[mountainman13]

Penn foster is an okay basic program. Sonoran is the best you're gonna get. Pheonix is a scam.
I took the Penn foster course for s&g. It's supposed to be a minimum 6 month course. I finished it in about a month.
http://www.sdi.edu/contact.html
I would recommend calling.

[blueshield67]

480-314-2102 is the number to the school when I called they were very friendly

[wjnfirearms]

The only thing I have issue with correspondence schools for gunsmithing is the lack of hands on training. Watching examples on video or online, etc. like the courses advertised by the Gun Club of America, etc., may be good for theory, but for practical experience, I don't know.

There's one of the best schools right in my backyard. They've been around since 1949. I just wish I had the time and money to enroll.

http://www.pagunsmith.edu/about.php

[mountainman13]

You are 100% correct. There is no substitute for hands on. Tipi can have all the knowledge base in the world but if your hands don't do ask they are asked (so to speak) then you're screwed. Anyone who takes one of these courses and has no hands on experience that calls themselves a smith should be avoided at all cost. It is nothing more than a place to start which may help you in finding an apprenticeship.

[pfev1980]

I don't think anyone who is looking to become a professional gunsmith is going to look at one of these courses and think this is what they need to open shop. However, there are those of us who are interested in gunsmithing who don't have time to apprentice or attend a full time school and are looking for a place to start. I think we all know you can learn to make a cake by reading the back of the box, but no one is calling themselves a pastry chef until they do it a few times.

[mountainman13]

I'm not saying anyone on here would do that. Penn foster is a good cheap start. Sonoran is much better and offers more advanced courses also but its expensive. Pheonix is just based off a single book which happens to be the first book I ever purchased. (good book though) (see attachment) take the sonoran course learn the basic of the trade and start working on your own guns. If you can avoid bringing a bag o' gun to a smith you're off to a good start. Start buying junkers and fix and mod them. Go from there.

[BadKarma74]

Thanks for the advice ill try that

[KllSwtch8473]

Not sure if you have talked to any of your local gunsmiths and not saying they would react the same way but everytime I have gone and asked about apprenticing they near bite my head off. Not sure if anyone has the same problem.

[blueshield67]

Same in my neck of the woods everyone I've talked yo says they're not looking for any and neither is anyone else