Gunsmith needs a job in/near Clarksville!

[Guest GunTroll]

My family and I are moving to TN in late July. Clarksville area. My wife took a job teaching for Montgomery county public schools. She always wanted to live in TN and it puts me closer to my kin so I said lets go.

I asked TGO Dave if it would be OK to post this and he said sure.

I am ex Army and a graduate from The Colorado School of Trades for gunsmithing. I was my Troops armorer before getting honorable discharged in late 07. Can anyone point me to a veteran friendly gun shop in need of loyal, honest, hard working gunsmith? I won't claim to know it all but will claim to be eager to learn what I don't know. I have worked on many different types of firearms and built several bolt guns for myself and customers of mine here in CO where I am currently at. I have refinished many guns at customer request as well. I have particular interest in hunting and precision bolt action firearms. Tactical as well. I have googled around and see what shops are in the area but since I am not there to look for myself I am turning to you guys. So if anyone could help point me to a person in need of a gunsmith, I would be in your debt.

[DWARREN123]

I would search for Clarksville area gun shops and get in touch with them to see if they are in need.

[dunndw]

You might do better to start your own shop. Seems that you might be able to work for several gun shops in the area instead of locking yourself into one shop. I know the guy in Gallatin...Sam..whatshisname gets referrals from numerous gunshops.

Startup costs and operating capital might suck, but longer term you might end up better off.

[Guest GunTroll]

You know that was my first thought. I have the capitol but wonder about the market there in CLarksville. If it is in anyway like Hinesville GA where I was stationed......ARMY= gun buying! I'll have to see what I think when my boots are down in the area.

What say you Clarksville people on here. Big firearm market up there?

[dunndw]

good thing about Clarksville...it's only an hour away from nashville. Easy drive. Once you get settled in and hang your shingle. Youll be able to expand your market. there are a couple of smiths in the middle Tn area...but there's always room for more. Once you get your name out there, people won't mind driving

[whiskey]

There is a gunsmith just south of Clarksville. He runs a small shop, sells guns and has a small range behind the shop. It is close to me so I use him a good bit. He's ex-army also.

There is probably a decent market on the north side / woodlawn / ft. campbell areas.

If I were looking for gunsmith work I would hit the local shops and see where they are sending their customers. You will do best with your own shop, no doubt. There is all the FFL requirements though, so "renting space" at a local shop may be easiest. Tennessee Gun Country would be a good place if you could get in there.

[BimmerFreak]

There are two schools of thought on this: Start your own shop, or go to work for/under an existing smith.

Its a great feeling to own/run your own shop.

You're your own man, and accept 100% of both the risk and the reward.

The downside?

(dont take this the wrong way) but 99% of the new graduates from any gunsmithing program are not ready to run their own shop.

Regardless of what CST tells you; you need several years of training under a master gunsmith.

12-16 months in Colorado and a few years using a deadblow mallet on your unit's 240Bs don't prepare you for running a successful shop.

My general gunsmith (we also have a dedicated 1911 smith) graduated at the top of his class from your exact program about two years ago.

He came to me highly recommended from the school, and was "one of their very best"

I will tell you that I did him a disservice by hiring him right out of school.

I should have required him to work under a master for 18-24 months for additional mentorship and instruction before coming to me.

Good luck, and let me know if I can do anything to help a fellow Army guy follow his dream.

[Metalhead]

There are two schools of thought on this: Start your own shop, or go to work for/under an existing smith.

Its a great feeling to own/run your own shop.

You're your own man, and accept 100% of both the risk and the reward.

The downside?

(dont take this the wrong way) but 99% of the new graduates from any gunsmithing program are not ready to run their own shop.

Regardless of what CST tells you; you need several years of training under a master gunsmith.

12-16 months in Colorado and a few years using a deadblow mallet on your unit's 240Bs don't prepare you for running a successful shop.

My general gunsmith (we also have a dedicated 1911 smith) graduated at the top of his class from your exact program about two years ago.

He came to me highly recommended from the school, and was "one of their very best"

I will tell you that I did him a disservice by hiring him right out of school.

I should have required him to work under a master for 18-24 months for additional mentorship and instruction before coming to me.

Good luck, and let me know if I can do anything to help a fellow Army guy follow his dream.

If you want to take Joe's advice and mentor with a master, you can ask our gunsmith Jeff Walle if you can. Jeff graduated from CO school of trade in 1979, and has been a career smith ever since. There are a few other excellent smith's around this area too. We're just 45mins or so from Clarksville proper.

[Guest GunTroll]

Thanks guys for all the feed back. I would like to work under someone for the very reasons above. I would be a tool for stating I know all there is to know. I so want to learn from someone who has been there, done that, type of thing. As with most things in life, there are more ways than one to get er' done and I have learned but one as of now. I did challenge the system at my school and ask way too many questions and the all annoying,( to a teacher) why question? I just plain wanted to know why things must be done this way as opposed to another. I see logic in that.

That being said I do follow direction well. Learned that from Dad the hard way and put it to use in the Army. I currently own my own business here in CO so I have an understanding of small business with big business goals. I guess time will tell with what way I go. Just thought I would plant the seed to see if anyone needed a gunsmith to hire or knew someone who did.