Business Questions for Glock Certified Armorers

12466 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by sfguard, Nov 16, 2010

cohland

Discussion Starter · Nov 14, 2010 (Edited)

If you're a Glock Certified Armorer, I'm curious about if you do this for a business, and if you do, how you handle certain questions. The reason I specifically mentioned Glock Certified Armorers is that Glock may have policies about business conduct and parts re-sale which apply to their Armorers.

I don't think these questions would apply to Law Enforcement or Dealer Armorers even though they're Glock Certified, I'm more interested in responses from independent Armorers. It's not that I don't value the opinions of LE and Dealer folks, I certainly do, but I think that both LE and Dealer Armorers would have to follow the rules of their employers, so they probably aren't acting as independent Armorers, at least not during working hours. If you're LE or Dealer and you do Armorer work on the side, and if you're willing to talk about it, I'm all ears.

So, independent Armorers:

1. Do you advertise your services, and if so, how?

2. Do you do Armorer work strictly as an amateur (not for pay), just for the good of the sport?

3. Do you charge for your services? If so, do you charge a flat rate for jobs (for example, "detail strip and clean: $25", that sort of thing)? Or do you charge an hourly rate? Would you mind telling me what rates you charge? (If not, I'll understand).

4. Are you clear about what to charge for parts? Is Glock policy clear to you?

5. Do you carry insurance? I think that working on firearms might expose an Armorer to liability, so I wonder if you have thought about that. I'm good at worrying, which is why I ask. No, I'm not a lawyer or an insurance salesman.

Moderators, if I've started this thread in the wrong place, please make the correction and let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

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sfguard

· #2 · Nov 14, 2010

You can charge for your services. Most I know charge around $20/hour for services. I personally don't do much and when I do it is normally on a friends gun and it gets done for free. You get a price list on stuff from Glock and can charge whatever the market will allow for them. I dont carry insurance as I don't do modifications to the frame, slide or barrel. Just diagnose, and replace parts.

If you want to advertise I would say get in good with a couple of local gun shops and leave business cards with them. Go talk to CLEOs that use Glock they may or may not have a armorer on staff.

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VolGrad

· #3 · Nov 14, 2010

I honestly don't know how the BATFE regulates gunsmiths but that would be where one would fall if they decided to make an actual business out of their services as an Armorer. I suspect there is some regulation to it and for sure think one would need some type of business license, tax filings, etc. if they made a business of it.

I became an Armorer for me and me alone. I do order parts and work on guns for my friends but don't charge anything over what the parts cost me from GLOCK. It is implied that I am doing it as nothing more than a favor and no warranty, etc. exists.

I am sure some folks do try to make a business out of being a GLOCK Certified Armorer but am sure that is not exactly what GLOCK had in mind. I also suspect if you started ordering bulk parts they would contact you with some questions.

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__jb

· #4 · Nov 14, 2010

Like the others that posted above, I became a Glock Certified Armorer mainly to work on my own Glocks. I wanted the education that the certification provides. I don't plan to advertise or seek out work on other people's guns.

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sfguard

· #5 · Nov 15, 2010

VolGrad said:
I honestly don't know how the BATFE regulates gunsmiths but that would be where one would fall if they decided to make an actual business out of their services as an Armorer. I suspect there is some regulation to it and for sure think one would need some type of business license, tax filings, etc. if they made a business of it.

I became an Armorer for me and me alone. I do order parts and work on guns for my friends but don't charge anything over what the parts cost me from GLOCK. It is implied that I am doing it as nothing more than a favor and no warranty, etc. exists.

I am sure some folks do try to make a business out of being a GLOCK Certified Armorer but am sure that is not exactly what GLOCK had in mind. I also suspect if you started ordering bulk parts they would contact you with some questions.

