Well I may have to learn a new trade,I recently had aheart attack and may have to give up pipewelding.I've always loved guns,so for a new carreer,I've been considering gunsmithing.Would you guys recommend a full blown college gunsmith school or would one of those home study courses work.All the college type course's I've found are about 2 years log and out of state for me,and money is gonna get tight before it gets better.What do you guys recommend?

I seem to remember a thread on this forum about a smith in Mississippi that would take apprentices. That would be the best and least expensive. That said I attended Trinidad State in Colorado but if I were reccommending a school to train as a Gunsmith it would probably be Colorado School of Trades in Denver. Neither of which are inexpensive for out of state residents and not of short duration. Better to find a machine shop program locally and master the machinist or toolmaker skills first in order to have an income producing skill after completion.

The Colorado school of trades in denver is a 14 month coarse i believe,and there are other schools in Trinidad,and a great school at Lassen college in Susanville, calif. A good knowlege of lathes and mills before you start school,will give you an edge on the coarses there,and give you more time to do projects as well. The projects are a real nice learning experience and one can make many tool that one needs in the trade that can,t be bought. The school i went to had a 2yrs coarse & A 7yr night time classes. The school you pick is of big importance,but one gets out of the school as much as one puts into it. One will really have to love it! van

Nearer to you and worth considering is Montgomery Community College in Troy, NC.

http://www.montgomery.edu/acgunsmith.htm

Good luck!

Clemson