In November 2025, The Lassen Community College Board of Trustees  voted to discontinue the Gunsmithing program based on a recommendation from a campus task force due to declining enrollment, financial losses and compliance issues. It was the second task force to evaluate the Gunsmithing program since 2022. The 2022 task force recommended the program be revitalized. Revitalization efforts included updated curriculum, purchasing new equipment, modernizing the lab space, producing promotional materials, paying faculty for non-teaching time to update curriculum and funding was provided for faculty and staff to promote the program.

Based on a second assessment, the 2025 task force concluded that revitalization had not been successful in rebuilding enrollment, and the program enrollment has declined from a high of 126 full-time equivalent students to less than 20 full-time equivalent students currently. As a result, program losses had reached $2.4 million since 2017. The task force also concluded that the program continued to struggle to comply with state educational mandates for Career Technical Education programs.

Program closures at California community colleges are not uncommon. Previously, Lassen College discontinued its Steam Power Operations and Digital Graphic Design programs and has discontinued numerous degrees because of low enrollment.

Lassen College is extremely proud of the legacy of its Gunsmithing program, which has trained thousands of students over the past 50 years. Current students are scheduled to finish the program and will be supported to identify transition options.