PRS Talk Traveling gunsmith

[Jayhop101]

So I am about to attend gunsmithing school (cst). My wife and I are very nomadic people. Now my question is this. Would a gunsmith who travels to the major event be useful. I know that as a gunsmith in a store front you need an FFL. But I also know that if the customers wait while the gunsmith service is done then no FFL is required. Just throwing this out there.

I figure as a former Army (medically retired after 17 years) this might be a good retirement job. Give me your input please

 

[diverdon]

So I am about to attend gunsmithing school (cst). My wife and I are very nomadic people. Now my question is this. Would a gunsmith who travels to the major event be useful. I know that as a gunsmith in a store front you need an FFL. But I also know that if the customers wait while the gunsmith service is done then no FFL is required. Just throwing this out there.

I figure as a former Army (medically retired after 17 years) this might be a good retirement job. Give me your input please

That sounds like a pretty tough business. There are already going to be a lot of pretty knowledgeable guys on the line and a lot of them help others as a favor. No money involved, up to and including things like: I got a spare rifle and ammo you can borrow since yours is broke. Unless you have developed a heck of a rep it is hard to see just how you fit in if you need to have parts and charge cash.

 

[Jayhop101]

Good point. Just curious if there is a possibility as a retirement job.

 

[sandwarrior]

Good point. Just curious if there is a possibility as a retirement job.

It would be awesome to do that. However, the reality is, any serious work you aren't going to have time to do before a match is over. It would be tremendous though if you showed up in a van and had parts to sell that do sometimes break.

There are guys who show up to Camp Perry and other big shoots and get work when the guys are practicing there. So, yeah it's doable. It'll take some pretty big money to get a truck and tooling to make it a viable gunsmith set-up. But, a supply van and a workbench would work. Sell some shirts on the side too.

IMO, it's a necessity to have a solid base under any machine you put to work. So, a home shop and good communication with your customers can produce what they are after if things go south for them. That's a good retirement job in itself.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I know two guys who are well-known smiths (shotgun specialists) that travel as you describe. One of them shows up for two weeks in April and pretty much has as much work as he can handle. The other used to try to travel and shoot but had to give up the shooting part because people would nag him right in the middle of competition!

Again, these guys are shotgun specialists who have been in the business many years and are well-known (world-class competitors seek them out) and have a huge investment in powerful rigs to tow the heavy shop/living trailer as well as the smithing tools themselves.

I'm not sure if this helps you or not. When I think of rifle work, I think of machine work involving very heavy lathes and mills for barrels and such. For shotguns, it's more about stock work (recoil pads or spacers or adjustable combs), hammer spring and firing pin replacement, etc.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

It'd be damn near impossible to be profitable. You're much better off just shooting the match and low key selling yourself to get business or just supporting matches with certs for work and such. If a rifle goes down the only way someone is going to get back in the game without loosing points is having a back up rifle. Usually there is not enough time to go diagnose the issue, fix it, re zero and then go shoot the stage you're on or the next one.