American Gunsmithing Institute

What American Gunsmithing Institute does

American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI), operating as a DBA of Collectors Arms Trading Company Inc., is a Napa, California-based private education company founded in 1993 by Master Gunsmiths to address the structural shortage of trained gunsmiths in the United States. AGI delivers video-based instructional courses covering firearms design, function, repair, and customization, taught by 11 Master Gunsmiths with over 500 years of combined experience. The catalog spans 183+ products across 68 firearm families representing more than 200 million firearms, ranging from $29.95 entry-level Armorer courses for individual SKUs (Colt 1911, Glock, AR-15, SIG P320/P365, Ruger 10/22) up to $2,997-$3,997 flagship Master Armorer certification bundles, with mid-tier certified programs in firearms appraisal ($2,497), reloading ($397-$497), 1911 pistolsmithing and AR-15 riflesmithing ($997 each), and newer entries including Cerakote application ($1,997), survival gunsmithing, and red dot sight installation.

The core technology is a proprietary instructional methodology called Design/Function/Repair, developed by Master Gunsmith Bob Dunlap, which trains students in the sequential internal operation of firearm sub-systems rather than superficial part-swapping. Courses are delivered via DVD and online streaming, using cutaway firearms to visually demonstrate internal mechanisms. AGI operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model exclusively through americangunsmith.com, with no third-party marketplace distribution, supplemented by the affiliated Gunsmithing Club of America community and an SEO-driven organic acquisition motion.

AGI serves hobbyist firearm owners, professional and aspiring working gunsmiths, law enforcement armorers, and firearms appraisers (the latter often working with estates, attorneys, and foundations). Since 1993 the company has trained more than 15,000 students and was recognized by Google as Best of 2025 for outstanding customer satisfaction. The company is founder-controlled (Gene Kelly, Founder & President), with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding, and FERPA-compliant and BBB-accredited operations.

Name

American Gunsmithing Institute

Legal name

Collectors Arms Trading Company Inc.

Website

https://americangunsmith.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is a Napa, California-based private education company founded in 1993 that delivers video-based gunsmithing courses covering firearms design, function, repair, and customization to hobbyists, working gunsmiths, law enforcement armorers, and firearms appraisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gunsmithing Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Armed Security & Firearms Training & Qualification (BPAKAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Firearms, Range Safety & Less-Lethal Weapons Training (EDAOAMAN), Law Enforcement & Police Academy Training (EDAOAMAA), Reloading & Gunsmithing Supplies Retail (CRAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Gunsmithing courses
• Armorer training
• Firearms repair
• Gunsmith certification
• Firearms education

Headquarters

HQ city

Napa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Course Sales (DVD and Online): Individual courses are sold as one-time purchases, either as physical DVDs or online streaming versions. Prices range from under $30 for basic trigger-job courses to nearly $3,000 for the Master Armorer certification bundle. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Subscription-based Courses: Some parts of the Service or courses are available on a subscription basis, billed in advance on a recurring periodic basis (daily, weekly, monthly, or annually depending on the type of Subscription plan). Upon expiration of each period, the Course Subscription automatically renews.
3. AGI Logo Gear and Accessories: Sale of branded merchandise including hats ($19.95), embroidered patches ($7), coffee mugs ($15), microfiber gun cleaning cloths ($7.95), and professional gun mats ($20).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

American Gunsmithing Institute sells video-based gunsmithing training courses (DVD and online streaming) covering firearm design, function, repair, and customization. The curriculum spans 183+ courses across 68 firearm families and is taught by 11 Master Gunsmiths using the proprietary Design/Function/Repair methodology. Courses range from individual armorer tutorials at $29.95 to comprehensive professional certifications such as the AGI Certified Master Armorer Course ($2,997-$3,997).

Product overview

American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) offers a comprehensive video-based gunsmithing education platform with multiple product tiers. The core offering consists of 70+ individual Armorer's Courses covering specific firearm models (Colt 1911, Glock, SIG P320/P365, Ruger 10/22, AR-15, etc.) at individual prices ($29.95-$149.95). The flagship product is the AGI Certified Master Armorer Course ($2,997-$3,997) bundling all 68 Armorer Courses plus certification covering 68 firearm families and over 200 million firearms. Additional products include Certified Courses (Firearms Appraiser $2,497, Reloading $397-$497), specialized customization modules (Building/Customizing Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns), Trigger Jobs, Disassembly/Reassembly courses, Cowboy Action courses, and AGI Logo Gear merchandise. All courses are taught by Master Gunsmiths using video instruction with cutaway firearms demonstrations. The company was established in 1993 and has trained over 15,000 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Armorer's Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 students trained since 1993
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gunsmithing Club of America (GCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCA is AGI's affiliated exclusive community for hobby and professional gunsmiths. It is promoted on the AGI website alongside the course catalog. GCA produces GunTech video magazine content, with segments produced by AGI instructors. The GCA connection was developed over nearly two decades by Jack Landis (AGI Gunsmith and Technical Advisor Emeritus). GCA serves as both a customer community and content distribution platform that reinforces AGI's course offerings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yavapai College Gunsmithing Program: Long-running, two-year residential gunsmithing program producing certified gunsmiths. Direct peer competing for the same 'become a professional gunsmith' outcome via in-person, multi-month instruction.
• Brownells: Major U.S. firearms retailer and content publisher that produces extensive free gunsmithing tutorial videos, retail gunsmithing tools, and supplies. Most directly comparable online video-gunsmithing-education competitor to AGI's catalog model.
• Colorado School of Trades: Multi-trade vocational school including firearms/gunsmithing programs. Comparable in offering hands-on, credentialed gunsmith training to aspiring professionals, mostly via residential formats.
• Trinidad State College Gunsmithing Program: Colorado-based vocational gunsmithing program offering certificates and associate degrees. Another established traditional gunsmithing school competing for the same professional-certification outcomes as AGI's certified courses.
• Lassen College Gunsmithing Program: One of the original U.S. vocational gunsmithing programs; trains professional gunsmiths via a residential curriculum. Notably, AGI founder Gene Kelly is an alumnus — making it the closest lineage peer in the trade-school segment.
• Sonoran Desert Institute: Online, accredited institution offering firearms-industry certificates and degrees (including gunsmithing and firearms technology). Closest direct competitor in delivering remote, video-based firearms trade education to consumers.

Broad incumbents

• NRA Training: National Rifle Association's training and certification arm, offering broad firearms-safety and instructor credentialing. Overlaps with AGI's law enforcement/armorer training ambition but focuses on safety and instructor credentials rather than gunsmithing repair/customization.
• Midway USA: Large multi-channel firearms retailer with an extensive video content library (Midway USA YouTube) covering gunsmithing, reloading, and shooting. Competes for the same hobbyist attention and adjacent retail/parts revenue, but gunsmithing education is not its primary business.

Emerging players

• Sig Sauer Academy: Manufacturer-operated firearms training facility offering shooting and armorer courses for Sig Sauer products. Comparable in offering firearm-specific armorer's training but limited to a single brand and focused on operational shooting rather than gunsmithing repair.
• Gunsite Academy: Long-established firearms training facility offering defensive and instructor-level courses. Adjacent peer focused on shooting/tactical training rather than mechanical repair; useful proxy for how premium firearms-training brands scale in-person education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americagunsmith
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-american-gunsmithing-institute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Gunsmithing Institute