Exactly! That's the American way! (well, Russian, too). The Krauts overcomplicate machines, of course, from automobiles to firearms and everything in between.
One of my goals with builds is to make components perform more than one function when possible, such as the front sight blade locking the pack rifle in the folded position, or the rear sight also being the breech lock on my O/U pistol. But I won't do it at the expense of complicated mechanisms.
Funny thing is the perception so many in our community have that AK=simple and robust while AR=complex and fickle. That has finally started to change, but in fact, Eugene Stoner had the same inclination to make one part perform more than one function, as the combination bolt/gas piston in his design. The AR does have more parts than the AK, but is not more complex and, in fact, the extra parts lend the design to being more serviceable, as well as being mass produced with much better tolerances. It just requires first world industry to do so!
Your rolling block should be a fun build, and a fun critter to shoot! You should consider chambering it for .32 H&R mag, though. The round doesn't actually operate at higher pressures, though there is a little more bolt thrust. But if you design your extractor carefully, you'll also be able to shoot .32 ACP, as well as .32 S&W. None of these small handgun rounds are going to demand a lot in terms of action strength, but prehardened 4140 is not only a good choice for such a build, but also machines very well, breaking chips much more cleanly than mild steels or annealed CRMO.
I think my next build will probably be a revolver, and probably all titanium except for small parts (yes, I'm thinking barrel, too). But I need to decide on cartridge first, and then settle on design. Being as there's only so many ways to make a revolver work, I'll probably go with lockwork very much like a S&W double action. But chambering, number of rounds, overall look still need much pondering before I start cutting metal! For now, the only four home builds I still have you've all born witness to right here:
Though I tinkered and made functional guns in my earlier years, I did not at that time have the equipment, skills or metallurgical knowledge to produce quality weapons, and they all got scrapped, having been deemed crude and/or unsafe by yours truly.
