Aiming in a New Direction

My previous post marks the halfway point in my college career.  That was as far as I got into writing the story while I was traveling, and it is a good stopping point.  I have a variety of other topics on my mind anyway, so it is probably a good time to switch gears for a while.

Among other recent projects, I have been building my own rifle.  I first looked into the idea a few months ago, but I wasn't sure if that is what I wanted to do, and wasn't in any hurry to start..  Recent national events have increased the urgency of that project.  After a good bit of research on the subject, from a variety of perspectives, I have decided to pursue that project, in part because I feel like it is an important civic duty.  Specifically I think it is important to take responsibility for one's own safety and freedom.  I would never look to the government to take care of me in regards to provisions or finances, so the same should be true of safety and freedom.  The government is supposed to take responsibility for the bigger picture issues, like making sure there is food in the grocery stores, but not to the point of making sure that I can pay afford to pay for it.  That is were my part of the responsibility comes in.  They are supposed to provide roads and bridges, not the cars to drive on them.  Americans have been given a high degree of freedom, at great cost to those who came before us, and it is our responsibility to both make appropriate use of that freedom and protect it.

With the current political climate surrounding the future of gun control, the market for firearms is through the roof right now.  So it is a bad time to be on the buying side of the transactions, but I have the same reasons and motivations as everyone else, in that it may be now or never.  Cost is not so much the limiting issue right now, as much as availability is.

The process of actually building a firearm is quite interesting, due to the strange nature of the laws we have.  It is my understanding that everything I have done is legal, but at times it has felt the way I would imagine a drug deal would be.  Buying parts in industrial areas on weekends, doing everything with cash, and learning how to finish milling my own parts, has been quite the adventure.  I am looking forward to actually having a finished product, but certain pieces may take quite a while to find.  But I have learned a lot in the process, and will eventually end up with a valuable tool, which I intend to pass on to my future children.