Remember this VICE Guide To Travel on the gun markets of Pakistan?
University of California San Diego student, and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate Christopher Head wants to build his own as a thesis project.
Cool idea and all, and I hate shitting on pro-gun efforts but I believe the project falls extremely short in the following areas:
This project seems more like a learning experience that he wants funded, rather than an actual useful thesis project.
Making everything including the bolt, barrel, springs, etc… (if that is in fact what he wants to do) is a lofty goal which I don’t think can be accomplished in a short amount of time, by someone without prior experience with this type of thing.
If he’s not planning on constructing absolutely everything from scratch, then the description on Kickstarter should be revised. Assembling an AK from parts, even if he stamps or mills the reciever is nothing new.
Project costs include specialized tool purchases, tool rental, shop costs, supervision costs, gallery costs including printing, mounting, and pedestals, performance costs including range rental, ammunition, and equipment rentals. Art is expensive!
Not really sure how this qualifies as “art”. Is anything art if you mount it in a fancy way? I suppose so.
If you need a bunch of specialized tools, what good are the Do It Yourself instructions to anyone that doesn’t have thousands of dollars to invest in a build? I was under the impression that Khyber Pass firearms were made mainly by hand using basic tools. Around the 5 minute mark in the video you can see files, hammers, hacksaws etc..
I think he would have more luck if he can revise the pledges to have a lower dollar value one that includes the instruction set. I’d throw in a dollar or two to support the effort if I got the plans in the end. Not a chance I’d pay $25 though, which is currently what the lowest pledge that includes an instruction set is.
Pledge #1 – $10 for 1 piece of spent brass from the test fire. Damn I need to start calling myself an artist.
Maybe he will clear up some of the questions I have, and possibly take my suggestion of lowering the pledge value. From a design point of view I’d love to see him succeed on this, if what he is trying to do is truly build 100% of the rifle from scratch. As an art project, I still wish him luck because it definitely takes some balls to do such a project at a California University of all places.
Check out the project on Kickstarter – HERE
Thoughts?
Hat tip: Michael M