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God’s Big Story

Gods Big Story

It is the story of an artist. He created his masterpiece and we call it the Universe. He always was above all things. He always will be above all things. His creation was perfect in every way until sin. He must have been tempted to destroy it and start over but he didn’t. Instead he started to restore his creation. The Bible is the written record of this restoration. A restoration of a world that will become a place where everything is God’s will. Like our prayer says “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
How many of us have heard of Abraham? God told him his name would be known. Pretty amazing for someone who wasn’t a king, conqueror or explorer that lived almost 4,000 years ago. When God makes a bargain with someone you can count on it.
I have been disturbed by the story of Abraham for many years. I talked with preachers and teachers but I just didn’t get it. They wanted to tell me Abraham’s story in a way that showed him as deserving of God’s blessing but I didn’t see it. They talked of his faith but I saw his sins. Bottom line was if I was a juror and Abraham was brought to trial I would have to give him the death penalty! How can a person that flawed be our father figure? Finally I took the advice of a trusted Christian friend and studied the scripture. Just like he said it was right there in the Word!
Bible study will reveal some interesting things about the God we worship. One of his favorites is his use of underdogs. You would think the great creator would use a rich or powerful or famous person to be his spokesman but over and over we see just the opposite. Who did he pick to free the Israelites? A king with a powerful army? No, just a man. Not even a good man. Moses was a murderer on the run and had trouble speaking. When his people were facing an overwhelming enemy he selected Gideon. Gideon was a coward with no experience in battle. He selected David to be king. He was the youngest son. A mere shepherd.
It’s clear that God likes to use underdogs. Question is why? It is so we can more easily see that it is God. If the strong man wins the fight we say so what. If the man with no strength wins we want to know how he did it. We know the strength had to come from somewhere. If it wasn’t the man then it must be from God.
It reminds me of when I was shooting a rifle I built from spare parts. It shot unusually well. It shot so well that a couple of top shooting coaches came over to watch me shoot. I had a new hearing protector that picked up normal conversation while it suppressed the gunfire. They didn’t know but I could hear them talking behind me while I was shooting. Finally one said “That has to be a super gun cause he don’t shoot that good.”
In spite of the flaws of Abraham he did two things right. He believed God and he trusted God. You believe with your mind. You trust when you take actions based on that belief. Belief is nothing without trust.
God said to Abram (God liked to change names), move to another land. Abram trusted and started moving. Imagine telling your wife “Honey you need to pack, we are moving.” When she ask where you say “I don’t know!” Wives are funny about stuff like that.
God made a covenant with Abraham. He said you trust me and I will bless your socks off. I will bless you and all your descendants. I will bless everybody through you. We don’t make covenants much anymore but I did on Dec. 19th 2015! ( I got married!)  The old ceremony involved splitting an animal and walking between the two halves to say “If I break our agreement I hope worse comes to me than this animal.” (We just sign. Less messy!)
Another important feature about God shows up here. God’s blessings are always instrumental. (read that again) They are always an instrument to be used to bless others. Abraham didn’t get blessed because he deserved it. He was blessed to bless others. To bless is to give enhanced life. Others could see God blessing Abraham and know God was real. They found they could connect with God in their life. As Abrahams blessing was carried on to his descendants the blessing spread across the world. It’s only natural. When people see something good the next thing they ask is “where did you get it? Can I get some too?” Thank Heaven (literally!) the answer is YES!
When Abraham did what he decided was right he really made a mess of things. He lied about his wife and said she was his sister so he would gain favor with the Egyptians. She ended up in Pharaoh’s harem for a while. Not exactly a good arrangement for her. When Pharaoh found out she was married she was kicked out of Egypt with her husband.
Then when she couldn’t conceive he agreed with his wife to take her maid to have a child. God had told him he would have children with Sarah but he just couldn’t wait. It worked and what came out of it?
Ishmael was Abraham’s son born with her. Abraham uses his lie again about his wife being his sister and King Abimelech took her. Another trip to the harem for poor Sarah. When she gets back she conceives with Abraham (100 years old) and births Isaac. Sarah despises the maid that birthed Ishmael and makes Abraham sent her out with child and one bottle of water into the wilderness. A death sentence for a woman alone.
God hears her cry and saves her and Ishmael. God says Ishmael will be blessed with 12 sons and be a mighty nation. He says he will be wild like a donkey and against every man. One guess what religion came out of Ishmael.
In spite of Abraham’s poor judgement when he decided on his own he did one thing right. He trusted God and did what he said. That alone assured him of his place in history and fulfilled the meaning of the name God gave him. Abraham means exalted father.
Abraham’s son Isaac has Jacob who has 12 sons and the nation of Israel is born. God selects this nation to be a nation of priest. They will be his special people that will show the world the path to God. Their story is amazing as they go from captivity to rulers of the Promised Land by following God’s will. It all seems good for a while. They build a fabulous temple and become a center for worship. But they lose their identity again and become like the people around them. Then they are conquered by first the Greeks and then the Romans. They go into periods of captivity at home and in Babylon.
They wait and wait for a Messiah that was promised to deliver them. Then after their greatness is so far in the past it is only a story an angel comes to a young girl and says “Mary, God is getting the band back together”
In God’s big story the entire Old Testament leads to the birth of our savior. While it sets the stage for the story of Jesus it also reveals much about God.
1. No matter who or what you are or have been God can use you to accomplish great works.
2. You have to believe and then you have to trust.
3. What God gives you will give you enhanced life but its purpose is to be a blessing for others.
4. You will be pushed way out of your “comfort zone” when you trust God but God will be with you always.

