Project Question

A

AELI3N

Inactive
Alright, I am a senior in high school and am required to do a 'senior project' for English, it basically is my grade for English this year. My idea for this project is to build a complete custom Bullpup Assault Rifle, but the only way administration will allow this to happen is if this becomesa step in a larger project. So my idea was to 'Prepare to compete in a rifle competition' and build myself a rifle to use, but is there any competitions that allow custom rifles, and assault ones at that?
I'd really like to build this rifle if I can find a 'project' that will encompass it as a sub-focus, I am open to suggestions if anyone thinks of something else that is interesting :)
thanks! AELI3N

...by the way, how old do you have to be to legally obtain Class 3 weapons permits? I live in the sweltering state of Florida.
 
Hello and welcome to the forums. You might want to run this idea past your professor just to make sure it is ok. Guns and schools tend to clash with one another.
 
Thanks, I have been in communication with my principal who has approved this aspect of my project as long as it isn't the main focus of it
 
" So my idea was to 'Prepare to compete in a rifle competition' "

That would be a good idea. Also I like it that you are writing about what you are interested in, this makes the report portion more interesting.

However, it would also be a good idea _NOT_ to refer to the rifle as a "Assault Rifle", it might as well called a " Auto loading killing weapon ". Really, the AR , AK people don't seem to get it that hyping the "assault rifle, scary black gun coming to get you " does nothing for their cause. These guns were designed for, well, mounting a assault on the enemy not go to the range and poke holes in paper.

No, this isn't a rant on owning black guns as I see the interest in shooting something exotic , slightly wild.

Next, regardless of the topic for your project, time management will be what get you a good grade or not. Building the project will take lots of time as will the documentation while it is built, next will be writing up the build portion of the project. All of this will leave little time to participate in the competition portion of the project which needs to be the focus.

Any idea how many hours it takes a skilled gun smith to build such a gun? Skilled machinist? Regular guy? Is this a scratch build or more of assembling premade parts? Building and competing in a school year might be a stretch, but if you really want the prize, take a run at. Sometimes one must jump out of the airplane and build a parachute on the way down.

Do you have to do a science project? How about a English project that documents a science project involving ballistics? No, the two would not be identical, the English project would more slanted to writing and the science more towards information. ( Hint on the science project thing, using proper scientific methods is more important than the subject selected. )

Is there a simpler kit gun that could be substituted for the bull pup? Cap and ball, flint lock, muzzle loader? ( I don't know the terminology of these guns so please be gentle. ) If the science project thing works out, a off the shelf gun can be used.

In any event, please stay in touch and give us updates on what you decide to do and how the project progresses.
 
Ha haha, thanks!
For this project, we are actually having a final presentation and speach at a showcase for what we did our project on. It is supposed to be either something relating to a future job or a hobby, etc.. and prepare us for our futures. There isn't a formal paper due per say, but just a very long project with a presentation at the end.

Really I was thinking about 'prepairing' for a competition, so study position and form, take some classes, etc.. but technically I don't actually have to compete. I'm just trying to find a way to be able to craft my weapon without having that as my focus is all...

Actually, I was really planning on putting many hours into this project. I don't mind if I have a lot of extra work to do for it, but I was planning on fully fabricating my design from scratch (depentant on who I find to mentor me and the sponsors I can find and all that). I may in fact go for a kit or restore a rifle, but I would like to stay away from it as much as I can
 
I really admire you ambition, and wish you the best. I'm also assuming that you've got some experience as a machinist, or at least know someone (really well) that does.

I to would love to "build a gun" from scratch, but I wouldn't even know where to start other than ordering a bit of metal. Even then I wouldn't know what kind of metal to buy.

If I were you, I would build an AR kit, or a Savage bolt action. Both require at least some level of skill, but both can be accomplished relatively easily by novice gun plumbers.

Good luck with your project!
 
Really I was thinking about 'prepairing' for a competition, so study position and form, take some classes, etc.. but technically I don't actually have to compete. I'm just trying to find a way to be able to craft my weapon without having that as my focus is all...
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Liberty Training Rifle and an Appleseed shoot. Nuff said

That should be enough for you to satisfy your requirements. Appleseed does training in standing, kneeling/sitting, and prone with a marksmanship test at the end. It's not technically a competition but introduces you to basic marksmanship and you can compare yourself with your peers on how well you handle your rifle.

You can go nuts with a 10/22 and buy a stock, barrel, bolt, and internals if you want "custom" but it could well run you over $1000. Or you could just get a stock and a tech sight kit. (A Marlin 795 can do this too and is generally cheaper than the 10/22 and some may argue more accurate as a stock rifle).

