Your definition of “building” a rifle

[mauser284]

with all these modular parts systems and garages fully equipped with vices and big hand tool assortments, we may need to revisit what actually building a rifle is. Assembling an AR from a parts kit is not building it- not even if you have to dremel a part to fit. Neither is putting a pre-fit barrel on an action and slapping it into a stock straight from amazon. Just sayin.

Why? Why do we need to divide and set people apart? I mean what is the point? When you look at religions, political parties, social economic labels or groups it is all about dividing people, passing judgments and separating people by some random idea or standard.

If we apply your logic then General Motors for instance does not build car's in America they just assembly parts and sub assemblies made for them often outside of the USA.

Most gunsmiths do not make the barrel, the receiver, bolt, the stock or optics. So whose toes are you going to step on next? Most gunsmiths do not own a lathe or end mill and do not re-barrel in house they send it out. Are they not "Real Gunsmiths"??? If I profile a barrel chamber it and thread it am I suddenly a gunsmith?

Is a military Armorer not one because all of the things he or she works on were built by someone else and they are mostly swapping out fully machined parts?

Shoe me a Gunsmith that does everything in house today the action, the barrel, the tooling, the stock etc.....

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Most gunsmiths do not own a lathe or end mill and do not re-barrel in house they send it out.

Are you serious here?

 

[pirate ammo]

If we apply your logic then General Motors for instance does not build car's in America they just assembly parts

that's why they call them assembly plants now.

 

[pirate ammo]

Built my first house with a 20oz Plumb hammer and a skil saw,I guess that counts as building something. Drew up my own blueprints on framing,electrical,plumbing,and foundation,all approved.
does that count??

 

[pirate ammo]

When I told a guy at work I "built" my AR from a parts kit, he seemed impressed, but I cut him off and told him if you can build one of these....

.... you can "build" and AR.

I got the foundation to put that on,,

 

[Straightshooter1]

As a former commercial insurance underwriting surveyor and also a premium auditor, I had to describe as accurately as possible a business's operation so that underwriters at the home office had a clear idea and the scope of what a company was actually doing. Terms like building, constructing, assembling, fabricating, making, manufacturing, producing, modifying, erecting, developing . . . . all needed to be carefully used to convey just what what going on. Using one of these words alone simply wouldn't do that as there's much overlap going on between them. And this thread shows clear evidence why more needs to be added.

Call it what you will. The end result is most often from a combination of these and trying to distill it down to any one single term will most likely result not having a clear view of what was done in any particular case.

 

[284winner]

Built my first house with a 20oz Plumb hammer and a skil saw,I guess that counts as building something. Drew up my own blueprints on framing,electrical,plumbing,and foundation,all approved.
does that count??

I did the same...Sounds like it's only assembling since we didn't actually "build" the wood, block, windows, doors, cabinets, flooring, shingles etc. Went to the Home "Assemblers"Show for information on assembling my own home. I think I did pretty well considering I'm not an actual assembler.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I cobble things together!

 

[Bc'z]

I cobble things together!

Now a cobbler is another profession altogether

 

[pirate ammo]

I did the same...Sounds like it's only assembling since we didn't actually "build" the wood, block, windows, doors, cabinets, flooring, shingles etc. Went to the Home "Assemblers"Show for information on assembling my own home. I think I did pretty well considering I'm not an actual assembler.

worst part of the whole thing,hanging sheetrock on the ceiling.

 

[284winner]

worst part of the whole thing,hanging sheetrock on the ceiling.

Never had the pleasure. All T&G for me. One time clear coat. No future painting. "Assembled" a log home and NEVER want to deal with dry wall again.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Assembly, to my way of thinking, is nothing more than putting together parts . . . like what one does when getting a piece of furniture delivered to your home in a box that only requires "assembly".