 

P.S. This was a Sunday School lesson I wrote a while back. I always loved stories and the Bible is crammed and jammed with every sort of story. It is better than reality TV any night of the week! Don’t let someone else tell you what’s in the Bible. They might leave out a part meant for you!

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A Day in the Shop

A day in the gunshop

Maybe you think it would be fun to own your own business. A lot of people tell me having your own business is wonderful. They tell me you can set your own hours, work when you want and do everything at your own pace. I knew better before I started but I didn’t know how interesting it would be working with the public! You just never know what is going to walk through that door!
It was 630 am and a man came in looking a little weak. He sits and ask if I have a blood pressure cuff. I say yes but then ask why do you want your BP checked at a gunshop at 630? He says he has chest pain but doesn’t want to go to the ER and put up with all those test. I try my best to convince him to let me call 911 but he refuses. I even have an old EKG machine and print out an EKG. It shows abnormalities but I still can’t get him to go. Later the pain gets worse and his wife takes him to the ER. Doctor says his EKG shows abnormalities and he needs to go to the heart unit. He tells the doctor his gunsmith told him that at no charge. Doctor calls me to find out if I’m a doctor. I end up explaining and doctor brings out two pistols for trigger work.
Another day a man comes in early and ask if we are alone. He just got a call his wife was having an affair with another man. When he asked the woman why she was calling to tell on her she said she was seeing her too and cheating on her. He said he needed to talk to somebody and dropped off a rifle for cleaning and sight in. I had to make sure he was planning on using it to hunt deer instead of Dear!
Charlie comes in and ask me help to catch some cows that are out. They are in town in Cove City and running behind the houses. There are 6 cows each over 1000 pounds. I developed a new found appreciation for cowboys.
A mother brings in her daughter that has pushed an earring up her nose and can’t get it out. I can see it with my bore scope but I don’t try to remove it because she might aspirate it into her lung. I sent that one to the doctor! The mother tells others about my flexible bore scope and local people come in to look in their ears and noses. One ask if she can take it home overnight but I don’t loan tools.
A man comes in and was waiting to talk about his rifle. He is looking at a calendar and is upset from looking at a picture of a B52. He explains that he was in Vietnam and his small unit was almost wiped out by a force of 6000 North Vietnamese troops. They happened to be in front of this force that was headed to attack a Special Forces base. It was sunset and there was no way to evacuate. They were given all available ammo and instructed to dig in. Their officers came by and thanked them and said it was an honor to serve with them. They expected enemy contact shortly after midnight. When the enemy was less than one mile a huge flight of B52 bombers were rerouted from a mission to bomb North Vietnam and they started pounding the enemy force. The enemy force was stopped and forced to dig in. They evacuated his company at daylight with helicopters and he came home 2 weeks later. He didn’t know why but all these events had come back to haunt him in dreams over 40 years later.
The town drunk comes in extremely intoxicated at quitting time. I feed him some soup and take him home in my truck. I come back to the shop the next morning and find his false teeth on the table.