10/22 off the deep end:
P1050012.jpg


Liberty Training Rifle (LTR)
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Liberty training rifle with an M1 Carbine style stock
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ETA: stock Marlin 795

photo_795.jpg
 
AELI3N said:
Alright, I am a senior in high school and am required to do a 'senior project' for English, it basically is my grade for English this year. My idea for this project is to build a complete custom Bullpup Assault Rifle, but the only way administration will allow this to happen is if this becomesa step in a larger project.
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Please explain to us how building a rifle affects your English grade. The instructions for doing so may be a good example of compository English writing, but the contribution of hardware fabrication and assembly to a grade in high school English class escapes me.
 
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In reality, the only way these required projects relate to English at my school is our grade. I guess administration realized that English this year is a joke, so they assign this project to give us real world experience in a hobby or possible job experience, etc...

So for my project, I wanted to 'Draft, Design, Model and Machine a Custom Bullpup Rifle'. The problem with that is I cannot do this as my main project (even though it is more than enough work on its own), it can only be part of another focus. I like the idea about the class though, I may go for something along that line if nothing else.
 
If your principal approved it, I'd be surprised if he and you have similar ideas about what your project entails.

Your class project may be stupid, and there may be no requirement that it has to have any meaningful connection to the English curriculum.

Nevertheless, you might do yourself a favor and drop any component of your project that mentions or has any connection to firearms. K-12 schools are not the place to push boundaries on things that are not likely to be considered socially acceptable by your school's administration. And even if the administration has no problem with it, one complaint from a classmate's parent could put the school into full blown damage control mode, where they may take punitive action against you to allay irrational fears others might have about you or your project.
 
Bud Helms said:
Please explain to us how building a rifle affects your English grade. The instructions for doing so may be a good example of compository English, but the contribution of hardware fabrication and assembly to a grade in high school English class escapes me.
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My senior year of English (1992/3), we had to do a "Senior Project" that was 75% of our grade and had absolutely nothing to do with "English", so far as the actual project was concerned. I built a gun cabinet with my dad, that I still have today. My best friend built a computer, a real rocket it was... 486dx 25, had 4 Mb RAM, which was like 16x more than any computer I'd ever seen at the time....

But I digress, un-English, English projects are not uncommon. Of course, along the way we had to submit weekly progress reports, do monthly progress reports in front of the class... All sorts of "englishy" things.

Back then, no one thought to ask permission to do a gun related project, let alone that it might not be allowed. :(
 
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Thanks, I have been in communication with my principal who has approved this aspect of my project as long as it isn't the main focus of it
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I highly doubt that is the case.

So for my project, I wanted to 'Draft, Design, Model and Machine a Custom Bullpup Rifle'.
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First off I dont know the legality of an 18 year old building and possessing a class 3 assault rifle, on top of that I don't know of any high school that will let you bring in a BB gun let alone an assault rifle. I mean this with the most sincerity but do you really think you are capable of designing and modeling a bull pup to your on specs safely and efficiently. As if designing and modeling the gun yourself would not be impressive enough, I cannot imagine how a novice is going to machine every single part for that gun in a period of a school year with which im guessing your high school shop equipment. If you want to graduate senior year I would think of a realistic project, how bout making your own dug out canoe or crafting a bow an arrow and competing with that.
 
I don't believe the OP said anything about building this gun AT school.


I would have to say that actually FABRICATING the gun parts is going to be well beyond the abilities of even an accomplished machinist. You'd need to have a computerized design and CNC the parts. You'd be talking MEGA $$$ unless you are very, very good friends with exactly the right people.

DESIGNING the gun is worse yet.

I admire your ambition but I think you're in over your head at the design and create stage.

Certainly you could get parts to build your own AR-15 or similar gun. There are so many options for those that you can literally choose every part and build the gun, virtually every last piece, on your own. That alone would be impressive and time consuming for your first such project.
 
Thanks guys!
I have talked with administration and kept them updated with what I am planning and they are supporting this project 100%. I offered to just change it completely because of the gun thing, but they urged me to continue with it as long as i can find a different 'title/focus'.
I have been looking at all of the rifle competitions in Florida, and noticed that we don't have very many...at all. So now I am thinking about competing pistol.
I still want to do something with building my own firearm to use, but I have I feel that pistols are going to be much more tough to do, any suggestions?
 
You will never be able to design and machine a modern self extracting pistol or rifle without the proper knowledge, skill, and tools. My recommendation is if you have your heart set on designing and building a gun from scratch is keep it realistically in your reach and try something like a bolt action rifle. Even that will be a challenge for a novice to build from scratch but it is much more doable than your original idea of a bull pup.
 
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