Henry Rifle Forums

"School Training" is not a requirement for a gunsmith. There is no certification or license. Guys that wrk on hotrods call themselves mechanics...same for those who tinker with firearms.

Some know how to do the work, many do not. Asking doesn't help. Never heard one say "I'm just learning, so let me try to fix your gun." Bad ones charge the same as good ones.

Word of mouth is the best recommendation for now. The best "gunsmith" I ever worked with was a retired engineer in Tucson. He shot the same sport I did and knew what was needed. The "other" gunsmith in town worked on black guns and was slow as Christmas...their fees were the same.

M

Blackdog wrote:"School Training" is not a requirement for a gunsmith. There is no certification or license. Guys that wrk on hotrods call themselves mechanics...same for those who tinker with firearms.

Some know how to do the work, many do not. Asking doesn't help. Never heard one say "I'm just learning, so let me try to fix your gun." Bad ones charge the same as good ones.

Word of mouth is the best recommendation for now. The best "gunsmith" I ever worked with was a retired engineer in Tucson. He shot the same sport I did and knew what was needed. The "other" gunsmith in town worked on black guns and was slow as Christmas...their fees were the same.

M

Some years ago I had read about gunsmith training and/or gunsmith schools in the U.S. So based on your post comments, I did a "Bing" search this week with the question: "Are there requirements to be a gunsmith? I did this partly out of curiosity, and partly because I don't really know how to find a qualified gunsmith.

At the top of the search results was a general comment:

"To become a gunsmith you will need to have an associate’s degree, technical diploma or certificate in the field. You can get one of these degrees, diplomas or certificates from an accredited college or technical school. For the most part these programs will range from 6 months to 2 years in duration. The courses will focus on the mechanical skills that are needed to make and repair guns."

Search also resulted in various links re. becoming a gunsmith.
Just a few:

https://study.com/articles/How_to_Becom ... admap.html

https://gunsmithing.nra.org/

https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Gunsmith

Other than an FFL there is no skill specific certification required. You can be a trained mechanic or a "shade tree" mechanic - same for gunsmiths. And there are way, way too many "shade tree" gunsmiths.
Wish it wasn't so, but it is the reality of the business.
I'm a photographer - same thing for us. I have a masters degree and others have learned on their own...not sure who is best, because "school knowledge" is far from practical experience. Same for gunsmiths.
Michael