When I say I "built" my home, I didn't do all the work, in fact, I did very little. I designed the building, but needed an architect/engineer to take my design and produce formal building plans than I could submit to the building department. I hired contractors to do various parts, but they had to follow the specific design and I oversaw their work to be sure it was all done properly according to the building plans. I had to buy the doors, windows to be installed, I had cabinets built to my specs and installed by a contractor. I had counter tops fabricated to specs and installed by a contractor. I hired a roofer to install the roofing tiles. Though I did a small amount of the hands on work, things were done by specialty contractors to my specs.

That's in contrast to a detached 2 car garage I "built" on another home of mine where I did most of the work. I drew the plans and submitted them to building department and except for the concrete slab and foundation, I did it all (of course I didn't produce the lumber or plywood) . . . except for manufacturing the doors that I installed. Though I didn't "build" the doors or do the foundation, I say I built that garage.

Now looking at my .308 "build", I don't think of it as having built that gun myself as I took a factory gun and made only a few modifications to satisfy me. I had no input with regards to its original design. But, with my modifications, it no longer is the same as the factory production build. Because it's not all the same build as factory, it's now my build, though a good part of it is still same as factory. Some of those modifications are simply an "assembly" process, some are a fabrication process. So, in the same way as taking an existing house and making customized modifications to it where I wouldn't say I "built" the house, I can't say I built my gun, though it's just not the same build as it was from the factory.

 

[pirate ammo]

When I say I "built" my home, I didn't do all the work, in fact, I did very little. I

When I say I built mine,I mean just that.Plans drew up by me while making way back to the U.S. from West Africa approved by the county.My father and I done all the rough in plumbing,
and framed it from the slab up. To much concrete and block for me to do by myself.I pulled all the wire and made all connections,I done the tile and carpet,I built the cabinets.It took me
a few years to complete while I was working but in the end it was PAID FOR.After the hurricane hit NW Florida last year I goggled it,30 miles from Tyndall AFB,,still standing.
Oh yea,not a nail gun one was used.

 

[velocette]

Build my rifle? Assemble my rifle? Hmmph.
This is the story of my 30-06 rifle:
1, I bought, through a shooting website, a "sporterized" 1917 Enfield rifle.
2, The rifle was a '17 Eddystone Enfield that had had its military stock "adjusted" so it looked like it was a sporting rifle. The rest was a lightly modified '17 Enfield. The work then began.
3, The 'ears' were removed with a hacksaw and a LOT of work with a file to yield a rear of the receiver similar to a Rem model 30.
4, The bolt handle was straightened, re-contoured and fitted with a Brownells large bolt handle.
5, A cock on opening and trigger kit from Dayton Traister were fitted.
6, The barreled action was taken to an old gunsmith to have the barrel shortened by 1" to remove the keyway for the old sight and to produce an 11 degree muzzle crown.
7, The barreled action was taken to a custom finishing shop to be properly blued in a high polish blue.
8, While#6 above and on were happening, a high end raw stock was purchased from Richards Microfit.
9, Microfit is a gross misnomer.
10, The stock was re-shaped to fit my intentions, sanded, sanded, sanded and the finishing began.
11, The barreled action was fitted to the stock. (see#9 above), Free floated, Pillar bedded and glass bedded with Brownell's Acraglas.
12, Finishing of the stock continued.
13, Finishing of the stock continued.
14, Finishing of the stock after about 25 applications of Minwax Antique Oil finish, followed by steel wooling and re- application was completed.
15, The stock was sent to Washington state for woman who had checkered Kimber rifles for years checkered the stock. ( a skill way out of my wheelhouse)
16, Upon receipt of the checkered stock, the rifle was finally assembled, fitted with a good optic and taken out for a test firing.
17, Rifle shot groups, with the GI barrel it came with of just over an inch at 100 yds.
18, ALL WORK DONE BY ME WAS WITHOUT THE USE OF ANY POWER TOOLS. ONLY HAND LABOR WAS USED.
19, A little over a year was spent BUILDING this rifle.

