Is SDI Worth It? A Comprehensive Review by Students, Graduates, and Gunsmiths

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You've probably seen Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI), an online gunsmithing school, advertised by your favorite Guntuber or on social media. I interviewed a panel of former and current Sonoran Desert Institute students, along with some experienced gunsmiths, to find out if SDI is worth your time and money. We also covered gunsmithing education and career path in general.
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Опубликовано:

11 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 41

@anthanie5623 11 месяцев назад

Im currently about half way through the school and I used my GI bill for it. Outside of the the flex use of the peice of paper for resume building the school its self i feel is a scam that preys on GI bill users. The course material was all youtube or easy to find online material and very little hands on activities with mainly vauge essays and busy work. The instructors i found are also distant and seem to not really be their and finally they don't actually grade you i swear you could type any essay and as long as you hit the word count they would reward you with a 100%. It just feels so off and is such an odd school that just feels shady and distant.

@Tigris_River_Sand_Fleas 19 дней назад

Sorry about the $22k loss brother. I learned more at the basic armorers course the Army sent me to than SDI would have taught me. They almost had me until I did the due diligence and researched the program. The instructors they have are very mediocre / JV when it comes to knowledge. I wanted something more modernized myself vs. learning how to build a musket... I personally had a big problem knowing the course that would be dipping just under 22k out of my college funding, so I researched more. I strongly urge that someone wanting to pursue gunsmithing do so in person, not online. Online isn't even really the big problem. Its the extreme lack of what would be learned at the course which for the average person, would not be that much. If you wanted to use your certification / degree to pursue a career, nobody that looks at your resume is going to take you seriously. If I had a firearm (new or old) that I wanted to have worked on and knew the persons credentials was SDI, I would worry about my firearm being done correctly... There is so many things they are teaching wrong... Can someone get something from this course? Absolutely! 22k worth? Hmm.... The crappy tools they give you, the amount of educating... 22k__ Thank God I decided on taking some localized courses. Paid a bit more but the courses are respected nationwide.

@CaliforniaPewPew 12 дней назад

@Tigris_River_Sand_Fleas what course did you decide to go with in the end?

@SchooloftheAmericanRifle 11 месяцев назад

I have trained a large amount of SDI Students and Graduates. I always tell my Students that technical firearm education is a positive thing, and they should take every opportunity to learn within their means. Many of the SDI Graduates I have trained, have told me they felt the SDI Course was a waste of time and the information was not worth the cost. I won't discount their experience, but I don't have direct experience as an actual SDI student. I have heard the same kind of criticism from people who have taken other Armorer's Classes. Industry professionals I deal with often tell me that a majority of SDI Graduates they have worked with don't have a solid grasp of the technical side or the hands on side. I can't say the same for my students that have attended SDI. They are often quite sharp and skilled. I take every Class I can find time and funds to attend. I have never felt a class was a waste of time because I always learn something. Always. I learned Gunsmithing as an Apprentice. I was very blessed to have such a great mentor. I'm always the student, never the master.

@TheUncleRuckus 7 месяцев назад

The thing that gets me, besides having to also take classes like English & Psychology, is that it's not as in-depth as you're lead to believe. They make it seem like "You now have the qualifications to get a Gunsmithing job the next day" but, from what I've heard from other ppl who attended prior to watching this, is that it seems more akin to a High School Trade Program, like BOCES in NY, where you're only getting the basics in anticipation of seeking Higher Education like going to a Trade School afterwards. I wish it was more like a Trade School, I'd certainly be interested, but I have no desire to attend any classes that aren't Gunsmithing related.

@groundcontrolgainesville4841 Год назад

Based discussion

@rwdchannel2901 8 месяцев назад

I was reading the Yelp reviews on Sonoran Desert Institute and most people there say the curriculum consist mainly of watching RU-vid videos and writing papers. They say its a rip-off mainly targeting veterans for the MGI Bill. I wouldn't doubt it. Look shady to me.

@jamesadams5870 2 месяца назад

Current student. I can confirm it is kind of scammy. They teach you basics to be a hobbyist, but I would never call myself ready to be a gunsmith. Really, it is just a place that I trade GI Bill benefits for a couple “free” guns and some housing allowance.

@chase1069 Год назад

Armed asian admin reveal???

