AGI gunsmithing

Devil Anse Hatfield · December 14, 2011, 09:40:32 PM

What are your thoughts on this method of training?
Is it worth the money and time to try a new venture for a biz plus education ?
Is the big package worth the 8 grand?
Has anyone here bought used and become a smith ?

Devil Anse Hatfield · December 16, 2011, 10:49:54 AM

almost 50 people have looked and no thoughts on this .

joec · December 16, 2011, 11:11:18 AM

I have a couple of their DVD on 1911's and want one on the single action 1873 style guns as well as my Rossi Rifle (I do have the Gunz video). I just haven't gotten around to ordering it yet. I found the ones I have pretty good on 1911 but then I just want to be more aware of my daily carry gun not so much for repairing but to trouble shoot problems.

Crossdrawnj · December 16, 2011, 01:07:52 PM

Correspondance courses never really appealed to me. Even when I went back to college in the early 90's. I prefer the classroom experience as I know I abosrb more information.

My son is currently enrolled in the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School in Pittsburg. Although there are about 20 people in his class, there is one-on-one attention from the instructors available at any given time. He's having a blast! As I write this, he's at the end of his second semester. It isn't cheap: 20k for the 16 week course (thank God the VA's picking up the tab!). This does not include the guns you'll need. They do provide many of the tools and they are yours when you graduate. From the research he did prior to committing to PA. Gusmith, he discovered this is one of the more reputable GS schools in the country (I think there are only three). New students come in at the first of every month and there is a class graduating at the end of each month.

Hope this helps. Good luck. Gunsmithing is a dying trade.

Crossdraw.

Panhandle Slim · December 26, 2011, 07:07:12 PM

Crossdrawnj,

Is your son using Chapter 31 or 33 (MGIB or Post 9/11) VA? I originally wanted to go to PGS, but was told I couldn't under Chap 33. It still worked out in the end for me though. I'm now in the gunsmith program at Montgomery Comm. College in Troy NC. Great program, only 15 in my class. Plus, I'll be getting an AA degree when finished. This program isn't cheap either, even with the VA paying for it.

Though it does appear that this is a dying trade, you wouldn't know it. This school has a waiting list every year for people trying to get in. So much so, that we have day, night and weekend classes. Frankly, I was lucky to get in on the night class.

Still, I wouldn't trade this for anything.

Pettifogger · December 26, 2011, 07:20:38 PM

If you are talking about watching videos as the "method of training" would you want your brain surgeon to have gotten his MD by watching videos? I have watched some and many are pretty good. I would put in a caveat, however. IF you are already handy with tools, know quite a bit about guns and have a lot of common sense the DVDs are a help. If you can't presently operate a screwdriver and don't know the difference between a standard screwdriver and a hollow ground screwdriver, the DVDs aren't going to help much.

rbertalotto · December 27, 2011, 05:06:21 AM

I was involved in the AGI course for some time. It's a reasonable course, but nothing like a classroom. I have tons of books and the monthly newsletters from them.

I attended a few NRA summer courses at the gunsmith program at Montgomery Comm. College in Troy NC. Simply amazing experience!

Fantastic facilities and the summer courses are taught by industry icons. I took the Hamilton Bowen Single Action course, Ron Powers S&W course and (Sorry, can't remember the facilitator) 1911 course. Each course is one week long. You have total access to everything in the school. Mills. lathes, blueing tanks, wood working, etc. Extremely hands on. Very little book work. Lots of show and tell. This is the way I like to learn (Thank God for YouTube!)

If I could attend their Associates Degree program, I would in a second!

Oldskool · December 31, 2011, 09:13:55 AM

I also took the Bowen class in Troy back in '06 I think it was. It was my only vacation in maybe 10 years and it was terrific fun even though most of it was over my head. I'd love to take more courses don't have the time so my second choice would be videos which you can stop and start at your own pace and then refer to shop manuals for details.