I’m at that age where social gatherings with friends, some new and some old, happen on a frequent basis. We’re all exuding ambition and eager to talk about our new careers as well as life in general. This is especially true when I meet a lovely lady for the first time and she asks me what I do for a living. “Oh that’s awesome, you get to play with guns and gear all day – sounds like a dream job.” What I fail to tell her and everyone else I meet lately is that it’s definitely not the cat’s pajamas, and here are my reasons why.
Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness
We’ve all been told money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does buy guns and all the gear to accompany them – so it’s pretty much the same thing. While I like to chuckle at a phrase like that, the fact is because it’s my job to be on top of the latest and greatest gear and guns, I’m also extremely addicted to owning them. The struggle is real I tell you!!!! And what struggle is that? The struggle to balance normal expenses with guns / gun gear purchases, which almost always results in a conversation like this going on in my head: “OK, if I don’t eat lunch I can totally afford that Magpul PRS stock at the end of the month.” And trust me, I’m not alone. Behind every Colion Noir, Jesse Tischuaser, or Travis Haley, is a bank account that’s surely crying from the beating it took purchasing new products on the market from the likes of brands such as Vortex, Heckler &Koch and Arc’teryx.
Time….
-Guns are an elusive breed. When you find a new one you want to review, you need to really work at getting it into your hands quickly if you want to be relevant in this community. This is a usual conversation with my friends: “Hey we’re going downtown bar hopping tonight, it’s going to be a good time”. “Nah man, I gotta be up at 7AM so I can hit the range early and review the Trijicon Triple Titanium sights (clearly a product they should introduce) for 5 hours.” And this doesn’t even take into account the meticulous writing, rewriting, and photo editing sorcery needed so you all can enjoy my wonderful reviews. One thing’s for sure, the people that read my posts deserve the best quality possible, and while I’m happy to please, understand it’s a very time intensive process.
Turning It Off
If you thought a whole minivan full of kids could drive you crazy, try leaving your work at work when you’re right in the middle of finishing a task you’re extremely passionate about and getting paid for. Its like a pebble in your shoe, except this pebble is sporting perfectly placed edges so that no matter how you walk, there’s a constant reminder digging into your foot. Those of you here that know guns also know the passion behind the people that love these incredible tools. There’s a zeal and dedication that runs deep in gun owners, and that’s only amplified when you’re bonkers about guns and get to work in the firearms industry. I assure you the sum of people who are passionate about their job in Pew Pew companies is greater than that of the entire U.S. workforce (Don’t quote me on that).
Woe Is Me
Oh poor me…. Yeah who am I kidding, It’s awesome to work in the firearms industry. In all seriousness, next time you meet someone that works for a gun/gun gear company, and you’ve already gotten past the part about asking for free stuff like stickers, hats, etc.; ask them if they’re hiring. While I like to joke around more than I should, I mean business when I say that once you work in this industry, you’ll never look back. I sure as hell haven’t.
If it goes bang or has to deal with the outdoors then I am most likely passionate about it. If I'm not at the gun range then I'm either hiking, mountain biking or kayaking. Follow along as I dive into outdoor gear related products and topics.
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14 Responses to Why You Never Want to Work In the Firearms Industry
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Sooo stickers, hats and such? Now that that’s out of the way are you hiring?
Any tips to getting into the firearms career world?
Be flexible, know what your strengths are as far as knowledge, and do everything you can to stand out from the pack.
Im with Bill, are you hiring? Haha. But seriously, are you?? I only have about a year left in the Army , then I’m a free man looking for another fulfilling job.
If you live in the Chicagoland area, we could definitely use someone with your background and skill set. Take a look at the open positions here: http://www.opticsplanet.com/careers/
I am a 10-year mil vet that would LOVE to be in the firearms industry. I can totally related to the issues written above, except I’m not in the industry and don’t get to shoot nearly as much as I did on active duty. I have 3 big time AR brands within 20 minutes of my home. Besides actually building the rifles, what kind of careers are out there and what would I need to do to break into them?
The marketing/ product development side of things would be the ideal positions in the industry. Then again, everyone wants those so you’ll really have to stand out to get noticed by the right company. Otherwise I’d say start at the bottom, work hard and someone at the top will notice you.
Been in the software industry for most of my career and currently work for the big blue. I would love to work for the firearms industry and will switch in a heartbeat. You probably get the hint, I enjoy firearms… I know I should do my own research, but to start off, any links to any firearm companies will be much appreciated. Thanks!
Uh, you’re a journalist, Jeremy. You write about the gun industry. You don’t work in it. You
saying you work in the gun industry is like a movie critic saying he/she is a director. Or a traffic cop is in the automotive industry.
You forgot to mention that one unintentional slip up with a crooked Gun squad with local PD and Judge based on misinterpreted laws by over jealous prosecutors can cost you four years of your life fighting a 10 year prison sentence. Look up the Burbank gun store case in Pasedena. If you are going to get into the fmgun industry, stay the hell out of Commiefornia.
I also enjoy using firearms, and my wife has said more than once that I should get a job in a gun store.
My feeling is that since I retired a couple of years ago, I get to play more and going to work in a gun store would mean more work and less play, so no I don’t want to go to work in the firearms business either.
You are an extremely luck human being. Try working for a living and see what that gets you. I’d love to play all day.
TO ALL FIREARM INDUSTRIES OUT THERE. IAM A GUN ENTHUSIAST AND I REALY WANT A CAREER IN FIREARM WORLD. PLS. HELP ME GUYS.
MR. JEREMY L SIR. PLS. HELP ME HAVE A CAREER IN ANY FIREARM INDUSTRIES. I AM REALY PASSIONATE WITH GUNS. THANK YOU SIR. I HOPE YOU COULD HELP ME.