Help me, Im from Florida :) (Gunsmith School Related)

[Mtn.man]

I grew up in FL, sorry you are there. I got smart and moved story over.

[BushMasterBoy]

http://www.knightarmco.com/employment.html

[GatorBait]

XRing its funny you say that because I fly RC planes . I don't know how that would relate to gunsmithing aptitude but if it does I guess that's a good thing.

I understand gunsmithing isn't going to make bank, however my goal would be to eventually learn gunsmithing, take the 3rd year brownells program and learn how to run a Gun Shop basically fixing, customizing, and selling firearms.

So long term goal would be to not just smith but actually own and run a shop weather it be here in florida or in colorado.

From what I hear seems jobs are slim pickens however the rent is cheap. I would love to only focus 100% on school but how would I be able to pay rent, and feed myself while doing so without obtaining a job?

Spyder or anyone who may know, how do most students there survive? I would imagine most the students live on campus then. Is there any type of student loan any one knows about that would allow me to use the money to live off campus?

And lastly to be honest I have 0 experience with any machine tools, or gunsmithing in general. I own 3 guns (Sar-1, Remmington 12 guage, and A Savage .243 bolt action rifle.) Everything I know about them is self taught, and its not much to be honest. However growing up I have always been a big fan of guns and know at least the basics on most U.S. military used from WWII to now. But I was going to sign up for a basic welding class, and basic machine shop here in Florida before I go to colorado for gunsmithing. Is this something that someone should have been doing before attending school or can a student go in with little to no experience and learn as they go.

Even though I may not know much about fixing, repairing, or customizing guns at this current time I do have a really great passion for them. I do know how to shoot them, and think I do a pretty decent job at it. I love cleaning them and maintaining them as well. I'm sure this is something I would love to do for a living because its something I enjoy.

[netsecsys]

If you make it up there, you'll be happy to find out that Doritos are not made chewy as they are in FL (also, you will save money on bread as you can keep a loaf for more than a few days up "north"). I grew up in FL and can say I don't miss cockroaches one bit...

On a more serious note, you could always join the military and become an armorer.

Good luck!

[GatorBait]

It makes me sick seeing how difficult it will be. But I think I have to do this.

[BPTactical]

When I was out of high school I wanted to build custom rifles, specifically muzzleloaders.
My father who is an incredibly wise man told me: "That's fine and I will back you whatever you choose to do, but there are probably quite a few of those guys that are pretty hungry".
I went to school to be a machinist instead and don't regret it one bit.
I worked as a machinist for 12 years, with the majority of the time in a small two man shop that took on whatever came through the door. One day you might be polishing a vacuum mold and the next welding and machining a 5' diameter bullgear.
The things I learned you would never learn in a classroom environment.
They say it is easier to teach a machinist to be a Gunsmith than to teach a Gunsmith to machine.
I don't doubt it one iota.
To Smith you have to master many mediums, and I have seen quite a few guys that while they were good with metal, totally sucked at wood work and the other way around.
What are you good at?
I will also agree that a piece of paper doesn't mean much. Just because somebody can sit in a classroom and do ok on the class projects doesn't mean you can analyze a mechanism, understand it and repair it or bring it to it's optimum condition.
It also depends on how you learn. Are you a reader, listener or a hands on guy?
Can you read something or look at a technical drawing, comprehend it and apply it to your hands? Or do mechanical contrivances befuddle you? Can you look at a mechanical device, dissect it in your head, understand the relation ship of part A to part B and visualize its operation in your head? Or do you need somebody to explain and show you how it all comes together?
How you learn is very instrumental as to whether school is right for you.
Some of the best Smith's in history never set foot in a classroom.
They had the "Knack" for it. All the education in the world means nothing if you don't at least have a touch for it.
You mentioned owning your own shop. Come to the reality now that if this is what you want to do you will end up spending very little time working on firearms. Running a business is all consuming. You are answering the phone, doing paperwork and about 10,000 other things than physically working on a gun.

