I'd like to get my own lathe down the road and chamber/rebarrel my own rifles, but I have no schooling on the matter and I'd like to start looking at getting some education and learning how to properly do so. I dont want to be a full blown gunsmith, I have a great job and have no desire to for a second, but I do like to shoot and I like working with my hands and working on my own rifles and would like to be able to rebarrel my own.
School Suggestions
- Thread starter skookum
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shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Most guys with no experience just watch a bunch of YouTube videos, right or not. I have been machining since 1974 and can still learn a new trick occasionally. I would suggest the NRA Summer Gunsmithing classes. Held at participating gunsmithing schools during the summer. The basic machining class is a week long "crash" course, followed by threading and chambering the following week. Taught by real gunsmiths. Those classes fill up quick, as everyone wants to be a gunsmith!
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
I will add, there are several other gunsmithing tasks that require much more skill and working with your hands than chambering a barrel. A much lower cost in the needed tools, also. Chambering a barrel is just much to closer instant gratification than ,say,,,, stockmaking. And our current culture thrives on instant gratification.......
sable tireur
Well-Known Member
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- Oct 8, 2010
- Messages
- 3,391
There are 4 basic tracks to accomplishing what you want.
1) Buy some decent equipment, used or new, watch some videos and read some books then spend your time practicing.
Advantage: you work at your own pace in your own time frame.
Disadvantage: Slow and ponderous because there is no one to correct your errors and offer assistance.
2) Try offering free labor to one of your local 'smiths evenings and weekends. Not all of your spare time but enough to make you somewhat valuable to the 'smith. Even if you spend the time cleaning firearms or media blasting parts, you will be in the environment watching, asking questions while making yourself more valuable by learning.
3) The NRA or other short courses in which you can learn a lot in a short period of time. Be sure to have some of the tools and equipment available after the classes so you can practice what you learned.
4) Local community colleges that offer machining programs.
North Idaho College:
https://www.nic.edu/programs/viewprogram.aspx?program_id=43
You do not have to be a full time student so scheduling can be flexible. Be interested in a program but take the courses you want but in the order they suggest. These programs are developed with the understanding that not everyone will be a full time student and that there are folks who want to enhance there knowledge base without the need of a degree.
Kick it around, think it over and see if any of this fits you. Then you can always ask more questions.
Enjoy the process!
1) Buy some decent equipment, used or new, watch some videos and read some books then spend your time practicing.
Advantage: you work at your own pace in your own time frame.
Disadvantage: Slow and ponderous because there is no one to correct your errors and offer assistance.
2) Try offering free labor to one of your local 'smiths evenings and weekends. Not all of your spare time but enough to make you somewhat valuable to the 'smith. Even if you spend the time cleaning firearms or media blasting parts, you will be in the environment watching, asking questions while making yourself more valuable by learning.
3) The NRA or other short courses in which you can learn a lot in a short period of time. Be sure to have some of the tools and equipment available after the classes so you can practice what you learned.
4) Local community colleges that offer machining programs.
North Idaho College:
https://www.nic.edu/programs/viewprogram.aspx?program_id=43
You do not have to be a full time student so scheduling can be flexible. Be interested in a program but take the courses you want but in the order they suggest. These programs are developed with the understanding that not everyone will be a full time student and that there are folks who want to enhance there knowledge base without the need of a degree.
Kick it around, think it over and see if any of this fits you. Then you can always ask more questions.
Enjoy the process!
