ORIGINAL: mike bell
Well I know of a few people that wasted their money on the home school courses. Its up to you though.
I always wanted my own gun shop since I was a kid looking at the guns in the local shop where I grew up. So the first thing I did out of high school was go to college. But theres a twist to my college days. I went to get a degree in gunsmithing at Trinidad State in Colorado. I graduated after two years with an actaul Associate Of Applied Science Degree in Gunsmithing, then I stayed for their Third Year Advanced Program. I wish I was older when I took the courses because I didnt take it as serious as I wish I did now. (11 years later)
I have not really searched for on line information about gunsmithing but there are a ton of books out there. The best place in the world for anything gunsmithing is Brownells! Bar none! Then get a Gun Parts Corp. catolog, they have hundereds of exploded views of guns.
Stock making was the easyest and my most favorite subject. Ed Shulin was the instructor and one of the best stockmakers Ive ever seen. He also ran a stockmaking business on the side sell custom grade semi-inlets and blanks. I also took some of the NRA Summer Gunsmithing short courses. I would diffenitly look into these courses after you get a basic uderstanding of how guns work. Two of the courses I took were the Engraving and Advanced Engraving with John Barraclough from Gardena, CA. Each summer course was two weeks and well worth the money. Alot of people take them as vacations each year, something to think about and look at.
The company I work for since I got out of school is Maryland Gun Works. We dont offer gunsmithing services to the public anymore. I moved over to the sister company MGW. I now make gunsmithing tools and gun parts for other companies. We also make custom car parts also.
mgwltd.com
I do gun work on the side, but nothing major. I usally send a gun off if I need a new rifle barrel or something big. But everything else I can get from Brownells
If you need any help let me know and I'll see if I can help ya out.
Mike Bell, and others, thank you for the responses. I was hoping to benefit from the wisdom of those that have gone before.
I am probably inclined to read books more than sign up for a course. That is part of what I am going to do over the next year. I've attended plenty of classes to know I can learn by reading, paying tuition is not a requirement. I have several book stores in town, Barnes and Noble, Media Play, etc.
When the instructor themselves is the value, then tuition is required. I'm a CPA, so I've spent my fair share of time in a book...
I'm familiar with the NRA 2 week quick courses, and they come to the same town my brother lives in, so that was a consideration, now even more with your suggestion.
Mike, it seems like your on the same wavelength as what my thoughts are. If I could ask you a question. Let's say my GOAL is to become very good at something, with no desire to learn everything. Do you feel just focusing on Stock making would be a broad enough endeavor to really work on becoming skilled?
Like you have described, I anticipate I am going to send the gun out for the 'big' things. Should I drop the thought of installing barrels, and just focus on the Stock making skills? There seems like so much can be done with Stocks, and if you are truely good at it, and enjoy it - maybe I should spend all my time there? It sounds like that is one of the things you enjoyed most?
By the way, I already have the woodworking hobby. So I've already got all the furniture making tools and a shop. Planer, Jointer, Router Table, Table Saw, Cutoff saw, drill press etc. What I am kind of thinking about doing is obtaining the tools to do some checkering, and practice on scrap wood. After I see some results, then I could put the tools to a gun stock.
Part of the reason this is a year off thought is I am building new kitchen drawers and cabinet doors this year. 18 Drawers and 47 doors done, 25 doors to go.... It was kind of a big project to take on, but the wife is really excited about the kitchen now.
Thank you everyone for your input. I'd value anything else you could share.
Edit in - Familiar with Brownells already. After I thought about things for a while I realized I already have a Remington 788 left hand gun that could really use a nice stock - so I already have the first donor. If I started with an action, or barreled action instead of a repair I kind of had Savage in mind. I have a Savage with a Bishop barrel already, I really like that gun.