@ColonelSanders17 Месяц назад

I went to SDI and it's true that they do a pretty good job with general knowledge. I now know i need to build a portfolio. (I'm really interested in repairs.) Time to ge busted guns and fix em up. I needed to watch this video. I live in Colorado and I might continue my education through the Colorado School of Trades. Thanks for the video, it put things into perspective. As an end note i went to welding school and have my papers

@Jake-777-7 Месяц назад

Trinidad State College is one of the 7 top gunsmithing schools in the nation. It is regionaly acredited, and endorsed by the NRA. They are one of very few places aproved to give NRA specific gunsmithing courses.

@josephrosenbaum3343 Год назад

little over 2 years ago i looked into getting into the firearms industry and wanted to be a gunsmith. It took all of 2-3 hours researching into SDI that it was going to do jack shit in helping me get there so i went to the Tennessee state tech school for Machine Tool instead. 16 months later i'm now in an aerospace manufacturing plant making airbus wing skins. I still fully intend to use this as a stepping stone into the firearms industry. But i'm taking some time to build my resume first and i saw aerospace as a perfect way to do it.

@MrGunfucius Год назад

You're doing the right thing, King. Keep it up!

@emcee1337 4 месяца назад

If SDI is not a (shadow-)funded NRA marketing group, then i dont know what it is.

@jasonmorgan27 3 месяца назад

SDI looks like a puppy mill scam for GI bills. Hard pass on this crap. I have also heard any gunsmith or business will never consider SDI a credible source for hiring anyone. Find a way to make it to a real trade school with a machine shop hands on.

@Inboden69 8 месяцев назад

I think I may have missed it, but did any of these people outside of Matthew have a degree prior? The backup plan makes since but with the others being vets I wonder if they used their GI Bill for other career options on top of this one. I caught the TA part but didnt hear the specific question I was aiming for, seems if you already have another trade and degree you would be gtg. Reason for this question is most people I know in the military today have degrees with a trade and certs prior to looking at something like this tract.

@Joshohoho 11 месяцев назад

Thank you for this. This is good info for someone interested especially with gi bill access.

@PipeSquatch Год назад

Would love to see what our students and grads would say from MGS 😁

@WholeSomeHomie Месяц назад

Fantastic video

@Tigris_River_Sand_Fleas 19 дней назад

NOBODY IS GOING TO TAKE AN SDI CERT/DEG SERIOUSLY, PERIOD. IF YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR A CERT, PAY $20 FOR ONE ONLINE AND CALL IT A DAY. I STRONGLY URGE ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN HOW TO GUNSMITH, TO DO IT *_IN PERSON!_*

@cocopowder3543 15 дней назад

Man im in qatar studying cbsce and i wana be a gunsmith and produce wepons but i feel like that i might just be jsing money for something useless

@juanrobles3183 3 месяца назад

Great video! Thank you

@seewise6383 8 месяцев назад

Dumbest statement : “California is not a place to raise a family”:/

@MrGunfucius 7 месяцев назад

Wheres the lie tho?

@korbandallas8931 4 месяца назад

California is a mess.

@seewise6383 4 месяца назад

@@korbandallas8931 Also the 5th largest GDP in the world:/ If even you know what GDP is.

@mentholdeathray Месяц назад

@@seewise6383 how’s that cost of living? Alabama isn’t great but me and my wife just bought a house, in a nice neighborhood, a block away from a nice high school, with .66 acres, 2200sq ft, a garage, a second shop, paved driveway with 3 parking spots and an over hang, put a new roof on the house and out buildings, full plumbing redone, full electrical redone, bathroom remodel, all the floors redone… the list goes on for $185000. How much is your single room apartment in California?

@seewise6383 Месяц назад

@@mentholdeathray If you have ever been to SF? Arts, Culture, people from all over the world. Sure it sucks sometimes but I love the bay and hills and my shower is awesome. I have built great memories and relationships in the Bay Area & I might move on some day but I will always have my heart in San Francisco. I feel that the city is going in a positive direction. I’m not going to rip on Ala. I have relatives that live there and they like what you have done for yourself the same. I disagree that raising a family in California, the fifth largest GDP in the world has tons of opportunities for future technology & growth is a “bad” place to raise a fambam. Oh and the food choices are vast and Diverse, one of the best cities I have ever lived in.