Two men come in with a woman. They are huge and barefooted. They have heard that my wife passed away and they have brought me their sister. They tell me she can cook and skin game better than a man. She doesn’t talk but smiles and she is missing more than one tooth. I look around for the hidden camera but there isn’t one.
Maybe because I’m a little unconventional I attract situations or maybe it’s because I’m a one person business. Don’t know for sure but it sure is interesting.

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Case Forensics

 

The Gunsmith Is On The Case!

 

Many times a Gunsmith will have to be smarter than Sherlock Holmes to find the cause of a malfunction. The ability to inspect a fired case and determine what happened when it fired or attempted to fire can be a great help in solving the mystery. Let’s look at how many clues the brass can give up to the savvy Gunsmith.

Reloading problems are always center stage when the customer says “It works fine with factory loads!” Start with getting as much info from the customer as possible. Ask the customer to describe the malfunction in detail. Was it a failure to load, feed, fire, extract or eject? Does it happen on the first, second or third round? Is it always, frequent or sometimes? Did it ever work or has this just started? Have any recent changes or repairs been made to the gun? Do you have any of the ammo you can leave for analysis and testing? Was this a load you found in a reloading manual or other reliable source? Have you reloaded ammunition before?

Look at the ammo for any abnormal signs like bulges, dents or primers that are not fully seated. If it looks normal measure case length and bullet diameter (It is hard to tell the difference between a 270 and a 7mm without a micrometer!). If you have a case micrometer measure the headspace of the ammo and compare with a go headspace gauge or factory ammo. While good ammo is very consistent it has a maximum and minimum size just like your chamber so remember the largest ammo should not be larger than the go gauge.

If the ammo looks correct you can try it in the gun for ease of chambering. Now I hope I don’t have to tell you about safety and loading firearms in the shop! Do this at the test range and use personal protection or remove the firing mechanism like taking the firing pin out of the bolt or just unscrewing the cocking piece on a bolt action. Actually with the firing pin and spring removed most bolt actions allow you to “feel” the action closing a lot better. For an even better feel you might want to also remove the ejector plunger if it has one like a Remington 700.

If you feel resistance when closing the bolt and the case dimensions measure good for headspace then look carefully at the bullet seating depth and make sure the throat is long enough to accommodate the bullet. Color the bullet with layout ink, magic marker or smoke and look for impressions left on the bullet from the rifling. The barrel might need throating if it was just rechambered or it might be solved by seating the bullet deeper or changing to a different style bullet.

If the loaded cartridge chambers without interference and the loading data looks correct then it is time to test fire. If there is any doubt as to the safety of the firearm or the ammunition then you must play it safe and fire the gun with a lanyard. An old tire makes a good rest if you place the butt of the stock on the inside edge and tie the forearm down with a piece of rope to the opposite side. This will secure the gun so it can’t flip off the tire but allows it to recoil against a surface that will give way enough to prevent damage. Placing the tire and gun on the other side of a berm or solid object and using a long cord will keep you safe.

After firing inspect the fired case for any abnormalities like splits, bulges or odd impressions on the case. At full chamber pressure the brass case will push brass into any old pits or tool marks and cause extraction problems. These might show up as a freckled surface on the fired case. It might also show up as damage to the rim of the case when the extractor has to pull harder than normal to free the case from the chamber.

