Colorado School of Trades - Lakewood, Colorado

Arthur G.

I'll start with the good first. The school is very in depth with being hands on and is very very good at teaching people who know nothing about gunsmithing about the industry. I went into this school with 0 knowledge on how guns actually work and now I currently work as a gunsmith for a reputable company. The school is very hands on and while recently they've lost a lot of their good instructors the ones I went through with notably John Lee and Shane were absolutely crucial to my success at the school they took the time to actually teach me. The bad things about the school are mainly some instructors just aren't good at teaching and seem like they're just there for a check and that's it stocks course was the worst course at of all of them I was told constantly to "just figure it out" when asking questions and gave up trying to finish my stock. I'm by no means a 4.0 student but I did try and ask questions to figure out how to do it right and was always met with "its like art you just gotta figure it out". The only other terrible aspect was trying to find work after I graduated the only reason I'm a gunsmith now is no thanks to them once your done they kind of just kick you to the curb and don't care about what happens. I got into the industry by becoming a sales Associate and then 2 months later being taken as an apprentice by the head gunsmith at my store. If you want to get serious hands on learning this school is one of the best but don't go in expecting it to be all sunshine and rainbows you'll hate some of the instructors and you'll hate some of the courses and they may not even help you get a job but you WILL learn the necessary skills to be a gunsmith

Nicholas I.

The most phenomenal, educational and tailored School I've graduated from. The program does a stellar job of finding ways you learn, then structuring a path for you to develop these skills via the curriculum. You get what you put in, so make your time worthwhile. Staff is A+, administration assists and teaches the business side of Gunsmithing and the repairs department couldn't be a better team. Job placement is incredibly high. If you're a highly motivated individual who wants to take the extra mile, this is the school for you. Highly recommend!

Glzd

Attended the school this year and the overall experience seems like a waste of 14 months of my GI Bill. You "learn" only to take a meaningless final that is just regurgitating information that may or may not have been brought up in lectures during your time in school. The instructors were okay with a few A+ teachers doing their best to make up for the lack of care that others had.

Gossip about students and other staff was constant along with feuds between the two. From watching an instructor throw a tantrum over a firearm put together incorrectly to another instructor getting fired for inappropriate remarks towards students or the owner of the school thanking students for allowing him to buy a new truck things were off to say the least.

Now not everything was bad as you will learn valuable skills but you will have to hope that more instructors are hired as the ones that they have are stretched thin. The schools cirriculum is outdated as you spend far more time in stock making than you do in things like CNC and welding. It is nice that they have it but the likely hood of you getting a job offer to make custom stocks over using CNC or welding skills is very slim.

The professionalism, organization and tact is lacking across the board. A terrible situation regarding two students was brought up nonchalantly and little regard for the victim was given with an end of the day announcement and was just used as the final thing mentioned before being sent home.

On a final note I did leave my project rifle after I graduated to be cerakoted by a fellow student. This led to no reply from the student or the school about the firearm and components being stolen. The school did replace the parts, however when I received the firearm it was not functioning. Test firing is a part of the grading process for the school and my rifle was never test fired after final assembly. I know it worked prior as it was my project rifle that I personally received a grade on so I don't know what happened to the standards at the school.

I can not recommend this school in its current state even though there is a wealth of knowledge from some of the instructors. Veterans please put your GI Bill to use elsewhere and take this as a warning.

gunsmith2019 1.

I graduated last year from the school the attitudes of the instructors are so negative and very hostile for no reason that it's hard to ignore. They gosap openly about the very students they teach. I talked with the owner about the problem, and he said he would fix it only 2 weeks after I left. One instructor was fired for sexual comments towards a student.

Some of the students are not mentally there themselves many coming in with extreme veiws flying communist material in the school leading to hostel encounters. There were QR codes on work benches and bathrooms of Karl marks the communist manifesto.
The owner doesn't care who comes to the school all are just seen as a truck payment.

Also when you graduate the school gives you a 25 percent off brownells coupon to used online only to find out its not a real coupon when you call brownells.

Unfortunately, the few good instructors can't hold up the bad ones

If you want to go to a better, more respectful school, I would suggest trinidad state

Copper H.

Great school for turning out gunsmiths.
Seriously. If you weren't as good as this school I highly doubt you'd be recognized in Wiki or the mere utter of the name and people know they're great!

I honestly wish I could afford to go here.
They have an excellent reputation and the people I've known who got their certification found employment pretty quickly. If you happen to be a retired machinist or welder you already have a head start on the rest of the class.
Ah, maybe one day I'll go and eventually apply for an FFL.

El J.

This place is a scam to get veterans to spend their GI bill on a second rate (and that is being kind) school. Next to no instruction on machine usage, or what you are supposed to do at all. Get much cheaper education online, because that is pretty much what this place is they just charge a ton for tools. Ripoff. Moved here to attend and quit as soon as I realized what the place was. Had a "final review" and the instructor didn't even know what was on the "final" and told us just to ask questions if we needed to. All of their demo guns to learn on are broken and in pieces so you don't even get to work on a gun with all the pieces. This is not an education, it is a good ol boy network. Total waste of time and money. Go to Trinidad.

Jamie H.

I took my Ithaca Model 49 .22 cal lever action rifle to the school. I bought it for $50 and it was in rough shape and did not work. The students fixed the action, refinished the metal and refinished the stock. They had the gun for almost a year, but the wait was worth it. The rifle looks like I purchased it brand new. I was blown away by the quality of workmanship, attention to detail and incredible price. I will always recommend this sc

Uncle B.

This is a great place if you need work done on firearms.The students get hands on training with help of EXPERIENCED instructors.I HIGHLY recommend this place.Brian behind the counter is very HELPFUL.