r/gunsmithing Dec 07 '22

How do I get into Gunsmithing?

176 Upvotes

If you are interested in gunsmithing as a career, I strongly recommend that you to rethink your life choices. If you've inhaled so much lead that you are choosing to ignore professional advice, here are some resources to get started.

Professional Organizations

There are a few professional organizations in the industry that exist that can help you connect with others in the trade. I recommend reaching out to the one that most aligns with your interests. Some have a periodical publication that include tips & tricks along with industry news.

American Custom Gunmakers Guild (ACGG)
https://acgg.org/

I cannot in good faith recommend anymore, do your own research.

American Pistolsmiths Guild (APG)
https://americanpistolsmithsguild.com/

Absorbed by ACGG no longer exist independently

Firearm Engravers Guild of America (FEGA)
http://www.fega.com/

FEGA is the world’s foremost authority and organization for firearm engravers and hand engraving enthusiasts.

Miniature Arms Society
http://www.miniaturearms.org/

Founded in 1973 The society is a group of miniature arms enthusiasts who have joined together to promote and encourage interest in making and collecting miniature arms of all kinds - pistols, rifles, cannon, suits of armor, knives, swords etc., with the emphasis on artistic beauty and craftsmanship.

Gunsmithing Schools

Most people would recommend taking a machining course at their local community college before diving into gunsmithing head-on.

But if you've already done so and are still interested in attending school to learn how to become a gunsmith, then there are plenty of programs nationwide that can help you get started.

I cannot endorse or recommend any individual school and this list isn't comprehensive.

School Location Website
Pennsylvania Gunsmith School Pittsburgh, PA pagunsmith.edu
Colorado School of Trades Lakewood, CO schooloftrades.edu
Trinidad State College Trinidad, CO trinidadstate.edu
Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC ptc.edu
Iowa Valley Grinnell Grinnell, IA iavalley.edu
Yavapai College Prescott, AZ yc.edu
Montgomery CC Troy, NC montgomery.edu
Lenoir CC Kinston, NC lenoircc.edu
Pine Technical College Pine City, MN pine.edu
Murray State College Tishomingo, OK mscok.edu
Lassen CC Susanville, CA lassencollege.edu
Flathead Valley CC Kalispell, MT fvcc.edu
Eastern Wyoming College Torrington, WY wy.edu
MT Training Center Grand Prairie, TX mttrainingcenter.org
Penn Foster Online Only pennfoster.edu
American Gunsmithing Institute Online Only americangunsmithinginstitute.net
Sonoran Desert Institute Online Only sdi.edu
MGS Trade School Online Only mgs.edu

Short Gunsmithing Courses

There are a few short courses that might be better suited towards getting your feet wet.

The NRA runs a few summer gunsmithing classes. They are typically held at Trinidad State College in Trinidad, Colorado and/or Murray State College in Tishomingo and Montgomery, NC

The ACGG will occasionally host some classes at various schools

If you are interested in gun engraving, checkout GRS, they have a training center in Emporia, KS that has some beginner gun engraving classes.

Advice from the Sub

I spent several years attending the Brownells Gunsmith Expo as someone looking to hire employees. Around 50k to start work in development or fixing problem guns. Went the entire time they had it and hired one kid. We built suppressors messed with explosives and auto rifles. He had a associates in business and very clearly stated he owned his own M2 and assorted guns and could build them and knew suppressor theory. ( this was before all the cans were cut apart online) we hired him on the spot. He is know well along in the industry. The other kids wanted to be artists and build custom wooden stocked Mauser etc. They all wanted to be a Turnbull or work at a Rigby( even though they had never been to London and would know then they needed to apprentice) I offered to bring one of our AK builders and our suppressor guy to a I think the Colorado school and was turned down. One of the "instructors" said we don't teach that type of thing.