Amoung other things you have to have a minimum of a class 1 FFL. But the FFL will keep the BATFE happy

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cohland

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 15, 2010

sfguard said:
Amoung other things you have to have a minimum of a class 1 FFL. But the FFL will keep the BATFE happy

That statement surprised me, so I looked up the topic on the ATF website under the "FAQ", and found several mentions of the term "gunsmith", many of which are related to manufacturing for resale.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/manufacturers.html

But it sure looks to me like the ATF figures that if you're a gunsmith, you are reselling guns, so you do need at least a class 1 FFL. SFGUARD, thank you for pointing that out!

As for doing work as an Armorer, I'm going to take the approach that VolGrad and _jb mentioned, and just do the work when the opportunity comes up with no fee. Except, of course, for the cost of the parts.

Thanks again, that was very helpful input from all three of you folks.

Chris

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bearone2

· #7 · Nov 15, 2010 (Edited)

VolGrad said:
I honestly don't know how the BATFE regulates gunsmiths but that would be where one would fall if they decided to make an actual business out of their services as an Armorer. I suspect there is some regulation to it and for sure think one would need some type of business license, tax filings, etc. if they made a business of it.

I became an Armorer for me and me alone. I do order parts and work on guns for my friends but don't charge anything over what the parts cost me from GLOCK. It is implied that I am doing it as nothing more than a favor and no warranty, etc. exists.

I am sure some folks do try to make a business out of being a GLOCK Certified Armorer but am sure that is not exactly what GLOCK had in mind. I also suspect if you started ordering bulk parts they would contact you with some questions.

i doubt if glock cares who becomes an armorer.

i think the irs would be more concearned than atf if you're making money and not declaring it.

cohland:
apples and oranges, a glock armorer doesn't need to be an ffl.

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cohland

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 15, 2010

bearone2 said:
i doubt if glock cares who becomes an armorer.
...cohland:
apples and oranges, a glock armorer doesn't need to be an ffl.

If I gave the impression that I thought armorers needed to be FFLs, please excuse me, I never thought that to be the case.

Chris

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VolGrad

· #9 · Nov 15, 2010

bearone2 said:
i doubt if glock cares who becomes an armorer.

i think the irs would be more concearned than atf if you're making money and not declaring it.

cohland:
apples and oranges, a glock armorer doesn't need to be an ffl.

I also don't think GLOCK cares who becomes an Armorer. My comment about a gunsmith possibly needing to be a FFL holder was in reference to sending/receiving firearms, etc. BATFE also sometimes takes a different view than you and I on what constitutes "manufacture" of a firearm. I recall reading a thread once on M4C where a guy wanted to start charging folks to do stippling on their polymer framed guns. One of the resident professional stipplers, who is also a gunsmith & a FFL holder, made a statement about BATFE regulation of gunsmiths. There was no detail but basically he said if the guy planned to go into business stippling he needed to check into licensure or some sort or risk getting into trouble. I really don't know the details.

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jlw

· #10 · Nov 15, 2010

I don't do it as a business. I service the agency weapons and help out local shooters.

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sfguard

· #11 · Nov 16, 2010

cohland said:
If I gave the impression that I thought armorers needed to be FFLs, please excuse me, I never thought that to be the case.

Chris

I didn't take it that way nor did I mean for someone else to either. I was talking about a Gunsmiths which was brought up by Volgrad

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sfguard

· #12 · Nov 16, 2010

cohland said:
That statement surprised me, so I looked up the topic on the ATF website under the "FAQ", and found several mentions of the term "gunsmith", many of which are related to manufacturing for resale.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/manufacturers.html

But it sure looks to me like the ATF figures that if you're a gunsmith, you are reselling guns, so you do need at least a class 1 FFL. SFGUARD, thank you for pointing that out!

As for doing work as an Armorer, I'm going to take the approach that VolGrad and _jb mentioned, and just do the work when the opportunity comes up with no fee. Except, of course, for the cost of the parts.

Thanks again, that was very helpful input from all three of you folks.

Chris

No problem by the way

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