gunsmith schools
- Thread starter tiko_joe
- Start date
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Zeke/PA
Member
Trinidad State Junior College.
Trinidad,Colorado
Trinidad,Colorado
JesseL
Member
Yavapai College Gunsmithing program in Prescott AZ.
gunsmithgirl
Member
Colorado School of Trades
dfariswheel
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
- Messages
- 6,656
Here's the full list:
Colorado School of Trades, Trinidad Jr College, and Lassen are generally considered to be the best.
Colorado School of Trades
1575 Hoyt Street
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: 800-234-4594
Lassen Community College
P.O. Box 3000
Susanville, CA 96130
Phone: 530-257-4211
Modern Gun School
80 North Main Street, P.O. Box 846
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 800-493-4114
Montgomery Community College
1011 Page Street
P.O. Box 787
Troy, NC 27371
Phone: 800-839-6222
Murray State College
One Murray Campus
Tishomingo, OK 73460
Phone: 580-371-2371
Penn Foster Career School
ICS-Intext
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
Pennsylvania Gunsmith School
812 Ohio River Blvd.
Avalon
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
Phone: 412-766-1812
Piedmont Community College
1715 College Drive
P.O. Box 1197
Roxboro, NC 27573
Phone: 336-599-1181
Pine Technical Institute
900 4th Street
Pine City, MN 55063
Phone: 800-521-7463
Sonoran Desert Institute
10245 East Via Linda, Suite 102
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Phone: 480-314-2102
Trinidad State Jr. College
600 Prospect
Trinidad, CO 81082
Phone: 800-621-8752
Yavapai College
1100 East Sheldon Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
Phone: 520-776-2150
Colorado School of Trades, Trinidad Jr College, and Lassen are generally considered to be the best.
Colorado School of Trades
1575 Hoyt Street
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: 800-234-4594
Lassen Community College
P.O. Box 3000
Susanville, CA 96130
Phone: 530-257-4211
Modern Gun School
80 North Main Street, P.O. Box 846
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 800-493-4114
Montgomery Community College
1011 Page Street
P.O. Box 787
Troy, NC 27371
Phone: 800-839-6222
Murray State College
One Murray Campus
Tishomingo, OK 73460
Phone: 580-371-2371
Penn Foster Career School
ICS-Intext
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
Pennsylvania Gunsmith School
812 Ohio River Blvd.
Avalon
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
Phone: 412-766-1812
Piedmont Community College
1715 College Drive
P.O. Box 1197
Roxboro, NC 27573
Phone: 336-599-1181
Pine Technical Institute
900 4th Street
Pine City, MN 55063
Phone: 800-521-7463
Sonoran Desert Institute
10245 East Via Linda, Suite 102
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Phone: 480-314-2102
Trinidad State Jr. College
600 Prospect
Trinidad, CO 81082
Phone: 800-621-8752
Yavapai College
1100 East Sheldon Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
Phone: 520-776-2150
thanks everyone, i learned one thing there isnt a gunsmith school anywhere in the state of utah. im in the military so its kinda hard to just get to lassen community college. how are those online schools they dont seem to cover has much but are they at least respectable??
Zeke/PA
Member
joe,
Take some advice and don't waste your money on the on-line stuff.
Zeke
Take some advice and don't waste your money on the on-line stuff.
Zeke
gunsmithgirl
Member
I agree. You can't replace hands on training. If you cannot attend a school try to find a reputable local smith who would let you apprentice.
john.paul.harris
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2007
- Messages
- 19
So of those listed above which would be the best of all?
Most of the schools above are very good and will give you some good training, After the military you have several options including Apprenticeship, You can use your GI Bill for both. Depending on how long you have to go in the service and on your mos their is also an apprenticeship open in the Army for gunsmiths. At any rate you can take business classes and possibly machine classes at a community collage near the base and if the classes can be used in your mos you can get the service to pay for them. For apprenticeship info you can check with www.taogart.org The time you spend in school will count in the 4 year apprenticeship as well. If you need help finding a sponsor they can help.
Good luck
Good luck
In the big list above, Sonoran Desert Institute is a correspondence course. Does anyone know anything about them. I can not move from here due to not wanting to close my business and there are no options to schools close by. I do not care all that much about learning machining. I am basically just wanting to learn how to work on my own firearms.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I have no actual experience with any correspondence schools.
