How did you get your start ?

[806guns]

I have been wanting to get into gun smithing, start with barrel cutting and threading and go from there. Locally we dont have any gunsmiths and the closest good one with at least two hours. I do have access to some older jet lathes. I have a mechanic background as i do it for a living.

So how did you get started ? Apprentice type learning ? Lets hear what you have to say.

 

[Judd]

Best and quickest way…get a mentor or go to a gunsmith school.

I took the long way…bought a lathe and didn’t even know how to turn it on. Watched videos (Gordy Gritters, Richard Franklin, Vipers Den, YouTube), read books (Gordy and John Hinnant), dig through posts here (Butch put together a post on the advanced page) and bought some 1.25” bar stock.

I eventually got hooked up with a local guy in the gun industry and he and I hit it off. He started answering questions and has helped me a bunch. My work hit another level due to his instructions and ideas. I tease him all the time that he keeps me around because I entertain him with dumb questions . He’s turned into someone I consider a good friend.

I feel now, I could do it for money but I have a good job and really don’t need another one so I only do stuff for myself. I do have plans to retire in 10 years and this might be a great way to earn some hunting money doing something I like doing. We’ll see what the future holds…but that is how I got started. The initial motivation was, I was shooting mid range benchrest and it seemed every time I saw my gunsmith I was giving him a $1,000 and thought it was something I could learn to do. I did but I basically had to stop shooting in order to have the time to learn to do it.

I still don’t have a mill but will pick one up eventually, just haven’t found “the one”…if that makes any sense.

 

[B Nettesheim]

When my parents bought a run down farm, we transformed a dairy barn into a machine shop, Dad was a machine rebuilder at the time and we eventually had everything at home to fix our shit equipment.

 

[LVLAaron]

Spent years watching machinists (NOT "gunsmiths") on youtube.. Gave me a material understanding of what works and doesnt... how the machines work, etc.

Read gordy's books. Watched the DVDs... went to his class. Asked a lot of questions.

Started doing work, asking questions, etc. When I was happy with work for my own guns, I started taking on other work.

 

[shortgrass]

Began my full-time working life, after graduating high school, in machine shops. Made a fair wage for the times, saved my 'pennies'. After 15+yrs, enrolled and then graduated from a 2yr gunsmithing school (MCC, class of '93). Now, after 30yrs 'bench experience',,,,,,,,,, I still go to the machine shop for a few hours per day. I learned a lot more in gunsmith school than to how to fit a barrel to an action and chamber it, then bed it/drop it into a synthetic stock or chassis. Machining knowledge and background has been a huge ++.

 

[806guns]

When my parents bought a run down farm, we transformed a dairy barn into a machine shop, Dad was a machine rebuilder at the time and we eventually had everything at home to fix our shit equipment.

Hey i bought an old dairy 2 years ago and my old milking barn is kinda what i had in mind its a good cinderblock structure that would make a great workshop.

 

[LVLAaron]

Hey i bought an old dairy 2 years ago and my old milking barn is kinda what i had in mind its a good cinderblock structure that would make a great workshop.

Make sure you can control humidity.

 

[shortgrass]

Make sure you can control humidity.

He's in the TX panhandle. And if that milking barn has been there for awhile, the mansonry is dry. Good roof and climate control is all that's needed, and electricity of course, and fresh water source.

 

[jds holler]

When I was eighteen years old, I enrolled in the gunsmithing program at our local college which at the time was one of the best.

One day I happened to be shooting at a local range, and the best gunsmith in the area was also there. We struck up a conversation, which was odd. At his shop he was generally unfriendly, and had no time for small talk.

In the course of an hour or so, I determined that he wasn't the grinch I'd thought, and he answered my questions in a friendly and honest manner. Bottom line was, he told me that if I loved guns, loved shooting, and wanted to continue to do so, that I'd oughta keep it as a hobby, and pick an occupation where I could make a living wage.

I think his advice was pretty good, and I eventually changed my degree to Machine Processes. I'm happy to have learned as much as I did of machining and welding, but bottom line -- I'm a truck driver.. AND I still love guns and shooting, and talking about it. jd

 

[TaperPin]

That’s cool - I’m excited for you. For many gunsmith tasks there are similar skills in automotive. The preferred Ceracote sprayer is just an automotive detail gun. Metal polishing and finishing overlaps across a number of industries. More than one automotive machine shop has threaded a barrel after hours.

I’m from a different trade and not qualified to give advice, but rather a fly on the wall enjoying any and all gunsmithing chats - cheering you on. I’m the small town curious kid that has shown up just to say hi and see what’s new at the local gunsmith’s shop enough to have been an annoyance in every town I’ve ever lived in.

25 years in a trade with about half employees and half self employed, not to mention seeing the same in numerous other trades, you’ll soon find that making the transition is usually done gradually. Keep a steady income until you have the business end figured out and are so well established with work in the pipeline that it’s a no-brainer to switch completely, and maybe you never switch completely.

I tell everyone in my trade the advice given to me 3 decades ago by a retired and very successful mentor. If you start into a new trade, or same trade in a new town, go to work for the best guy in the area, even if it’s part time and miles away. You will quickly learn the faces, names, practices, suppliers, business aspects, etc. that work well together - all stuff you can’t read off a website or watch in a video.

Pick up a $50 take off barrel and cut/thread the muzzle a dozen times clocking the brake, then cut off the other end and rethread, clocking to match your rifle. If you’re like me that will cost $50 for the barrel, $1,000 in tooling/measuring, and a couple hundred hours of head scratching, but you will learn a lot. None of it will be right, however, you will now know a little more about what you don’t know.

If you have to teach yourself safety around the lathe, google some accident pictures and it will imprint how important it is to not get wrapped up.