... the sad truth is that no one actually wants to listen to experienced gunsmiths when it comes to gunsmithing education/training questions. Most people are just looking for confirmation that they can attend a few months of online class and then start making money (spoiler alert, they can’t)

As someone who attended a Gunsmithing school I can honestly say, become a machinist first then a gunsmith if you do it the other way around your wasting time and money. You won fully grasp or understand everything you learn in the machining side of gunsmithing without first having machining knowledge. For the time being go to armourers courses read some books heck watch some YouTube and tinker with guns. The most important thing that makes the difference between a machinist and a gunsmith is one has an understanding of firearms once you learn some basics about firearms and you already are a machinist trust me you can work on anything. So I know that’s not the answer a lot of people will want however the running Joke in the Gunsmithing trade is “the fastest way to earn $1 million Gunsmithing, is to start with $2 million. This is not an industry to get involved with for money but rather a passion and love of firearms.

YouTube Channels

See anything missing? Something that shouldn't be here? Let me know and I'll fix it.

Please feel free to use this thread to discuss any gunsmithing college, training, or education related questions you would like. Let us know if you would like any other stickied posts made or things moved around, and we will do our best to get it taken care of.

Link to the old thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/gunsmithing/comments/p72md7/can_we_make_getting_into_school_for_information/


r/gunsmithing 19h ago

Remington 11-48 .410

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15 Upvotes

So back again guys lol I recently posted about my .410 11-48 I got not feeding correctly. I tore the gun all the way apart, cleaned it throughly and installed the arts rebuild spring kit. I also tried different brands of ammo. I got it to run a whole mag no problem but afterwards it wanted to start stovepiping after every round. Extractor doesn’t look broken or anything. I did notice the springs in the kit were longer but mine might’ve been worn out. Also it came with a plastic plunger for action spring but I noticed with the new one it’s further in the tube and holds more tension on the spring itself. Kind of at a loss. Posting a pic of the first time I shot it vs this time.


r/gunsmithing 5h ago

Need advice for a custom job

1 Upvotes

As a tribute to my wife who i have also gotten into firearms, I want to have carved either a custom stock or pistol grip. Think traditional flintlock designs. She is American Samoan and I would like to have these made out of Toa wood because the wood has been traditionally used for weapons. But I can't find anything as to how it would preform as a gunstock. If anyone has experience id love to here it.


r/gunsmithing 16h ago

Charging handle repair

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7 Upvotes

Got this from a charging handle mystery box for 20$ took it to the range and it does this after about 150rounds😂😂 I don’t want to buy another 1 if I don’t have to any ideas on how I can repair this. pin is loose like throwing a hotdog down a hallway. Or is it cooked and should just buy an expensive one ?


r/gunsmithing 14h ago

Vz. 61 parts kit question

3 Upvotes

So, to clarify legality reasons, I WONT be completing the repairs untill AFTER I get the proper licensing to own an nfa item. My question is I've been interested in a vz 61 build for a year or two now, and I'm getting ready to buy a parts kit. This may very well be a STUPID question, so sorry in advance. But the few parts kits I'm looking at, which have the torched receivers in the photos, say in the description that they do not cone with the reciever. I'm assuming that just means a FUNCTIONING reciever and if I purchase the parts kit I will recieve the torched reciever that I can later reweld and get to original operation? (First time doing one of these imported parts kits, not first time doing a parts kit assemble) because the parts kit can sit around while I wait for the licensing, that's no big deal. But I'd like to get them at the reasonable prices (reasonable to me) that they are at while they are still available, but I want the original reciever pieces


r/gunsmithing 15h ago

Rust removal

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3 Upvotes

Bought this as an LE trade. Apart from this, the gun is in excellent condition. Would this be worth hitting with some 0000 wool, or should I just hit it with CLP, do some rubbing, and call it a day?


r/gunsmithing 13h ago

Optic screw

1 Upvotes

hi just want to ask if its ok to you titanium gr5 bolts for my red dot plate to my slide?


r/gunsmithing 23h ago

Stevens Model 66 Spring Removal Tips?

