Opinions on gunsmithing school

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Recently I have come to the decision that I am not happy with a retail job, working for corporate monkeys who only care about their bonus checks. I already have a Batchelor's degree but in my town it's meaningless because a better part of the population (65%) are college educated. The constraint on well paying jobs is high.

So as a result I have decided to go for my dream, working with guns. I have been seriously looking at the Colorado School of Trades. I live in Oregon and that's the closest school/most accredited I have found. Has anyone attended that school or are there any opinions alternatives? Your imput would be much appreciated.

 

[Shear_stress]

You might also look at Lassen Community College in Susanville, California. They have a full gunsmithing program. You can get a degree or take one or two week classes in the summer. I believe they also train a good chunk of the police armorers in that state.

 

[nextjoe]

Yavapai College in Arizona also has a good reputation. www.yc.edu

 

[Onmilo]

Colorado School of Trades is one of the oldest and still one of the very best Gunsmithing courses available.
This is especially true if you wish to learn modern machining techniques that go hand in hand with modern gun production such as computer numerically controlled vertical and horizontal mills and CNC lathe work.
These skills alone can be considered worth the rather steep price of the tuition now, roughly $26,000 not counting room and board for a two year accredited Associate Degree in firearm machining and repair.

The four year Bachelors degree will set you back about $55,000 and upon completion you can pretty well pick which firearm manufacturer you want to work for.

There are also extra courses available to help you set up and run your own small business and to succeed in doing so.

If you have the time and the money, I can recommend that you go.

 

[shooter58]

I second the vote for Lassen Community College in Susanville, Ca. They have an excellent gunsmithing ciriculum there, and it is a lot closer than the school in Colorado.

 

[hso]

3 of the gunsmiths in town came out of the Colorado school (2 bachelors and 1 associates) and while I can't comment on other schools I can say that their knowledge and skill is impressive.

 

[Erich]

I'd recommend the CO School in Trinidad. They have part-time courses and introductory courses you can take. It's also cheap.

I have a friend who takes courses there in the summertime, and he's getting great training. The skills he has learned are solid.

 

[WT]

First off, Colorado is a very good school. A friend learned his trade there.

That said, is the firearms business a growth industry? Will it provide stable employment for the next 30 years? Or will restrictions increase and sales decline?

Tough to make accurate predictions.

Maybe your mechanical interests would be better served if you spent 2 years studying mechanical engineering. I am sure some of your current bachelor's coursework would be counted for credit to a BSME/MSME degree.

 

[dfariswheel]

One thing about Lassen, Yavapai, Trinidad, and Colorado School of Trades:
They train PROFESSIONAL gunsmiths.

NOT gun hobbyist or tinkerers, "armorers", or parts replacers.

They turn out real professionals who are qualified to work for gun companies, custom gun makers, the military, police agencies, and the Federal government.

Firearms/small arms gunsmith's are always in short supply, and real pros don't have a lot of trouble finding jobs.

Most of the good schools also have job placement services, and I'm sure recruiters pay visits to the graduating class.

If you want to do it, do it RIGHT, and go where a graduation certificate or degree actually means something, and has value to employers.

 

[Jason M.]

This is a very timely thread for me. It looks like my military career may be cut short due to medical reasons. As such, I've been shopping around for both colleges and majors. It's comforting to see that a good gunsmithing school is located in my home state of Arizona. (I like travel, but the military tought me I also like home. )

Very interesting indeed.

Are there any professional gunsmiths (the type dfariswheel speaks of) who would be willing to chime in on what they think of their career?

 

[biere]

Would it be proper to figure that the skills learned in a serious gunsmith school could be applied in other areas?

Someone above mentioned looking at job security and the way laws are going I don't know that gunsmithing is the most secure job you could choose but I suspect someone able to do that type of job well could do all sorts of mechanical type jobs well.

I know that just taking some automotive courses at a tech school have helped people doing other jobs since the concepts are the same they are just applied differently at times.

I am mostly wondering what else jobwise would be possable if all the gun companies were folded up and put in feinswines hope chest?

I like being a jack of all trades so I know I could go play repair guy in all sorts of factory jobs and what not where you are repairing expensive machinery and making some decent money. Well, this is if I had a gunsmith school certificate and the knowledge that goes with it.

As someone who went to a tech school for a bit I do highly recomend you find out how many compaines recruit from that school and what not.

In my automotive program a decent sized tire store was affiliated with the school and you could start changing tires as a co-op student and wind up manager of a store eventually if you had the courses and ability to back it up.

Many auto and truck repair shops came to the school looking for co-op students as well. Basically anyone with good abilities like showing up on time for work and sober could have a job when they graduated. And having a co-op program also let students and companies see how things worked.

