Gunsmithing apprenticeships?

[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.

[tomgriffin]

Cheers for your replies

So any idea where i should start then.......

Should i ask any local engineering companies......there is a gunmakers close (ish) by (Jason Abbot (Gunmakers) Ltd) in thame so im going to write a nice letter (call him after a week if no reply) to him and ask if he would allow me to train with his company as an apprentice (might work you never know )

If anyone nows of an engineer or engineering company "down south" who would like or may be willing to train me.......then please let me know

cheers.....tom griffin

[MattLin]

Find a local college that does engineering apprenticeships, then look around for companies to sponsor you..
You'll more than likely have to spend a year in college.

Its probably unlikely that a firm will just take you on, especially for anything engineering based - Its not like being a plasterer..