Gunsmithing apprenticeships?

[Sam Vimes]

As stated in the linked thread. Joining the military as an Armourer maybe one of the few ways forward.

[pothunter]

I think that most training is in-house and, due to the demise of the British gun trade, opportunities are few and far between.
Perhaps an option is to rattle up a stunning CV and send it to the few remaining british gunmakers.
Also think about the different trades in traditional gunsmithing, although many are now "jacks of all trades" the specialist powder burner makers still have individual barrel makers, actioners, engravers, stockers, finishers etc.

I wish you the very best of luck and hope that your search is successful.

ATB

Richard

[MattLin]

As stated in the linked thread. Joining the military as an Armourer maybe one of the few ways forward.

But also mentioned in that thread - Armourers just aren't taught to the standard a civilian gunsmith is..

[pothunter]

I agree, an apprentice gunsmith starts by making the tea, sweeping up, watching the master in action, getting the bacon butties, and eventually learns all aspects of the trade from making the pins that hold the locks, through sears, hammers, springs, tumblers and firing pins, lockplates, triggers, barrels, jointing, blueing and heat treating, stocking, fitting, patterning and final finishing.

I really hope the you get to where you want to be, the country needs engineers, far more than it needs social scientists or psychologists!!

[tomgriffin]

I thought i might aswell use the thread i started a while ago rather than starting a new one ....

I really need/want a job where i can work with my hands and using machines like lathes and mills.....And im pretty sure that a local gunsmith doesn't want to train a new comer about it

So i wondered what other jobs are there that use lathes, milling machines and hand tools for forming metal (always liked it a school ) as i really do want to get into a trade which involves the above

[exmoor beast]

When I was at school in the early eighties I enquired about an apprenticeship & was told "Gunsmithing is closed shop.." (meaning family only..)I later met a smith who worked for Purdey & he was married into the firm. I would have married the fat ugly Purdey girl in a thrice!

[u.k.neil]

Being a Toolroom apprentice is a good grounding for getting into gunsmithing. Learn all the basic skills.

The only differrence really is that a toolfitter works on tools, a gunsmith works on guns. the principles are the same and guns are not as complicated as tools.

Neil

[Big Mafoota]

Yeah light engineering is about as close to gunsmithing as you'll find ( knowledge and skill wise that is)

My mate's brother is a gunmaker for Holand and Holland and he got into it via the engineering route not the gunsmithing route. Aknowledge of cnc and CAD is also vital nowadays.