How to Become a Gunsmith
The process of how to become a gunsmith is a fairly easy one: Meet federal guidelines and learn your trade. However, intricacies in the law and the demands of the gunsmith occupation require more than just a casual effort.
General Knowledge on Becoming a Gunsmith
While in high school, classes in woodworking, metal-working and drafting can prepare you well for aspects of becoming a gunsmith. Depending on the level of the license, gunsmiths make, modify, repair and even design guns according to customer requests and specifications.
If you don’t have prior knowledge and experience in these areas, your first step in how to become a gunsmith might be to enroll in online courses from a vocational or even a top online college to gain that foundational knowledge.
You can obtain gunsmith training without this information, but your overall proficiency and expertise—as well as your later training period—is maximized by entering your field of choice with as much information under your belt as possible.
Additional skills and knowledge you will find helpful is a solid base in mathematics, business communication and management skills and a bit of psychology. If attending undergraduate school another four years isn’t appealing, get your online degree at the associate’s level in business administration from an accredited online school.
Career Training
While it is theoretically possible to enter this trade without formal training, it’s not recommended. Lack of training finds no sympathy in the law. The second and highly recommended step in how to become a gunsmith is to attend and pass formal course training via a vocational school or a one- or two-year program sponsored by an accredited school.
You learn not only the mechanics involved in repairing weaponry but also authorized modifications and license-authorized actions. You learn how to keep federally mandated paperwork, postal regulations and business procedures. You will also be taught everything you need to take your Federal Firearms License (FFL) exam—a highly technical and precise test.
You will also learn the differences between gunsmith license levels, which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) monitors very, very closely.
Federal Requirements to Become a Gunsmith
To obtain a gunsmith license, you first must be over the age of 21 and able to own a licensed weapon. You won’t be able to earn your FFL if you can’t obtain an ownership license.
Determining what type or level of gunsmith license you require is the next step in how to become a gunsmith. Your license type determines not only what you, as a gunsmith, can do but what your customers and other gunsmiths can ask for and receive.
Currently, the AFT issues 8 levels of gunsmith licenses. Higher licenses may allow some attributes of lower level licenses, but the reverse is never true.
Types 01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 08, 09 and 10 annotate what type of guns the gunsmith can repair, whether manufacturing of custom parts is authorized and whether the gunsmith can manufacture and sell ammunition or other components. Certain licenses denote collectors, pawnbrokers and importers as well as other specific actions, authorities and restrictions.
Gain extra experience after schooling by becoming an apprentice. This extra training will minimize your learning curve and maximize your success. You will then be able to obtain the correct license for your interests once you have learned how to become a gunsmith.