 

[Gifted]

Gunsmithing has alot to do with machining, and precision manufacturing. If you're familiar with the production side, you can go to work for companies that don't make guns, though you won't be making full use of your skills.

 

[entropy]

You mean you have to go to gunsmithing school to work on small arms in the military? Gee, I did it all wrong...

 

[Chipperman]

"You might also look at Lassen Community College in Susanville, California. "

A gunsmithing school in CA???

What do they train with, a sledgehammer and blow torch?

 

[Car Knocker]

Lots of people in CA have guns. Last I heard, something like 45,000 people had CCWs.

 

[bogie]

There's a big difference between someone who can fit a barrel to an AR-15 upper or to a 1911, or who can replace a trigger, and a "true" gunsmith - someone who can take a few chunks of steel, and when they're finished with it, they'll have a gun.

 

[trey gil]

Out of curiosity, how much can one expect to make as a gunsmith?

I am sure it is a wide range depending on the work but are the general numbers someone would care to quote? Is the pay better with the four year degree vs. the 2 year associates.
If you already have a Bachlor's degree, then is going to school and becoming a gunsmith going to afford you less in the future because of less pay?

I have no clue about the payrates or the requirments for gunsmiths, and I do understand there is a huge value to doing something you enjoy so I am not trying to sound rude, just curious....I am sure it is somehting a lot of us would love to do

 

[Shipwreck]

Around where I am at, I don't think it's a huge money making business. Plus, you need a lot of up front investment in tools and equipment.

If you become one of those guys that everyone on the internet sends their guns to (like Tripp Research), then you can make a killin.'

 

[entropy]

- someone who can take a few chunks of steel, and when they're finished with it, they'll have a gun.

I did that in high school- (sans rifling-they didn't have a rifling lathe setup ) It didn't qualify me as a gunsmith then.......or did it?

 

[f4t9r]

If thats your dream , GO for it

 

[bogie]

Depends...

There's a fellow here in town who can take steel, and hand you a 1911... With rifling...

And I know more than a few folks who have built their own accuracy actions...

 

[Sunray]

No matter what reputation a school has or how high your marks are, you'll be coming out with no experience. No experience usually means finding a job will be difficult. It's the same as any other trade.
In most cases, you need to be able to live for a year or two either on what funds you have or doing something else while you look for a job. Moving closer to one of the schools, finding a job in your current field and studying part time may be an option. You should be prepared to move East as well, if you're thinking of applying to one of the firearm manufacturers.
The workies in firearms factories aren't smithy's either. They're skilled, production machinists and machine operators. Nor are military weapons techs gunsmith's. They're firearm mechanics working on very limited types of firearms.
However, I'd suggest you contact the schools and ask for references. Graduates with jobs. Find out what companies are hiring said grads and talk to them too. Trying to start any small business is difficult and doubly so for a new smithy. Goes back to the no experience thing. Very few smithy's make large dollars either.

 

[dfariswheel]

I had the advantage of being both a gunsmith AND a graduate of a watchmaker school and a working Master watchmaker.

SMART people in ANY type of graduate class are looking for jobs LONG before graduation day.

An amazing number of people (usually kids) wait until they get the degree THEN start looking.

The smarter and/or older experienced students start really looking at the beginning of their last year, and if they are competent people, they usually have a job already locked in by diploma day.

It's largely true of any profession or trade that you learn almost as much your first year at work than you do in school, but that's on the practical side.
No, you may not have the experience, but you DO have the skills, and that's what employers hire.

If you're a REAL, trained professional gunsmith, there are PLENTY of jobs available.

Most large police departments need gunsmith/armorers.

The military often employ civilian gunsmiths, especially in the special operations type units and in government arsenals and repair depots.

Federal law enforcement agencies hire gunsmiths to be armorers or to build and maintain sniper rifles and other weapons for the SWAT teams.

ALL gun companies hire gunsmiths to do repairs and troubleshooting on customers guns, and many, like Colt, Remington, and S&W run custom shops that build custom guns.
When new models are being R&D'd, gunsmiths are part of the design team.

Many of the larger custom gun shops, have a number of gunsmith's and are often looking for new people.

Private companies involved in research and development or government projects hire gunsmiths.

Federal agencies and big companies you'd never think of having gunsmiths working for them, do.

A smart, new gunsmith doesn't start his own business right out of the gate.
This is a high dollar startup type business, and running your own business, you're NOT really a gunsmith.

You're a BUSINESS MAN who gets to do some gunsmithing in between filling out papers and forms for the government, and doing financial operations.

The best way to do it is to start lining up good job leads at least a year before you graduate.
By the middle of your last year, you should have at least 3-4 HARD leads lined up, and by graduation day, you should have a job locked in and waiting.

You get to do a LOT more gunsmithing if you work for an employer, and there's no paper work and business BS.

Work for the government, and you have great pay, retirement, and benefits.