Thy Will Be Done!

Before our son was born my wife and I had the conversation that we should really consider getting a basic will put together. It is a subject that has come up from time over the past year but there was always something that would come up to take our attention away from what needed to be done. Finally, at the last stated meeting, I was able to pull one of the brothers aside, who happens to be an estate attorney, and got his contact information. Again, it was a very simple will that we were looking for but something that we now, finally, had the time and opportunity to complete.

The impetus for getting this done really had nothing to do with our financial situation or the possibility of us owning a home in the near future. The motivation was much simpler, we want to make sure, should anything happen to us, that our son would be taken care of by those people that we believe would raise him right and would have his best interests in mind. That is really what we wanted to legally put in place leaving no question as to where he would go and who would take care of him.

The process was actually much easier than we were anticipating as my masonic brother was able to pull everything together in less than a week following my email to him with all the information (names, addresses, special requests, etc.) that were required for these basic drafts. Actually, we had two wills drawn up, one for me and one for my wife. Each mirrored the other as we have been in agreement ass to the contents from the beginning. The only difference being that, motivated by previous discussions at the lodge, I specifically requested a masonic service.

Given how easy it was, the fantastic rate which we were charged, and the simple fact that this brother will go above and beyond to assist us and offer us advice, I have already recommended is services many times over to both friends and family. So now the next stop is to the safe deposit box so that we will not have to worry about misplacing the originals. And I must say that it feels great to have this important document now completed and the worry about what we hope will never happen has now substantially subsided. We are now at ease knowing that, should something happen, our son will be taken care of and will be raised the right way.

Considering The Inevitable Future

With the baby on the way and everything else that has been going on my wife and I have been thinking about preparing for the future. While there have been many happy moments and times of celebration, there are a few realities that we must address in order for us to not have to think about certain things and unpleasant possibilities. It is with this in mind that we have started discussing putting a will together.

This is a conversation that we had when we first got married and we simply put it aside for a number of years. It wasn’t something that we would think about on a regular basis so it was simply forgotten about. Lately, it has been a thought permeating our minds and we have had to give serious consideration to many of the details.

There is nothing that has officially be done at this point… it has merely been discussion and the floating of ideas and scenarios. And while we don’t have much it would be nice to get some of the broad strokes out of the way before this important project is put off again. While I don’t see us forgetting about it like we previously did, we would both rather have it done now while we are motivated to do so and while we have a small measure of time to commit to this undertaking.

We have both seen and read a few wills in our lives but we never sat down to write one ourselves. But it is not just about us anymore, we want to make sure that our son (and any future children) are not left with a cluster when we are no longer around whether that is five or fifty years from now. It is also an opportunity to decide what will happen if we were to become ill toward the end and what needs to be done while we are still ‘alive’.

How will the minimalistic ‘estate’ be handled? Who would care for our kid(s) if it, G-d forbid, happens sooner rather than later? What happens to all of our crap? What are our last wishes? What life saving measures, if any, should be taken? Where will we be planted?

Those are just some of the basic questions that we have been asking ourselves and while we don’t have any definitive answers we are working things through and doing our best to write them down. While this attempt will be a broad one at best (we are doing this ourselves) it will be the basis for when we sit down with a lawyer in the future and pull everything together as it should be. We are going to take care of the basics now and work out many of the details over time. But, it is nice to know that something is getting recorded and that things will, for the most part, be taken care of and we generally know what will happen when that day comes.

Prepping For Black (Rifle) Friday!

In honor of the Eugene Stoner’s birthday (the engineer behind the AR-15) which I mentioned yesterday in my post about the assassination of President and NRA member John F. Kennedy I have decided, after numerous requests, to post an AR-15 parts list. Not just a simple list of what you need to get but a list of some of the prices I have seen over the past couple of months in order to build a budget rifle. I will tell you the websites and the lowest prices I have seen but I am not going to link to the product page as many of the dollar amounts have changed.

Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind with this list. While these are sale prices that I have seen during different moments may not be available now, you must be patient and wait as these parts will go on sale again for the same price or lower (I have no idea what Black Friday will bring). The quotes below do not take into account shipping or transfer costs (I am not even going to try and calculate that in as a factor). In addition to this list, there are tools that you would need to purchase to build the firearm and certain things that you may want to have a trained gunsmith work on rather than doing it yourself.

Lastly, keep it legal. Don’t build something in such a way that it would be deemed illegal (if you don’t like the laws in your state move). Make sure you go through your local FFL when you purchase your lower receiver. And, generally speaking, don’t be an idiot. You are building a firearm and you need to respect that fact.

 So, without any further delay, here is the list:

1. Blemished Lower Receiver                                         $50 (PSA)
2. Blackhawk! Lower Parts Kit                                       $30 (PSA)
3. Blackhawk (Mil Spec) Buffer Tube Assembly           $30 (PSA)
4. Blemished Upper Receiver                                          $40 (PSA)
5. Upper Receiver Parts Kit (w/ barrel nut)                     $25 (PSA)
6. PTAC Bolt Carrier Group (w/ Charging Handle)       $80 (PSA)
7. 16” M4 Barrel (1:7 Twist)                                           $85 (SG)
8. A2 Front Sight / Gas Block                                         $25 (PSA)
9. A2 Flash Hider                                                            $8 (PSA)
10. Carbine Length Gas Tube                                           $8 (PSA)
11. Front Sight Post                                                           $8 (PSA)
12. Carry Handle / Rear Sight                                           $20 (AM)
13. M4 Hand Guard                                                           $10 (T)
14. 30 Round Polymer Magazine (No Name)                   $6 (T)

NOTE: PSA = Palmetto State Armory; SG = Sportsman’s Guide; AM = Amazon; T = Tanner’s Sport Center

For those of you keeping track that brings the total up to $425 compared to an off the rack rifle (new) which would cost you a minimum of $650 plus the additional tax put on complete firearms. This part list will complete the most basic of rifles but, if put together correctly, will function as good as or better than a basic AR that would cost you a minimum of $225 more. But, as I stated before, it takes patience both in waiting for the right price for parts but also in putting all the pieces together. It is not a complicated process but one that should be given your full attention.

However, be forewarned, I have seen people get carried away with their builds which is not that hard to do. Start with the basics. If you want to switch out parts later than go ahead. For now, you don’t need that $250 Geissele trigger in your first build. Keep it simple. Simple works. The last thing you want to do is build a FUBAR rifle.  

Finally, be a smart gun owner and support your right to own your firearm. Set aside time to train, enjoy, and appreciate what you have created in a safe and controlled environment. Know your rifle, become fluent in firearms safety, and make sure everything is locked up. And become a NRA member (or one of the following Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Foundation, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership). Pick one or pick them all just make sure you show your support. This is your responsibility.