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What is the best gunsmithing school in the country
redice
Member Posts: 1,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
Not exactly a pure gunsmithing school per say more like "what is the best gunsmithing course and what school has it."
I ask because I will be starting my gunsmithing training in the fall in a supposedly world renowned gunsmithing course.
I ask because I will be starting my gunsmithing training in the fall in a supposedly world renowned gunsmithing course.
Comments
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
I think that you mean Gunsmithing program as in a 1 or 2 year group of courses specifically geared to being trained primarily in the area of Gunsmithing. It is almost impossible to find an institution that will allow a person to take just a single course unless it is something along the lines of one in the series of NRA Summer School program courses.
There is such a program in Minnesota at Pine Tech if you are looking for something in your home state: http://www.ptcfaculty.org/~nweb/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default&Program=Gunsmithing&view_records=Get+Program
Then there are 8 other schools with programs as well. The Brownells catalog has a list at the end of the yellow index section that has all of the contact information including the websites for each of them. But if you are already enrolled for the fall, you are aware of these and have chosen what you consider to be the best for you already. Asking us for an opinion can start some discussion that will get real emotional as most will have a devotion to an alma mater, similar to sports rivals but infinitely smaller in scale.
The best school and program is the one that fulfills your needs and desires. But you also have to put a bunch into it as well, it is not all take on your part. What school did you chose? Did you visit more than just the one and give each one a good look over? Researching the program and examining how you think that you will fit in and how well it (the program) serves your needs is extremely important. Check out the whole school, too, since you will be required to take some other courses besides just gunsmithing, unless it is strictly a certificate program. Look at the location of the school. What is there to do when you aren't in classes or in the labs (shops). Where can you go to shoot? Hiking, camping, movies, cheap eats and entertainment? Look at the whole picture.
In my opinion, there are two top schools and they are not necessarily both that are named above. But in all fairness, the decision is yours to make, to satisfy you and we don't really count. Let us know where you are going to attend this fall, we'd be interested.
Best.
The reason I asked the question is I first heard about Pine Tech by talking to a job counselor at the Minnesota Workforce Center, He told me about it after I did some carrier testing stuff "shows basically what you would be good at in comparison to what other people with similar skills/talents etc have been good at"
It turns out that I have a very hight affluence to being in a law enforcement/military or a art related field. I guess gunsmithing was also part of that because he told me about pine tech. He told me that they are world renowned for there gunsmithing, locksmithing and taxidermy courses. Of course I didn't take that at face value and looked into it further and no matter who I talked to it seemed everyone had the same opinion at least about there gunsmithing course.
So I sent for some information. After reading the information and calling and talking to a bunch of the teachers there I found out about there yearly gunshow, funny enough it was 3 days away "lucky me" I hadn't been to a gunshow since oh about 98. So me and my dad took that saturday and drove down to checkout the school and hopefully buy some guns
The school and town are very nice, they have about 500 regular full time students and another 500 or so part time students, because of this there the 2nd or 3rd smallest school in the state, something I find very attractive.
I also found out that Pine Tech used to be a tech school but now is a community college, which basically means you don't have to take anywhere near as many extra courses, for example since I was able to get very hight test scores for the entrance exam "which btw is good for any community college in the state" I wont have to take any extra courses, every single class/course in the gun repair program will be dealing with gun repair or a facet of that. I won't be railroaded into taking any extra non essential courses, something it seems a lot of the larger private type colleges do.
I guess some of the nicest things about it are, an indoor shooting range, lots of local restaurants including The Red Shed "my god they have the best food I have ever tasted", they make better chili than my dad! It is also close to several lakes and a river runs right threw town, its also only about a 2 hour drive from where I currently live and 2 and a half hours away from my hunting property.
Btw did I mention about 80% of the student body is female nurses in training... [;)] I guess they are one of the better nursing schools as well.
