Reflecting on your time with SDI so far, what are the most important concepts you have come to understand? Explain why these were so meaningful to you.
When looking back on all the courses I have completed with SDI I have come to learn a few important concepts regarding the firearms industry. One of the largest things was that there was a lot I didn’t know that I didn’t know. Sure, I came into this course curriculum with a leg up because of my years already spent in this industry but I thought that there probably was not a ton more for me to learn and boy was I wrong. In my time studying with SDI, I also learned to stay humble and avoid the cocky, I know more than you do stuff. I promise you that even if you spent a lifetime dedicated to the firearms industry, there will still be a ton more to learn. As you begin to study the history of certain firearms and what advances were created over the years, the industry continues pumping out new innovative products that you will need to play catchup to learn.
Reflecting on your firearm experiences prior to attending SDI, what were the areas related to firearms in which you struggled the most? Pose some of the questions that you had over the years to your fellow students, and provide them with the understanding you have gained that has prepared you to become a better gunsmith.
One of the largest areas that I had to work on as it relates to firearms and their function was confidence. When I got out of Iraq and then the Army, I landed at a local gun range. Once people learned that I was in the military, they assumed I was some kind of firearms expert and that I could solve all their firearms related problems. The problem was that I was no expert with firearms I had never seen or heard of, so I began to turn away from work I was not comfortable doing. It took me some time to gain the confidence needed to start diagnosing and disassembling some of these mystery guns. So, once I had the confidence to start working on firearms I had never handled before the question became, where do I find the information that I need to fix whatever issue was occurring. Should I be buying certain gunsmithing books or help videos? Do I want to learn what I do not know from others who have hands on experience? Who around me can teach this stuff? My solution ended up being a ton of internet research (Yes that includes YouTube) every time I had a firearm I was unfamiliar with. Type in Sig Sauer trouble shooting in google and in no time, I would have 1,000 answers to review. Checking out the manufacturers schematics to figure out what parts were missing and what part number I needed to order. Watching videos posted with hands on solutions to the exact firearm I was working on became super helpful as well. Now, when a customer asks me to work on a firearm I am unfamiliar with I just ask the customer for some added time to complete the task so as I can find the right information and complete the work correctly and with little to no guess work.
What are some of your goals to continue learning and growing as a gunsmith?
Well, this semester completes the career certificate I was aiming for but in reality, I feel as though I have just scratched the surface of what I would like to learn. So, to continue learning and growing in this field of work I decided to continue my education with SDI and applied for the full associates in firearms technology. Once that is done then maybe I will look into another degree in this field of study. However, what I have found has helped me in both my career and my studies is continuing to work on new and different firearms as often as I can. Getting the hands-on experience and taking the time to research all of the information with every new firearm has helped me better understand both the general operation and specific functions each one has.
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