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17 Comments

  1. Thank you for writing about your experience with this online course. Always thought the learn at home method was a bit dubious, but you’re taking an honest effort at using this course and were brave enough to lay out that kind of money for it.

    After attending a lot of training over the years starting to think online courses might be the best for busy people. Once you sit through a two-hour class being power pointed to death you start to think your time could be used better elsewhere.

    Have gotten more with Hands-On training although as a young man was always put off by dealing with grumpy old codgers. However in the later years that might not be such an issue since I myself I’m turning into said grumpy codger 🙂

    Good luck with the course and look forward to your future installments.

  3. I own a gun business but feel a little embarrassed about my lack of in depth knowledge. Luckily I have hired skilled dudes but still, I’ve been reading gunsmithing books but just not getting what I need. I’ve been following this thread with piqued interest as I’ve been interested in the program from AGI but always nervous about “online video training courses” as they are in this industry, almost never valuable.

    1. Brandon, so far I’ve been pretty impressed with the course. I’m not unfamiliar with guns, having grown up around them, but this course has been pretty informative. I’m still just in the beginning stages of the course, but I have learned a tremendous amount.
      I does have a few drawbacks, but with the combination of the online helps and the ability to call the main line for help (which I have done already), it is working out well.

  4. You mentioned a potential longer term need to refer back to some of the discs. You could make a second list with of catches your eye with the subject/topic, disc number, timestamp.

    1. Fred, the index is awesome for referring to particular firearms. Written notes are also very good. I take notes on things that catch my eye and then transcribe them into a bound pocket notebook that I picked up at Walmart. The notebook fits in a shirt pocket, has a semi-flexible cover with a ribbon bookmark built in. it also has an elastic band that wraps around the pages and keeps it closed. I’m finding it a very useful resource for keeping either directions on how to do things or where to find information. I keep it with me almost all the time.

  5. A very dear friend and co-worker of mine, truly a mentor for many years, passed away last month and left me his gunshop in his will. I’d rather have my friend back but God made a choice and I accept that. [I took no possession of any weapons as the family wanted them and I have enough of my own. I just received the rest of the inventory.]

    I have done handloading in the past, and learned how to field strip an M-14 in basic training, and with my friends help built my own M-4 chambered in 5.56mm. I m NOT by any means a gunsmith, and I am NOT a proficient or experienced handloader by any slight imagination; though I really want to become a good handloader since I now own enough material sans any weapons other than the ones I owned prior to his passing.

    My friend was an accomplished gunsmith, and in our chosen profession a very experienced professional; an old codger who took me under his wing and taught me a thing or two, and I’ve been practicing my profession for 47 + years. He hunted almost every continent on earth, and maybe some that aren’t given the tools, dies, etc. I now own.

    I have never considered being a gunsmith, at my age a career move wan’t in my plans, retirement was. Because of your posts my curiosity was piqued and I took the plunge into looking up AGI; I now get interesting tips and articles everyday in my email, and lots of advertising too. I’m thinking maybe God wants to let me “retire” to a home business and leave my profession that has become a “JOB” after so many years. I have tools that I have no idea what they are for, I have stock of parts some new, some obviously used, and above all things my friend kept meticulous records on everything; that he bought, when he bought,cost, and receipts on everything. The powder and bullets, and brass has date bought, opened if opened, (almost 95% of the powder has not been opened) …. did I mention hand tools and stuff that I still can’t identify, and I’m a mechanic / electronics engineer by trade.

    I’m going to skip ahead and read your posts and consider how to pay for the master gunsmith course if the Lord leads me that way. This whole journey started on a very sad and painful way. I’ve outlived a wife, two children, parents,etc. and losing someone you had daily fellowship with for many years is just as painful. God has blessed me with a wife now who seems to be mildly amused at my situation though. Your post seems to be something beyond just another persons adventure; this event in my life is definitely on the God shelf, and I pray that you win the blog contest since it obviously reaches out beyond just the screen. Thank you for your posts. Keep well, and may God richly bless you. If the Lord leads me to taking the course I’ll let you know, I’m certain it is worth the costs, but I need to be 100% certain I’m following His will, not mine.

    1. What a mixed blessing. I’m sure the loss of the friendship is grievous, but it is really nice that his hard work won’t go to waste like so many in estate sales. I’m glad my posts have been of help and am pretty impressed at this program. All the best to you as you make decisions.

  6. I took the plunge five years ago, retired and bought the entire AGI course with tools. I set up my shop, applied for my FFL and got it. Set up my DBA. I have been gunsmithing, essentially by word of mouth, for five years and enjoy every minute. The DVDs and other books like the Jack First parts books are very valuable. And I have never failed to find needed information on a gun via a YouTube search. Very pleased with my decision to go with AGI. And no, I don’t work for them. I do work WITH them every day.

    1. Mike,
      Hardly. Becoming a gunsmith is a lot more than just watching and comprehending the videos. There is skill that is involved. The videos give you a foundation, but you have to work on firearms – lots of them. The DVDs will give you head knowledge, but you need to translate that to physical skill. AGI gives you considerable help in that area, but you need the drive to do it.

  9. Study tip,don’t sit in your lounger to watch the lessons but setup a straight back chair with a table or desk to take notes on (you may flash back to school) but it will help get in the right mental focus to pay attention and retain the information.

  10. This is some great information about what is really involved in the AGI courses. I am currently enrolled at Sonoran Desert Institute taking classes. I am enrolled in their Firearms Technology Degree program. It is just learning the fundamentals of firearms and ammunition. The information is pretty useful and I have learned a lot. Maybe I should start up a review on SDI so others can see what can be learned through them.

    What is the exact course you are taking?

    I am looking at gun smithing as my retirement since I don’t think SS, my military retirement or my federal job retirement will be available when it comes time for me to retire.

  11. @CT

    The course I’m taking is the Professional Gunsmithing Level 1 course. The idea being that if I like it I can add Level two, Level three, or even the Enhanced Master Gunsmith course if I want to.

    I have the same fears about SS and retirement. I highly suspect that everything I have paid in to those things is just a loss. I’d be bored without something to do in retirement anyway 🙂

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