Best hands on Gunsmithing School that also teaches machining?

[sgtstone73]

I'm getting close to retirement and I'm looking to get into gunsmithing to make custom precision rifles. Which gun school is the best option for this? I've been looking at SDI, AGI and Modern so far but don't know what the difference is between them. Colorado School of Trade looks interesting but don't much much about that one either. Have any of you been to or know anything about these schools?

At my age I'm not really interested in getting a degree or doing that type of school work. I really just want to get hands on training working with guns. I'm also a 100% disabled vet and I would be using Voc Rehab if possible.

 

[Modoc]

I’ve been out of the loop too long, But Lassen College in Susanville, CA and Yvapi were two good ones.

Lassen used to run week-two week short courses during the summer.

 

[sgtstone73]

I’ve been out of the loop too long, But Lassen College in Susanville, CA and Yvapi were two good ones.

Lassen used to run week-two week short courses during the summer.

I live in Las Vegas and I suppose it would be too difficult to head out that way. I can't find anyone or a tech school for that matter that teaches Machining in house other than UNLV and they are only taking degree seeking students.

 

[sgtstone73]

I just don't understand how you can learn any of this online.

 

[Modoc]

I live in Las Vegas and I suppose it would be too difficult to head out that way. I can't find anyone or a tech school for that matter that teaches Machining in house other than UNLV and they are only taking degree seeking students.

I think that Yvapi is somewhere in AZ, so that would be closer to LV. Check their offerings online.

 

[sgtstone73]

Protip: learn machining first..then get into gun smithing.

There's no real magic when it comes to gunsmith, they are machines like anything else.

Find a local vocational/trade school and go through their machining program.

Learn a solid background in lathe work, mill work, fixturing and metrology.

And then use that as a platform for gunsmithing.

I've not heard anything good about any of the mainstream gunsmithing schools.....SDI is all online from what Ive heard and it's mostly just following YouTube tutorials.

You have to find something in person, you absolutely cannot learn gunsmithing online

Thanks mcameron, this is good to know. I'm trying to find a tech school in my area that has a machining course but the only one I saw was at UNLV. At this time they are only accepting those that are seeking a degree, which means I would have to go back to school taking other classes and writing essays which I'm not interested in doing. Like Modoc said, I may have to go out of state to find something.

 

[strikeeagle1]

Protip: learn machining first..then get into gun smithing.

There's no real magic when it comes to gunsmith, they are machines like anything else.

For almost 10 years now I have been using the vertical Bridgeport Series 2 & LeBlonde CXA size lathe now to tinker on gunsmith related projects. Need to learn how the machines work and how you work the machines. Tubal Cain (MrPete22, Joe Pie (Piecynski), and BlondiHacks (Quinn) have fabulous on line videos to learn from IF you have the machines to learn on. You might consider a local junior college campus that teaches machine shop methodologies, as there is a lot more to "gunsmithing" than turning tools (mill) and turning parts (lathe) than meets the eye. I am always in awe of some of the machining the pro's on this forum show us with their CNC machines at a different level of expertise.

I just finished fabricating a 3/4" square lathe tool bit holder to use 1/4" lathe tool bits to get into smaller spaces than allowed by the larger tools held by the CXA post. Then used the adapter to fabricate a small cylindrical tap driver for very small gunsmithing hand tapping applications.
Tap depth control collets a separate fabrication.

 

[sgtstone73]

That was another question I had. I saw that some of the schools were using 7x12 mini bench lathes to learn on. If I wanted to turn barrels, what would be the best size lathe for an at home garage shop? (That doesn’t weight 1000 lbs)

I assume that if you are working on a 20” - 24” barrel, your lathe would obviously have to be bigger than that right? Maybe a grizzly 11”x 26” bench lathe?

Forgive my ignorance, I just don’t know how this works.

 

[pronelife]

Recent Ultimate Reloader 15 min vid for Colorado School of Trades; has a good overview of the equipment you work on and the timelines for each.

 

[Modoc]

Remembering what my father had, l believe that it was a Shenwai? 12”x48”. Gear driven, with the capability of running a barrel through the head. That capability really helped for rough chambering, shotgun forcing cones and screw-in chokes.

 

[carbonbased]

i can find a place to eat lobster off a naked stripper and a place where i can play cornhole with midgets....but not a place to learn machining....what a city....

 

[powdahound76]

Look at Black Canyon Custom’s website.

Fritz is the owner.
CO School of Trades grad.

