Gunsmith
What the work is
Modifies, services and repairs rifles, revolvers, other firearms, ammunition and protective gear, and conducts preventive maintenance of weapons used by defence, law enforcement and other organisations.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Inspects, tests, maintains and repairs firearms, ammunition and protective gear to ensure proper functioning and compliance with licensing and safety regulations
- Modifies, alters and calibrates rifles, revolvers and other firearms for optimisation
- Performs preventive maintenance tasks including cleaning and lubricating weapons to ensure proper functioning of weapons and armour
- Carries out destruction of obsolete firearms and other controlled items
- Maintains detailed records of equipment maintenance, repairs and inspections
- May oversee the storage, distribution and inventory of ammunition
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small locksmith and key-cutting shop with a work van, in a fictional suburban shopping strip. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A stuck lock opens, a relieved person walks in and you are the one who made it happen
- A new lock fits perfectly and turns smoothly on the first try
- A tricky key cut by hand that works the first time
Hard days
- A call-out late at night to a stranger in a stressful situation
- Being asked to open something and having to check carefully that the person has a right to it
- A lock that has been forced or damaged and a customer who is upset about it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 332333, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.