Getting started in the gun community?

[Requiem]

Hello, fellow CalGunners. I have been thinking for a long time about getting into the gun business as a career, and I want to know what it takes to get started and ultimately what to focus on. My dream is to work on more modern firearms (AR's etc.) and their accessories. I honestly would love to get started by working for a small up-and-coming company with great services doing what I love: working with guns. However, I imagine companies such as that would not hire the young guy with little to no experience in the community other than his own personal firearm modifications and shooting his own guns. Which is the reason I'm looking into an online gunsmithing program at Penn Foster to see if this will help get me started in the right direction. Am I looking in the wrong places, or what? Where and how can I get started. I really want to get into a business and community that I have passion for.

I appreciate any and all suggestions,
-Brian

[dwa]

do the marines offer an armourers course? i would look there and them get some kind of gunsmithing cert. then from there i would suggest getting your foot in the door somewhere and from there searching for your dream job.

[B Strong]

DWA gave you the best advice, and the Corps has an armorer MOS, 2111 iirc, and all the service branches have their own armorers.

If for some reason the military isn't to your liking, there is a gunsmithing program atn Lassen Community College;

http://lassengunsmithing.com/

[Requiem]

DWA gave you the best advice, and the Corps has an armorer MOS, 2111 iirc, and all the service branches have their own armorers.

If for some reason the military isn't to your liking, there is a gunsmithing program atn Lassen Community College;

http://lassengunsmithing.com/

I love my current MOS way too much to switch anyways
So I have heard of the Lassen Gunsmithing Program but that's a little too far to travel for me personally. Would a civilian gunsmithing cert actually help me get out there, or would I just be running around in circles trying to catch my tail?

[dwa]

I love my current MOS way too much to switch anyways
So I have heard of the Lassen Gunsmithing Program but that's a little too far to travel for me personally. Would a civilian gunsmithing cert actually help me get out there, or would I just be running around in circles trying to catch my tail?

in the army you can stay 11b(infantry) and go to armourers school. do the marines have a similar thing?