Retirement Career: What makes a Gunsmith an Amazing Retirement Job?

Being a gunsmith can be a good retirement career. In fact, for most of the retired soldiers, it can be the ideal retired military jobs. They use machines and hand tools to build, repair, and modify firearms of all sorts to meet blueprint and customer specifications. It can be recalled that gunpowder is believed to have been invented in the ninth century by the Chinese, who used it mainly for rockets and firecrackers. When gunpowder was introduced to Europe in the fourteenth century, the face of warfare was changed forever. It is still used today, from large field artillery to small handguns. Moreover, both long guns and handguns consist of three basic elements: the barrel, the stock, and the action or firing mechanism. The gunsmith assembles these parts according to blueprint orders or to customer specifications. The pieces are usually made by parts manufacturers, but for special custom-made guns or for the restoration of antique guns, the gunsmiths may make the piece.

Particulars of the Job

As part of this retired job, the gunsmith first takes the stock of the gun and attaches the barrel and the action to it. Then the parts are aligned properly. The gunsmith may also attach equipment such as metallic or optical sights for aiming the gun, pistol grips, decorative pieces, and recoil pads to cushion the impact of the blast to the shooter. Gun stocks may be either machine made or cut by hand. Those that come from factories may be only partially completed, so the gunsmith can carve it to a perfect fit for the action and barrel being attached. The firing and accuracy of the gun will be affected if all the pieces are not expertly put together. One popular method of attaching the pieces is called glass bedding, in which the gunsmith pours a liquid compound such as fiberglass into the hollow part of the stock. The action and barrel are then attached and the compound is allowed to harden, which ensures a tight fit. The gunsmith may finish or polish the gun stock with lacquers, oils, resins, or other finishing material.



In their retirement careers, gunsmiths also treat and protect the metal parts of the firearm by a process called, ‘blurring.’ The first step in the process is to strip the old finish from the action and the barrel, and then the metal parts are immersed in a bluing salt bath. This gives the metal a rust-resistant surface and also imparts a bluish color to the metal. Certain gunsmiths become experts in this, and other gunsmiths may send their bluing work to them. Specialization in other aspects of the gunsmith process is fairly common among practitioners. Other gunsmith tasks include the re-boring of barrels to enlarge the caliber of the bore and cutting new rifling into the barrels of small firearms with a broaching machine. Gunsmiths also can install choke devices onto shotgun barrels to allow more control of the shot pattern.

Custom work on firearms gives gunsmiths the chance to display their special skills which could somehow expand their retirement opportunities. Often a hunter will come in with plans for a specially hand-made rifle, and the gunsmith will make the rifle from blank factory pieces. Gunsmiths can also adapt a firearm for special use, such as converting a military rifle to a hunting rifle. To do this, they might re-chamber the action to accept non-military cartridge cases. The barrel might also be re-bedded or replaced, the trigger mechanism modified, and recoil pads and butt plates added. Gunsmiths are often asked to repair antique guns that have historic or sentimental value. They will take the mechanism apart and replace any worn or broken pieces. If these pieces are not still manufactured, the gunsmith may have to make it or contract another tradesperson to make it.

Requirements

To become a skilled gunsmith, a person needs a strong background in metallurgy, ballistics, welding, machining, chemistry, woodworking, and electronics in order to land a good retirement employment in this field. Classes that can help high-school students prepare for this career include mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, metal-work, woodworking, shop math, physics, and chemistry. Practical application of mathematics, including decimals, fractions, and the metric system, is also very important. Some people learn the trade of gunsmith through apprenticeships in a gunsmith’s shop or in a firearms factory. This can take up to four years of study. Another method of training is to take classes to any gunsmith schools available in any state. Likewise, it is essential for gunsmiths to have an interest in the proper use and care of firearms.

To learn more about retirement jobs, you may visit at RetirementCrossing.com and find thousands of listings that will guide you to your career path. Sign up now for free!