Murray State College Gunsmith Degree

Online gunsmithing schools are great for convenience and price, but if you want the absolute most from your gunsmithing education you’re better off doing an offline program. There’s no other way to learn how to design, build, evaluate, troubleshoot, modify, and repair firearms than actually working with firearms. Learning to use gunsmithing tools and machinery under the supervision of a master gunsmith can’t be beat.

That’s why you might want to consider Murray State College’s 2-year gunsmith degree.

How does Murray State College’s Gunsmith Degree Program Work?

Murray State College’s gunsmith degree isn’t just a diploma or certification like many online gunsmithing schools offer. It’s a full-blown gunsmith degree program that teaches all aspects of building and repairing firearms. Applications for the program are accepted between May 1 and January 20 of each year. A limit of 20 students are admitted by the Gunsmithing Department Committee each March. If accepted, you begin your freshman year during the fall semester.

Starting Murray State College’s gunsmith degree program requires quite a bit of upfront work (just like going to any other college or university.) Here are the current requirements:

  1. MSC Application for Admission
  2. Gunsmithing Application/w Authorized Release of Information form (Release form is required for Background check)
  3. Cover letter with Short Biography, Employment History (back 5 years if possible)
  4. All School & College Transcripts
  5. Submit a copy of Military DD-214 (if applicable) (must be discharged from active duty by start of fall semester)
  6. Attend an In Person Interview
  7. All files must be completed by February 15 of the application year.

Gunsmith Degree at Murray State

Murray State College Gunsmith Degree Curriculum

If you are admitted to Murray State’s gunsmith degree program, you’ll be required to take general education classes before you begin your gunsmith training. These classes include: English Composition I and II, Fundamentals of Speech, U.S. History, American Federal Government, Business Math, College Algebra, and Technical Math. These classes account for 18 credit hours.

The actual gunsmith training takes up a bulk of your education, coming in at 46 credit hours. The classes you’ll take include:

  • Gun Blueing
  • Gunsmithing Theory I
  • Blueprint Reading
  • Gun Store Management
  • Bench Metal Work
  • Stockmaking I
  • Machine Metal Work I
  • Machine Metal Work II
  • Gunsmithing Theory II
  • Machine Tool Practices
  • Riflesmithing
  • General Metals
  • Advanced Gunsmithing Theory
  • Metal Finishing
  • Repairing of Firearms I
  • Repairing of Firearms II
  • Pistolsmithing

With electives such as:

  • Machine Shop I
  • Machine Shop II
  • Handloading & Ballistics
  • Intro to AutoCAD
  • Adv. Metal Finishing
  • Advanced AutoCAD
  • Intro to CNC
  • Accurizing Factory Rifles
  • Machine Shop III
  • Machine Shop IV
  • Stockmaking II
  • History of Firearms/Law Development

While I love Modern Gun School for the depth of its advanced gunsmith training, even it doesn’t compare to Murray State’s comprehensive and definitive gunsmith degree. Not only are all these topics covered in depth, but you are actually supervised by an expert instructor and get hands-on training with the proper tools and machinery.

Tuition for Murray State Gunsmith Degree Program

Having all that supervision and access to machinery and tools has its price, though. Murray State’s gunsmith degree program is an actual college program. That means it will cost you what a college program costs you. Not only is the monetary price expensive at around $20,000 per year, but you’ll also have to move Tishomingo, Oklahoma. That’s not possible for a lot of us.

Is Murray State’s Gunsmith Degree Right For You?

If you are really serious about opening up your own gunsmith shop and knowing the ins-and-outs of every aspect of gunsmithing in the shortest timeframe possible, there are few programs that can top a gunsmith degree from Murray State. But you’ve got to have some money (or access to financial aid) and you have to be willing to move to Oklahoma for around two years.

If you’re looking for something less expensive and more flexible, I highly recommend looking into online gunsmithing schools like Penn Foster, Modern Gun School, AGI Gunsmithing Institute, or Ashworth College.