Push a new bullet into the neck of the fired case and check for clearance. If the fired case mouth is tight on the bullet the case neck might be too tight. This might be from a tight neck chamber or brass that has flowed forward into the neck area and thickened the walls of the neck. This could result in pressure variations from shot to shot and even lead to pressures in the danger zone. Measure the diameter of neck on the loaded ammo and compare with fired cases and factory ammo if available. Many custom chambers will require case necks to be reduced in diameter to match chamber dimensions. Experienced benchrest competitors understand these loading techniques but the guy that just bought his rifle at the gun show might need some help!

Chamber pressure above normal limits will usually show on the fired case as well. This can be tricky and should never be used as a reliable indication of a normal load but the signs of high pressure should not be ignored. Primers that have “flattened” or lost their rounded edge, brass that has started to flow into extractor or ejector recesses or just sticky brass in a gun that extracts factory loaded ammo without problems can all indicate higher than normal pressure.

Even if the chamber pressure is within normal limits some guns can still have ammo problems. Probably the M1 Garand is the most famous for having problems with gas port pressure but it can affect other gas operated guns as well. These mechanisms are not powered by the pressure at the chamber by rather the pressure behind the bullet when it passes the gas port. This “port pressure” can be much higher with slower burning powders even when muzzle velocity is lower. This higher port pressure can slam the working parts to the rear damaging operating rod, bolt and even the receiver to the point of failure. Make sure the load is an accepted load for the type of firearm that will be firing the ammo.

Even where the ammo falls on the ground in relation to the gun can give information about the functioning. Brass ejected forward of the gun usually indicates a light load and brass ejected rearward can indicate the action operating with more force than necessary. Even brass ejected with no pattern can indicate something changing from shot to shot.

Whatever the cause of the problem the brass can many times give up some good clues and help you solve the riddle. Go slow, look at everything and above all, “Do Good Work”, it’s the only kind that matters!

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Safe testing for firearms

 

Testing Firearms Safely

 

Only a truly foolish person would test fire anything from the shoulder if there any indication that this firearm has a problem that might result in a catastrophic failure (BLOW-UP!). Only after a through inspection that reveals no damage to critical areas of the gun and an exhaustive inspection of the ammunition is it time to test fire. This inspection should pay special attention to the high pressure areas of the gun and be done in sunlight or strong artificial light. The receiver, bolt, chamber area barrel and stock should show no sign of impending failure such as cracks, bulges or stretching. If you stop to consider the normal working pressure and failure pressure in a modern firearm it makes it clear why these precautions are necessary.

Many times the firing history of a particular firearm will alert you to a possible problem. If the customer brings it to you because it blew the head off the case last time it fired then you know something wasn’t right. Maybe it was the wrong ammo, or maybe a reload with insufficient headspace, or maybe it has been rechambered to another cartridge or just bad brass or any of another dozen causes but if it happened last time it is up to you to find out why so it won’t happen again. Listen carefully and ask questions to make sure you gather as much info as possible from the owner.

The ammo is always suspect in any blow-up. Ask if it was reloaded ammo. If it was reloaded then by whom and what was the load? Was the gun fired before the blow-up? Did that round sound normal and was there an impact from it? Has this happened before? Do you have any ammo from the same batch? If the fired case is available for inspection look closely for signs of high pressure such as brass flow in the unsupported areas of the bolt head like the ejector or extractor. Look at any fired brass from the same batch of ammo for signs of high pressure as well. Primers flattened on the edge might indicate that this load was too hot for this particular gun. If the entire head is blown off make sure the ammo was not resized too much leaving excessive headspace when it was chambered. This test can be done using a case micrometer or comparing the reloaded cartridge with a known factory round. If it is a wildcat and no ammo exist for comparison remove the firing mechanism for safety and load a round into the chamber with a shim over the bolt head. If the bolt will close with a .010 inch shim between bolt and cartridge head the gun should not be fired. Carefully pull the bullet and weigh the powder and bullet to make sure it wasn’t a hand loading mistake. Inspect the powder charge and compare with a known sample to make sure powder didn’t get dumped out of the wrong canister. When you are finished inspecting ammo you can move on to the firearm.

