Everything You Need to Know About Gunsmithing!
While many people have a clear image come to mind when they think of blacksmithing, not many of us know what to envision when we think of gunsmithing. When it boils down to it, gunsmiths are modern day blacksmiths, crafting, repairing, and enhancing firearms to be of the best quality.
Too many people who tinker with guns and work in a gun store like to call themselves a gunsmith. That is scary for all of us. The responsibility the gunsmith has when working on firearms and ensuring the firearm is truly safe from defect when returning it to a customer is a major responsibility. Only a person with the true, proper training can assure a firearm is in proper working order after having serviced it.
Although blacksmiths are common, information about gunsmithing is not as common.
To help you learn more, here are 4 facts you didn’t know about gunsmithing:
It Takes a Long Time to Become a Gunsmith
Gunsmithing is not a simple task and it requires years of training and education. It can be advantageous to develop skills like algebra and drafting as early as high school, as these relate well to the position. After high school, there is a range of college courses that you can take to get you into the industry and to give you the proper skills.
Once you’ve finished with education, you’ll also need to apprentice with a gunsmith to gain the best experience and knowledge of the trade. This will help you develop the skills to the point where you can feel confident in practicing gunsmithing yourself. In order to get to this stage, it takes years of specialized education and training.
There are a Range of Job Options as a Gunsmith
Despite gunsmith skills being relatively specialized, there is a range of different environments and jobs that gunsmiths can get. Firearms manufacturers require gunsmiths to work for them regularly, in factories and designing firearms to be of the best construction and design.
Both military and law enforcement organizations also require gunsmiths in their armories to both tend to the firearms and help teach others about use and care. If you like to deal with the public, there are also positions with retail stores, since they offer customization, repair, and other gunsmithing services. Depending on what you want to do and the environment you like the best, gunsmithing provides a number of job options!
Gunsmiths Need to Stay Educated
Just like in business, innovation drives changes and improvements to products. Over time, gunsmithing technologies alter the way gunsmiths do what they do. New techniques and improvements in technology are important if you want to stay at the top of the tier as a gunsmith. Perfecting a range of skills and keeping up with new advancements is important to doing the best gunsmithing work.
This means that the education process is never truly over. Despite spending years in college and a significant amount of time apprenticing, gunsmiths still need to read up on the newest technology and techniques relevant to their trade.
Gunsmithing is an Art!
Just like a carpenter, a gunsmith is an artist that needs to think of not only function and performance, but also the design, style, and appearance. They take great pride in what they do and try to design a product that customers love. Whether they are serving you in a retail store or at a factory, they are geared towards expressing their artistic style by bringing incredible designs to their products.
Gunsmithing is a difficult, creative, and interesting job that allows people to use a range of skills and talents. It’s both analytical and creative, forcing them to perfect both performance and style!
