense. Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Pitcanny Arsenal, Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana...several good places to work.
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:30 pm
by peterz
Don't forget the NSWC at Dahlgren, VA where the really big naval guns get tested.