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Master Gunsmithing Program®

The Master Gunsmithing Program® at Pennsylvania Gunsmith School® is an all-encompassing program of study that has been developed by practicing Gunsmiths and employers over a 74-year period. The program is constantly updated and revised to help assist you with gunsmith training and to obtain an entry-level job in the Gunsmithing field.

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Our Program

The Master Gunsmithing Program® at the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School® is an intensive program of study that is concentrated into approximately 16 months of instruction. Our gunsmith program begins with basic instruction in gun repair and expands to more detailed instruction on different types of firearms and custom work to build skills that successful Gunsmiths use in the field each day. Novice and experienced tool and die makers and machinists can learn many new skill sets that were not previously known to them.

During our program, students will learn skills such as bluing and finishing, custom stock-making, machine work, rebarreling, basic heat treating, and business and customer relations. Instead of a strictly classroom-style instructional setting, the Master Gunsmithing Program® is taught in a shop setting to model what a professional Gunsmith would experience in their job. As such, you won’t have to take liberal arts courses in subjects like English, math or history as they are not practical for our program and take valuable time away from students. After completing instruction, graduates will leave the school with a portfolio of their work to showcase their abilities to employers.

What You Can Learn

A few of the many skills you could learn are:

  • Proper layout, hacksawing, filing and gauging techniques
  • Gunsmith heat treatment, metallurgy and spring making
  • Firearm nomenclature, function and design and cycle of operations
  • A variety of polishing and bluing techniques, firearm disassembly and reassembly and trigger work
  • Stock design and fit, drop, pitch and cast off
  • Custom stock making, recoil pad installation, stock finishing and checkering and sling swivel installation
  • Stock bedding techniques
  • Gunsmith welding, soldering and brazing
  • Lathe, milling machine, drill press and grinding operations
  • Barrel fitting, chambering and head spacing
  • Repairing and customizing
  • Custom alterations for rifles, shotguns and handguns
  • Basic business practices, gunsmith operations and employment preparation
  • And more gunsmith tasks

Students that successfully pass the program with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0, earn a Diploma for completing the Master Gunsmithing Program® and graduate as a Sporting Arms Ordinance Technician™. Students also have the opportunity to earn Honors and High Honors distinction for exemplary grade point averages.

If you’re ready to join the gunsmith industry, contact us and we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

PGS Student Tool, Book, and Supply Store

All of the required tools, books, and supplies necessary to complete the educational objectives of each gunsmith course are available for purchase in the store. Hundreds of optional tools and related equipment are available as well. Due to discounted pricing, the store is only open to PGS Students and is not open to the general public.

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