Even if you are sure the ammo caused the problem the firearm will still need a detail inspection to make sure it was not damaged by the faulty ammunition. Test headspace in the usual way with the correct headspace gauges. Make sure the chamber has not been damaged so the hardened steel headspace gauges can rest upon the correct surface in the chamber. Looking closely at the outside of the barrel will usually show if there are any bulges. Many times the bulge will be slight but by looking down the barrel when the gun is shouldered the reflections of light along the outside of the barrel will show an abnormality that might otherwise go undetected. After the barrel is cleaned a tightly fitted patch saturated with oil will allow you to feel if there an area of less resistance when you push it through the bore that might indicate an enlarged area.

If there is any doubt about the caliber or the firearm is not marked you may want to do a chamber cast. It can be done with lead but Brownells sells cerrosafe that is 10 times easier to use and safer than lead due to the working temp being less than 200 degrees compared to 600 degrees for the lead. Follow the instructions for the best results but it really isn’t much more than you plug the bore ahead of the throat with steel wool and pour the molten cerrosafe till the chamber is full. Tap it out after it hardens and you have a perfect reproduction of the chamber and throat. It should be a little larger than the ammo if you are comparing the two side by side. Remember the ammo has to go inside the chamber. This is also a good way to look at the throat length and concentricity. The rifling should start evenly around the bullet and the casting will show this. This is incredibly important for accuracy. Save the casting and show the owner if you discover anything wrong like a damaged throat. The cerrosafe is reusable for years.

The receiver has to withstand the pressure of firing and must be inspected with a critical eye for any sign of failure. Be especially careful when looking for cracks or damage in the load bearing area between the barrel threads and the surface that the bolt lugs rest upon. If the bolt is a rear locking type this means virtually the entire receiver. If the firearm is of a case hardened manufacture look closely at these areas for signs that the bolt lugs are setting back into the receiver. This is seen on Mauser bolt actions that have been have the bolts lapped for better contact. The lapping cuts away the hard skin and exposes the low carbon steel to the high pressure of the bolt lugs during firing. It might also be a problem on a receiver that was burned in a fire. The fire annealed the steel and the receiver was later polished and reblued with the new owner thinking he got a great deal.

Having a perfect receiver doesn’t help much if the bolt is damaged. After it is cleaned look it over carefully with a strong light. I found that if you don’t have anything else you can wet the clean area with a high lighter pen and wipe with a dry cloth. Then go in the closet and find that black light from the party at your house in the 70’s. You might want to repeat the test a few times to make sure it isn’t just a tool mark but if any doubt exist consider it bad and destroy it or send it too the factory for replacement. Of course if it is a 1898 Mauser that might be a problem too. All those B-17s didn’t leave much of a factory but luckily they were made in enough numbers to have a lot of parts left over! Never leave a bolt with possible damage in the parts bin. It would be a recipe for disaster!

Only after the ammo and firearm have been completely inspected are you ready to test fire. This is a test firing to expose what went wrong when the gun-ammo combination failed. Test firing a firearm that jams is called function firing and has no expected risk of danger or shrapnel. Our goal is to fire the gun without exposing the tester to harm and then inspect the fired case and firearm for any damage or dimensional changes that indicate a problem.

While you could build a fixture to hold the firearm it can be done safely with nothing more than an old tire and some rope. Place a pad of some type like an old towel under the front and place the butt inside the tire so it will have something firm to take the recoil. Next use a soft rope and tie down the front to the tire. If you are using a chronograph or target it would be positioned it front of the muzzle at this time. After making sure the firing and target area is safe tie a loop in a small cord looping it through the trigger and extend it back to a safe area. Test by dry firing and make sure it snaps. Make sure you have eye and ear protection and everybody is viewing from a safe place. Finally load and place some type of cover over the gun like a piece of old carpet. Move carefully to the safe area without tripping on the cord and shout “fire in the hole” (optional) before pulling the cord.