 

[USMCDOC]

As a former commercial insurance underwriting surveyor and also a premium auditor, I had to describe as accurately as possible a business's operation so that underwriters at the home office had a clear idea and the scope of what a company was actually doing. Terms like building, constructing, assembling, fabricating, making, manufacturing, producing, modifying, erecting, developing . . . . all needed to be carefully used to convey just what what going on. Using one of these words alone simply wouldn't do that as there's much overlap going on between them. And this thread shows clear evidence why more needs to be added.

Call it what you will. The end result is most often from a combination of these and trying to distill it down to any one single term will most likely result not having a clear view of what was done in any particular case.

in other words, you had to be able to explain in words how to tie a shoe string

 

[Straightshooter1]

in other words, you had to be able to explain in words how to tie a shoe string

That's about the size of it. Sometimes, that's not an easy task.

 

[spaniel]

I assemble ARs. Rarely is it anything other than putting it together. No personal artistic touch or know-how required to mesh the parts into a final product.

Bolt guns are another matter. I COULD simply assemble one from parts, but rarely do I. Modifying stocks, installing pillars, bedding, modding the trigger, modifying angles for feeding, etc. I have a 338 Edge which started as a Stiller action and a box of parts. However I had to do major machining work on the action to allow feeding of the 4" loaded rounds, and bolt stop as well. Additional modding of the mag box for reliability. Pillars and bedding of the stock. That's not "assembly". It required a good knowledge of how all the parts work together, and how to modify the ones needed so the whole worked together.

While one assembles an AR you build a 1911. It requires additional tools and a lot of hand fitting of parts to make a one-of-a-kind.

I really don't care if someone thinks I just assemble rifles. I'm happy to live in a time when I can "assemble" rifles that shoot right in there with my "built" F-Class rifle.

 

[Bc'z]

Build my rifle? Assemble my rifle? Hmmph.
This is the story of my 30-06 rifle:
1, I bought, through a shooting website, a "sporterized" 1917 Enfield rifle.
2, The rifle was a '17 Eddystone Enfield that had had its military stock "adjusted" so it looked like it was a sporting rifle. The rest was a lightly modified '17 Enfield. The work then began.
3, The 'ears' were removed with a hacksaw and a LOT of work with a file to yield a rear of the receiver similar to a Rem model 30.
4, The bolt handle was straightened, re-contoured and fitted with a Brownells large bolt handle.
5, A cock on opening and trigger kit from Dayton Traister were fitted.
6, The barreled action was taken to an old gunsmith to have the barrel shortened by 1" to remove the keyway for the old sight and to produce an 11 degree muzzle crown.
7, The barreled action was taken to a custom finishing shop to be properly blued in a high polish blue.
8, While#6 above and on were happening, a high end raw stock was purchased from Richards Microfit.
9, Microfit is a gross misnomer.
10, The stock was re-shaped to fit my intentions, sanded, sanded, sanded and the finishing began.
11, The barreled action was fitted to the stock. (see#9 above), Free floated, Pillar bedded and glass bedded with Brownell's Acraglas.
12, Finishing of the stock continued.
13, Finishing of the stock continued.
14, Finishing of the stock after about 25 applications of Minwax Antique Oil finish, followed by steel wooling and re- application was completed.
15, The stock was sent to Washington state for woman who had checkered Kimber rifles for years checkered the stock. ( a skill way out of my wheelhouse)
16, Upon receipt of the checkered stock, the rifle was finally assembled, fitted with a good optic and taken out for a test firing.
17, Rifle shot groups, with the GI barrel it came with of just over an inch at 100 yds.
18, ALL WORK DONE BY ME WAS WITHOUT THE USE OF ANY POWER TOOLS. ONLY HAND LABOR WAS USED.
19, A little over a year was spent BUILDING this rifle.

That sir is a 06' to be proud of!!!!

 

[Lone Hunter]

I got the foundation to put that on,,

Did you Build it or Assemble this?

 

[Doug Beach]

Are you serious here?

I have a mill and a lathe. I do barrels, and other fiddling about. I make no claim to be a “gunsmith”. Apparently I’m far beyond that.