# Gunsmith certification?



## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Hey i'm looking into taking the course from Pennfoster Career School to get a gunsmithing diploma. Have any of you guys done this?


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

I know a gunsmith or two. Some still doing it, most not. The guys still doing it generally draw some kind of retirement also. The ones that gunsmith as their only source of income starve.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks for the reply cooky. Here is another question, what are some of the job/career opportunity's you guys can think of that would come from having a diploma in Gunsmithing? How would this affect a resume for other jobs not relating to guns?
-Thanks


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I would say that it depends on where you apply for a job at. Most gun smithing courses are not even a 2 year degree program so they may not even look at it as in being a plus but as something that may distract you from what your job duties would be.

But if you could find the right person to take you under their wing and really teach you about it then you could be on your way. But those kind of opportunities are few and far between.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

It probably depends on what the job is. It might be helpful if you were looking at a machining job or a woodworking job, welding, etc. If you were applying for a job with PETA, it probably wouldn't help you too much to have that on your resume.

I don't know anything about Pennfoster but there is a school in Colorado you can go to during the summer and take a 1 week class. After you do that for a few weeks (or years) you can get enough credit to get a diploma of some sort or another.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The one that I know of in Colorado is at Colorado School of Trades and the basic course looks like a little over 6 weeks or 250 hours. Trinidad State Junior College also offers one but I am not sure on just what it is all about.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

The guys I have known that had gunsmithing training were: Supply Technician for a government contractor, a salesman for a gas station equipment company, a welder and a sewer plant Engineer (part-time gun salesman, worked at Gunsite while Col. Cooper was there).
If you wanted to, it might make a pretty good part time job in the garage. Good old fashioned gunsmiths are hard to find nowadays, plenty of parts swappers.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

Critter said:


> The one that I know of in Colorado is at Colorado School of Trades and the basic course looks like a little over 6 weeks or 250 hours. Trinidad State Junior College also offers one but I am not sure on just what it is all about.


Neither of those are the ones I was thinking of. The one I found is west of Denver about an hour. The idea was that you'd spend a week on "vacation" going to school and then come back and take another class the next year during your vacation.

I'll see if I can find it again.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

There used to be one at Colorado School of Mines in Golden but I believe that one is gone now. A hour west of Denver would put it around Silverthorn, Leadville, or Buena Vista areas. The one in Trinidad State College is south on the New Mexco state line.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

It is so tough to get established and build a client base that most people simply starve out. Over the years there have been a few moderately successful gunsmiths in the area.. the old PM shop in Salt Lake, the guy in the Sports Castle (****, I can't remember his name) and a couple guys that mostly worked out of their garages, but most eventually starved out. Even P.O. Ackley's daughter, a fine smith in her own right, failed to make a living at gunsmithing on her own. There is certainly work at the corporate level, Browning, Remington, etc, but most would require relocating and then you probably would end up doing repetitive work on a semi assembly line. 
It seems that there are a few guys that have made it pretty good by going nationally and using the internet, and a few guys that have specialties, barrels, triggers, handgun tuning, etc, but even they struggle and for the most part are only make wages. But who knows, you might be that guy and at a minimum, it would make a fine hobby to know how to do the job correctly. Good luck


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Get some machining under your belt, welding is a plus too. Get the basic smithing classes, and just tinker on any gun you can. Go to the pawn shop, and buy some beaters, and go to work on them. Hands on is the best education there is. Find a handful of services where you can shine, barreling, stock work, recoil pads, finishing, etc. Once you get good, move out of Utah :grin: My grandfather was a gun smith for over 60 years, and I still get calls to do work. Smiths fail in Utah, because most people are not willing to pay for good work, and there is a hack on every corner.

Like BP said, look at the net, get an FFL so you can transfer firearms. In this day and age, the brick and mortar store front just does not cut it, especially in Utah. There are a lot of old guys on their way out, most of them work through guns stores, that is good place to pick up work. If you get into a place, be quiet, and find more stores. One store will get huffy if you work for the competition, keep your head down, that is one reason why good smiths are hard to find.


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## bigbr (Oct 24, 2007)

My best friend and gunsmith passed away about five years ago. I had a shotgun he was working on and it took me almost two years to finally get it back from ATF. Cooky has it about right, most gunsmiths around here are doing it as their second job or retirement. I am finding that I can now do about 90% of my own gunsmithing as I have owned a ton of guns and I love to research solutions to my problems and then have at it. I do my own trigger work on guns that most guys would give up on and I have a lot of guys coming to me to help them build AR's or trigger work on 10/22's, AR's, bolt guns etc. Because of liability I do not take money but will show them how to do it and then they can replace my parts and supplies. I can tune a Sig or 1911 to sing. However I do not own a lathe or mill and this is where my limitation brings me. I have gained a lot from Youtube and the web on fixing my problems. Any more if i can't fix it i won't buy it. The best advice I can give is the more i learn, the more i realize how little I know. If you love it, it will never be a job, but most likely you will never get rich either.
Big


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