Sons of Liberty Gun Works: Let’s learn! The Armorer Course, done the SOLGW way.
Sons of Liberty Gun Works: Lets learn!
The Armorer course, done the SOLGW way.
(June 19, 2025, author: Michał Gaudynek, Jammas Product Manager)
Popular methods of acquiring technical firearms knowledge often include social media, forums, and discussion groups. However, the massive volume of content can make it difficult, sometimes even impossible, to separate high-quality information from imprecise or inaccurate advice. This issue affects the firearms community across the Atlantic and here in Poland. This way of things can lead to serious consequences. For instance, if you do not have a strong understanding of firearms, you might accidentally cause a problem or critically damage your gun instead of improving it. The best way to prevent mistakes, especially when you are not sure about something, is to receive proper education from professionals.
Let’s get back to late April of this year. Eager to take our partnership with Sons of Liberty Gun Works to the next level, we bought tickets, got on a plane, and traveled thousands of kilometers to San Antonio, Texas, where their headquarters are located. The goal of the trip was not just to see the conditions in which the Sons work, but above all, to gain knowledge. During our week-long stay, we went through an extended Armorer Course.
Day One – Introduction
The first day started out rather ordinarily. When we arrived at the designated address, the first things we saw were a gate and a fence with barbed wire on top, with gray buildings in the background. As the sign at the gate said, we were “escorted in,” but we were actually taken inside for introductions and a tour of the facility. Everyone greeted us with genuine friendliness and excitement that we had traveled so far to learn more about their work. It was clear that our visit made them proud and was a sign of recognition for their work. Then, we had an organizational meeting to discuss the upcoming week’s schedule.
Theoretical Part
On the second day, we got down to work. After we arrived at the headquarters, we started the theoretical part of the training right away. It was led by Dillon, one of the armorers who has been with SOLGW since early beginnings. Over eight years, he has built nearly 10,000 ARs, and modified another 5,000 – so a lot of those rifles have passed through his hands.
The class started with him pointing out the number one priority – the principle that says:
“The Fucking Thing Must Work.”
This is the most important rule that SOLGW follows when building the rifles.
Then, we discussed the four pillars of reliability and their effect on the proper operation cycle of the gun. We went through an introduction to each component, each spring, bolt, and pin etc.. We learned more about the materials used for each part and the importance of using different types of steel for the bolt, another for the barrel, and one more for the gas block. We also discussed the coatings used on gun parts. We learned about the tools that are used to work on rifles, where to put what glue, where to put what grease, where to let the oil go, and with what forces to tighten the various bolts and nuts.
Another part of the learning process involved identifying and dealing with the malfunctions. Troubleshooting sort of speak. There was a huge amount of material to absorb – pages of notes, a PowerPoint presentation flashing in the background, countless questions and a comfortable environment for asking them. The training ran longer than planned – we clocked around 20 hours of theory.
A key part of the theoretical training was constant reference to the TDP (Technical Data Package) as the source of standards and reason in weapons and components manufacturing. Simply put, the TDP is a several-hundred-page document listing all technical requirements and specifications a military-grade firearm (and other equipment) must meet. These standards are often associated with the terms mil-spec or mil-std.
The TDP specifies for example the things like gas port diameters for given barrel lengths, types of coatings, material specs, trigger pull weights, spring tensions, and more
It includes enormous amounts of data such as dimensions, tolerances, measurements, and the reasons behind them: what, how, and why. As part of the training, we were able to examine and compare numerous parts that either met TDP standards or deviated from them significantly.
What was great was that the Sons didn’t hide their respect for other manufacturers whose parts or complete guns represented high quality and precision. We had rifles and parts from other brands on the workbench as well.
Some manufacturers follow the TDP closely, others less so. SOLGW takes adherence to the TDP as max as possible – believing in decades of experience, rigorous testing, and billions of dollars spent by the government (i.e., American taxpayers) to determine what makes the perfect combat rifle.
Practical Part
After the theory came practice. This time, our instructor was Jessy, who’s been with Sons of Liberty for 6 years and, like Dillon, has assembled several thousand rifles during his career. What we did during this part of the training was build complete rifles from scratch, just as they do at SOLGW.
We walked through every stage of the build process. It began with preparing the workstation, tools, and components. Next came assembling the lowers – installing triggers, fire control mechanisms, and buffer systems. Then we moved on to the uppers – preparing bolt carrier groups, bolts, and charging handles.
We installed barrels and secured them using specific types of barrel nuts (different types depending on the rail system used). Then we installed and aligned gas blocks and gas tubes, repeatedly checking that they properly interfaced with the carrier key on the bolt carrier group.
Following that came installing muzzle devices, using several methods depending on the setup. Once the rifle was functionally complete, we conducted test firing to ensure proper operation cycle and to make any necessary corrections. The final step was installing and securing the rail systems (handguards).
Each stage of the process was clearly explained. Jessy demonstrated the steps, gave tips, shared his own techniques, and then handed over the tools so we could do the job. The outcome? Together with my teammate, we built several rifles that, after rigorous quality control, were confirmed to meet all the standards.
One major distinction between the training prepared for us and the commercial version of SOLGW Armorer Courses is the access to full production-level facilities and tooling. In the regular courses, students bring their own rifles and work on them directly. During those sessions, SOLGW also brings kits of spare parts that students can use to perform upgrades or modifications on their own firearms. These aren’t barrels or full uppers, of course (let’s not get carried away), but smaller components: springs, pins, gas tubes, trigger assemblies, buffer internals, and bolt repair kits -everything that can make the gun work better.
Additionally, SOLGW provides a large selection of specialized tools for participants to use during the course. This not only familiarizes students with the proper tools, but also helps ensure the work is done correctly and safely.
Summary
I will not lie – we came to Texas with high expectations, looking to increase our knowledge of the AR-15 platform. And we were not disappointed.
Before the trip, I thought I had a solid understanding of this weapon system. But the training proved just how much I still had to learn, and how many critical details can go unnoticed if you have never been through a structured, professional course. It was a truly eye-opening experience.
The information overload was real. The overheated coils in my brain from the accumulation of knowledge and the notes I can go back to were worth it. It was also priceless to go through the entire production process and build a few rifles with my own hands.
Our course was a bit different than the regular one and extended primarily because it was part of a larger project – to prepare ourselves thoroughly for the launch of an official, manufacturer-authorized SOLGW Service Center in Poland, which will be operational later this year.
Thanks to this training, we are now equipped to handle not only the Sons of Liberty guns, but any AR-15 that you bring us – whether for diagnostics, upgrades, or full modification.
Whether you will want to learn what we have learned is entirely up to you – but soon, you will have that chance.
We are going to make that knowledge available to you.
Stay tuned for more – we are just getting started.
We also invite you to view more photos in our gallery
