Collegiate Opportunities for NRA Families: Gunsmithing at Piedmont Tech

by
posted on October 15, 2020
8-questions-gunsmith-lede.jpg

Here at NRA Family, we love to highlight careers in the gun and outdoors industry. One of the hottest careers to emerge in this bizarre year of 2020 is, interestingly, gunsmithing. With gun sales at an all-time high--we're expected to hit 20 million firearms sold this year--the demand for people who can customize those guns has grown tremendously. However, the list of places where you can learn to be a gunsmith is quite short. One of them is Piedmont Technical College (PTC).

Piedmont Tech tells us that, on average, they place 93 percent of their Gunsmithing program graduates directly into jobs. Furthermore, although this year's record-breaking gun sales won't continue forever, gunsmithing is an "evergreen" skill for which there will always be a demand. (The profession is about 700 years old, after all!)  

Although the average gunsmithing student finds a job immediately, there is no average student in gunsmithing. PTC reports that their gunsmithing students range in age from the "traditional" 20ish college student, to second-career seekers in their forties, to hobbyists in their sixties. Whatever their age, PTC's gunsmithing grads will be very busy for a long time to come.

Part of the reason why is that many firearms companies are starting to move away from repairing their products in-house. They still need skilled, expert workers to do the customization and repair work, so many of them contract that out to independent gunsmiths or to repair centers. Of course, the other part of the reason why is that many gun owners don't like to send their guns away for months at a time...they'd much rather have someone local do the work so they know what their repair status is, and so any questions or concerns can be addressed locally.

Want to learn more? PTC.edu

 

Latest

Gianni Giordano Lede
Gianni Giordano Lede

Rising Shooting Stars: Gianni Giordano

Shooting competitor, straight-A student, small-business owner and farmer ... this rising shooting star has it all.

Throwback Thursday: Quantrill's Raiders

During the American Civil War, they called it "Bleeding Kansas." This is the story of the man who bled it.

Video Review: Davidson's Gunsite Glock Service Pistol

This iconic Austrian pistol's specially outfitted with features and accessories chosen by the elite team of trainers and shooters at Gunsite Academy.

Modern Semi-Automatic Pistol Triggers & How They Work

DA, DA/SA, DAO ... you'll see these terms and abbreviations in gun reviews. Here's what they all mean.

3 Reasons to Reduce Your Rifle Ammo Reloads

If you reload (also called handloading) your ammo, there are valid reasons to reduce the powder charge. Here's why.

First Impressions: Savage Arms 110 KLYM Bolt-Action Rifle Line

Savage teams up with Proof Research and Fine Ballistic Tools for next-level weight reduction and accuracy with this new line.

Interests



Get the best of NRA Family delivered to your inbox.