a gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. this occupation differs from an armorer. a gunsmith does factory level repairs, renovation (such as applying metal finishes), and makes modifications and alterations for special uses. gunsmiths may also apply carvings, engravings and other decorative features to an otherwise finished gun.  ==overview== gunsmith, 1613|thumb|160px|a gunsmith at work, 1613 gunsmiths may be employed in: *factories by firearms manufacturers, *armories by military or law-enforcement agencies, *sporting goods stores, or *small gunsmith shops, as either the owner, or as one of a handful of employees. to pursue the entirety of this trade, a gunsmith must possess skills as a parts fabricator, a metalworker and/or blacksmith, a woodworker, and/or an artisan; be knowledgeable in shop mathematics, ballistics, chemistry, and materials engineering; be knowledgeable in the use and application of a variety of hand, power, and machinists tools and measuring devices; and be capable of working accurately and precisely. those who are (self-) employed in small gunsmith shops must also possess skills as small business operators; work effectively with a wide variety of customers; and remain abreast of, and comply with federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and requirements. due to the great breadth of subject matter to be mastered, many gunsmiths specialize in only a few of the skills required of the general gunsmith. alternatively, some gunsmiths learn many of the skills of the trade, but only apply them to a few weapon types (e.g. only pistols, only shotguns, only specific brands or models). ==responsibilities== the primary technical responsibility of gunsmiths is to ensure that the guns they work on function safely. they accomplish this firstly by always properly observing gun safety handling procedures: both in their own actions, and in the actions of their customers and the people around them. they accomplish this secondly by inspecting guns to ensure safe mechanical operation. gunsmiths use their in-depth knowledge of guns to guide these inspections: either repairing deficiencies; or notifying customers of unsafe conditions and taking steps to prevent catastrophic failures. some of the ways that even properly handled guns can fail and endanger their users and those around them are: * improper assembly * missing parts * cracks: all cracked parts are cause for concern, but especially so in the 
Gunsmiths Industrial_processes Manufacturing Metalworking_occupations