Category: Uncategorized

You already finished a gunsmithing program and earned your degree. Now the search for the right job starts. If you have not already applied for and obtained a Federal Firearms License, it is helpful to take this step before applying for jobs. Having your FFL is a good distinction and is also a great way to make some money while you consider careers with different companies. If you have your FFL, you can advertise your services independently and even charge a small amount of money to handle firearm transfers.

Getting A Federal Firearms License

This process takes some time but is not as difficult as most people assume. The first step is to visit the ATF’s page regarding how to get a Federal Firearms License. Photographs, fingerprint cards and several other pieces of information are required to accompany your application. When you are ready to fill out and submit your application to the ATF, download the entire application.

Independent Work Builds Credibility
Some companies will want to know what you can do and what they can expect from you before they make the decision to add you to their staff. A gunsmith is a vital asset to any gun retail store or gun manufacturing company. The gunsmith’s quality of work affects the volume of customers and what people have to say about the business as a whole. For this reason, most gun stores and especially manufacturers want to hire gunsmiths with experience. Most recent graduates with gunsmithing degrees wonder how they are supposed to find work if most companies prefer experienced gunsmiths. One of the ways to do this is to start by doing some independent work. Advertise for free in forums, in local newspapers and online. Try to line up some jobs and ask the customers for letters of reference if they are satisfied. These will be helpful in a job search.

Apprenticeships And Internships Build Skills
If you live in a remote area or if it is not possible to complete gunsmithing jobs independently to build credibility, another option is to seek an internship or apprenticeship position. Some gunsmiths who work independently may be willing to provide training. In some cases or in remote areas, the only option may be to volunteer for a short amount of time to work with an experienced gunsmith. While no person wants to work for free, the experience and good references gained from the internship can be used to apply for a career with a manufacturer or gun shop.

Contact Major Companies
Start by applying to gun stores and manufacturers close to home. Go apply in person at each one. Be sure to have a polished resume and a personalized cover letter. Do not send the same letter to every company. Part of what makes a good gunsmith is precision and care. Let those qualities reflect in a personalized letter that talks about the uniqueness of the company and how individual skills contribute to that company’s goals. For a better range of opportunities, send resumes and cover letters to major manufacturing companies. Follow up with the letters by contacting each company. Join firearm forums and groups online to watch for word-of-mouth job opportunities.

Gunsmithing jobs are possible to find with persistence and patience. If you are interested in becoming a gunsmith in Colorado and have not yet completed training, consider institutions such as SchoolOfTrades.edu to help you get on the right path. After completing gunsmithing training, the job search is the only step left to starting the right career.

Gunsmiths can dramatically alter the course of the firearms industry. Some designs and innovations continue to make a powerful impression hundreds of years after their introduction. In addition to a state-of-the-art facility, the Colorado School of Trades offers a gunsmithing curriculum as unique as the following 10 legends in the industry.

Although he was an accomplished gunsmith who improved the design of the revolver, Samuel Colt is best known for his business prowess. He led the field in assembly-line gun production that made the revolver commercially viable. The company that bears his name later manufactured the Colt .45 and the M16.

Eliphalet Remington was a blacksmith, who made his first flintlock rifle by hand at the age of 23. He would develop the reflection method of straightening rifle barrels and produced the United States’ first successful drilled, cast-steel barrel. The company he founded is still making guns like the highly regarded Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle.

While working at the New Haven Arms Company, Benjamin Henry received a patent in 1860 for the world’s first reliable lever-action repeating rifle. During the Civil War, it was called the rifle you could load on Sunday and shoot all week. It demonstrated the advantages of rapid fire at close range.

In the early 1860s, Dr. Richard Gatling received a patent for a hand-cranked, multi-barreled piece of light artillery. Firing an unprecedented 200 rounds per minute, it was the first reliable, easy to use rapid fire weapon. The forerunner of today’s modern machine gun, the weapon was designed to eliminate the need for large armies.

Originally making Mauser rifles for hunters, Carl Walther became an influential pistol designer. His pistols retain a reputation as some of the most reliable weapons ever made. In addition to his innovations, Walther is well known for his cultural influences because the iconic fictional spy James Bond’s favorite firearm is the Walther PPK.

