I've got a couple of questions

[jparks54]

Ok so to start out I have a dream of owning a gun shop/range and have a few questions about it. Exactly what I want is to be kinda like a red jacket ( manufacturing and full Lgs/ range ( I'm talking big well put together 1000 yrd range)/ and a school doing classes on building guns and training of all sorts. This is a big dream I know but I would like to do it even if it breaks me.

First Q: are all the online gunsmithing schools legit? I would like to become a gunsmith when I do this.

Second Q: where is the biggest shooting community in Texas?

Third Q: I understand I would need a ton of insurance and lots of employees. So would it be better to start small and just give myself room to grow or bet the farm and go all in.

Fourth Q: how many of y'all would love having a place like this close to you lol?

I'm not looking to get rich in any means I'm just looking to do something I enjoy with a community I love being a part of. I had more questions but forgot them as I sat down to wright this.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Start small - life has a way of makin' you want to change goals. Besides - a basic-equipped manufacturing facility would burn a half-mil for equipment alone. Find a local gunsmith w/a good solid rep, and offer to intern for him. Mop floors, clean, dust - whatever it takes - and learn FIRST HAND what you need to know. Ideal would be to find one wanting to retire in 5 years, then buy him out (tools are damned expensive - used tools can be VERY cheap by comparison) when he's ready to go, and you've already learned from him AND gathered a base of loyal customers.

 

[Younggun]

I don't know what your financial situation is but just opening a gun shop requires some major capital. I looked in to it before.

A range is the same although it seems there are possibly more things that must be taken in to consideration.

I think TRN had some pretty spoons advise. You would also probably need enough money on hand to live without income for a while, ESP if you start from scratch. Gonna take some time to build a customer base large enough to cover operating costs.

 

[jparks54]

For starting small I'm thinking a small to medium size gun store and than the full range or just start a range and slowly add on a gun store. With the manufacturing side I'm just talking low out put one or two machine operation but starting small that would be down the road maybe a different location. As for having money during the initial start up with little to no income from the store my wife would be working so we would have her income

 

[jparks54]

Oh and before any one assumes this is a spur of the moment idea I have been pondering on this idea for a few years now I'm just now voicing it

 

[RetArmySgt]

Oh and before any one assumes this is a spur of the moment idea I have been pondering on this idea for a few years now I'm just now voicing it

Take it from someone that is trying to get the money together to open a manufacturing company, it is not an easy task and it takes a lot of money. And thats opening a small shop out of my house, not having to pay any additional overhead.

 

[RetArmySgt]

As for the online gunsmith classes, i did one just for a piece of paper to hang on the wall. They give you a little bit of info but not really enough to learn to truly be a gunsmith.

 

[jparks54]

As for the online gunsmith classes, i did one just for a piece of paper to hang on the wall. They give you a little bit of info but not really enough to learn to truly be a gunsmith.

I plan to learn all the hands from other smiths or trial and error on but would like to have that little price of paper to go with it

 

[RetArmySgt]

I plan to learn all the hands from other smiths or trial and error on but would like to have that little price of paper to go with it

Learn the trade first then; and then take the class so that all you will have to do is just answer the questions on the tests and not waste alot of time on it.

 

[jparks54]

Learn the trade first then; and then take the class so that all you will have to do is just answer the questions on the tests and not waste alot of time on it.

I'll do that I'm trying to start dipping into it now

 

[jparks54]

What would be a good starting place to jump into smithing

 

[Younggun]

What would be a good starting place to jump into smithing

Think TRN already answered that one.

 

[jparks54]

I need another place to start other than a gunsmith I am going to try to get in with a local smith but I'm looking for a place to start at home

 

[Younggun]

Ahhh.

Well, you could work on your own guns if you don't already. Maybe do some light repair work for family and friends that trust you enough.

I wouldn't get to much going until you are completely sure you know what your doing.

But I'm not a gun smith or anything. Just bouncing ideas around. I do dig in to mine and have don't some light restoration type work for family members but that's about it.