But I can't imagine any of them could teach you anything you couldn't learn as well or better by just reading a few of the better gunsmith books.
Actual hands-on experience with someone looking over your shoulder who knows what they are doing is invaluable.
rcmodel
But I can't imagine any of them could teach you anything you couldn't learn as well or better by just reading a few of the better gunsmith books.
Actual hands-on experience with someone looking over your shoulder who knows what they are doing is invaluable.
rcmodel
I am doing some reading on my own right now, but would like a little more structure. The list provided above is the one posted on Brownells and The Association of Gunsmiths and Related Trades sites as well as some others. This list seems to be pretty comprehensive and only list reputable schools. By being on that list, it seems to give some credibility to Sonoran Desert Institute. Just wondering if anyone has experience with them.
krs
Member
Jay,
Have you looked at the site of that Sonoran 'school'?
They offer a home course in home inspection presumably for prospective pre-sale home inspections offered to buyers of homes.
Their links to anything to do with guns are an application for the course, a "How to get a C&R FFL" link and they state that they are close to the Ben Avery shooting range ("what better place to learn about firearms?" is asked on the site)
I wouldn't put any of my hopes or plans into that place doing more than taking some of my money.
Have you looked at the site of that Sonoran 'school'?
They offer a home course in home inspection presumably for prospective pre-sale home inspections offered to buyers of homes.
Their links to anything to do with guns are an application for the course, a "How to get a C&R FFL" link and they state that they are close to the Ben Avery shooting range ("what better place to learn about firearms?" is asked on the site)
I wouldn't put any of my hopes or plans into that place doing more than taking some of my money.
I have looked at the site and they do offer both the home inspection and gunsmithing courses as well as medical assisting through another name. However, I am looking for someone that has experience with this place. I am always skeptical about ANY correspondence school. However, there are some legit courses offered through correspondence. I have taken some through the Army when I was active duty instead of having to go TDY somewhere for a class. I have also done some distance learning through the college I was attending so I would not have to drive an hour for a specific class or wait till they offered it on campus again. There are some legit schools.
The only reason that I am even looking at Sonoran it that they are listed on TAOGART and Brownell's sites as a reputable school. They are also listed on the "MidwayUSA list of recognized Gunsmithing Junior Colleges and Technical Schools." That does lend a little credibility to the school. I am looking for someone that actually knows about this school.
The only reason that I am even looking at Sonoran it that they are listed on TAOGART and Brownell's sites as a reputable school. They are also listed on the "MidwayUSA list of recognized Gunsmithing Junior Colleges and Technical Schools." That does lend a little credibility to the school. I am looking for someone that actually knows about this school.
krs
Member
I'd bet that you and I could get ourselves listed on those places simply by sending a letterhead requesting to be listed.
In other words, I don't think I'd interpret a school or anything else as being recommended by any of those companies. I'm saying this with the fullest regard for Brownell's a person could have. I've been doing business with them for nearly forty years but I will say, even with such a regard and continuing purchases, that Brownell's will sell me some pretty junky products if I order them because I find them listed in their catalogs or website.
In other words, I don't think I'd interpret a school or anything else as being recommended by any of those companies. I'm saying this with the fullest regard for Brownell's a person could have. I've been doing business with them for nearly forty years but I will say, even with such a regard and continuing purchases, that Brownell's will sell me some pretty junky products if I order them because I find them listed in their catalogs or website.
I went to Trinidad. Graduated in 1994 and took Basic and Advanced Engraving courses through the NRA summer schools with Jon Baraclough. The summer courses are great if you cant go full time through the year.
If you need more info let me know, I dont know much but I can point people in the right direction.
If you need more info let me know, I dont know much but I can point people in the right direction.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2002
- Messages
- 22,510
I'm hesistant towards any correspondence course. Personal instruction and class demonstrations contributes greatly to one's education. Being able to consult a "live" instructor who can provide guidance is invaluable.
Correspondence can work if the student is mechanically inclined, has good visual learning skills (good reading comprehension) and has a strong machine shop background. That's a lot of ifs and for those who are learn kinestically, it may be a challenge if no one is there to explain it.
