What is the best material out there to learn basic gunsmithing skills? There is quite a bit of stuff, but I am basically a raw novice. I don't want to earn a living as a gunsmith, I'd just like to do basic stuff on my firearms.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Formal training at a gunsmith school or an apprenticeship at a gunsmithy are your best methods.

After that I have found the "Gunsmith Kinks" series to be extremely helpful. There are other books that are like tech manuals on gunsmithing specific guns such as the KuhnHausen books for the 1911, "A Shop Manual" series by Heritage Gun Books, etc.

A gun owner's candy store:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=3/k= ... oks-Videos

Thanks!

I'll put in a plug for the Jerry Kuhnhausen "A shop manual" books. There is a lot of useful information in these books. He's done shop manuals for the 1911, S&W revolvers, Colt revolvers and Rugers. The only caveat is to remember that reading the book doesn't make you a gunsmith, so don't go beyond your own limits.