would like to be an apprentice

A

Arizona78

Guest
I live in central virginia. I've alway's wanted a smith to take me in and show me the ropes and pass on the knowledge. Is this possible? Or what avenue's do I need to take to get into the trade.
 
Take a couple of years training at a gunsmithing school to start.... I can recommend Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado.
 
I had a local man approach me about teaching his son how to chamber barrels. Upon reflection I realized that he was asking me to: slow down my work pace to teach a future competitor what I know so that he could go in business in my area and he was not really interested in paying me an amount equal to what it would cost me much less any profit. His son would tie up a lathe/mill learning and I would have to watch/inspect/approve his work so as not to reflect badly on my reputation and I can screw something up at times without any assistance. While I was teaching/watching his son I was, for all intents and purposes, out of business.

Get enrolled in a machine shop class if you can and learn to operate a lathe and a mill primarily and then ease your way into a reputation. That's the route I took.
 
Good advice.

In todays harsh economic times few if any small gunsmithing businesses have the luxury of the time or the spare income to take on apprentices/trainees and start them from scratch.
Far better and easier to learn the necessary skills as a tool maker, machinist, engineering apprentice/trainee. That way you get to use someone else's machines, tools and materials to learn on and make mistakes with.Then apply those learnt skills to firearms.

A second year tool maker apprentice should be capable of doing any and all of the machining and file work required by a gunsmith.
 
MColeman said:
I had a local man approach me about teaching his son how to chamber barrels. Upon reflection I realized that he was asking me to: slow down my work pace to teach a future competitor what I know so that he could go in business in my area and he was not really interested in paying me an amount equal to what it would cost me much less any profit. His son would tie up a lathe/mill learning and I would have to watch/inspect/approve his work so as not to reflect badly on my reputation and I can screw something up at times without any assistance. While I was teaching/watching his son I was, for all intents and purposes, out of business.
Click to expand...

Yes... everything done will have your reputation on it and you will not be making any money... Gunsmithing instructors should be paid a good wage at the least and rental on their equipment...
 
Well that's a bummer. I know when I was a kid , smith's in my area would take on a apprentice for a year and then from there it's up to them. Im not looking for a free ride just some guidence. As far as taking a class at the local vocational school. The "machinist" that graduate from there can barley get by on a manual lathe. And barley would be pushing it.
 
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