After firing begin the inspection process anew looking at the fired case and the firearm for any signs of failure. Hopefully you will find all is fine and firearm can then be function fired or accuracy tested.

While this might seem like a lot of trouble it really is not much effort and doesn’t take much time to do safely. Even if you never have one come apart it is still better to be safe.

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Getting Started

 

Getting started

Call it what you will, preparation, groundwork or paying your dues, becoming a gunsmith doesn’t happen overnight. Whether school, on the job or self taught, the amount of knowledge required to become a journeyman gunsmith is immense. No one can acquire this amount of skill and knowledge without a true love of the craft. If you know you want to be the “Gun Man” this book will try to get you started and keep you out of trouble. Remember if you love what you do you never have to work for the rest of your life.

If you are one of the lucky few that can take advantage of a school of gunsmithing then you need to be truly thankful. These schools are few in the U.S. and around the world. Even when located close by a lot of people can’t take advantage of organized traditional school because of economic conditions and family situations. If you are working hard to keep food on the table for a family then taking a couple of years off to learn a new skill is out of the question. But if you can do it this is the fastest way to learn.

The ones that landed a job where the employer trains you are probably the luckiest of all. Of course you already know these are hard to come by but there may be opportunities that have been overlooked. Sporting goods stores may hire a part time position to clean guns and install scopes and slings. Amazing how much you can learn just by taking a gun apart and studying the mechanism. Why not pick up a few dollars at the same time. I would rather get a check for 20 dollars than write one for a 1000!

For the self-taught gunsmithing is more of a challenge. If the will is there and applied with enough persistence and patience it will happen but it does take a lot of study. Taking advantage of any opportunity to learn is the key. This means working on guns when you get the chance and studying when you don’t. It also means learning the skills that support the gunsmithing. Machinist classes, welding and even shooting will help. Most community colleges have some classes that will help build your skill level and they are usually very flexible with schedules and real bargain.

Just learning to reload will be a big step in the right direction and almost mandatory for the gunsmith. After all the gun isn’t much good without the ammo and each one depends on the other being correct for the intended task. A lot of gun problems are traced back to improper hand loads. Hand loading teaches you the special relationship of headspace and chamber dimensions and customer expect you to be able to solve their reloading problems too. They will not trust or waste much time with a gunsmith that doesn’t know how to reload or shoot.

What, you have to shoot too? Yes, you don’t have to be world champion but you need to at least be competent. Competitive shooting is great for the gunsmith and his reputation. Nobody has to know your scores and they really don’t care but they feel better about their gunsmith if they know he is a shooter. Lots of opportunities in most parts of the country to become part of some type of organized shooting. Highpower rifle, bullseye pistol, IPSC, cowboy action, skeet, trap, sporting clays and lots more. You will no doubt run into potential customer on the range because at every match someone has problems. Being the gunsmith for a well-known shooter doesn’t hurt your reputation either. And it is a business expense if you plan well.

Understanding the laws concerning guns and gunsmithing are also a requirement for the gunsmith. At the present time gunsmiths are required to have a federal firearm license to take in work for repair that will be kept overnight. Each firearm being kept for repair must be recorded. Even if it was not the law this would still be a good practice. Imagine if you suffer a burglary and have to report stolen guns. It would be very unprofessional if you could not give a complete list of exactly what was missing and the serial numbers. Local laws are also a consideration and vary from location to location. Consult the ATF directly for the latest requirements and pay no attention to what others say. Beware of the startup kits offered by lots of sham artist online. These are nothing more than the free forms from the ATF. Get it straight from the top and save yourself a lot of trouble and money.

