by GCA Member Korey Ferguson
As I lay here in bed, thinking about this past year, I am both grateful and relieved. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to chase a dream I have had for so long! I am relieved that none of the many mistakes I made have sunk me yet. I always wanted to move my hobby of working on firearms into the realm of a business. I started out by offering cleaning services to friends and family. They trusted me with their firearms and I made sure I never let them down. Then one day, after I was finally able to buy a house for my family, I went all in! I purchased a big air compressor, blast cabinet, huge oven, soak tank, a bunch of tools, cerakote, and paid my deposit to become a certified applicator. (The wait for certification has been over a year and I finally get to go in December.)
I had the opportunity to complete a lot of projects for customers over the past year. I have disassembled and reassembled over 60 firearms. I have also done 22 glock trigger jobs, a few trigger jobs on AK’s, and installed new sights on various handguns. This was all before signing up for the AGI Master Gunsmithing Course last month.
I can honestly say that I wish I would have signed up a year ago when I started looking into AGI. I have learned more in this last month watching DVD’s than I did in this last year.
Of course the Disassembly and Assembly of various firearms have been beneficial but now I actually know the function of each individual part. In the past I only watched YouTube videos and completed the puzzle. Now I can inspect the parts and understand what they are.
I look forward to the many hours of learning and becoming an all around gunsmith. I have been lucky to meet a good business partner who wanted to open up a retail shop and allow me to open up a gunsmithing and cerakote shop in the same location. I continue to grow and although there have been ups and downs, I know that continuous hard work will pay off.
I have ruined parts, broken a stock, melted a channel liner, been ripped off for $3100, and ran off a customer with mistakes. But determination to succeed, hard work, and always standing by my work; which includes making it right when there is a mistake, will hopefully allow me to build a loyal customer base.
Good job Korey, keep up the learning and standing by your word and you will come out ahead. Get everything AGI has and everything else that is out their for the areas you are working in. The more you know the better you will be for your customers.
I have been full time and on my own (not working for someone else) for over 6 years now and love every day of it. I wish I would have done it 20 years ago. I have broken stocks, screws and just about everything else. Recently I messed up a match grade Bartlein Barrel. That one cost me $340. But the good news is I got a new barrel and finished the build. A very nice sub moa PRS rifle.
Wish you all the best.
I know this article was posted a while ago but it has encouraged me in my recent decision to start my AGI Pro Level One course. I get my package next week! Sharing your experiences (you too Joseph Lajoy) has motivated me even more than I already was about my decision. I look forward to starting this new adventure and making “my” mistakes and learning from them as well as from all of the GCA members.
Thanks for the encouragement…
Miguel, hopefully you have received your coursework by now. You won’t be disappointed! Stick with it, learn, understand, and practice practice practice. I finished mine 5 years ago and planned on a part-part time retirement supplement. As it worked out I had a stroke 2 years ago, no real permanent damage, but it was an eye opener. At 62 I decided to retire earlier than planned. My point is this, you never know where your life will lead. I’m sooo glad I took the course when I did. I am now a full-time gunsmith in an area that has no other ‘in business’ gunsmiths, making money and loving every minute. Good luck to you!