 

[jparks54]

I do already I'm building an ar right now idk if I can consider that gunsmithing or not. I'm thinking about getting a hold of a mosin nagant that I can tinker on and if I mess up on it it's cheap and plentiful. I'm also looking into building a 1911 in a class or with someone experienced in building them also an ak build. Than I'm also looking into an 80% ruger 10/22 mag cambered either in 22mag or 17 hmr. I'm just not sure on the best place to start

 

[RetArmySgt]

Find a smith to work under or start forking out the cash to go to the factory armorers courses.

 

[jparks54]

Find a smith to work under or start forking out the cash to go to the factory armorers courses.

I understand that and plan on building a 1911 with some ones guidance and will intern with a gunsmith as soon as I can until than tho out of all the things I posted what do you think would be the best project to take on

 

[Younggun]

I do already I'm building an ar right now idk if I can consider that gunsmithing or not. I'm thinking about getting a hold of a mosin nagant that I can tinker on and if I mess up on it it's cheap and plentiful. I'm also looking into building a 1911 in a class or with someone experienced in building them also an ak build. Than I'm also looking into an 80% ruger 10/22 mag cambered either in 22mag or 17 hmr. I'm just not sure on the best place to start

ARs aren't really built as much as put together. Have you ever tinkered with smithing or lightening triggers on your own guns or anything? Taken your guns apart past the normal field strip and cleaning?

Honestly, it sounds like you should start with some courses and assisting a gun smith. No room for error when you are working on someone else's gun. Aside from the safety aspect it could get very expensive replacing parts that don't come out right and you could get a bad name before you even get started.

Not sure what you're wanting to do from home but it doesn't sound like you have much experience in the way of gunsmithing.

I've been tinkering on my own guns for a while now, replacing parts, refinishing, trigger work, etc and I don't feel I'm anywhere mere what would be considered a gunsmith.

Gunsmiths spend years getting good at what they do. Your best bet will probably be to take a factory course from a manufacturer the. Try to get in with a gunsmith. Get some time learning one platform and then start taking courses from other manufacturers.

If you plan to do any custom work you have to know exactly how the gun works in order to know the effects of any changes you make. Take one of yours apart, look at how the pieces fit together, and understand what they do an how they interact.

Either way, it's gonna take an initial investment if money and time before you should try working on anything that doesn't belong to you. Working for a gunsmith would get you some initial experience with little or no cash investment.

 

[Younggun]

I understand that and plan on building a 1911 with some ones guidance and will intern with a gunsmith as soon as I can until than tho out of all the things I posted what do you think would be the best project to take on

Each will only teach you about that particular platform. Building an AR wll teach you nothing about an AK. Then understanding the effects of shorter barrels on cycling and little things like that. Most won't make much difference to the average range shooter.

10/22s are pretty simple guns as they are. Most everything bolts together same as an AR. AKs can be built and are pretty involved but my understanding is that building is just as expensive as buying right now.

If you have little or no experience an AR would be the easiest. A 1911 would probably be a nightmare without a lot of help from someone who is very knowledgable. Same for an AK.

Get a real cheap gun, mosin, Hipoint, or something else that you won't mind tearing up. Take it home, shoot it, and try to fix things you don't like about it, and shoot it again to see if you got the results you expected.


What Tyoe of gunsmith work are you wanting to do, is there a particular platform or firearm you like?

 

[jparks54]

I guess I should kinda tell what I have done. I understand an ar is just a put together. Any way I have refinished my 10/22 and a little minor internal work on it I'm looking for a back up trigger group for is so I can toy with a trigger job on it without putting it completely out of service. Every one of my guns I have torn apart way past field stripping. The only gun I have actually played with the internals is my 10/22 I will do the same with my ar once it's finished because both guns are relatively easy to get replacement parts for. Oh and I have had to trouble shoot my 10/22 because the trigger would not reset due to a weak spring.