First, some general info. The Sonoran Desert Institute offers the oldest home study gunsmithing
course in North America. It was started in 1921 in Scottsdale as the School of
Gunsmithing and has grown to an internationally recognized school. We changed
the name to reflect other programs offered by the school. The school has
sponsored numerous rifle and pistol teams and through its knowledge and
expertise has helped its teams win many prestigious state and national
competitions over the years.
The program was started at the beginning of the
20th century by Mr. Robert Sally who was a field artillery officer in World War
I and developed an affinity for personal firearms. While the family was
dispersed between New York and New Jersey and Arizona for personal residences,
this allowed them to develop the program and put the principles to use in various
rifle and pistol matches nationally. Ours is truly a program developed by people who are passionate about firearms, and our rich history keeps us motivated to produce the highest-quality curriculum and experience for our students.
Today, not counting firearms in military service, there are
more than 200 million firearms in circulation in the United States. This
presents a great opportunity for an individual to establish a lucrative career
and work in a career they will really enjoy. From around the world, the Sonoran
Desert Institute (SDI) in Scottsdale, Arizona trains soldiers, police officers,
professionals and hobbyists in the science of gunsmithing. Although not
thought of as a “mainstream” career field, gunsmiths earn from $56,000 on up,
and custom gunsmiths much higher. And, the Sonoran Desert Institute has
distinguished graduates, a number of whom began their studies in the field as
line soldiers while on TDY. According to SDI president, “we have soldiers
enrolled in our program all over the globe. Many are in combat locations in
Afghanistan and Iraq and are using their down time to really get ahead.”
Students can receive their lessons through correspondence, CDs and the
internet, depending upon their location and need. Student services are
available 24 hours a day.
Hopefully this gives you a better feel for where our roots originated, and for what we do. Expect future posts to highlight our coursework, our students, and the different groups who benefit from gunsmithing and firearms technology. If you have a passion for guns, we'd love to hear from you, whether it's an opinion on a current news topic or a product review. Feel free to comment on our posts, reach us on twitter (@SDI_school), Facebook (www.facebook.com/SDISchools), or email us at admissions@sdi.edu. Hope to hear from you soon!
The SDI Team
