How to Choose a Gunsmith

Choosing the right gunsmith can be a frustrating, hit-or-miss process of trial and error. Should you trust your valuable firearm to your brother-in-law who swears he can fix it for beer money? Do you send your hunting gun out of state and then pray that it gets back in time for opening day? Is it worth waiting for big-name custom shops that are backlogged for a year or more? How do you know that the local storefront gunsmith is more than a former car salesman with a business degree and a couple of "How to Be a Gunsmith" videos under his belt? Online reviews are easily manipulated and not always a reliable way to separate the wanna-be's from the real deal. This article offers some clear, sensible guidance to help you avoid disaster.

First and foremost, make sure that your gunsmith has a valid Federal Firearms License (FFL). It is illegal to work on other people's guns for money without an FFL. Yes, some folks do it, but if you do business with an unlicensed gunsmith you are playing a dangerous game. When Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms finally knocks on his door, your guns will be held in evidence and you won't be seeing them anytime soon. So you owe it to yourself to deal only with reputable, licensed FFL gunsmiths. I could tell you at least one story of an individual doing business--storefront and all--for a rather extended time period after the lapse of his federal license. Don't assume. The license is supposed to be posted in plain view; if you can't see it, or it looks expired, you need to ask for clarification.

Secondly: insurance. Does the gunsmith carry appropriate insurance for fire and theft? If not, guess what happens to your gun when there's a burglary or fire? That's right--you are flat out of luck. Business insurance in the firearms industry isn't cheap, and the smaller shops are less likely to carry it. Do yourself a favor and stick with fully above-board gunsmiths who are licensed and insured.

Next is the issue of professional qualifications. Strange but true, there is no legal requirement that a "professional" gunsmith have any training whatsoever! You can't do haircuts or pedicures without certification, but you can fix guns. Yikes. Perhaps this is why so many horror stories abound in this industry. All too many gun owners have heard of fine guns getting butchered by incompetent amateurs--and even, sadly, some alleged professionals. So let's take a look at the different types of credentials that are out there, and how to sort through and interpret them.

Many gunsmiths are entirely self-taught. This does not necessarily mean they don't know what they're doing; it's just harder to tell, when there's no piece of paper or certification to establish their professional competence. Proceed with caution. Self confidence and bold, macho claims do NOT always mean that someone is able to make a 1911 feed properly, or hold .0001" concentricity on your rifle chamber job.

Reputation is also an important factor. If a gun smith has good word-of-mouth reports, that's a pretty good sign. Aside from asking your friends, family, and the guys at the range, local gun shops are usually more than willing to give their opinion on the matter. Be sure to call a few of them, to see if their opinions consistently point you in the same direction. Finding reviews online can be helpful, but be sure to use websites that are centered on firearm discussion; a strong knowledge of firearms is essential for writing a trustworthy review, and you are more likely to find such reviews on the Cal Guns Forums than Yellow Pages online. 

Formal gunsmith training is available from civilian gunsmith schools (Lassen College, Colorado School of Trades, etc.), from the military, and from various firearms factory schools. These are all good ways to learn, and you will hopefully find a gunsmith who has attended at least some of them. For instance, here at Merlyn Rifleworks, five of us (Dan, Andrew, Jimmy, Carla, and Chuck) have been to Lassen College, completing a variety of hands-on gunsmithing courses; two of us (Scott and Sal) have been trained as armorers by the US Marines; and Chuck has been to more factory firearms schools than we can list here, during his time as a police armorer.

In addition to the traditional classroom-based gunsmith schools, there are a variety of video-based programs. Probably the premier among these is offered by the American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI); there are others. If diligently pursued, these programs can be outstanding. But make sure that your gunsmith has done his homework, and that the instructional materials have not simply collected dust. The AGI course has a series of demanding exams that must be passed in order to earn certification. Supplementing his Marine armorer training, Scott has passed everything AGI threw at him and has the documentation to prove it.

Another facet of gunsmith training can be machine-shop certification. Keep in mind, however, that while machine skills are useful in gunsmithing, most machinists are not gunsmiths! This is especially true considering that these days, most production machinists deal exclusively with computer-controlled equipment which is not relevant to the kind of one-off manual machining necessary for fitting or fabricating gun parts. The professional gunsmith should use the most accurate methods possible--no eyeballing, no drill pressing when a mill is called for. Our pistol machining is done by Scott, who meticulously utilizes proper setups to ensure that every hole, every ramp angle, and every dovetail comes out perfectly. Our rifle barreling is done by my old friend Jim Gronning of Gruning Precision (open only to the military, law enforcement, and Merlyn Rifleworks). Formally trained with a Journeyman card, Jim spent years as an aerospace machinist doing the most precise atmospherically-controlled machining possible. Now he offers that same expertise cutting threads and reaming rifle chambers to fantastically close tolerances to produce international-level competitive and duty guns. Pardon me for bragging about my team . . . .there are other excellent guys out there. Just make sure, before you pay the big bucks, that you are getting the real deal.

Last but not least, try to find a shop that can handle all your needs in-house. It is not a good sign when certain kinds of jobs have to get sent out to God-knows-where because no one on the premises is qualified. Some shops send out their machine work without telling you where your gun went. This drives up the cost; it drives up the lead time; and it greatly complicates quality control. Sadly, some gunsmiths are not up-front about who really does their work. I've seen websites with demo guns that were NOT built by the shop showing them. Ask your gunsmith: who does your machine work? What kinds of jobs do you send out? There isn't anything necessarily dishonorable about a small shop that sends certain kinds of work out to be done by subcontractors--after all, it's nearly impossible for one or two people to cover all areas of expertise--but the shop needs to be honest about it.

Here at Merlyn, we do not send out anything, other than rifle machining to Jim Gronning, one mile down the road. We are blessed to have a truly amazing crew assembled right here, ready to cover any project you can dream up. This includes fixing any gun that's remotely fixable--rifle, pistol, or shotgun; building world-class custom pistols and rifles; certified application of Cerakote, bluing, and other firearms finishes; and restoration of antiques. The very talented Carla Torres offers traditional hammer-and-chisel engraving. Jimmy does expert wood work of all kinds, including custom archery equipment. If you need to sell something on consignment, Andrew is a professional photographer and will make your gun look its absolute best on the internet. We are a bit unusual in having so many bases covered so well. Hopefully you will have a good experience choosing the right gunsmith. Of course, if you're in Southern California, you've already arrived! We do mail orders, too.