gunsmithing courses

I've been doing mineself taught.
Aside from one book. Gunsmithing Made Easy by Bryce Towsley.
Good read. Good humor on lessons learned.
 
Penn Foster Career school has an ok informative gunsmith program. Now its not like you will be a master smith or anything just by taking an online course, but they will provide the materials for course work and some references.

An online gunsmith course I don't think will be everything you need, but it will get you headed in the right direction. Hands on experience is a far greater teacher. But the benefit of the online course is they will give you all the paperwork and explain the required steps for obtaining tools and appropriate licensing.
 
Don't waste your money on online courses for anything. They're as bad as the "Buy my video" courses. Most places doing online courses are more in the business of selling videos too.
You can't learn how to smithy a particular firearm if you don't have one to play with. You absolutely cannot learn how to operate the assorted machines.
Look at your local Community College and see if they offer a course.
 
There is an excellent Gunsmithing school not far from Pittsburg.... If you are from this area of the country that might be a good place.
 
If you'd like to do some light gunsmithing on YOUR OWN guns for fun, and have plenty of money to burn, the online or correspondence courses can at least get you started.

If you intend to make money doing gunsmithing these courses are hyper-expensive wastes of time and money.
You can't learn highly technical skills like this at a distance, you need to have a well-trained instructor looking over your shoulder and prompting you on how to do it.

If you want to try to self-teach, buy some of the Jerry Kuhnhausen Shop Manuals.
These were written as training aids for new gunsmith students.
Each manual fully covers a specific type of firearm and shows how to gunsmith the FACTORY way.
These will not show the old gun plumber methods of making parts or how to somehow get a gun working even if it actually damages it.

Just pick manuals for guns you own, sit down and STUDY the manual.
Kuhnhausen figured his students would have enough brains to actually spend time reading and wouldn't need huge letters with arrows pointing to critical data.
After studying the manual, disassemble a gun of yours and use the manual to learn how it works.

The rest is learning how to use small tools.
There's this picture of a real gunsmith standing over a large milling machine or lathe making a precision part.

The fact is, MOST of a gunsmiths time is spent sitting at a bench with screwdrivers and punches working on a small assembly.

The Kuhnhausen Shop Manuals are the best reference there is.

https://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=shop+manual&ksubmit=y

Midway also sell the accompanying videos.

https://www.midwayusa.com/kuhnhausen-books-and-videos/b?bid=1195
 
mike_tacticalsteelll said:
Has anybody done the online courses for gunsmithing?
if so which ones do you recommend?
just wondering if they are worth it
Thanks
Click to expand...
The only folks who benefit from the on-line courses are those who SELL 'em.
What will be your intent? Do you just plan on doing parts changing? Will your offerings involve machine tools, lathe, milling, etc.?

Back when I was a cub I got involved with a "tool-maker apprenticeship" which involved hands-on training from journeyman toolmakers whom I trained with and learned methods involved with machining parts and fixtures. During the process some night and daytime offered tech school classes, welding and heat-treat methods, along with math courses were attended.

So, depending on what you plan to get involved with, be it a special parts of gun work, like stock making, you'll be much better off signing up and schooling with someone who teaches a specific knowledge you want to gain. Check your local tech school to see if they offer machining classes, or others like welding and metallurgy. Hands on classes where you can get answers to questions immediately from an instructor who knows his business.

Sorry, I missed the part where you wrote you are a machinist. Do you have machinery of your own?
 
yes I'm a machinist by trade and I have my own shop that I run part time out of my garage. I am also a 007 FFL so I want to be able to offer it as part of my bushiness
 
AGI , I have CD's on every gun I own from them , a very detailed video on dissembling , maintenance and repair . They also have courses at home and also a school . I would think you should have mechanical skills and the right equipment on hand if your really serious , To do it right it would take some real investment. Look what it takes to blueprinted a rifle . If I could start over I also would love gunsmithing . Maybe next time around..
 
If you can't attend a brick 'n mortar school, might I suggest taking a year of machine shop to learn to use the lathe and milling machine, surface grinder, how to grind bits, sharpen drills and other skills. Then I would suggest learning how to use hand tools and welding. Learn to sharpen chisels.
 
Sorry I didn't read the other posts , you are 3/4 there already , Talk to them at AGI , your fixing broken things already . Why not add Gunsmith to your job title .
 
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