Armorer Courses

If an instructor begins an Armorer Course with something along the lines of "AR-15s are just as easy as putting Legos together," ask for a refund. If that isn’t possible, tread lightly on any information given out. I wrote this article to show what students should ask for in an Armorer class and bring to light what instructors should be doing for their students in their own classes.

As I’ve stated in my previous articles, I have a heavy baseline of knowledge from being a full time Small Arms Repairman in the Minnesota Army National Guard. I know that these weapons area lifeline and any owner of a firearm should have the same concept within mind. Due to this, I believe that any type of firearm instructor should teach with that same responsibility. I’ve taken many manufacturer courses contracted with the military such as FN America and Knights Armament.

I’ve also taken civilian courses such as GLOCK and the Semper Paratus Armorer Course. Armorer courses are important in equipping students with the knowledge and tools to know how their personal firearm operates first, then giving them the knowledge to assemble, disassemble, and troubleshoot malfunctions. Knowing this, there are many different levels and types of Armorer courses.

Basic Builders Courses In a builder course, either the company putting on the course provides parts that were first bought through them for you to assemble it yourself, or it allows students to bring in their own purchased parts and assemble it in class. These courses are especially important for the instructor to know the differences in companies that are out there.

If it’s a builders course where students are buying the product in shop and all from the same company, that is your moment to provide why that company outstands the rest when it comes to product excellency. If it is a class where students can bring in their own weapon and parts of choice, it is your time to be honest about what they have and vet their parts. The students expect to leave with a fully functional firearm and more knowledge about what is out there that they can improve on.

It is important for you to be honest and have a working knowledge of the civilian manufacturer industry. I say working knowledge due to the fact that the civilian firearm industry is always changing and parts will either be coming out that meet standard or be way off. Make sure to verify that their parts are indeed able to safely function in their weapon. This can be as simple as them setting them out and you looking them over.

Check for the obvious safety things, such as the correct caliber bolt, and inspect for issues such as loose carrier keys or incorrect takedown pin springs, selector springs, and other parts that look very similar. In my previous article I wrote down a simple step-by-step check on M4style carbines. It takes about two minutes and can be a savior for new students putting together a weapon you haven’t vetted. In simple builder’s courses it is also important that all students stay with the instructor at all times.

If you let students get ahead, they can miss out on pertinent information and other students can be left behind. Something that can be so simple to us can be very difficult for a brand new assembler. Make sure to stay within the knowledge needed and not deviate to too technical of information. Students come there to learn and leave confident in This stake was made with a Mayhew Center Punch and small brass hammer using a Geissele Reaction Block. Note, all pictures in this article were taken by Nate Schultz.

their firearm. Try not to overwhelm them or they will lose that base of knowledge. Advanced Courses In advanced courses, technical knowledge is needed. These types of courses should always be at least two days. Advanced courses can involve induced and remedying malfunctions during live fire, gunsmithing, or advanced maintenance. These are the type of courses that the instructor really knows what realm The barrel extension is greased and will be installed using a Geissele Reaction Rod. he/she can teach.

Gunsmiths will be able to teach many different aspects than I would be able to teach as a maintainer and repairman, such as machining. If you are teaching malfunctions, this should be somebody who often operates their weapon. Tool selection is key in these courses as students will want to know reasons to use one brand of tool rather than the other. I recommend having a list of tools and lubricants that are being used to assemble or work on the firearm.

These courses should also teach about the weapon system as a whole. This means magazines, ammo, etc. All of these aspects will change depending on the platform of firearm being taught. For example, bolt actions will have a lot of different teaching points than gas guns will. Don’t be afraid to give a test at the end. Many of these students may want to instruct one day and it’s important to verify where they are at in their knowledge. You are giving your certificate with a name on it; that holds weight.

The worst advanced course that I have ever taken came from a government entity that I won’t name. It was given to Soldiers and Civilians alike that will be repairing that specific weapon system. The weapon system and capabilities as a whole were never talked about. Also, it turned into a basic, "take this part out and put it back in" course. Don’t be that instructor. Teach about the weapon, not just disassembly and assembly. Be an operator first and you can never go wrong.

Maintenance Courses Maintenance courses can be completed in a few hours but are just as important as any other course. This type of course involves teaching about different lubricants on the market and how to apply them. It should also teach firearm inspection, what to inspect, how often, etc. These short courses can be the reason between someone’s firearm continuing to function or not.

Semper Paratus Arms Semper Paratus Arms created and instructed by the late William Larson is one of the most notable AR-15 Armorer courses in the community. It was the standard. Will worked for various privately contracted companies overseas and attended a vast array of armorer courses. This is where he grew his passion to teach. Some courses that he attended were poorly taught, basically being a

commercial for the weapon system covered. They were also only available to Military and Law Enforcement entities. Will worked for many manufacturing companies, such as Bravo Company Manufacturing, and he learned the manufacturing processes and differences between them. From this, Will decided to start the first notable civilian armorer course that was based on the Colt Technical Data Package information and his own experiences overseas and in the states.

Students would bring in their own firearm which allowed Will to be brutally honest about what their firearms were capable of. One of the most memorable things he would do during his course is bring a reamer in 5.56 caliber. He would then grab a student’s gun that he thought should be checked based on the company that made it. The student would often be in awe while watching metal shavings fall from their improperly-sized bore.

He proved why students need to vet the company they are getting their parts from, why AR-15s shouldn’t just be seen as "building Legos," and should always take a class before assembling their own rifle. Will offered students a lot in his course. He offered two day armorer courses and three day advanced armorer courses which included a Sionics is company that upholds the Technical Data Package standard with their parts. range day teaching malfunctions.

This was his area of expertise as a contractor working on weapons. Each student would have their own tool set to use during the course, giving students a starting point before going out and purchasing their own tools with no experience to make correct choices. As he was going through his instruction, Will would also actually fix student’s firearms during the class. Many screws were given out and stakes were made.

During the course he also gave a list of proper gas systems, port sizes, and buffer weights, which are the most common issues with gas guns. He made sure that students would leave with a properly working firearm or at least the knowledge to get it there. Will is the reason that companies are where they are now, such as Sionics, Sons of Liberty Gun Works, and Forward Controls Design. He had the ability to answer the tough questions that nobody else could answer. Most of all, he instilled passion within us all.

He is the reason that I am not apologetic for asking a multitude of questions within the firearms industry or nit picking a firearm. He’s also the reason why I know how to get the auto sear pin past that pesky little spring leg in the lower receiver (hint: put the selector to burst and go from right to left). He was respected. He was loved. Do not be afraid to be that gunsmith or armorer that wants to get it perfect or that comments on someone spreading bad knowledge.

The firearms industry and lives depend on you being that person, and they thank you for it. We thank you Will Larson, for your passion, brutal honesty, and hard work to put the firearm and owner first. Armorer Courses need to take his example. Thank you to Nate Schultz for taking all the pictures in this article. A list of testimonies and memorials for William Larson is online at AmericanGunsmith.info/williamlarson-memorial. AG