Brian,
Listen closely and you can hear the sound of my bitter laughter echoing through the forum!
Mostly kidding!
Actually, you'd better get used to the idea that most gunsmith's can't afford to hire another pair of hands. They're making enough for them to keep thier family comfortable, but usually not enough to pay someone else too.
The solution? (You ain't gonna like it.)
Get a job. You know, the kind that's no fun but puts food on the table and maybe a little extra to put back towards your own business.
That's the slow way, but it's usually the only way. Sometimes you get lucky and find a shop that needs a smith badly enough to pay you a decent wage.
Usually what happens though, is that a gunshop want's to advertise as a "Full Service Gun Shop." This means they need a smith in residence. The Shop owner could do it, but he knows something you don't.
He knows that for every guy that walks in the door wanting a full blown bells and whistles custom gun creation, there are going to be 2000 jerks walk in with a 20 year old Glenfield .22 semiauto. The rifle this guy brings in, is identical to the other 1999 .22 that your going to see. They all;
1. Have NEVER been cleaned. (Granpa tol' me you don't have to clean .22s!)
2. Have a visibly bulged barrel where the proud owner (standing in front of you swearing it wasn't him.) Had a bad round get stuck in the chamber , and the Genius decided to "just go ahead and shoot it out!"
3. Be only one of different production runs of the same rifle, but nevertheless, parts are NOT interchangable.
4. Be worth about 10 bucks. (sentimental value means nothing on the invoice.)
Last, this guy, like the other 1999 will think you're going to take this POS and turn it into a shining example of the Gunsmith's art. Reblue, rework, rebarrel, and CLEAN, and he thinks you're going to do it for 15 dollars. When you tell him what it's really7 going to cost, he is going to offend you.
Believe me, it ain't all roses.
BTW I have a sign over my bench which is visible to ALL customers.
"I do NOT fix junk guns. If you can't sell it for over 100 dollars, take it to someone else."
I've lost a few "customers" because of this sign, and that's exactly what I meant to do.
I don't have to try and fix that Glenfield or that RG.
Why don't I want to work on these? Are they too hard to fix?
No, they're just not worth it. You can work on this stuff for 80 hours a week and starve to death on what you're not getting paid.
I'm not trying to bum you out or turn you off, but I do want you to be aware that there are major pitfalls out there. Be careful!
BTW, Congratulations on your graduation! Now you know enough to really start learning!
Have fun and remember, there's always more to learn.
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Your mind is your primary weapon.
