Gunsmithing training?

[LedJedi]

man, i must be antsy this evening. I should be in bed already. Sorry for all the questions. I also looked for this on the board but didn't see a discussion on it.

I'm interested in taking an online or correspondence "gunsmithing" course. I was wondering if anyone knew of a reputable school i should look into. There are a lot of mail order schools that claim to train you in the art but I have my doubts. My wife is taking a legal assistant class through a similar school and the class material is horrible. It's obvious they're just after the $$.

I'd like to look into taking an online or correspondence class just because i'm interested in the subject. Heck, if i liked it i wouldn't even mind apprenticing to someone in the Houston area on weekends. Idle hands are a devil's plaything and i was surprised how much fun i had tricking out that shotgun I just bought. Though, I dont think that would really count as "smithing" anything.

ok, i'll be quiet now :)

Jason, you should ban me from posting anything after 11:00pm

[LedJedi]

I've just signed up for the Penn Foster correspondence gunsmithing program. It's $39/month for 17 months. Will let you guys know how it goes. I don't expect to become a professional gunsmith but should be fun for my own edumacation/fun :)

[Rokyudai]

I think this is a great idea. I would be interested to hear what you thought of the material covered and if you are required to buy anything extra for the course.


Do they give you a syllabus? Can you post it?

[LedJedi]

I think this is a great idea. I would be interested to hear what you thought of the material covered and if you are required to buy anything extra for the course.


Do they give you a syllabus? Can you post it?

not a syllabus per say but here's the info available on their page. I'm told that the $700+ cost for the program includes all materials and equipment.

http://www.pennfoster.edu/gunsmith/index.html

Gunsmith
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Learn how to become a Gunsmith — at home, at your own pace with Penn Foster Career School.

There are certain skills you need to begin a career
as a Gunsmith. The Penn Foster Career School
Gunsmith Program helps you learn them quickly
and conveniently.

You’ll get hands-on training in:

* How to accurize, repair, and customize
* How to fit and finish stocks and mount
telescopic sights
* How to restore antique firearms
* How to design and install metallic rifle sights
* How to custom load ammunition

And you’ll learn it all at home — no classroom needed!
Start a challenging, moneymaking career in a
growing field.
Why complete a Gunsmith training program?
As an experienced Gunsmith, you can:

* Work for a gun shop accurizing, installing, and making simple adjustments.
* Start your own business repairing and customizing firearms.
* Custom-make ammunition or restore valuable antique firearms.

Hunters, sportsmen, collectors, and firearms enthusiasts around the nation all need the services of experienced Gunsmiths to repair and customize their favorite firearms. Millions of dollars a year are spent on guns in the U.S. alone—that means there’s a big demand for skilled professionals to keep the weapons working well!

Contact Penn Foster Career School Today.
We’ll send you FREE information – with absolutely no obligation! Find out more about complete Gunsmith training that includes:

* All the books, lessons, equipment, and learning aids you need
* Industry charts and guides
* Complete instruction for getting your Federal Firearms License
* Access to student services by website, phone, and mail

[Rokyudai]

thanks Led


Rok

[LedJedi]

Just finished my first unit of study. 95 on the test... the question i missed was completely subjective though. "What's the most important benefit of this course? (a. Making Custom Parts (b. Working on your own guns (c. working on your friends guns (d. making money with your skills. I answered B because that's what's important to me but got it marked wrong in favor of D.

There is some opinion worked into the course that I don't agree with like never load a gun until you're ready to shoot it and all guns in the home should always be locked in the safe. I get the feeling that the guy who wrote the course would have a coronary if he saw someone carrying in condition 1. Those are really the only two examples of opinions in the course that I don't agree with though. The rest of it is very spot on.

The course talks a lot about how the gun industry works and various types of retailers and gives the perspective and pros/cons of each. There's a lot of info on how to start a gun business with experience that only someone who's actually done it before could give you. There was a 2 page discussion on whether a gun store should have their employees armed or not and if they should be concealed or open carried. How to get those employees trained and setting up a plan to non-violently deal with potential problems in the store but if you have to use force make sure you "Dominate the fight!"

