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Bob’s intent was to preserve and pass on this exclusive set of skills and methods of analysis to the next generation of Gunsmiths.
The American Gunsmithing Institute was established in 1993, by Gunsmiths, to preserve the Gunsmithing Arts and to teach the Design, Function, and Repair philosophy and critical thinking skills required that enable an individual to become a real Gunsmith and safely repair, maintain, and customize firearms.
We have created a training system that is superior to a campus based Gunsmithing School, because we are able to teach Firearms Design, Function, Repair (D,F,&R) and advanced Customizing, more clearly and quickly. Using a systematic video course of instruction with close ups and cutaway firearms to make the instruction seamless and crystal clear. Anyone who does not understand D, F, &R is simply a “parts swapper,” not a Gunsmith. American Gunsmithing Institute Graduates do understand D, F, & R and are Certified Gunsmiths.
AGI is also able to train our students in a greater number of skills and disciplines, in a shorter period of time, at a significantly lower cost, all without the student having to leave their home, or quit their job and move to attend a campus-based school. A clear career advantage.
It’s a great opportunity to learn and develop problem solving skills. You can also study and test at your own pace.
I really enjoyed the online course. I Learned a lot and thought the course is well organized and thought out well. I enjoyed listening and learning from Bob Dunlap and the good down to earth and good humor in communication.
I have learned so much about firearms through the programs. The DVD’s and videos are broken down by topic so anyone can understand – it’s a great way to learn gunsmithing!
AGI is by far the best online Gunsmithing program. I did check out two other online schools and was not impressed. AGI actually goes into detail about each gun system and sub-systems. It goes over the rules and practices for several guns, then you apply those skills you learned to other guns with similar systems. They also offer hands on classes in Oregon. They are far for us East Coast guys but definitely worth the trip. I have taken 3 with Colt revolvers being the most recent (last week). All 3 classes were great hands on experience. Ken Brooks is an awesome instructor and very down to earth. Highly recommend AGI, it has given me the knowledge I need to open a shop and I’m doing great with it. I like the fact that I can review the course material anytime I need to. That in itself is priceless.
I give the American Gunsmithing Institute five stars due to its positive impact on my learning. The course material is excellent, the instructors are great, and the student support is outstanding. After retiring, I enrolled in the course, but unfortunately, I lost all the course material in a flood. When I reached out to the American Gunsmithing Institute to replace the material, I encountered some difficulties due to a miscommunication with a new employee. However, once Gene Kelly, the president, was informed, he promptly addressed the issue. I was truly impressed with the exceptional customer service provided by Gene Kelly. He was friendly, helpful, and went above and beyond to ensure my satisfaction. I wholeheartedly recommend the American Gunsmithing Institute for its dedication to customer satisfaction and its commitment to resolving issues efficiently.
I have really enjoyed and learned a lot from the videos, and after seeing some of the examples of other internet-based schools I love the fact that you use the cutaway guns that show a lot more detail and especially the sections at the end of each chapter that go into tricks tips and different ways of repairing guns. Although due to some health problems I have been a little slow getting through the videos and taking the exams I am still very interested in becoming a gunsmith. Thank you for all your support and work that went into these lessons, it really is appreciated by those of us that have not had experience with a lot of these guns.
AGI definitely prepares you to work on guns. Yes, you need to get your own guns to work on to master the teachings. The systems approach prepares you to work on almost any gun. I have three guns in my shop that were not in the course. One, a CZ720, when you take it apart it is largely a Remington fire control group mated with a Benelli gas operating system. Recognized those two systems immediately. The program works!
AGI has been very good at working with my disabilities from the Marines. I started out cleaning weapons like they said and the benefits paid off three fold. I charge for tearing the weapon down to the last screw and q-tip clean like the Marines. Since I have to put it back together anyway I only charge for the part. I get to learn and improve my polishing techniques, I learn all the different weapons from old to new and how they function, I don’t have to buy training weapons to learn from, and people love what I do. The sonic cleaning is a real asset to those weapons you shouldn’t take apart and those stubborn places you can’t get to. I get faster at disassembly on the repeat types and can now identify common problems when people ask questions. My system gets me a few hundred a week. Auctioneers bring in guns to clean prior to auctions and they’ve been doubling their money even on the less expensive models. AGI was correct all the way, I’ve still got more to learn and had to expand!
I researched several companies and chose AGI based on everything I’ve read. I’m glad I did. I highly recommend them over any other. Customer service is top notch and they are always there if you need help. Very friendly, knowledgeable, informative, and quick to respond.
AGI provided me the the knowledge and building blocks to get hired on by a professional gunsmithing shop, and eventually work at a major manufacturer as a gunsmith. It’s been almost three years since I started, and it’s been nothing but a joy working with AGI as I have started my career!