Best of luck!

 

[806guns]

That’s cool - I’m excited for you. For many gunsmith tasks there are similar skills in automotive. The preferred Ceracote sprayer is just an automotive detail gun. Metal polishing and finishing overlaps across a number of industries. More than one automotive machine shop has threaded a barrel after hours.

I’m from a different trade and not qualified to give advice, but rather a fly on the wall enjoying any and all gunsmithing chats - cheering you on. I’m the small town curious kid that has shown up just to say hi and see what’s new at the local gunsmith’s shop enough to have been an annoyance in every town I’ve ever lived in.

25 years in a trade with about half employees and half self employed, not to mention seeing the same in numerous other trades, you’ll soon find that making the transition is usually done gradually. Keep a steady income until you have the business end figured out and are so well established with work in the pipeline that it’s a no-brainer to switch completely, and maybe you never switch completely.

I tell everyone in my trade the advice given to me 3 decades ago by a retired and very successful mentor. If you start into a new trade, or same trade in a new town, go to work for the best guy in the area, even if it’s part time and miles away. You will quickly learn the faces, names, practices, suppliers, business aspects, etc. that work well together - all stuff you can’t read off a website or watch in a video.

Pick up a $50 take off barrel and cut/thread the muzzle a dozen times clocking the brake, then cut off the other end and rethread, clocking to match your rifle. If you’re like me that will cost $50 for the barrel, $1,000 in tooling/measuring, and a couple hundred hours of head scratching, but you will learn a lot. None of it will be right, however, you will now know a little more about what you don’t know.

If you have to teach yourself safety around the lathe, google some accident pictures and it will imprint how important it is to not get wrapped up.

Best of luck!

John Deere Diesel Tech is my 8-5, Weekend farmer year around. You my friend have nailed it on the head !

 

[linebaugh]

I was on a hunt in Texas complaining to my dad about the cost, delayed turn around and sometimes shoddy work I got back after sending guns out. We talked about things and I got back and drained my bank account and ordered a lathe. I was able to now produce shoddy workmanship with a fast turn around and my initial cost went through the roof. Pretty good math eh?

It took time but I tought myself through trial and error, reading/videos and above all else using my mind to overcome and outsmart problems. Even starting out I had a better plan than some of the videos I watched on youtube by gunsmiths so always give yourself some credit. I'm always still learning and would never consider myself a gunsmith, nor do I want to be. About 4 years after buying that lathe I went for broke and bought a mill to go with it.

Best investments I have ever made. I do all my own work, get to make any build anything I dream up in my head and I have built a ton of useful tools and parts. I dont do as much now due to work but I used to spend a lot of time on my lathe. Nothing better than starting a project to keep your mind occupied and your passion on fire. For me it's food for the soul even if it has been humbling and frustrating at times. It has also been incredibly rewarding.

I will tell you the same thing I told a friend who also bought a lathe and mill after I had mine a while and for the same reason. Buy it, you will not regret it. If it does not pay for itself in money it will in entertainment.

Nice post. Enjoy reading the responses.

Quick edit. Make sure and try to find a lathe with a better RPM for threading than I did. Mine jumps from 10 to 280 with nothing in between. Im still scared to death to try 280 on shouldered barrels so I use 10. That low RMP does not produce the beautifu clean threads I want.

 

[Kurz]

Quick edit. Make sure and try to find a lathe with a better RPM for threading than I did. Mine jumps from 10 to 280 with nothing in between. Im still scared to death to try 280 on shouldered barrels so I use 10. That low RMP does not produce the beautifu clean threads I want.

Learn to thread upside down and backwards, away from the shoulder.

 

[linebaugh]

Learn to thread upside down and backwards, away from the shoulder.

I have thought about this several times but just cant get myself to do it.

 

[Kurz]

I understand! Sometimes you just have to grab some stock to practice on and go for it. Leave the cutter off then do a couple of run through for practice and it'll be as natural as right side up and towards the head stock!

Enjoy!

 

[GenePoole]

I understand! Sometimes you just have to grab some stock to practice on and go for it. Leave the cutter off then do a couple of run through for practice and it'll be as natural as right side up and towards the head stock!

Enjoy!

I hit "like" by mistake. I don't like this but there's no "undo". I cringe every time I see Joe Pi do this. Learn to do it right!

 

[shortgrass]

I hit "like" by mistake. I don't like this but there's no "undo". I cringe every time I see Joe Pi do this. Learn to do it right!

I hit the "like" on purpose!

 

[xr650rRider]

I hit "like" by mistake. I don't like this but there's no "undo". I cringe every time I see Joe Pi do this. Learn to do it right!

Thought you'd seen the light. Joe Pi a 40 yr machinist making medical devices doesn't know how to do it right? His first video he made, he said was due to the frustration of watching people threading and not realizing there was a better way. Granted if you have an older machine with unsecured threaded on chuck, then you'll never see the light. I saw the light and see absolutely no downside. Just because it's not the way you do it, doesn't make it wrong.

 

[Sniperhandle]

I hit "like" by mistake. I don't like this but there's no "undo". I cringe every time I see Joe Pi do this. Learn to do it right!

All you have to do is hit like a second time and it's gone.

 

[GenePoole]

Thought you'd seen the light. Joe Pi a 40 yr machinist making medical devices doesn't know how to do it right? His first video he made, he said was due to the frustration of watching people threading and not realizing there was a better way. Granted if you have an older machine with unsecured threaded on chuck, then you'll never see the light. I saw the light and see absolutely no downside. Just because it's not the way you do it, doesn't make it wrong.

The downside is that you must use a thread relief and if the print doesn't specify one, you are wrong.