Gunsmithing

[my1911tle]

Does anyone know how I can learn to become a gunsmith? Special classes, apprenticeship, where would one begin? I do work on my own guns and enjoy it. Are there local schools?

[Quiet]

Only accredited gunsmithing school in CA

[Gunsmith Dan]

Lassen Community College in Northern CA is the only one in CA. One of the best and oldest around in the US and there is only 6 gunsmithing schools in the whole U.S.

[my1911tle]

Gunsmithing School

Only accredited gunsmithing school in CA

Thanks for the link. Since I am in South OC, is there another way to achieve this?

[Condorguns]

Are you looking at becoming a true gunsmith or an armorer?

[Gunsmith Dan]

Reno is only 80 miles away you could get a casino job there and go to college at Lassen .... that is what I did.

OR

If lucky apply to the CA Bureau of Prisons and get assigned to Susanville as it has a large CA prison there, The High Desert State Prison.

[my1911tle]

Gunsmithing

Are you looking at becoming a true gunsmith or an armorer?

What is the difference?

[RickD427]

What is the difference?

Big difference.

An armorer is qualified to recognize improper function of a weapon and is able to swap out parts to restore proper function. Most armorer classes run just a few days.

A gunsmith is able to alter the function of a weapon. That often means fabricating the parts and having an understanding of how they all work together. That's a lot more than just recognizing when those parts don't work together. A gunsmith pretty much includes being a machinist. Plan on a least a year of training.

[my1911tle]

Gunsmithing

Is there such a thing as apprenticeship? Working for a certified gunsmith?

[Condorguns]

When I was learning I did an apprenticeship. Finding an old school master to learn from is difficult now as they are a vanishing breed. I spent years doing grunt work and when I was lucky actually working on a firearm. It's a slow way to learn but a valuable one. I was the parts monkey until the day he died, even after I had my own shop and was successful. Crotchety old farther (who I love)

It was a year before I was allowed to do any wood work, and another year before metal.

I'm thankful for the knowledge he passed on.

[stitchnicklas]

there are internet courses also
agi and penn foster
i am taking agi's class,some folk dont care for them or have other words to say about them.
but i wager they have NOT taken them and also Lassen uses agi's video course in their classes.....that says something right there.
for agi you would need attention span,drive,$$$ for junk guns to utilize in practicum of the course and either a large collection of your own guns for hands on training aids or Friends that trust you.

[my1911tle]

Gunsmithing

there are internet courses also
agi and penn foster
i am taking agi's class,some folk dont care for them or have other words to say about them.
but i wager they have NOT taken them and also Lassen uses agi's video course in their classes.....that says something right there.
for agi you would need attention span,drive,$$$ for junk guns to utilize in practicum of the course and either a large collection of your own guns for hands on training aids or Friends that trust you.

I am looking for anything reasonable that will give me proper credentials to work on guns legally. One of my desires would be to buy helpless guns that need a doctor, fix them up and sell them. Is this a possibility once you have the credentials needed?? Also be able to work on guns for folks that want to spice up their firearms.

Any links to AGI??

Thanks for the info.

[stitchnicklas]

I am looking for anything reasonable that will give me proper credentials to work on guns legally. One of my desires would be to buy helpless guns that need a doctor, fix them up and sell them. Is this a possibility once you have the credentials needed?? Also be able to work on guns for folks that want to spice up their firearms.

Any links to AGI??

Thanks for the info.

http://www.americangunsmith.com/

there is no license necessary for gunsmith,but to do business it requires quite a few steps including liability insurance
to do repairs and sales you will need to get a 01ffl license and coe+clffl listed with cal doj

[my1911tle]

Gunsmithing School

http://www.americangunsmith.com/
there is no license necessary for gunsmith,but to do business it requires quite a few steps including liability insurance
to do repairs and sales you will need to get a 01ffl license and coe+clffl listed with cal doj

Thanks, I will check them out.

[sierrahiker]

Stitchnicklas...I attend Lassen and I do not know of any courses that uses AGI videos. I would be interested in knowing about them. It would be much simpler to sit on my butt and not have to purchase 43 different firearms to work on. Not to mention the thousand of dollars I have had to invest in tools and materials.