When you decide to get your license you need to think long and hard about exactly what your business will include. Will this be a service type business offering repair work only or do you plan to include retail sales? Will you have full time traditional hours? Will the business be in your home? What is available for a business location in your area? Will you be the sole owner or is this a partnership? Will there be employees? What kind of overhead will there be? Choose wisely, it is easier if you get it right from the start.

I have to admit I had very little experience with anything retail when I started in business. I knew how to fix guns but making a successful retail business is a whole other can of worms. If you plan on selling a few items along with your gunsmithing business don’t under estimate how much time it will take. I thought I would do repairs and if someone wanted something ordered like a gun or accessory I would order it for a small fee and make a few extra dollars. Well I learned, selling involves time and time is money. The man or woman looking for a gun first wants to find out what you know about guns and why this one is better. Maybe more than one trip to talk about the upcoming purchase. Then it is time to compare prices. They will drive 40 miles if it is $10 cheaper.

Next comes the search to find the distributor that has one in stock. This can really eat up time too. Then you order and it comes in wrong or he doesn’t like it. Who pays to send it back? Yes that’s right, it you! Now it comes in and he takes it. You spent an hour talking to him, 40 minutes finding one, 10 minutes each time he called to see if it came in yet. 20 minutes getting the return ok and 20 minutes repacking for shipment. 25 dollars shipping and insurance an a 10% restocking fee. Now 30 minutes to seal the deal and do the required legal paperwork. Wow I hope it is approved the first time. You have spent from 2 to 3 hours making your sale ( and $25). Lets say it is a $400 sale and you were making $75 dollars. Take out for your overhead and maybe you made $20 for your 3 hours. Now think about the 4 guns you didn’t repair while you were being Mr. Salesman and you start to get a feel for the retail business.

The retail business can be profitable but it requires a lot more than a casual interest. You can no doubt remember a lot of retail sporting good businesses in your area that didn’t survive. It is a tough business.

Maybe you can start like a lot of gunsmiths with a small shop at home either in the transformed garage or an out building located next to the home. It has the advantage of low startup cost and if this is a second job as soon as you get home the shop is open. Just be prepared that anytime you are home you are open. Doesn’t matter what the posted hours are if you are home you will have customers. Prepare your family too. One year I made a part for an over under on Thanksgiving day while my customer ate my turkey. He was going to Spain the next day on a hunt and this gun was the only one cleared thru customs.

Maybe after a few years working at home you decide the time is right to enlarge and go full time. Maybe an employee to handle sales and errands. Understand that employees have to be paid out of your profit. If this employee will be making $20,000 a year and you are doing retail at 20% markup then sales will have to increase well in excess of $100,000 before you break even. That is a lot of recoil pads! Of course there are lots of other things to consider too with employees like employee theft, liability and even OSHA.

Same way with a full partner except you can never tell a partner what to do. Partnerships have the highest failure rate of any business. It isn’t impossible just difficult.

By now you might not have a warm fuzzy feeling about starting your business. That’s ok, business is rarely a warm fuzzy, but it can be profitable if well planned and worked with an eye on the bottom line. Yes I know the idea is to do something you love and you don’t want to think about business but somewhere the bills have to be paid. Plan well both for the expected and unexpected and you will be fine. Gunsmithing for the professional is different than as a hobby. I have enjoyed it both ways and it is a great profession.

 

 

 

 

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Becoming a Gunsmith

Why do you want to be a gunsmith?

 

It was an easy question to answer years ago. The gunsmith was the top craftsman in most places. His skills were hard earned and valuable. Not just to him but to his community that depended on their guns for survival. He had to be a better metal worker than the blacksmith, better woodworker than the carpenter and make all his own tools. His processes were closely guarded secrets handed down from master to apprentice only after they had paid their dues with years of long hours and low pay.