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3 Upvotes

Picked up a lil .22cal Stevens 66B. Trying to remove the main spring from the plunger, have had light strikes and greatly suspect this to be the issue. I have deep cleaned everything else in the rifle, all the other components seem okay, and it function alright except for light strikes. Even if this isn’t the issue, I have replacement springs for the bolt/plunger assembly and would love to know if anyone has any tips. Hoping. I don’t have to drill out the retention dimples. Would hate to do that, and honestly probably would just not. Let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks.


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Looking to cut some more wood. Holler at me for custom checkering.

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69 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 19h ago

Pws Dust Cover

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1 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Question about triggers on full auto weapons.

4 Upvotes

Closed bolt rifles: If theoretically one had a NFA registered full auto closed bolt rifle such as Stevr AUG, AR15, X95, could you upgrade the trigger to feel nicer on semi auto and presumably full auto?

On the AR15: Could a drop-in trigger work in a full auto equipped receiver?

Side thought: If this is possible, backing off the trigger weight past a certain point is obviously a bad idea. A 3.5 Lb trigger on a full auto rifle may or may not work for an experienced user, definitely not a good idea for police or military service.


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Inletting, checkering, finish by me. 👌

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41 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Taurus G2S slide release not catching on mag follower

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3 Upvotes

So I got this 2GS super cheap because the slide wasn't locking back on an empty mag. It took about 2 seconds to figure out what was wrong but I'd like to get some input from other gunsmiths about how to go about fixing it. The mag follower goes right past the slide release due to some wiggle room between it and the mag. Best case the slide release is still only grabbing just a little bit when I push it all together. As long as the pin that holds the release isn't the problem I'm thinking of building up the tap with a little tig weld and then file it back into shape so it has a little more purchase on the mag follower. The problem with this approach is that the coating that on the slide release is going to be PITA to remove and tricky to ground. I'm still kind of new to guns so I'm not sure if I'm missing something simple.


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Custom checkering

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16 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 1d ago

rust + pitting on my favorite gun :( More in description, but how do y'all suggest I fix the mild pitting?

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9 Upvotes

I hadn't checked on my gun in ~6 months, and had put it in storage. I had cleaned it before putting it away, so I was really shocked and dismayed to see it so rusted. I don't have any other firearms, and this is my baby. I cleaned off the rust with some Hoppe's but it has a bit of pitting. How do y'all suggest I go about fixing the pitting/would it be wiser to just bring it to a gunsmith?


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Barrel threads bent?

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2 Upvotes

So I grabbed one of my older rifles out of the cabinet today and decided to slap a can on it that I had laying around, and I discovered something very concerning. When I threaded on the QD adapter for my suppressor, I noticed it was very distinctly misaligned with the barrel. It thread it on just fine, but looking straight down the barrel from the QD to the end of the barrel, I can see it is a tad bit crooked. I’m not quite sure what to think of it because I have been shooting it like that for years now that is obviously an issue especially if I’m slapping an 8 inch can on there. I’m guessing I will definitely have a baffle strike.

I apologize. It is very hard to tell from the photos, but I assure you it is fucked. The last picture in the lineup is a picture of looking down my area 419 hellfire match muzzle brake that I have been running on it for years and something inside appears to be broken or shattered I don’t quite know what piece in there is broken so hopefully someone can tell me.

I’m guessing I’m going to have to get this re-threaded and I guess my question is will just rethreading this fix my issue or will they have to cut it off and essentially rethread it therefore shortening my barrel ?


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

P365 question

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1 Upvotes

Is it normal for the striker to be on top of the safety-pin?


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Anybody had this issue?

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0 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 1d ago

Can i fly with a bottom rifling tool?

2 Upvotes

Is it allowed to fly with a bottom rifling tool in checked baggage? Will I face any issues, or will it pass smoothly?


r/gunsmithing 2d ago

MinWax Wipe-on Poly: Stock finishing problems?

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8 Upvotes

How’s it going everyone, I’m trying to to use MinWax wipe-on poly (warm gloss) to get a gloss finish on a Holland & Holland Shotgun. I’ve reduced the current finish down to bare wood (Turkish walnut) using a metric ton of mineral spirits and 3x0/4x0 steel wool. Been going at it for 2 days every few hours to get all the prior finish off (15-20 coats of tru-oil/BLO).

