SDI For The History Buff

Instead of jumping right into gunsmithing, our students, the curriculum, etc, we wanted to share a bit of information we stumbled upon about the origin of SDI and why we are who we are.  We think this is a pretty cool story, and we hope you will, too...

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