Keel

Ben Keel
10/8/15
IDSC Essay

In getting a degree in interdisciplinary studies, I plan on being an even

more well-rounded student in the areas involving design and materials
sciences. My plan after college is to work in the area of weapons design for
either the military or sporting firearms industry. I would like to focus in the
area concerning long range, precision shooting and how to push the
boundaries of all the components of a rifle in taking a shot at ranges
exceeding 1500 meters. In getting this degree combining design with
materials sciences, I hope to be able to take design to a different level by
knowing the boundaries and possibilities with each material and how to push
the limits of the materials. Interdisciplinary studies will provide me with the
knowledge to take on these problems. The design aspect will allow me to
visually communicate my ideas to the people around me, while the materials
sciences emphasis will allow me to push the limits and capabilities of the
materials used in production to make a product of better quality.
This career would require combining the aesthetics of the weapon with
ergonomics, and combining those with the knowledge of the materials used
in production to make a more reliable, efficient system to provide to the
military and law enforcement clients. Taking a shot with a rifle at a long

Keel

range requires a lot of equipment and extensive training and practice.

Everything has to work together with the shooter to make this shot happen.
A mistake that results in the rifle moving just a few millimeters can result in
the shot being several feet off target downrange. In a sense, the rifle itself is
a perfect example of the idea of being interdisciplinary. All the parts must fit
together like a puzzle in order to work properly; the trigger, the barrel, the
scope, even the cartridge in the chamber. All the individual parts must work
together in order to make something happen. In looking at this as an
interdisciplinary approach, it is easy to break down this problem into a series
of simple solutions. As a weapons designer with a background in
interdisciplinary studies I would like to undertake the issues and solve these
problems in order to push the limits of technology.