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A career designing firearms

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  DRM 
#1 ·
Many times the question "what would your dream job be?" has been asked. Well, from the title, I'm sure you can guess mine. But, what schooling should I take? My guess would be mechanical engineering. But I'm wondering if there is any school or course I could take that is SPECIFICALLY for weapon engineering/designing, or whatever. Because if there is, I think that'd be the best thing 'cause everything they would teach would be completely relevant to what I want to do. Can anyone help?
 
#2 ·
I plan to do something similar. Right now I'm working on a criminal justice degree (hey, I gotta work until I can get a prototype built right?), but I plan on getting a mechanical engineering degree when I'm finished with this one in order to give me a good solid base of knowledge in order to work from when designing a firearm. I also plan on adding a few art electives as well. A gunsmithing school would be a good idea as well; There is one in Pennsylvania that I know of, but I'm sure there are more.
 
#5 ·
Some history as well, so you can learn what has already been done and don't spend a lot of time re-inventing the wheel. Also as budget permits, buy a collection of interesting firearms from the past, Luger, broomhandle, krag, AK, Johnson, AGB42b, etc. Fondling and using these old firearms will help you understand how culture and tech of the time factors into design. Not to mention how regulations effects designs and not just in the gun world.

what will be a very useful tool in the future is 3D printing and rapid prototyping. My friend had mags made with a rapid prototype machine to try out different ideas, very little costs involved and clearly the way ahead to test ideas.
 
#6 ·
Take some time to read up on successful firearms designers in the past.

See what road they took...
 
#7 ·
As a Firearms Designer & Consultant, I'll give you my 2 cents...

I took Drafting in 7, 8 & 9th grade. In High School I took 3 years of Drafting at the Vo-Tech. Then onto Mechanical Engineering in college. After 30 years, here's what I would recommend now:

#1: Auto-Cad (or some version of Computer Aided Design). This is an absolute MUST.

#2: Machine Shop school. Not a cram course, learn to cut steel. :hand10:

#3: Mechanical Engineering, at least a couple of years. Metallurgy is far more important than Math (IMO) as I had all my math up to and including calculus, but never needed it. :blink: Leave the number crunching to the guys who specialize in it, they love it (I don't :icon_neutral:). I was always more into the conceptual design aspect myself. I would always seek out the appropriate Engineer as needed, when needed, and I still do. :smile:

#4: Gunsmithing. You can't beat problem solving and trouble shooting. Creating my own Dream Blaster was how I got started as a pistolsmith.

Hope this helps,

D.R. Middlebrooks
Tactical Shooting Academy - Home
 
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