[OhmsLaw43]

As a licensed gunsmith I see several firearms for cleaning only. Usually it’s the guys that have only one or two guns and rarely shoot them. I put on music and relax

 

[Andre Coop]

Maybe, somewhere, it's 5 o'clock, but not here.

 

[pineyman50]

Yesterday I would have said no.

But we were in Waco, TX visiting family this weekend and this morning at breakfast, I saw this business next door to the restaurant and they have apparently been in business a while.
The other side of the sign is pretty faded/weathered from the sun.
View attachment 190126

🤨😦

 

[pineyman50]

I used to work at a range where we offered the service of sighting in your rifle for $25 plus ammo. That was over 8 years ago. I never could imagine anybody would pay to sight in their gun, but every deer season we would be over-run with guns needing to be sighted in. Of course, nobody holds a gun the same, nobody sees the sights the same, etc., but this did not deter them. I would imagine if someone was too lazy or too busy to sight in their gun, they would pay for someone to clean it!

Crazy, would never trust anyone else to sight in my weapon.

 

[Shortonammo]

Would it be advantageous to clean guns as an extra hustle? How many people do you think get others to clean their guns compared to how many really do it themselves? Not just a basic field strip but also removing the chassis and trigger assembly if need be. Barrel, chassis, frame etc... Would this be a good side hustle? Thanks.

Guessing you are not a gun smith, are you exceptionally good at cleaning guns of all makes and models? I am not sure I would trust a stranger with my guns who did not have an established reputable business with all insurance in place. Since you potentially will be in possession of many guns you may run into regulation issues (depending on your State). If this is only an occasional side-hustle you may find yourself running into unexpected snags. Before you proceed, I recommend you approach it as if you were opening a full-time business then adjust it to your side hustle business-model accordingly. You may find it profitable but do your homework first.

 

[Brandi]

Of all my guns the only one I don't take down and clean is my Model 94 Winchester. I've read the tutorials and watched the videos and I still won't disassemble it for a full cleaning. It's never been completely disassembled for a full cleaning in it's 50 year life. Fortunately it doesn't get shot a lot and it's not difficult to clean the barrel and some of the interior so it's not been a problem. Still, I'd probably pay someone who was very familiar with the 94 for a full cleaning every 10 years or so but all the rest of our guns we do ourselves.

 

[Andre Coop]

Of all my guns the only one I don't take down and clean is my Model 94 Winchester. I've read the tutorials and watched the videos and I still won't disassemble it for a full cleaning. It's never been completely disassembled for a full cleaning in it's 50 year life. Fortunately it doesn't get shot a lot and it's not difficult to clean the barrel and some of the interior so it's not been a problem. Still, I'd probably pay someone who was very familiar with the 94 for a full cleaning every 10 years or so but all the rest of our guns we do ourselves.

The Model 94 is about same time consumed, and no more difficult than the 1911, IMHO.
Mine has a born on date of 1970. I've touched every piece, replaced a couple pieces from MGW. Oiled and waxed the furniture and deep cleaned everything.
MGW has a lot of parts in stock.

 

[rvance]

It sounds good, but I can't think of anyone who I would trust with my weapons.

 

[1911 Mitch]

Maybe, somewhere, it's 5 o'clock, but not here. View attachment 190398

Never underestimate the value of a large hand clamp on the bench!

 

[Night_Sailor]

No. It is part of firearms ownership.

Plus doing it yourself ensures it is put back together correctly. I find it fun. I was taking my fathers guns apart since I was a youngster. I did it frequently. He had a couple hiding spots for them. Looking back I'm glad he cared enough to protect us. My mother God bless her, gave me three guns over the years. Mostly because she felt I was the most level headed in the family.

 

[Bill.68]

I'm one of those people that does not enjoy cleaning my guns . No amount of posts here is going to change that . I do it because it needs to be done .

Remember though, its also sometimes called preventative maintenance and remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Suppose youre in there cleaning your gun, because you have to, and you spot a developing crack in the frame. You possibly just saved yourself a trip to the hospital.

Not sure who said it but yes, there are gun people and people who shoot guns. To each his own though.

 

[Andre Coop]

I'll comeback at this with a fresh perspective. We had our spring master gunner breakfast today, one of our newest members has chosen the "smith" route. He currently makes a complete living on three things; Cleaning, scope and laser sight mounting, and accessorizing. He says he has a spring turkey gun backlog of 3 days (1-month away), and will not start touching hunting rifles until early June at the soonest. He dedicates 6 man hours daily to his now small business, and has no end in sight. He thought this would be a good hobby/side hustle...

 

[wiz1997]

I did some investigation after reading the OP's question due to similar thoughts.

What I found is it would be best to put the question directly to the BATF.

Your "cleaning business", whether part-time or full-time borders on "gun smithing" and would require an FFL.

Some say as long as the gun owner is on the premises (you clean while he waits) a license would not be required, if the firearm is left over night you do need a license.

To many "what if" scenarios, only the BATF can answer.

A FFL is not that difficult to aquire from what I have read.

But here is something I learned when a LGS (local gun shop) owner decided to close his shop and retire.

He got out of selling guns but still wanted to do transfers and sell reloading components.

He closed the shop and set up his garage as his "place of business".

I was needing a transfer done, so I contacted him and was told he let his FFL go but was still selling reloading components.

OK, forget the tranfer, what powders do you have on hand and when can I pick it up?

Go to pick up the powder and he is out of town, so his wife takes me out to the garage to get the powder.

Discussion turns to why he let his FFL go.

Did you know the BATF can come to where your business address is, totally unannounced, and search any and all buildings on the property?

His wife stated that this is why he let his FFL go.

The BATF showed up, unannounced, then spent the next 30 minutes looking around the garage, the yard tool shed and the house.

They apparently just looked around and didn't open anything or ask for anything to be opened.

The "event" was a bit un-nerving to his wife because, he was out of town and she couldn't get hold of him until after they left.

So if you decide to go legal with the cleaning business and get a FFL, remember the BATF can search the place of business and any building on the property, any time they want.

Contact the BATF with your question to stay out of trouble.

You could probably get away with the cleaning business if kept word of mouth customers.

I won't go into the liability you might face if a firearm, you worked on, goes boom.

 

[dweis]

I would not let anyone clean my firearm(s). I see it as a critical component of safety. When I clean a gun I am inspecting it not just cleaning it. I know the proper way to clean any gun I own. Will my hired cleaner do those things? I do not know, and so I take no chances. I know I do it right.