John Browning was one of the most prolific gun designers in history. He is credited with 128 patents. Many of his designs are still in use today. His most successful weapons include the M1911 pistol, the Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR, and the M2 .50 caliber machine gun. Designed in 1933, the M2 is still the primary heavy machine gun for numerous armies around the world.

Canadian-American John Garand is best known for developing the M1, the first successful semi-automatic rifle to be widely used by the military. A patent for the rifle was issued in 1934. General Patton called the M1, “the greatest battle implement ever designed.” Garand also designed a light machine gun and an early prototype bullpup rifle.

Eugene Stoner is the gunsmith who designed the AR-15 rifle that would be adopted by the US Army as the M16. The rifle featured a straight-line barrel/stock design, composite materials and forged alloy parts. The result was a much lighter, easier to control infantry rifle. Stoner is regarded as one of the most successful gun designers of the 20th century.

Mikhail Kalashnikov is best known for his design of the AK-47. The model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used assault rifles in the world. It is highly regarded for its low production costs, ease of use and reliability under harsh conditions.

Uziel Gal is the German-born Israeli gunsmith who designed the Uzi submachine gun. It was the first weapon to use a telescoping bolt that enabled the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip..

Students and enthusiasts can log on to www.schooloftrades.edu for more information on gunsmithing and the Colorado School of Trades.

As a trained and qualified gunsmith graduate of the Colorado School of Trades (CST), you can pursue top career opportunities. Learning to make repairs, produce weapons for competition, and improve firearm accuracy prepares you for challenging and rewarding jobs. Our instructors are experienced gunsmiths who can provide the knowledge that you need to succeed. Our state-of-the-art lab provides 18,000 square feet of space and will prepare you for careers like these:

• Performing Repairs
  Job duties include coordinating the building and rebuilding of weapons to improve accuracy, develop product improvements and devise accurate ammunition loads. Making sure that weapons are ready for duty before issuance is an essential task, identifying faults and providing repairs. Gunsmith duties require a successful applicant to perform field maintenance on a variety of weapons that rifles, handguns, shotguns. Performing basic modifications to an inventory of weapons may include work on laser and light systems and vehicle mounting systems as well as the ability to attach night sights and scopes.
•  Filling Machinist Duties
  A lathe machinist may need to use G-codes for programming and set ups. Familiarity with Fanuc controls is desirable but not necessary. Experience with all methods of turning is essential. A successful applicant can machine parts, maintain or repair existing dies and assemble new dies. The gunsmith has responsibility for managing the department and for making sure that all firearms in the department are safe.
• Repairing Small Arms
  Qualification requires an understanding of internal and external ballistics as well as machine tools and mechanical equipment. The ability to build custom rifles and pistols in addition to working without supervision is essential. The ability to work with weapons systems independently allows a successful applicant to demonstrate adaptability. The position requires a gunsmith to design and fabricate small arms based on blueprints or drawings that a customer may provide. A gunsmith repairman may need to consult with government officials regarding all aspects of the weapons department. Specific duties relate to ammunition and fundamentals of ballistics, weapon mounts, optic systems and prototype development.
• Designing Custom Rifles
  Satisfying customer requirements for making enhancements to semi-auto, full auto or manual bolt rifles is essential for a successful gunsmith in our design shop. The job requires the testing of custom rifles for feed as well as function to ensure customer satisfaction. Understanding the importance of maintaining our high level of customer service is essential in order to satisfy the demands of our civilian shooters, law enforcement officers and hunters. Working with a customer’s rifle, a gunsmith may need to bolt the lugs and the lug seats, bolt the face as well as the nose and square or true the factory receiver. Providing assistance to customers with the selection of the cartridge, action, barrel and stock for specific uses requires the skill and knowledge of a trained gunsmith.Our gunsmithing shop is the largest in the United States, and it gives you a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in gun repair. Our advanced technological equipment includes Mastercam software as well as ProtoTrak and Haas lathes that enhance your learning experience. CST offers the highest quality of trade education that can lead you to a rewarding career in gunsmithing. Large firms as well as small gun shops offer challenging and financially rewarding careers for you as a trained gunsmith.