Offered at MCC in Grinnell (Code: MVGSM)

Gunsmith Technology is a program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to make, repair, maintain, and modify firearms according to blueprints or customer specifications, using specialized hand tools and machines. Hunters, sportsmen, collectors, and firearms enthusiasts around the nation all need the services of experienced Gunsmiths to repair and customize their favorite firearms. Millions of dollars a year are spent on guns in the U.S. alone-that means there’s a big demand for skilled professionals to keep the weapons working well! Salaries of gunsmiths vary by employment setting. HigherSalary.com lists the range of $25,470 to $48,605 a year, with the average salary of $36,267 annually. Successful self-employed gunsmiths earn the highest income, though like many entrepreneurs, they may lack the benefits provided by employment within a larger company. Gunsmiths who are longtime employees in gunsmithing shops also earn income on the higher end of that range.

This is a 2 year program that prepares the student to become a gunsmith working in a variety of gun shops, sporting goods stores, gun manufacturers, and their own business.