I am geting ready to retire, and i am trying to figure out what I would like to do for a side job/past time. I have very successfully mounted scopes, developed reloads, and produced trajectory charts for several family member's and friends factory rifles over the years. I have done it so many times in fact, that man hours spent are very reduced from when i first started. I have a good size reloading room in my house and a garage available for any entrepreneurial endeavor inn this area. I am a commercial/industrial carpenter by trade, but would like to work at something that i would enjoy. I like testing loads, shooting coyotes. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks everyone!
Any jobs custom reloading?
- Thread starter 370bc
- Start date
mmcu
Gold $$ Contributor
Start by looking here for the licensing requirements to manufacture ammunition: https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/types-federal-firearms-licenses-ffls
In addition, get excellent liability insurance!
Good luck!
In addition, get excellent liability insurance!
Good luck!
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
sell coyote hides.
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
"Commercial industrial carpenter" I have something right up your alley. Check out my "Do it yourself stockmaking thread" . Then check out my "duplicator " thread. Start making stocks. Good carpenters are hard to find!I've "read" a lot about ammo makers paying horrible sums for insurance. One lawsuit could take everything you have. Stock making would be the safer route. I'm enjoying it as a hobby. I think about it becoming a business someday but I'm on the fence. My wife has some health issues that need my attention and time. It' hard to make a schedule. There is a definite need for a wood stock builder. I get requests to do work almost daily and I'm not advertising. Think about it.
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hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
not to discourage the OP or hijack his thread but in my time in the building trades ive seen thousands of carpenters and not one did the work you do on those stocks. You know its more like furniture or cabinet making. I imagine the OP has the skill to do it but just sayin
I've "read" a lot about ammo makers paying horrible sums for insurance. One lawsuit could take everything you have. Stock making would be the safer route. I'm enjoying it as a hobby. I think about it becoming a business someday but I'm on the fence. My wife has some health issues that need my attention and time. It' hard to make a schedule. There is a definite need for a wood stock builder. I get requests to do work almost daily and I'm not advertising. Think about it.
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I entertained this very same idea, doing custom loads for individuals. Upfront, you think minimal expense to make some money doing an enjoyable task.
The Class 6 FFL and insurance are one thing, but now with the Class 6 powder storage becomes an issue too, may even need a Class 1 to store anothers rifle, I did not look that far.
I could fill this page with cons opposed to the pros, the recipes for disaster are too many, and I'm not even talking liability issues.
The Class 6 FFL and insurance are one thing, but now with the Class 6 powder storage becomes an issue too, may even need a Class 1 to store anothers rifle, I did not look that far.
I could fill this page with cons opposed to the pros, the recipes for disaster are too many, and I'm not even talking liability issues.
You could think about just providing an accurizing service. Get an 01 FFL and have someone drop off or ship a rifle to you. Spend the time working up the most accurate load in the bullet weight/performance area they want and send the rifle back with test targets and load data that is within the limits of published load data. Less liability and some people enjoy that. Me, I tend to spin on a custom barrel, load a few different loads in the velocity window I'm looking for and call it good enough for hunting requirements.
This was one of my biggest cons, a customer not having access to the components used. A good way to spend half your waking life on a phone, lol
Where if you get the duplicator if I may ask?
I've "read" a lot about ammo makers paying horrible sums for insurance. One lawsuit could take everything you have. Stock making would be the safer route. I'm enjoying it as a hobby. I think about it becoming a business someday but I'm on the fence. My wife has some health issues that need my attention and time. It' hard to make a schedule. There is a definite need for a wood stock builder. I get requests to do work almost daily and I'm not advertising. Think about it.
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I'm looking for a retirement job soon myself?
SPJ
dcali
Bullet Maker
Honestly, the type 6 FFL when dealing with primers and powders is a major pain in the rear for a part time business. You might check to see if there's someone in your area running a commercial reloading operation that needs part time help. That would be A LOT easier on your end. I believe you also have to do an ITAR registration, which is another two grand per year, but I might be mistaken on that.
Edit: It appears that you do not need the ITAR registration for manual reloading if you are not actually exporting product, by an executive order of, of all people, Barak Obama. I am NOT a lawyer, however, and you should confirm this with someone qualified.
Edit: It appears that you do not need the ITAR registration for manual reloading if you are not actually exporting product, by an executive order of, of all people, Barak Obama. I am NOT a lawyer, however, and you should confirm this with someone qualified.
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Isn't ITAR all about international shipments?
MacMillan got into the custom ammo business some years back and called it Phoenix Ammunition. I haven't heard anything about that venture in some years. Are they still at it?.
Oh, I found it. They are Arizona Ammunition. You can go to
Arizona Ammunition.net
MacMillan got into the custom ammo business some years back and called it Phoenix Ammunition. I haven't heard anything about that venture in some years. Are they still at it?.
Oh, I found it. They are Arizona Ammunition. You can go to
Arizona Ammunition.net
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Trust me, it's my experience now that you are freed up, people will find shit for you to do. And now that you are not drawing a wage so to speak, your time spent on the job not worth much monetarily now because you were not pulled away from a paying job. lol
Expect free lunches and beer.
Wilbur Harris told me he got into doing the Benchrest Central page for the free lunches and sex. Don't know if that true.
Just go to your local Tractor Supply or Fleet and Farm, buy a good pair of overshoes, a couple pair of leather gloves, and a wide nose plier to tie rebar, because you are now on friends of friends of friends concrete crew. Oh, my preferred tool is the garden rake.
Then buy a 4ft level, you're going to be a fence builder too, get a 2 wheel wheelbarrow, you'll be mixing your own crete here, way more stable.
Just throw your cell phone in the trash and enjoy life.
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