Correspondence can work if the student is mechanically inclined, has good visual learning skills (good reading comprehension) and has a strong machine shop background. That's a lot of ifs and for those who are learn kinestically, it may be a challenge if no one is there to explain it.
I know I am too late to help you but my experience at Yavapai College in Prescott was terrible.
The instructors were awful, one thought he was Hemingway, another just walked around with a coffee cup and did not act like a teacher, more like a boss. He swears up a storm at you and treats first year students like trash..
I paid a lot of money and it didn't get good until the second year. The first years was awful, Alan Lohr is just not a teacher, he rides hot and cold on his emotions and is a pain to deal with.
We had jokes that Alan's cycle lasted 30 days a month. He seriously is pain in the ass.
Bob the stockmaker was a good guy but he just walked around and watched you fail for the first semester, then was helpful the second.
They have this huge plan of treating new students bad to weed them out, i guess this is how they were trained, but it is just stupid.
The shop is hot in the summer, cold in winter and filled with worn down machines. Alan told us as students we didn't deserve better.
You also will not have access to even a screw, everything last thing you need you will buy, the school provides nothing. We were told that there was theft problem in the past so no one gets to use anything the school owns. I guess I was not paying for the schools facilities.
There is bad dim lighting that we complained about but the school never did anything about.
Welders, the mine guys and auto people share a 2 acre building that is giant, noisy and stinky.
Though i made it through there I would never personally recommend this school to anyone, may of the promises I got going in never materialized. I was deeply disappointed and wish that i had pick the Colorado path.
I would recommend you go look at in person and take a look.
Ask questions, ask to look at the schools tools, ask if you have unlimited access to the all shop machines during work times (you won't (see Alan's 30 day cycle), ask how many people get placed, and ask how many people they lose over 2 years.
The instructors were awful, one thought he was Hemingway, another just walked around with a coffee cup and did not act like a teacher, more like a boss. He swears up a storm at you and treats first year students like trash..
I paid a lot of money and it didn't get good until the second year. The first years was awful, Alan Lohr is just not a teacher, he rides hot and cold on his emotions and is a pain to deal with.
We had jokes that Alan's cycle lasted 30 days a month. He seriously is pain in the ass.
Bob the stockmaker was a good guy but he just walked around and watched you fail for the first semester, then was helpful the second.
They have this huge plan of treating new students bad to weed them out, i guess this is how they were trained, but it is just stupid.
The shop is hot in the summer, cold in winter and filled with worn down machines. Alan told us as students we didn't deserve better.
You also will not have access to even a screw, everything last thing you need you will buy, the school provides nothing. We were told that there was theft problem in the past so no one gets to use anything the school owns. I guess I was not paying for the schools facilities.
There is bad dim lighting that we complained about but the school never did anything about.
Welders, the mine guys and auto people share a 2 acre building that is giant, noisy and stinky.
Though i made it through there I would never personally recommend this school to anyone, may of the promises I got going in never materialized. I was deeply disappointed and wish that i had pick the Colorado path.
I would recommend you go look at in person and take a look.
Ask questions, ask to look at the schools tools, ask if you have unlimited access to the all shop machines during work times (you won't (see Alan's 30 day cycle), ask how many people get placed, and ask how many people they lose over 2 years.
Sunray
Member
"...just wanting to learn how to work on my own firearms..." That can be learned from books. Start in your local public library. Amazon has a fairly good selection too. As do most gun shops and gun shows. Go buy a copy of Hatcher's Notebook. It's mostly military stuff, but there's a great deal of basic firearm related info too.
The problem with correspondence schools is that you need an example of whatever firearm the lesson is about. Nobody will lend you a firearm for you to play with either. None of 'em are cheap either.
Don't even bother with an on-line school.
The problem with correspondence schools is that you need an example of whatever firearm the lesson is about. Nobody will lend you a firearm for you to play with either. None of 'em are cheap either.
Don't even bother with an on-line school.
frogomatic
Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2007
- Messages
- 522
I've got 4 months left at Colorado School of Trades. I've been happy with it so far, most of the instructors are good, and the experience is priceless. I've done some pretty cool, and some pretty challenging projects.
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