Currently it looks like the class schedule for the gun repair program is only 3 days of the week 9am-10pm and you get the rest of the week off or at least off from courses "I think you can still go in and work and may possibly have to to get your work done." So I can easily drive home for the weekend and not have to do without the comforts of home or being far away from family for so long, especially since my parents are unable to drive.
I am however planning on renting an apartment because theres no way in heck I want to drive for 4 hours a day even just 3 days a week, especially in the winter I don't think it would work sleep wise.
I hope you all can make out my rambling. My grammar as you can see isn't the best I hope to brush that up at pine tech, I have to take a college comp class as part of the gunsmithing program anyhow
Anyhow I was just wondering if it was as "world renowned" as everyone said, I talked to people at 2 gun shops 1 in wisconsin 1 local and just some other gun nuts I know, and they all had heard of it and said good things so I am happy even if its not the top on your lists.
Thanks for your replies.
P.S. Just incase any of you are wondering, we did pickup some guns at the gunshow it was the best gunshow I have ever been to can't wait for next years. I don't think my dad can eather, he picked up a nice 7.62x54r bolt action, and a Ruger single action .22 pearl handled revolver.
I myself picked up a brand new Taurus 92 9mm, my very first handgun as well as a taurus double action .22 revolver.
John
A friend will post your bail. A good friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying, "man that was fun!"
Congratulations on your choice of schools! It sounds like you did all the searching and looking into that I normally suggest to new students. And it sounds like a great environment for being in school, the outdoors as well as the student population...
I'm also glad that you are taking your parents into consideration, that a very good thing. Commuting 2 hours each way, especially after 10PM wouldn't be any fun at all. It's better to get your rest and be prepared for each day and all of it's challenges, then take your time to go home and be with your family. That's a good plan.
Hopefully, your program will allow for an English course, a good Math course and something with drafting (CAD) and even better, a directed Marketing class with an emphasis on Small Business Planning. I know that you mentioned something with grammer but I think that you'll see a need for the Math, Drafting and Small Business Planning. If these aren't required or built into your program, you might think about taking them on your own at school while you're on campus. Telling yourself that you can pick these up after you get started in business won't work. Do the classes while you're in school and concentrating on school. It works much better that way. Sorry if this sounds like a lecture, it's not meant to be.
Best of luck with your education! Enjoy every minute of it, it's worth it!
Microsoft OS Basics
Job Seeking/Keeping
Marketing/ATF
College Composition
I will definitely add on courses if I feel that its missing something, like you said learning CAD would be nice. Theres also a few other computer oriented classes I wouldent mind taking, like a course for Dreamweaver, and 3ds max. Theres no gunsmithing courses during the summer so I could pick up extra courses then or during the days I don't have gunsmithing possibly.
And I pretty much have decided I'm going there, but I haven't paid anything other than the 20 bucks for an application. I doubt I will change my mind but I won't be certain I'm going there until after orientation when I actually sign up for courses.
Its always good to keep ones options open.
I live in Illinois, anything around here close by ?
Thanks.
Colorado School of Trades
1575 Hoyt Street
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: 800-234-4594
Harcourt Learning Direct (correspondence courses)
ICS-Intext
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
Phone: 800-233-4191
Lassen Community College
P.O. Box 3000
Susanville, CA 96130
Phone: 530-257-4211
Modern Gun School (correspondence courses)
80 North Main Street, P.O. Box 846
St. Albans, VT 05478
Phone: 800-493-4114
Montgomery Community College
P.O. Box 787
Troy, NC 27371
Phone: 800-839-6222
Murray State College
Tishomingo, OK 73460
Phone: 580-371-2371
Pennsylvania Gunsmith School
812 Ohio River Blvd.
Avalon
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
Phone: 412-766-1812
Piedmont Community College
P.O. Box 1197
Roxboro, NC 27573
Phone: 336-599-1181
Pine Technical Institute
1000 4th Street
Pine City, MN 55063
Phone: 800-521-7463
Trinidad State Jr. College
600 Prospect
Trinidad, CO 81082
Phone: 719-846-5631
Yavapai College
100 East Sheldon Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
Phone: 520-776-2150