| Professionals with gunsmith training design firearms, | | | | courses for gunsmiths have become available. The |
| clean and repair them, perform regular maintenance, | | | | potential student should be sure that any program |
| troubleshoot malfunctions, test for operation and | | | | being considered offers credentials that will be |
| accuracy, and modify them according to client | | | | accepted by employers, and is accredited by |
| instructions. These specialists are often self employed | | | | education standards organizations. The individual |
| or employed in small business, but they may also find | | | | evaluating gunsmith schools should also be aware |
| employment with firearms manufacturers, industries | | | | that, in most cases, self-employed gunsmiths will |
| and service companies where firearms are used, or | | | | need to be eligible for, and acquire, a Federal Firearms |
| with the military or firearms clubs. In the United | | | | License. |
| States, where many people carry hand guns for | | | | The skills acquired in gunsmith training are applicable |
| personal protection, gunsmiths are often needed. | | | | to many other types of employment where |
| Gunsmith schools prepare students for all of these | | | | mechanical tools and instruments are designed and |
| types of employment. Courses teach gun design and | | | | manufactured. Therefore, although employment |
| construction, including the use of all hand tools and | | | | opportunities in the gunsmith field are likely to remain |
| machine tools necessary to complete the task. They | | | | steady or increase slightly in the future, graduates of |
| teach safe handling and operation of guns as well as | | | | gunsmith schools can rest assured that they have |
| appropriate maintenance and cleaning procedures. | | | | skills that are easily transferable to other jobs with |
| General gunsmith training can be augmented by | | | | comparable opportunities, benefits and salary range. |
| specialization in various areas such as finishing and | | | | At present, gunsmiths earn an average of $20,000 to |
| refinishing, decoration, and custom design. | | | | $40,000 US annually, with some individuals earning |
| Gunsmith training is available from trade schools, | | | | considerably more. |
| colleges, and technical schools. Recently, online | | | | |