Montgomery Community College will be offering evening classes in gunsmithing beginning in the spring semester. MCC has a full-time Associate Degree day program in Gunsmithing and a part-time weekend certificate program, but currently has no evening program.

“People assume we have evening classes when they come to see the facilities,” says Wayne Bernauer, Gunsmithing Program Head and lead instructor. “There is a lot of demand for evening classes.”

The full-time program draws students from across the country; however, Bernauer says there are local people working full-time who would only be able to attend night classes. “We’d like to be able to serve the local community by being flexible with the class hours,” he says.

Gunsmithing instructor, Len Fagan, will be teaching the first class, General Repair, beginning January 11. The course introduces the design and function of firearms, site mounting and basic reloading of ammunition. Students will learn to properly disassemble and reassemble shotguns, rifles and handguns. They will learn to manufacture springs, install scopes, and replace parts as needed.

The General Repair class will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings. A time has not been established for the course yet but Bernauer says it will be roughly 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM.

The evening Gunsmithing program will be a certificate, as opposed to an Associate Degree, meaning fewer credit hours will be needed to complete the program. One evening class will be offered each semester depending on available funding and interest.

MCC also offers a weekend program which goes hand-in-hand with Gunsmithing. Many Gunsmithing students also take the Metal Engraving program offered on Friday nights and weekends at the college. Students embellish firearms of all types with engraving, making them unique and suitable for collectors.

Metal engraving is designed to train students in eye-hand coordination and artistic vision. The course work includes using the hammer and chisel, power engraving devices, acid etching, and inlaying of precious metals and jewels into a metal base, bas-relief graving, and the sinking of scenes into the medium.

The Metal Engraving Basic Certificate consists of three classes taken in succession over a two-semester period.

A related program that is offered entirely online or in the classroom is Business Administration: Shooting and Hunting Sports Management. The shooting sports program covers business concepts associated with the retail shooting and hunting sports industry such as basic gunsmithing, introduction to shooting sports, gun shop management and sports hunting.
Students can earn an Associate’s Degree or certificate and can be prepared for employment in retail sporting centers, private shooting sports businesses and shooting sports equipment manufacturing.

For more information about the evening Gunsmithing classes, the weekend Metal Engraving classes, or the Business Administration: Shooting and Hunting Sports Management classes, please call MCC at 910-576-6222, extension 240. Registration for spring semester will be held on January 5 at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM at MCC.