Starting a Career in the Firearm Industry: A Guide for Women

This month I want to talk about starting a career in the firearms industry, but with a small twist. The twist is women entering the firearms industry, especially when it comes to gunsmithing. Let’s face it, when it comes to firearms, there are not a lot of women involved. Establishing yourself as a female gunsmith could be a challenge, but it could open additional doors as well.

Don’t lose hope, establishing yourself as a gunsmith of any gender isn’t easy, but it is achievable. The information I am sharing will help anyone who is ready to take that leap of faith, step out, and start their gunsmithing career.

Keep Your Day Job

I have mentioned it in the past but will remind everyone again. Don’t give up your regular job as soon as you open your shop. Just because you have your certificate from a gunsmithing school doesn’t mean people will be waiting at your door every day when you turn the open sign on. Establishing yourself as a reputable smith and making it a career takes time.

When I first opened my shop, I did work for free. I started working on coworker’s firearms as well as family pieces. Those happy customers talk to other people and so the word of mouth starts to build. I went to pawn shops and gun stores to find old rusty pieces and those which seemed beyond repair and repair and restore them.

I would also take pictures before and after to show my work. I would also take the restored guns into shops to show the quality of my work. Doing this sort of marketing opened the eyes of the gun shops in my area. Women and men alike need to do the same thing. Showcase what you can do.

Lastly, unless you are independently wealthy, you won’t be able to afford all the tools, machines, and hardware to set up your shop. As I grew, I added tools, jigs, and machines. I bought a lot of secondhand items, and paid cash for everything. There were a couple folks around my area that tried to start up their shops right after finishing their school. They rented a building, brought in all the workings needed to run a shop, and closed after six months. Do the work to establish yourself before you go full-time.

Apprenticeship

Finding a local gunsmith that will let you become an apprentice would be a great way to start your career. You can learn the trade, build your own self-confidence, and recognize how to run a profitable business. The challenge is finding a gunsmith that will take you in. I have had some aspiring gunsmiths reach out to me that wanted me to train them. If they had some schooling or a gun background, I probably would have let them work in my shop. To work as an apprentice, you need to show that you can add value.

If you do land a job as an apprentice, be prepared to do all kinds of work. It will probably start with you sweeping floors, stocks to sand, and cleaning guns. Plan on being given the dirty work first. In everything you are given to do, do the best job. You are establishing your work ethic and the quality of your work. These skills will follow you to your own shop in the future.

If landing an apprenticeship doesn’t happen, then try working part time at a local gun shop. This will get you in front of the people you will end up smithing for in the future. The more they see your face and see that you are knowledgeable about firearms the more they will trust you. Be patient and professional. It will take time to establish yourself.

Knowledge

My father used to tell me that everything you ever wanted to know is written in a book. Today that is still true, but now we have the internet as well. Having all that information at our fingertips is a great thing when starting a new career. There are articles, blogs, and videos that will talk about or show you how to do just about everything in the gun world.

Because of all the available information, I used to think when I first opened that anyone could do what I do. Taking apart a firearm and reassembling it is easy, or so I thought. It took me many years to realize that I have a gift and many more years of my wife telling me that I have a gift. That gift was built from the lessons I received from working beside my father. That knowledge came from taking my own guns apart and reassembling them. The countless hours I spent staring over a firearm that I didn’t know how to fix until I stuck my nose in a book.

I have read articles, watched videos, and made friends with other gunsmiths to learn. Don’t get discouraged. Your business will flourish but it just takes time. Be very teachable and humble, as this is a very touchy subject to master. It will take a village of support for you to get where you want to be in your gunsmithing career.

Word of Hope

There are many women that are notable figures in today’s gun world. Some are members of the highly coveted American Gun Makers Guild. Some of these women have been working on guns for years like Lisa Tomlin and Sharon Dressel. Others are young, like Madeline Crumling and Zeb at Zeb Gun Making. I highly recommend reaching out to these women who are experts in their craft. Take all the words of wisdom from them you can get. They are all highly skilled at what they do.

Just because you are a woman in the gun industry doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful in your career. If you are interested and determined, then go for it. The need for gunsmiths is growing.

Semper Fi!

Written by: David Johnson, Leatherneck Gunsmithing