Gunsmith
A gunsmith manufactures, repairs, and modifies firearms and firearm components in a workshop setting, working with metal, wood, and mechanical systems to restore function, improve accuracy, or customise weapons. The role requires precision metalworking, knowledge of ballistics and mechanical engineering, and strict compliance with Australian firearms legislation and licensing requirements.
What this job is
A gunsmith manufactures, repairs, and modifies firearms and firearm components in a workshop setting, working with metal, wood, and mechanical systems to restore function, improve accuracy, or customise weapons. The role requires precision metalworking, knowledge of ballistics and mechanical engineering, and strict compliance with Australian firearms legislation and licensing requirements. Gunsmiths work independently or in small teams, serving licensed shooters, hunters, collectors, and law enforcement clients.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 12.2% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Machine firearm barrels, receivers, and bolts using lathes, milling machines, and precision grinding equipment to manufacturing or repair specifications. Diagnose and repair mechanical faults in firearms including trigger mechanisms, firing pins, ejectors, and gas systems. Perform barrel replacement and re-crowning using precision equipment to restore or improve weapon accuracy. Ream and lap firearms chambers to specified tolerances using calibre gauges and precision tools. Fit and bed rifle stocks in wood or synthetic materials, ensuring proper firearm support and alignment. Manufacture custom firearm components including sights, mounts, safeties, and springs using CNC machinery and hand tools. Conduct bore scope inspection and pressure testing of barrels to identify internal damage or safety issues. Maintain detailed records of all firearm work performed for audit purposes and liability protection.
Who does this now
About 160 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Registration or licensing is required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need a firearms dealer's licence and armourer's licence before you can legally work, which means background checks, training costs, and waiting periods. The real barrier is client volume: there aren't many shooters needing repairs in most Australian towns, so you'll either work in a capital city with high competition or struggle to stay busy. Custom work pays better but relies on reputation that takes years to build.
Where the jobs are
In reality, most work concentrates in larger cities where there are more licensed shooters and hunting communities. Rural areas have fewer gunsmiths but also fewer clients. Many experienced gunsmiths work solo from home workshops or small regional bases serving hunters and collectors within a few hours' drive. Remote work isn't an option for this trade.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3233, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Accurise gunscore
- Active Listeningcore
- Adjust cut sizescore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Calculate quotations for security devices servicescore
- Carry out inventory planningcore
- Casting processescore
- Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Inventory Trackingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Record Managementcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
- Complaint Handling
- Invoicing and Billing Administration
- Process Documentation
- Research and Analysis
- Stock Counting and Stocktake
- Supplier Communication
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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