The title of "Start of the modern era of weapons?" is a little misleading, but to the point.

As you have noticed, the parts kit era has come to a close with only a few remaining kits.

The era old affordable surplus ammo seems to be at an end as well.

The above two are connected to the UN agenda of blocking the sale of arms and ammunition (especially to the US).  add in our own pathetic destruction laws of receivers (other counties that ban weapons still allow display weapons), and the need to destroy barrels being shipped into the US.  add in the 922r requirement, and the ATF's need to go after legal ownership more than gangs with illegal weapons, or terrorist. and it puts a major dent in our ability to obtain weapon parts (by design).

Have you looked around lately for new C&R imports?

The common sources of C&R weapons basically only show Russian 91/30 rifles these days and even those are getting harder to find.

Maybe the C&R weapon dry spell is due to the economy of the US, but with the world economy in bad shape you would think a lot of the small countries would be selling off old stock piles of weapons to raise a lot of money fast.

You could also speculate the the UN is paying for their destruction rather than resale on the arms market (bolt actions in the hands of Terrorists), and the current dry spell in C&R could be the way of the future.

What we are mainly left with is modern weapons (sem-auto) and accessories, and what ever we have remaining as parts kits and parts.

It would seem our building future will turn to modification of current designs, and as well scratch building of weapons... and the AR will likely play a better role due to the modular nature of the design and parts (barrels etc), compared to the AK (which parts will dry up sooner than later).

I would like to revive more discussions on a universal weapon design with a common trunion, FCG, bolt assy. etc.

The more we can build of common assy's the more designs that can be created using the common parts that we can make.

The good news for future is it seems ammunition is getting easier to get, and it's getting cheaper (and that trend should continue).

The rest is up to us.

I've noticed the same things, and I too mourn the end of the $50/case surplus rifle ammo and the $99 AK parts kit. 

The other really interesting modern-era change is the state firearm freedom acts.  The upside: no federal regulation, ever.  The downside: everything has to come from within your state, which in many cases, means you have to build it from scratch yourself!

Thinking about my builds, both finished and unfinished, I do notice how much easier it's been to finish up simple monolithic AK-type guns.  The problem with complexity, like the upper/lower split on the AR, is just more parts to build, more little tabs to break off, and more dimensions that must line up exactly.  This isn't a problem if you can buy cheap parts (I love buying AR uppers!), or have CNC or modern manufacturing, but complexity becomes a big problem in a garage...

I have been thinking about building a cheap bolt action .45 ACP.  I like the idea of the idea of the Mauser conversion in .45, but they are so damn ugly.  I also want to design an integrated suppressor for my rifle.  The straight pull bolt action is intriguing, but I have never seen one.  I have also thought about a pistol caliber bolt gun with interchangeable barrels and different bolt.  Most of my Ideas, get written down on paper and I forget about them, but this one is stuck in my head.

reckoning wrote: I have been thinking about building a cheap bolt action .45 ACP.  I like the idea of the idea of the Mauser conversion in .45, but they are so damn ugly.  I also want to design an integrated suppressor for my rifle.  The straight pull bolt action is intriguing, but I have never seen one.  I have also thought about a pistol caliber bolt gun with interchangeable barrels and different bolt.  Most of my Ideas, get written down on paper and I forget about them, but this one is stuck in my head.

I have always like the way the UZI secures the barrel.  simple, and easy to interchange. 

The same system in a bolt action would be an interesting weapon.

reckoning wrote: I have been thinking about building a cheap bolt action .45 ACP.  I like the idea of the idea of the Mauser conversion in .45, but they are so damn ugly.  I also want to design an integrated suppressor for my rifle.  The straight pull bolt action is intriguing, but I have never seen one.  I have also thought about a pistol caliber bolt gun with interchangeable barrels and different bolt.  Most of my Ideas, get written down on paper and I forget about them, but this one is stuck in my head.

My camera batteries just died . What you need is a $100 styer straight pull. I just looked at mine with a colt mag(it almost goes in) and a .45 round on the boltface. It don't look to hard to do .

Here would be a good one for that project:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=17423829 7

Parts kits have dried up and surplus ammo is not the cheap goodness it once was. I would have to say it is the end of the golden age of parts kits, but that this is not the end of an era. Weaponeer is right in the title of this thread, the world has started to use a different set of weapons and technology. In 15 years we will be buying parts kits for TAR-21s and FN SCARs, if the libs don't f**k it up.

I think the parts kits are drying up cause laws and regulations have taken their toll, but also these supplies are finite. Plus its probably easier to sell working used weapons to other nations and cartels. And I think thats the big one.

There are a lot of small nations and large drug cartels buying up arms like it's the day after Thanksgiving sale. Some countries have been using the same kit since WWII. We as a nation are one of a few that are ahead of the weapons game when it comes to our military. So instead of keeping our stock of M16A2 rifles and demilling them lets sell them to Egypt and the Persian Gulf nations.

We are basically seeing a LARGE weapons upgrade of the nations of the world. Its like we are seeing the transition from bolt action rifles to semiautomatics. Except its AK47s to AK74s. We the home builders are the small market that no one cares about and is hated by the people that are in our government. So those old AKs will never make it to us.

Now as for the old stock of what is considered C&R I think Gary's speculation maybe correct. The C&R market should be flooded right now, but its not and I can only guess that they are either being destroyed or dumped in the ocean. Hell for all I know they maybe getting traded back to the nations they are doing business with, recycling the metals.

There are things going on that's taking place between goverments and in the back allies of the world that is hurting us. I also think this is a back door assualt weapons ban, and other nations are helping to hurt our rights.

Its like when the alcohol dried up in 1920, except we get to do our brewing in the comfort of our garages with adequate light. Oh yeah plus its legal. Maybe it is time for the Weaponeer Model 1 , designed by the people to be built at home for the people.

This is the time when we must be creative using the parts available. I have been machining for almost 40 years. Things still scare me but I do OK. I will never attempt rifled barrels. Other stuff is a creative challenge. This is the time when creative people find opportunity. If you invent something, post it and you and all benefit.