How crazy am I?

Well I am trying to decide on starting a new business or not. Basically I have been out of work for a good long time now and not much is coming up in the job market. I have actually been approached lately by several parties saying that I should start my own business building custom rifles. Up to this point I have built several for myself and family members and I have fixed a few others for some other people around town.

Well as it turns out one of the family members was also hard up for money and decided to sell one of the rifles I built to a local shop. I went in the shop later and saw the rifle and said hey that is a rifle I built. This immediately got the shop owners attention and he came to talk to me and said the rifle has gotten tons of attention and there have been people coming in specifically to look at that particular rifle (it has since sold). Anyway he asked if I had a business and I told him no. He said he thinks that I should and if I wanted he would display them at his shop. I have also been told by two other family members that I should start my own business building them as well.

SWMBO is actually in favor of it as long as I start out small, kind of a side business type deal. She knows it is something I enjoy doing and that I am good at it, heck it got her Invicta for her (traded a custom AR10 for it). I am thinking about seriously about filing for my FFL and setting up shop. I will more than likely start on things like AR's, Savages and 10/22's. Basically ones I can build without some of the more expensive equipment.

So just how crazy am I?

Not crazy enough since you still haven't done it.

As long as you know you can at least break even at some point so you don't go in the hole with it, then go for it. Better than you current outlook anyway.

I say go for it!

It sounds like a good idea and it sounds like you are hitting the right board for input and advice!

However, from what I hear bother here at GRM-World and out and about, sometimes taking your hobby and making it your lifeline for money and income takes the fun out of it. You may enjoy building and working with guns on the side and as a hobby now, but you don't depend on it for your income. Just saying, it may not be what you had envisioned in mind when you started out with it...

Either way..best of luck and keep us posted!

I'd say go for it, with only one little thing bothering me about it: You are selling guns... What kind of regulations are there for building them for profit? I could see this being something like distilling alcohol.

As long as all of that stuff is in order, there is really no reason not to do it.

Keep it small, and have fun!

Check into what mtn said^^. Could be a big issue.

Dude, you already have a retail outlet! Go, man, GO!

mtn wrote: I'd say go for it, with only one little thing bothering me about it: You are selling guns... What kind of regulations are there for building them for profit? I could see this being something like distilling alcohol. As long as all of that stuff is in order, there is really no reason not to do it.

Rebel sounds like he knows what the deal is..he mentioned the FFL before anyone else did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Firearms_License

mtn yeah I I need to file for a manufacturers FFL (7) through the ATF just to do the building and modification side of things. I need a separate FFL in order to sell firearms (1) as well which I would want so that I could do net sales and ship to other shops other than just my local guy here. The type 1 will also also me to deal with some of the more fun toys that involve getting a tax stamp in order to own.

Having an actual outlet for the rifles to be on display locally will be a huge benefit as well especially considering we get lots of hunters moving through from other parts of the state and other states. I am going to work with a guy I know that was an Army sniper in order to design a few precision rifles and have him help me with testing. I also found out there is a 1000 yard range that has been built about an hours drive from where I live.

Firearm sales are only going up. If you can afford it, make a deal with some shops to sell X amount of rifles to them. May may want to test the waters before going in 100%. Within the next year I'll be buying a Blackout 300 rifle, so if you can make a high quality one for around or less than $1,100.00 (the amount the one I have picked out is) I would be happy to talk to you about it and maybe you'd be shipping it to my gun dealer within the next year. I'd like to see some of your work and wish you luck. As for crazy. You're just as crazy as the rest of us.

Also...

Read the rules, then retain a lawyer and have him read the rules. do not run afoul of the BATF, because they will shoot you, and your male children, and your wife. and your little dog too, even if you're not in Kansas anymore. Just ask Randy Weaver.

OK, no more flat fish from me. Do it! Do it! Do it!

You're having trouble finding other work, you seem good at this, you have retail support... I'd say get going. Unless the bureaucracy of the licensing represents a major cash investment that will leave strapped otherwise?

rebelgtp wrote: mtn yeah I I need to file for a manufacturers FFL (7) through the ATF just to do the building and modification side of things. I need a separate FFL in order to sell firearms (1) as well which I would want so that I could do net sales and ship to other shops other than just my local guy here. The type 1 will also also me to deal with some of the more fun toys that involve getting a tax stamp in order to own. Having an actual outlet for the rifles to be on display locally will be a huge benefit as well especially considering we get lots of hunters moving through from other parts of the state and other states. I am going to work with a guy I know that was an Army sniper in order to design a few precision rifles and have him help me with testing. I also found out there is a 1000 yard range that has been built about an hours drive from where I live.