For me it started early. My father who could fix anything would take his shotgun to a gunsmith for repair. I thought if this man can fix something Pop can’t then he must be the smartest man on earth. As I grew older and began hunting I marveled at the springs, pins, slides and small parts that seemed to magically do their work to fire and reload on my 22. When my shooting progressed to shotguns and center fire rifles there was always an improvement sought that would make me a better shot. When competitive shooting became center stage it propelled me into advanced gunsmithing by necessity on two fronts. One I had limited resources and two a good gunsmith was hard to find. But enough about me, let’s talk about gunsmithing today.

I once read an article that said to never take your gun to a local gunsmith because they were incompetent. I wonder if the people in Salt Lake City felt that way if they went to John Browning. Lets face it, everybody is local to somebody. The local gunsmith can be whatever he is capable of. Custom guns, specialty work or clean and repair. The secret to success is find a need and fill it.

It may not be glamorous but the basic gunsmith doing cleaning and light repairs will have the most jingle in the pocket at the end of the day. Remember you only have two hands and so many hours so you want to fill this with the most prosperous work. No need for expensive machine tools and huge shop with the accompanying overhead if you want to focus on this part of the business. Clean and check a Remington 1100 for $70 and you are below the national average. Ten of these would not be a hard day for any professional but try making $700 in one day on a custom gun. Of course you don’t usually have ten 1100s but you get the point. As gun owners we are all in the debt of these basic gunsmiths. They are the ones who keep guns working for the majority of shooters.

Maybe a specialty is more to your liking. Build a good 1911 and you will never run out of work. Custom stock makers are the same way. Long range rifle builders have popped up around the country lately and are enjoying brisk business. The specialty guys enjoy the advantage of becoming very good at what they do. This is because the do the same thing a lot. They make or find special tools that might not pay their way if only used for an occasional job. They become very good at what they do and can charge accordingly.

Whatever path the gunsmith chooses he has to balance it with the simple fact that he is not just working in a business, he is a business. To survive, this business like all others must make a profit. He can stay in his shop all day and talk to customers and answer all types of questions but at closing time if no work has been completed then who will pay the bills. Of course there is a balance that has to be attained. Work has to come in, be completed and go out. The work is there. By most estimates over 250 million firearms in the U.S. and less than 1800 gunsmith businesses, which makes for 138,000 guns per shop to be serviced. No you won’t have 138,000 in for cleaning but if they only come in once in 20 years that is 6900 guns a year and at $70. And that is just cleaning once every 20 years!

But who is going to pay for all this work? Customers of course, the public along with friends and relatives and even other businesses. Many gunsmiths fail when they don’t realize who they work for. It is the owner and not the gun that pays the bill. Learn it early and never forget, it is the customer that pays your salary and every one that comes through the door is your boss. Your job is to make him happy. So happy that he wants to come back and tells others in the meantime. That old gun might be a piece of junk but to you but to him (or her) it might be a connection to happier times or loved ones. You should be honored that you have been entrusted with such an important task and the customer should be able to see it in your actions. If you make a customer happy he might tell someone. If you make him unhappy he will certainly tell ten.

When I was tasked to create a course for a gunsmithing program I started to review available books. I found excellent books written 50 and 70 years ago on becoming a professional gunsmith but all the recent books were either on custom gunsmithing or amateur gunsmithing. After writing up many articles to supplement available text and instructions I realized I was slowly producing a book without a cover to help prospective gunsmiths to take the huge step of becoming a professional. I had no desire to make this a detail how to book but rather a compilation of tips and advice on not just being a gunsmith but being in business. Understand your business and know you have to do more than make the gun happy. You have to make the owner smile too!

I hope you realize I have no demeaning connotation when I use the term amateur gunsmith. I use the term only to refer that the amateur is not gunsmithing for income. Some of these craftsmen produce work that excels anything you can buy. They work because of a passionate desire to do perfect work and by not having to make money on the job they are able to pursue their hearts desire. You a lucky if you know one of these personally, if he is your friend you are blessed. I was blessed

So if you want to be the “gun man” then prepare yourself well. Remember the simple statement” find a need and fill it” well the need is there, only question is, can you fill it?