He gives you his opinion and rules he instituted in his shop and then gives you the logic behind why and any associated stories on why he came to that decision. Two of the stories in particular grabbed my attention. 1 was about a friend of the author who kept a loaded revolver under the cash register. One of the customer's 5 year olds got behind the counter, upholstered the gun and then brought it to his dad (thankfully without incident). Another striking story was about a few teens that came into the store and randomly loaded a rifle on display and then left. A customer later found the live round in a gun. I really enjoy stories like that as they help give me a reason behind a rule instead of having a rule for the sake of rules which I detest.

There was also a few pages on how to pick correct gunsmithing tools like how to pick out the right punches, what to look for in screwderivers, how to organize parts during disassembly so you don't lose anything. He throws in a lot of stuff that only a gunsmith in practice would know like laying a piece of corrugated cardboard (the kind with the ridges) on your bench to lay small parts on so that they dont roll away and to get similar rubber mats and lay them on your work bench as well as on the floor around the bench so that if a part does make it off the table it doesn't roll far.

The last part of the unit was how to break down a shotgun for professional cleaning. I learned a lot from that including a nice trick using a small wooden block you put into the receiver after you pull out the arms out of the receiver. The block holds a few springs in place that would otherwise fall out without the arms and are a major pain to put back in place once they do fall out.

Some of the material seems like it might be a little dated like he has a very specific preference to use solvent and oil separately. I wonder if that is simply because he is an old school gunsmith and just prefers it that way or if products like CLP weren't available for him to use readily. He had a very good section on long term storage of weapons during off seasons. He called it "preservation storage" and advocated giving the weapons a good spray with silicone with a wipe down and then storing them in a vaccume bag (like vaccume saver you use for food storage) with something called vapor inhibitor. He specifically mentioned he considered that superior to cosmoline-like storage. He also threw in ideas like vaccume sealing your business card in with the gun as free advertising.

That was all in the intro unit and closed out the intro module of the course (module 1 of 18). The next module has units on the following subjects: Identifying & Evaluating Firearms, Gun Stocks, Customizing Gun Stocks, Gun Trader's Guide Practical Exercise.

Overall i'm very impressed with the depth of information and experience that is poured into the course.

Oh, the course author is Don Shumar. Here's the section titled About the Author:

About the Author
Don Shumar figured out what he wanted to do early on in life, and he was able to do it. The
shooting bug bit when he was around nine years old and the family spent summer vacations
on Lake Michigan’s east shore. There Don cut his teeth on an old Stevens Favorite .22 rifle.
Don gained his first competitive experience on a junior small bore rifle team sponsored by a
local club and the NRA. But shortly after graduating high school and attending college, he
switched to his first love—pistols. He was good, but eventually his swelled head got shrunk in
national matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. After three Army Marksmanship Training Schools and
tips and coaching from some of the best shooters of the day, he made the Michigan State
Pistol Team. During the middle 1960s, Don’s interest turned toward international style shooting,
and he attended three U.S. Team tryouts (including one for the Olympics).
Don got started in gunsmithing by working on his own match guns. Eventually, this led to a
job with a major retailer/gun repair shop/ warranty repair center in Southwestern Michigan.
For someone with his interests it was the perfect environment.
About the last thing Don expected was a writing career. But the National Association of
Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers (NAFLFD) was looking for a Handgun Editor. Don has
held the post for over a decade. His articles cover virtually every firearms topic in the industry,
and his Gunfix’n column is especially aimed at gunsmithing. In past years Don has
authored articles for American Handgunner, Combat Handguns, and Gun Digest.
Today he lives in the Southwest, where “there’s year ’round shootin’ weather.� If he isn’t
burning powder or tinkering with guns, you’ll find him writing about some 40-odd years
of experience with everything from pellet guns to muzzleloaders. Yes, it’s a rough life, but
somebody has to do it.

[Rokyudai]

Excellent overview Led. Congrats on making the grade!