Thank you for visiting our site on this most interesting form of visual electronic communication. I feel privileged that you have taken the time to explore via the Internet your interest in PGS and Gunsmithing. Many exciting things have happened in the career field of Gunsmithing since our site was developed in 1996. It has been my hope that someone in the Sporting Goods retail field would recognize the need to service the firearms that they sell.
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For too many years only the factories offered service to the public on their firearms. I would compare this to buying a car from a dealer then having to drive to Detroit to have it serviced. Gander Mountain has pioneered the concept of placing Gunsmiths in each of their stores along with sales associates who are familiar with the firearms they sell. PGS graduates staff many of Gander Mountain stores that are expanding throughout the Northeast and Midwestern United States.
Professional Gunsmith Training
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.)

LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN GUNSMITHING?

  • Gunsmithing as a profession is very rewarding
  • Pennsylvania alone sells one million hunting licenses per year
  • Each person who purchases a hunting license owns a multiple number of firearms
  • The average firearm owner in the U.S. owns 7 guns
  • There are thousands of sporting and target firearms in existence in the U.S.
  • An estimated 7,000,000 firearms are manufactured or imported into the U.S. every year
  • All these firearms need to be worked on sooner or later
  • PENNSYLVANIA GUNSMITH SCHOOL training meets the need to service these firearms

WHERE IS MY FUTURE?

  • Employment in a large firearms manufacturing plant
  • Working as a gunsmith in a sporting goods store
  • An armorer in a branch of the military
  • Working for another gunsmith
  • Operating your own Gun shop
  • Working in a related field such as a machinist, woodworker, metal refinisher, model builder, metal fitter, toolmaker, die maker, or prototype maker

WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF PGS?

  • Training to achieve excellence
  • Working to gain discipline
  • Study to seek knowledge
  • Observe to understand
  • Analyze to undertake
  • Act to complete
  • Inspect to assure
  • Wisdom to retain the experience

WHAT TYPE OF FIREARMS ARE COVERED IN THE MASTER GUNSMITH PROGRAM?

  • Rifles, shotguns, handguns and muzzle loading firearms (typically called sporting firearms)
  • PGS DOES NOT cover or allow on-campus any Federal Class III Firearms (typically fully automatic firearms)

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

  • In just sixteen months you will complete your training to begin a career that will last a lifetime
  • An eight-hour class day will excite and challenge you
  • The time passes so quickly that you will wish the program were longer
  • 2500 hours filled with new experiences
  • Contact us, PENNSYLVANIA GUNSMITH SCHOOL, 812 Ohio River Boulevard, Pgh., Pa., 15202
  • Call us, (412) 766-1812 or Fax us, (412) 766-0855

WHAT WILL MY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE BE LIKE?

  • You will be with other people who share your career goals
  • You will be challenged to achieve quality of workmanship
  • You will have a portfolio of guns and special tools and fixtures to show potential employers what you can do for them as a Gunsmith
  • You will learn something new every day
  • You will only be learning Gunsmithing and not have to take unnecessary classes like English and history
  • You will be in a private institution which means the PGS educational program is driven by employers and not what a state or government agency thinks you should learn
  • You will have fun

WHAT ARE PGS' CREDENTIALS?

  • PGS is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, ACCSCT
  • Financial Aid is available for those who qualify (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, Private Loans)
  • Approved for Veterans benefits (Chapter 30, 31, EAP, FTA, etc.)
  • Approved for State Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) training benefits
  • Member of the Pennsylvania Association of Private School Administrators (PAPSA)
  • Member of the Better Business Bureau
  • Staff members are either Benefactor, Patron, Endowment, or Life Members of the NRA

WHERE IS PGS LOCATED?

  • PGS is situated in the Borough of Avalon, a small close knit community and is a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • The school is located near Interstate Routes for North, South, East and West access
  • Apartments and rooms are nearby, some within walking distance
  • Part-time employment in various businesses after class hours is available
  • Public bus transportation is nearby
  • Some of the best hunting and fishing in the Eastern U.S. is only a few miles away
  • Public shooting ranges are within a short driving distance
  • Trap, skeet, sporting clays, pistol and rifle shooting is available at local gun clubs
  • Major league baseball, football, and hockey are part of the Pittsburgh sports scene

MAY I TOUR PGS?

  • PGS encourages interested applicants to visit and tour the facility, talk with staff, instructors and students
  • A personal tour will allow you to see actual Gunsmithing work performed by the students
  • Your tour can include talking with financial aid staff. Be sure to ask for this option when you schedule your time
  • Tours are scheduled Monday through Friday, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
  • Please call 412-766-1812 ahead of your planned arrival so that adequate time may be set aside to answer all of your questions
  • Overnight accommodations are located nearby (not listed in any particular order)

 


Member of Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology

 

Would you like more information about the Master Gunsmithing Program?
Please contact us and we will send you our PGS information packet.
 

PA Gunsmith School is located at 812 Ohio River Blvd. in Pittsburgh PA 15202. You can call us at 412-766-1812 or visit our Contact Us Page.
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