If you’re fascinated by guns and their inner workings, then a professional career as a gunsmith is likely the right move for you. A person must take a number of steps in order to become a modern gunsmith in the US. However, by far, the most important part of the process must be certification. In order to become a professional gunsmith certified by the American Gunsmithing Institute, a gunsmith in training must enroll in a gunsmithing school and graduate from this school. Our following post focuses on the prospect of how to become a gunsmith in modern day America.
First of all, you should know that only the schools which are approved by the NRA and/or by the American Gunsmithing Institute can offer you legal certification in the field. Without this legal certification, you cannot perform legitimate work as a gunsmith. Therefore, you should remain extra critical and cautious before enrolling in just any school that offers gunsmithing courses. Instead, verify that the state properly certifies the courses and school’s certification (or degree). You can read our previous post regarding the top 5 gunsmithing schools in the US if you’re unsure as to which schools stand as the best in the entire country. You should never neglect to research a school’s certification when searching for the best gunsmithing program. There is nothing worse than dedicating copious amounts of time into a degree/certification program only to find out that your accomplishments hold little to no weight in the business world.
How to Find a Gunsmithing School in Your Area
This modern day gunsmith is hard at work performing the typical duties of a person in his profession.
To make things easier and safer, you can use the toolbar in the top right corner of our website. This tool allows you to search for a proper gunsmithing school in your area. Just enter your zip code in the first empty field, select a option where it says “other” and then simply hit “enter”. You will then be taken to a search results page that will tell you exactly what opportunities are available In this area. Many of these courses available to you are NRA certified. You may even find some schools that offer an entire bachelor’s level degree in Gunsmithing. We custom tailored this search program to help you get in touch with a Gunsmithing institute near you. It could quite literally save you a day’s worth of hassle and headache.
What Courses Can You Expect to Take While Attending School?
Gumsmithing schools and institutes usually offer two different types of programs: short term courses which typically result in a certification in a specific area of expertise (or even certification to teach a gun safety course of your own), or a full-time, post-secondary school that offers an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Gunsmithing. Completing such bachelor’s level programs is the only way to earn a real degree in Gunsmithing.
The latter type of school offers a wider range of available courses. Some of these courses may include Firearms Repair, Metal Finishing, Gunsmith Machinist programs, Engraving, Weapon Enhancement, Weapon Modification, Silversmithing, Knife Making, Welding, Match Accurazing, Machine Tool use and many others. The list continues on and varies greatly. Once you pick a specific specialization, you then select a range of courses that correspond with your chosen path.
General Information about a Gunsmithing Job
The field of Gunsmithing is definitely an interesting business. However, it is also a highly lucrative one. Professional firearms are not only expensive objects, but also require an attention to detail which makes gunsmithing an art. When weapon modification and engraving also come into the equation, gunsmithing becomes an art all the more so.
During the daily job, a gunsmith supervises and maintains all the guns in his or her care. The Gunsmith also ensures that every gun remains perfectly well-tuned and that the components match up to perfection. Without this kind of maintenance and attention to detail, many of the components of our firearms would fall into variable response times. Such de-synchronization leads to dangerous accidents. Gunsmiths also modify or personalize weapons base on their customer’s demands. In this field, a Gunsmith’s skills truly shine through.
Gunsmiths utilize numerous tools in their daily work. These tools include armor kits, a wide range of hammers, roll pin punches, ammo snap caps, bench blocks and mats, metalworking supplies, barrel vises, screwdriver sets, jewelling tools, engraving tools, hand saws, various blades, and so on. Some employers will provide Gunsmiths with these necessary tools. Gunsmiths will most likely already own the more basic tools from their school years.
It is no wonder that serving as a professional Gunsmith also carries with it a satisfying level of recompense. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of gunsmiths sits between $18,000 to $40,000 per year. Their median salary sits at $34,000 per year. This figure only includes the base salary. Many stores include bonuses for every gun sold. If you’re truly passionate about designing arms, you may even get a chance to work in the government (such as a police department) or the US military. So far, the Bureau states that not enough gunsmiths exist in the current job market to cover to cover the existing demand. Therefore, plenty of opportunity for growth still exists in the field of Gunsmithing.
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