An overview to working as a gunsmith.

by Mark R. Hollensen

Many years ago, I made the decision to undertake a career as a gunsmith and as part of that goal I opted to attend an accredited Gunsmith School. A couple of years later, I left school with a degree and began my search for a gunsmith job opening in shops located in my home town. Before graduating, we were asked to create a résumé listing our accomplishments, both from school and previous experience. That was the easy part. Getting hired on as a gunsmith was not. Or at least it seemed that way.

I did get hired on right after graduating and rushed back to my hometown to get started with my new career choice. At that point I felt it would just naturally happen, especially since I had a formal gunsmithing degree in hand now. However, I found that was just the very beginning of the journey. As I began working as a gunsmith, I learned on the fly some things I’d like to pass along to future gunsmiths and shop owners. While I don’t claim to be an authority on the gunsmithing business, I have walked the walk and have insights to help your career journey.

In my book The Business of Gunsmithing; A Practical Strategic Compendium (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RKLNTDJ) I cover various aspects and core elements of the job one is likely to encounter. The following are additional experiences and observations.

First, there’s the difference between what is …

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