I promise you, as will countless others here in CO and all over, Fritz builds lasers.

Heck of a nice guy too.

 

[WhiteDingo]

Yavapai College in Prescott AZ has a two year certificate program for Gunsmithing, as well as machining and welding courses and degrees. I graduated there in 2010, and the only thing I felt lacking in was CAD and CNC, which from my understanding, they've started integrating since.

I was definitely more prepared to be self sufficient than the two guys I've hired since, from PGS in Pittsburgh; though that curriculum is largely self directed, based on both of their feedback.

 

[roostercogburn98]

You don’t have a community college nearby that teaches machine shop? All the CCs around here have that option, or a program that gets you using the machines at least.

I opted for Industrial Systems Repair, we spent some time in the machine shop for quite a few of the classes. Enrolling in a program doesn’t mean you have to finish it, just skip the Gen Ed shit until the end and never go back to finish. Or just finish it all and have a 2 year degree anyway

 

[redneckbmxer24]

For the cost of a course you can buy a Bridgeport mill and a Grizzly lathe and plenty of metal to play with in your garage while going to YouTube academy. When you’re done with your education you already have the equipment.

 

[Bigfatcock]

...i can find a place to eat lobster off a naked stripper

Is this still available?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Then cost of all the carbide you're going to go through trying too learn it on your own will be equal to the cost of a class it's self.

If you’re cut out for running machines you’re not going to go through thousands of dollars of tooling. Every gunsmith I have ever met has been self taught or taught by someone else, not a school.

People who go to trade schools in my experience are not cut out for the work they’re trying to do and that was so evident when I was an auto mechanic. Everyone that any shop I worked for hired with a tech school degree was a fucking idiot that I wouldn’t let put air in my tires.

 

[strikeeagle1]

You can likely get passable results without breaking too many tools if you stick to brass, 12l14, nylon......but no one is teaching themselves how to cut stainless without it getting expensive.

So, to McCameron's point: The brass fixture featured above is the second effort. First effort I attempted to use M-2 steel blank. Required carbide everything, drill bit$, chamfer$, tap$.....I have it 90 % completed except for threading the 8-32 holes, so far 2 solid carbide taps = $190 are now museum pieces. Apparently there is a roller coaster styled learning curve to power tapping M-2 steel on the mill with carbide taps. Attempts at hand tapping were laughable. FYI you will need a quality broken tap extractor $et.
So far this has been a $750 ( a semester of tuition at a CC or some long range ammo not purchased) home schooling lesson with no threads yet! Old adage Good Judgement comes from Experience; Experience often involves Bad Judgement.

 

[sgtstone73]

so ive been poking around and really cant find a place to learn machining in Vegas.....i can find a place to eat lobster off a naked stripper and a place where i can play cornhole with midgets....but not a place to learn machining....what a city....


what i might recommend is to see if you can find a small 1-2 man machine shop...tell them what youre trying to do...and see if you can toss them a few bucks when things are slow for them to show you a thing or two...

HA! yeah not much here except the ladies of the night and food. There are a couple of shops in the area but they have small staff. I may have to do some traveling.

 

[sgtstone73]

You don’t have a community college nearby that teaches machine shop? All the CCs around here have that option, or a program that gets you using the machines at least.

I opted for Industrial Systems Repair, we spent some time in the machine shop for quite a few of the classes. Enrolling in a program doesn’t mean you have to finish it, just skip the Gen Ed shit until the end and never go back to finish. Or just finish it all and have a 2 year degree anyway

Unfortunately no. The trade schools here are geared for kids straight out of high school and they focus more on the other trades (HVAC, electric, plumbing, auto etc..)

 

[Threadcutter308]

If you can afford it, get a lathe with at least a 1.5" bore through the headstock and make yourself an outboard "spider" to support the other end of the barrel, on the far left/outside of the headstock/gearbox. That way, the barrel goes through the headstock and you don't have to screw around with supporting the barrel in a steady rest.

 

[Modoc]

If you can afford it, get a lathe with at least a 1.5" bore through the headstock and make yourself an outboard "spider" to support the other end of the barrel, on the far left/outside of the headstock/gearbox. That way, the barrel goes through the headstock and you don't have to screw around with supporting the barrel in a steady rest.

You explained that better than my attempt!

 

[AZLong]

https://www.yc.edu/v6/schools/cate/docs/student-info-packet.pdf

Prescott College, Prescott AZ. Certificate program if you like, no other classes to take. 3 1/2 hours to Vegas.