Colorado School of Trades Gunsmithing Course Requirements
Below is a breakdown of the different courses involved in preparing to become a professional gunsmith. The 14-month gunsmith curriculum is composed of four basic courses. Your time in the four courses will be divided between lab hours, classroom time and shop time.
In order to benefit the most from the gunsmithing training course, the Colorado School of Trades has designed the coursework to cover numerous courses. Over the duration of the Gunsmithing program, you will spend the following amounts of time in each courses:
Basic Courses (About 350 Hours)
- Shop Math
- Drill Press Operation
- Hand Tools and Uses
- Grinding, Polishing, Sanding
- The “Blueing” Process
- Blueprint Reading
Machine Shop Courses (About 400 Hours)
- Welding
- Universal Grinder
- Tool Bit Grinding
- Milling Machine
- Engine Lathe
Stockmaking Courses (About 350 Hours)
- Gun Sights
- Ballistic-Handloading
- Stock Finishes
- Use of Firearms
- Stockmaking
Design and Function Courses (About 800 Hours)
- Conversions
- Special Hand Tools
- Specialization
- Trigger Assemblies
- Design and Function
- Business Training
The total number of hours is 1,800. A major portion of this time – about 1,505 hours of it – will be spent in the lab. The remainder of your time – about 295 hours – will be utilized by learning through classroom instruction.