1000yd range? Another advantage. Anything in your past that would have you sweat the FFL process? I agree with everyone else about starting small (and to a lesser degree about making a hobby a job), but it sure sounds like you have a unique opportunity here. It's worth doing a little more research, at the very least.

EDIT: x2 to what Sperlo said. Post `em up.

N Sperlo I am in the process of building up another AR10 when I get it finished I will be sure to post up pics of it. I had a catastrophic camera failure before I could get the pictures downloaded of the last one. It kinda got run over by a truck. The camera not the gun. I would be interested in building a 300 Blackout gun considering I have yet to get to play with one and I just might have to build one for myself at the same time...you know for testing

AngryCorvair Yeah I have a lawyer that is a friend of the family and has done work for us before and I was going to have him look over some things with me. My mom also does business management and can help me setup that end of things.

I just talked to SWMBO about it again and she said that I should go ahead and do it. I am going to work on selling a few of my "luxury" items I have like the Buell, the old Harley parts, some antiques I inherited and the 5th wheel camper to help fund start up. After that I will start getting all the paper work squared away, from what I understand the whole process normally takes a few months. I am still going to be looking for work and will start doing this on the side at first and as things progress I should hopefully be building guns full time.

Hmmm gonna have to start thinking of a name.

EDIT: I will work on getting a few pics up of some of my builds that are still in my collection.

This is the only one I seem to have handy at the moment. This was the first 10/22 I did and it is a good small critter gun and I can hit out at 300 yards all day long with it. It started off life as a bottom of the barrel gun in a tupperware stock.

For 10/22 based guns I would use custom made receivers that have the rail integrated. I also found some that would have the option of using a charging handle similar to an AR.

In reply to rebelgtp:

Rebel Arms

rebelgtp wrote: Yeah I have a lawyer that is a friend of the family and has done work for us before and I was going to have him look over some things with me. My mom also does business management and can help me setup that end of things.

Soooo...ability to do good work? Check.
Access to a retail outlet? Check.
Access to a range (although a little far) to "test and tune" custom built rifles to 1000yds.? Check.
Access to legal/business advice? Check.

I really don't know anything about rifles..my gun history is largely about using shotguns for waterfowl/other birds as a young guy, and handguns after I moved to a city/suburb.

Still, it sounds like you've got a pretty good opportunity here, as long as you don't get too ambitious at the start-up.

friedgreen Oh and I do also have my local range about 20 minutes away that has a 300 yard range, a 100, a 50, a tactical pistol and a "walk through" steel range.

You know I never have gotten into shotguns really though last year for Christmas SWMBO bought me a Mossberg 535 turkey gun, sadly I missed out on going turkey hunting this year.

I will get some pics up tomorrow of my predator gun and my "walkabout" AR.

Being unemployed is the best time to start a business. Since money is tight, you won't spend it on frivolous stuff. You also don't have a pesky day job taking time away from the upstart.

Best of luck to ye!

z31maniac wrote: I say go for it!

What he said and good luck!

Update just found a top receiver manufacture that is actually located here in the NW. Gonna talk to them about doing some orders once I get things setup. Also they are located near a friends place so I can go check out their operation first hand.

In reply to rebelgtp:

be sure to check into the 300s. I believe its a .223 upper, right? Probably on your list.

N Sperlo wrote: Rebel Arms

It sounds to me like you have a good handle on things are have people who will help get this started, you would be crazy not to give it a try.

AngryCorvair wrote: Read the rules, then retain a lawyer and have him read the rules. do not run afoul of the BATF, because they will shoot you, and your male children, and your wife. and your little dog too, even if you're not in Kansas anymore. Just ask Randy Weaver. OK, no more flat fish from me. Do it! Do it! Do it!

Also - avoid referring to your place of residence or business as "the compound". If it has Ridge in the name, consider moving.

That's awesome sounds like there is already demand for your product get that application in to get started. Good for you, I wish I had a product that people wanted.