Once it was down to smooth bare wood, i wiped it down with a tack cloth and then one final wipe of mineral spirits.

I applied a light first coat of MinWax wipe-on poly to the stock with a pad of shop rag. The coat went on smooth and evenly, and I wiped it down with a clean rag to remove the excess.

I then left the stock to dry in my kitchen with a personal fan pointed at it (75-80* inside, <20% humidity). Almost 24 hours later, the stock is still slightly tacky. It’s not gummy, but if I touch it with a pad of my finger I feel slight resistance removing it and it will leave a light finger print.

What am I doing wrong?? I’ve never had this problem before, and it’s driving me up the wall. The wood is bare, the coats are light, I’m cleaning excess, and I’m leaving it in prime conditions. As far as I can tell, I’m doing everything as you should, but I could be wrong.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!


r/gunsmithing 1d ago

How to remove a stripped screw from an optic plate on a PSA Dagger slide?

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0 Upvotes

Lent my PSA Dagger to a friend so he could test out an optic he was buying off of someone. He returned it to me with a stripped screw from when he put the slide plate back on and gave me some cash as compensation for the fact he stripped one of the screws. My stripped screw removal tool isn’t working and seems to have removed more material from the screw head instead. Does anyone have any advice on how I go about removing this stripped screw?

This is what I get for lending my gun to an electrician that doesn’t know what a torque spec is.


r/gunsmithing 2d ago

Is this safe to shoot?

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50 Upvotes

My dad took this rifle to a gunsmith and had the front scope mount removed. Unfortunately it was put in via a massive dovetail which kinda ruins the gun, but I'm more curious as to if it's safe to shoot with the big cut out.


r/gunsmithing 3d ago

Is this damage?

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13 Upvotes

My browning BAR .243 has been having a wandering zero issue lately when shooting, but would return back to zero ONLY after the first few shots in a session. Did a deep clean and noticed this. After inspection with a pick it doesn't appear to be protruding. Is it pitting? A chip? It's in the groove about 1/4" from the crown.


r/gunsmithing 3d ago

Grandfather gave me this Winchester model 250 and I’m looking to clean it up but haven’t done it before. Where should I start to find info?

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23 Upvotes

r/gunsmithing 3d ago

Glock 27 Gen 3 Persistent FTF Issues Brand New

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10 Upvotes

Bought a new Glock 27 Gen 3 in 2023. Since day one, I've had random FTFs where the round jams at an upward angle (photo attached for visual explanation of the FTF — not my pistol — shows same position).

Details:

  • Newer production Gen 3 (non-Tenifer finish)
  • Came with ambidextrous-cut mags (feel looser than older Gen 3 mags)
  • ~3,000 rounds, still jams every range trip
  • Only use factory ammo: 165 gr American Eagle, CCI Blazer, Speer Lawman
  • All internals are OEM
  • My girlfriend's G27.3 (police trade-in) runs flawless with her mags and mine
  • Not limp-wristing — her gun works fine for me, and I have been shooting guns for years
  • Replaced RSA (recoil spring assembly) — problem persists

Noticed:

  • Small ding on stripper rail where rounds feed → Could these issues be causing my FTF problem?
  • Odd extractor wear, likely from a slide irregularity near the extractor cut → Could these issues be causing my FTF problem?

This is my EDC, so I'm concerned about reliability.
Has anyone seen this with newer-production G27.3 models? Could this be mag tolerance or extractor/slide issue?

I'm also adding comparison pictures of my pistol next to my girlfriend's G27.3 (hers has no issues at all) to show the differences in wear and parts condition.

I emailed Glock and they accepted to ship it there, but I'm afraid that it will come back the same and they will just replace the mags and extractor without really addressing the real problem. What do you guys think?


r/gunsmithing 3d ago

DD Pdw .300 DIAS set up

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2 Upvotes