Your definition of “building” a rifle

[group therapy]

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.

dang dusty!!!, 4 pages in 8 hours musta been bored....remind me one day to tell you about willie atwwod

 

[dave@aDave]

I believe I can safely say that Hershel C. House, Bill Calfee, and Mark Penrod build guns.

 

[CT10ring]

I have put together some AR's (w chambers reamed & bolts headspaced), but I don't think I'd ever say I built. Assembled. If you didn't ream the chamber, cut/ thread action, bed the stock, face + true the action, lap lugs as needed - you (me) didn't build it. No time on a lathe or mill - not a build. my .02.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

heres a guy that can safely say he builds rifles.

 

[CT10ring]

I'd throw a bone to
die Deutschen.

erfunden Gewehr in Fässern.

 

[Rustytigwire]

Who really is John Galt?

 

[CT10ring]

How I build a rifle:

1) Ride horseback to Minnesota, dig up rocks and ride back home.
2) Get back on the horse and ride to West Virginia, dig more rocks and again ride back home.
3) Separate iron from the Minnesota rocks.
4) Separate coal from the West Virginia rocks.
5) Using the coal I stoke a fire in my smelter (took a while to build that thing).
6) Smelt the iron and add other minerals to create steel. I won't go into where I get those minerals at this juncture.
7) A few other things happen and Presto! A rifle.

I dunno how the rest of you wimps do it.

** next week: How to build a rifle stock. Stay tuned.

classic, heretofore. you forgot the lime kiln. maybe.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

My buddy in KA comes fairly close. He builds these nifty six-figure double barreled flintlock rifles. Everything except the barrels he makes from scratch. The walnut is often from trees grown on his property. He made a Pope-style rifling machine, just on a dare, and made barrels. He quit because he told me it was too much of a PITA, not because he couldn't. Yes, he makes triggers and locks. He has even written a small book on how to make flintlocks from steel bar and plate.

My definition of a builder would be someone who builds a rifle using at least a couple parts you cannot readily buy done. I have no issue with "Assemblers"; it takes a lot of skill to do it well.

 

[fyrewall]

Today, building any firearm and major parts effectively, precisely and of any substance takes industrial abilities. Anything else, is just acquiring the essential manufactured parts and assembling them with small scale machine operations. The artistic component cannot be left out - it has to look really nice and usually large scale industrial ops fall short of that. Nothing can compete with large scale industrial production to build almost anything that is cost effective. A possible exception might be building a plastic gun using a 3D printer. Imagine filling a requirement to produce 250,000 or more weapons quickly for some real need. A possible exception would be some "cottage" type process used by the Japanese in WWII where various components were farmed out to small shops for hand production. Most or if not all small scale "builds" originate in some production oriented factory to be bought as actions, barrels, or other manufactured parts. My definition of a "build" would be transporting the materials to one end of the factory, production and packaging then moving the finished product out of the other end for consumers. How many N.E. rifle builders use bog iron & charcoal?

 

[Steve Blair]

How I build a rifle:

1) Ride horseback to Minnesota, dig up rocks and ride back home.
2) Get back on the horse and ride to West Virginia, dig more rocks and again ride back home.
3) Separate iron from the Minnesota rocks.
4) Separate coal from the West Virginia rocks.
5) Using the coal I stoke a fire in my smelter (took a while to build that thing).
6) Smelt the iron and add other minerals to create steel. I won't go into where I get those minerals at this juncture.
7) A few other things happen and Presto! A rifle.

I dunno how the rest of you wimps do it.

** next week: How to build a rifle stock. Stay tuned.

You don't need coal to make high quality steel. A forced air charcoal furnace works well. The only two elements needed to make steel (which is only iron in a specific carbon content range) is iron and carbon. There are also high iron content ore deposits in many US locations other than Minnesota, although the Iron Range is probably the most productive in the US.

 

[Lone Hunter]

Hmm,,, Wonder something?? Kinda got me to wondering.. Does a scope manufacturer assemble or build the scope?
Go Dusty Go!! By the way, Dusty was in the SS in the German army. Shit Stirrers that is. Go Dusty Go! LOL
Hook,line,and sinker...

 

[outasite`08]

I'd never put down a guy who built his own with parts.

Terry, Some will put down any achievement of another. Remember Fakeahontas and Obama blasting the business people,saying, "you didn`t build that". Well I have assembled several AR`s from various parts venues. I`m not a `smith just a guy that wanted to see if he could do it. The stuff all came in boxes and I put it together and they all work. Just like the model car kits of my youth. So lets not focus on a word,instead focus on the sport and the people involved that make it a joy to take part in. Enjoy your Sunday, Jeff

 

[people]

To me building a firearm is actually making a receiver. Think making chips. I do not agree with the fitting a barrel is making a firearm like the atf thinks.

 

[Texas10]

There is skill, and then there's talent.

It takes skill to assemble a rifle from aftermarket parts and have it shoot sub MOA groups.

It takes talent and skill to assemble a rifle that'll shoot well enough to consistently finish in the winners circle.

 

[chop house]

websterian gymnastics at it's best... even without guffey involved

i shall heretofore use "put together" even though speaking 4 syllables is significantly less efficient than one. OR i could use the term "construct" and immediately double my efficiency by needing only two syllables.

to wit:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Build may refer to:

• Engineering something
• Construction

The term engineering is derived from the word engineer, which itself dates back to 1390 when an engine'er (literally, one who builds or operates a siege engine) referred to "a constructor of military engines."[6] In this context, now obsolete, an "engine" referred to a military machine, i.e., a mechanical contraption used in war (for example, a catapult)

 

[mic2377]

Well if you really want to raise the bar, does chambering a barrel count as much as building your own receiver, IE doing a "from scratch" build where you bend and weld your own receiver from a flat for a CETME/HK/AK?

I do agree that AR "building" is really more just assembling. But as long as people are building lots of guns I don't care what they want to call it.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Who really is John Galt?

Not many of us around who remember this guy.

 

[284winner]

When I was a bit younger I wanted a garage. Not to park my car in but a man cave. I did not have any plans and I had never built anything like it in the past. I did know that 2x6 studs could be on 24 in centers and not much of anything else.

I settled on 16X28 ft building. I went to Home Depot with my list and they filled it and delivered it for me.I bought two pneumatic nail guns, one for the studs and one for the roofing. I also bought two garage doors. One for the front and one for the back. This did wonders for ventilation in the summer. Working every day, it took me a month to finish. I made every cut and drove all the nail. I was determined to do this myself.

I did not want to use trusses for the roof, as I want to have a steep slope so I would have room for storage in the upper level.

I was forced to get a little help when raising the walls. I called my grandsons and they came down and stood the walls while I nailed them down. I also got some help in putting up the roof. I could not hold the center beams while trying to nail down the cross beams and the 4X8 sheets of plywood were beyond me.

I tell this story and dare anyone to tell me I did not build this outbuilding from scratch. Nice place to sit, relax, drink a beer and contemplate my navel.

You assembled it. I assembled my own house as well. Didn't make the lumber, nails, windows or doors. Bought everything like puzzle parts and simply assembled it. That's why it's called construction. Homes are constructed, not built. Construct and assembled are about as close as you can get. Chefs don't make meals, they assemble them with items they buy. Ok, now I need to use the restroom. I'm not going to "Take" a crap, I'm actually going to leave one. We all need to be more selective on how we assemble our rhetoric. How about if it's not broken, let's leave it alone ( otherwise we'll have to reassemble it)

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Some people build a rifle, most assemble a rifle

 

[Dave Way]

I’m done with this thread. To much valuable information on this site to waste any more time here.