[GatorBait]

BPTactical, I have 0 experience machining, welding, woodwork ect.

I am a hands on learner. I like what I am doing to be right in front of me so when I am listening to how it works I can see it happen in front of me and relate the text and words into the function.

I will also be able to determine how most things work by a little investigating and tinkering. My weakness would really be never having anyone close who could have taught me how to weld, or do machine work. I think I would be quite well at it but like you said until i'm there doing it I wont really know.

I understand owning your own shop means not really doing any smithing any more. But the reason I thought the 2 year degree then 3rd year program at TSJC was so good is because I wouldnt be able to graduate and immediately open my own shop. Im sure I would have to work make a living and work my way to a business loan. So starting in a store as a smith watching how that owner runs his business ect. would give me good knowledge and foresight of what I would be getting into in the business aspect.

Also when I do run my own store I want to be able to determine if the firearms I am dealing and trading are in good working condition. I would also want to be adequate enough with gunsmithing to make sure my employees were doing their job correctly and not be putting my business in jeopardy. If I was not trained in gunsmithing myself I would never feel safe trusting others due to the liability of working on firearms.

Im not going to lie these replies have been pretty demotivating, I am now considering just getting my business degree here in florida then if it still seems like a good idea ill consider TSJC.

BpTactical on a side note what is your company like? Looking for newbies too apprentice

[spyder]

If you're good, you don't need to worry about it.

[BPTactical]

Not trying to dissuade you at all.
Just being honest. If you don't have the groove for it then you may be wiser to look at a different tangent.
There are many facets to the word "Gunsmithing".
Few are glamorous and fewer profitable.
Not just the Smithing world but I have seen many people who have invested a lot of time and money in schooling only to decide that all is not what it seems in the trade.
Try and find a job in the trade for a year or two before you make the plunge. That gives you a chance to decide if it is really what you want to do. I spent 4 years in a retail shop.
That convinced me I want nothing to do with the retail end of the business.

[spyder]

Not trying to dissuade you at all.
Just being honest. If you don't have the groove for it then you may be wiser to look at a different tangent.
There are many facets to the word "Gunsmithing".
Few are glamorous and fewer profitable.
Not just the Smithing world but I have seen many people who have invested a lot of time and money in schooling only to decide that all is not what it seems in the trade.
Try and find a job in the trade for a year or two before you make the plunge. That gives you a chance to decide if it is really what you want to do. I spent 4 years in a retail shop.
That convinced me I want nothing to do with the retail end of the business.

If you are just an average guy, you will be in repair in some "other" guys shop (like BP's) that's better than you, and you will probably not be making much. Definately not in your own shop anyway. You need to look at yourself and your skills and be honest if you can actually do it or not. You need to look at what your end goal actually is, and your short term (how you're gona get there). What I have thought about this trade (there is actual money to be made in it if you find your way), I have seen to be true with this summers NRA classes and a bunch of the shop owners from all over the country coming in. Gunsmithing is a lot like being a doctor, most, are just your normal do everything doc's, and they don't make much money. It's the specialists that make the dough. If you plan on making money, you had better be damn good at something, and something that people are actually gona want done. You had better plan where you are gona set up with what it is that you are going to want to do. My plan involves going to one of the companies that is going to offer me a job out the gate and spending some time, and saving money to do my own thing. That is of course if I don't end up moving up the ladder to what I would love to do for a place like Barrett, or Hk, ect. which is R&D. I have been in many trades though, and I know you need to be the best to pull this kind of thing off. One can look at my resume and see that I know how to do such a thing though and I'm not afraid in the least bit of my work, and how I will do later on against the rest. That's just me though, what I think Bert is trying to get at, is if you do this, you better be damn sure you "know" you can, thinking will just make you waste a bunch of money.

As far as having a job while going to school here though... Your girl had better be ok with working. Student loans and grants will help ya a lot also. Like I said, Trinidad is cheap rent wise, well, and every other way too... I've nicknamed it the "Taint".