Current News

PGS salutes our staff and student Veterans on Veterans Day, 11/11/11.

Grateful for our veterans' contributions to both our nation and our school, PGS saluted them on 11/11/11 with a brief ceremony and cupcake flags, baked and assembled by the office staff.

PGS was pleased to recently welcome the first veterans utilizing Chapter 33, also known as the Post-9/11 GI-Bill.  Recent changes to the bill allow students to use this benefit at non-college degree programs like PGS.

PGS decided to attend and have a booth at the NRA convention held in Pittsburgh, PA with its sole purposes to: partner with and establish new relationships with Gunsmith employers; have students meet potential employers and secure interviews if possible; see current products available to the community; and create greater interest in Gunsmith services. As a result, all three goals were accomplished and the time spent at the convention exceeded both students and staff's expectations.

For an overview of the show, see www.nraam.org

Brownells, the world's largest supplier of Gunsmith tooling, accessories and parts, hosted a Gunsmith Career Fair in Downtown Des Moines with its purpose to bring Gunsmithing students and employers together.  PGS was honored to have a table where students could display their work and be immediatedly interviewed. The Brownells' goal to partner with the Gunsmithing community to create an even bigger market for 'smiths is coming into reality. Congratulations to the entire Brownells' team for hosting the event and making it a success.

For more information see www.gunsmithcareerfair.com

PGS was proud to host the local officials of the U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Pennsylvania State Police Insta-Check System (PICS) to provide an overview of current laws and regulations. Howard Wolf, retired ATF Pittsburgh supervisor, has led these seminars for the past 28 years at PGS. He has now partnered with current ATF staff and has organized various senior leaders in PICS to be on site. PGS students are very fortunate to have Howard leading these seminars.

PGS was proud to host to host Brownells for this exciting seminar. See the Exciting Events tab for more information and pictures!

Dino Longueira, a PGS graduate (1982), owner of Majestic Arms, LTD. in Staten Island, NY is pleased to announce he has just been granted his second U. S. Patent for a multi-caliber rifle system he designed and developed. Dino and Majestic Arms have designed, developed, and produced a number of products during the 10 years Majestic has been in business. Dino’s newest patented rifle design has numerous possibilities. He is currently exploring all possibilities to produce the rifle and have it available for sale as quickly as possible. You can see the MA 4 (M.A.R.R.S.) at www.majesticarms.com

PGS students and staff wish to thank Staff Sgt. John Ennis for devoting several hours of his active duty military leave time to visit with us. He discussed how he manages the stress of competition and what he has done to win many championships and medals. John said that his shooting accomplishments are totally dependent on the quality of his equipment. He said that  the Gunsmith is responsible for that equipment and they must put their heart and soul into building a finely crafted weapon just as he does on the firing line. John used the analogy that an accurate firearm is a finely crafted tool similar to a hand crafted watch. Pictured with him is Lewis Patrick, right, of Black Heart International who set up the visit.

The PGS staff and students enjoyed Doug's visit where he told the class how he got started in Gunsmithing and how he has grown the business. He interviewed several potential candidates for some new positions that have been created. One or two PGS students will soon be proudly working for the top notch and state of the art Gunsmithing facility.

Lewis interviewed numerous candidates for a prestigious position at one of the nation's premier tactical Gunsmithing centers in the nation. Those candidates selected will have the opportunity to visit the facility for one week to demonstrate their skills for the final part of their job interview.

Before attending the on-site PGS Program Advisory Committee meeting, Roy conducted numerous interviews for openings at multiple Gander locations throughout the nation.  PGS is fortunate to have Roy on our Program Advisory Committee where he can have input into the school's curriculum.

The morning of December 16, 2008 came and the flurry of student activity was nothing short of awesome in expectation that a ranking U. S. House of Representatives Education Committee member was visiting PGS. Students brought in dozens of examples of their work from small machining projects to completed custom firearms. Students set up multiple displays that showed their creativity and ingenuity! At the appointed time, the Congressman promptly arrived and the “show” began with an introduction of the school and program, a short presentation by Representative Almire and individual student discussions with him over their completed course projects.

Watching student interaction with him, one could see and feel the pride in their craftsmanship and how the Congressman made each one feel important. You could sense the excitement the students felt by sharing their views with an elected official, one on one, perhaps for the first time in their lives. The projected 45-minute visit lasted almost an hour and a half. The excitement and energy of that day is still felt in the classroom today and the whole school realizes that one person can make a difference.