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A Few Frequent Questions
Q: I'm amazed that you offer so much, so fast, for so much less than any other University. How do you do it?
A: Phoenix State University is the leading ACCREDITED online trade school in the U.S. Because of our association with Smith Tactical (the largest employer of gunsmiths in the U.S.) and ETI (One of the world's largest LE/Military Distributors), we can offer far more to our students than just a great start. We simply don't stop until our grads are successful educationally AND financially!
Q: Do I need my FFL to become a gunsmith?
A: There are many flavors of home and store based gunsmith practices, and it depends on your situation, location and business goals. You can visit our GunsmithFFL.com site for more discussion, or click HERE for info on our FFL support. Our famous homeFFL.com site has been on the cover of SHOTGUN NEWS for over 20 years and is the leading FFL Kit by far. This course is $60 anywhere else, $29 standalone for repeat customers, $10 with your Gunsmith Course, and Free with Master and Journeyman Courses. The Kit includes a dealer ID and access to a hundred plus page with everything you need to get your Home, Gunsmith, Store or Web based FFL.
Q: If I buy Journeyman, does it include the other two courses?
A: Yes, the Journeyman level includes both of the other two courses (Gunsmith and Master) at no extra cost, AND includes free access to the FFL Kit Site.
Q: I saw that some other schools offer "tools" with their programs, but they take almost a year and cost over $750 compared to your $99. How do you differ?
A: We've seen that ad too! First, that school is NOT accredited and is not even in the top 20 (PSU is NUMBER ONE). Your certificate will NOT be recognized by the trade, wholesalers, manufacturers, ATF, insurers or City and State business licensing departments. The "tools" they offer are a small caliper gauge and a screwdriver set you can get from Brownell's or Numrich for $29. How do you spell rip off? Reality... PSU is the ONLY accredited online University with a Gunsmith program that offers grads equipment financing, wholesale trade acceptance, and approval by all major insurers, manufacturers and distributors.
Q: What does it mean that the advanced courses are dialectic or didactic?
A: In many online universities, a version of the old Socratic method is used, or what researchers would call "delphi" or "dialectic," and sometimes "didactic." This simply means, at the Gunsmith level, you receive a course email or download with a brief exam at the end. At the advanced levels (Master Gunsmith and Journeyman Gunsmith), the ability to research and find answers is more important. The format is an email or download with questions, and online website, in the advanced courses. You research and return the answers, with the help of a private grad-only website, and are given feedback. This back and forth "questioning" format is often called dialectic, because it hearkens back to the old Socratic method, yet also is very suited to modern online university teaching formats. Our background and interrogation courses get even deeper into dialectic, as refutational cross examination is key to interviewing.
Q: I talked to one of your Graduate Gunsmiths who said you're the only school that could get him trade approval without brick and mortar. What is that about?
A: Because of our association with Smith Tactical and ETI, and due to being nationally accredited, your PSU Gunsmith Certificate allows you to buy wholesale from every leading manufacturer and distributor WITHOUT needing to prove you have a physical store. This allows many of our gunsmiths to make $200,000 plus the first year with a spare bedroom or garage shop. PSU is the ONLY University that GUARANTEES trade acceptance without a brick and mortar store.
Q: My ATF inspector said I needed your Master Certificate at a minimum due to State, not ATF regs. Do I have to take and pass (and pay for) the basic first even if I have enough experience to start at the Master or Journeyman?
A: If you buy the Journeyman course (for example), you GET the other two courses included for no additional money. Yes, you have to take them and pass the brief exams, but NO, not sequentially, you can do all three at once if you have the time. Journeyman students with good knowledge of firearms get their certificate between three weeks and three months, depending on how much time they put into it. However, the Basic certificate (to be honest) is accepted by 99% of inspectors and licensing depts. and you can get it for under $100 and before your inspection is even scheduled. It compares to between $800 and $15,000 at other schools!
Q: Can I contact my advisor by phone?
A: Phoenix State University policy on phone contact is that resident (on campus) students are allowed phone contact, web (online) students must communicate by email. The reason for this is that your communications, progress, questions, etc. are logged and become part of your transcript, which keeps our accreditation (and your certificate/license) healthy. You also get only one instructor/ advisor to answer your questions with deep knowledge of the subject and your progress/situation, rather than some random operator at a phone bank in India or the Phillipines like many schools today.
Q: Does the $99 Gunsmith course require additional hidden expenses in tools or other materials before completion? What does my certificate say?
A: The Basic Certificate has your name and "Gunsmith" on the cert. NO, there are no additional or hidden charges, your purchase takes you right through your successful certificate, including shipping it 2 day Priority to you. We hear you, we know of one course being offered for $900 that then requires you to purchase over $2,800 in tools before they will send your certification, and they are not even accredited! We have a Fortune 500 company behind us, and actually finance, lease and floorplan tools, equipment and inventory for our grads, but do not require any additional purchases.
Q: I already have a HOME based FFL and recently read that you have to be gunsmith certified to be renewed. Is this true?
A: You are exactly right, this decision by ATF is very recent and is the ominous start of a lot more activist Democrat and VPC activity. The actual language of the decision (internal Agency and not available to the public) says that hours of operation by appointment or weekends are now only for certified gunsmiths, meaning this can also apply to a retail store with part time hours! If you are audited, you will be shut down, and your renewal will be denied if you are not a gunsmith. Hundreds of our new students each week are from folks in your exact situation.
Q: I ordered the Master Gunsmith course and LOVE it. I can't believe I can be certified this fast by an accredited program! You have saved my butt, because I was about to lose my FFL without it. Quick question: I noticed a shipping charge, but I ordered the online course, what are you shipping?
A: Thank you! We hear from hundreds of FFL's and FFL applicants each week who have saved both their application and their business with their new Certificate. The shipping charge you paid for is for shipment of your Certificate. Once you've completed your course, and give us the correct name, your certificate will read "John Doe, Gunsmith" (Master Gunsmith, Journeyman... etc.). Your Certificate is shipped Priority 2-3 day mail to your home or Paypal address. Any other school, ATF, employer, wholesaler, trade manufacturer, City, County or State Licensing agency, tool or equipment supplier etc. who requests your transcript and validation of your Gunsmith status will receive that report at no additional cost to you, unlike many Universities who charge up to $100 for EACH transcript!
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