Slinging.org Forum - Gunsmithing?

Thunder Chief Funditor Offline Don't Panic! Posts: 838	Gunsmithing? Jan 19^th, 2011 at 10:32pm Does anybody here do any gunsmithing? I mean honest-to-goodness-from-scratch gun building. If you do, I'd love to see some pictures!
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Bikewer

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #1 - Jan 20^th, 2011 at 3:15pm

For most, "gunsmithing" indicates general repair and adjustment of existing firearms.
Building a functional weapon from scratch involves quite a set of skills, primarily machining and design. I suppose it's perhaps somewhat easier nowadays with CAD and CNC machining... If you have the scratch for such toys.

You have to respect the old time guys, the medieval and Renaissance lads who could build a functional (and beautiful) piece from scratch with nothing but hand tools.

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Rat Man Slinging.org Administrator Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 13834 New Jersey, USA Gender:	Re: Gunsmithing? Reply #2 - Jan 20^th, 2011 at 5:18pm It's something I know little about but if there was a class given somewhere near me I'd take it. I find it a fascinating subject.
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Thunder Chief

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #3 - Jan 20^th, 2011 at 10:55pm

Bikewer wrote on Jan 20^th, 2011 at 3:15pm:

For most, "gunsmithing" indicates general repair and adjustment of existing firearms.
Building a functional weapon from scratch involves quite a set of skills, primarily machining and design. I suppose it's perhaps somewhat easier nowadays with CAD and CNC machining... If you have the scratch for such toys.

You have to respect the old time guys, the medieval and Renaissance lads who could build a functional (and beautiful) piece from scratch with nothing but hand tools.

On the contrary, I've read about people building rifles with nothing more sophisticated than a drill press. Follow the link. the guy built a 10/22 reciever from scratch.

http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=1074a13554e762d40c892ecc...

On the topic of handtools, what would you actually need? I've read about chisels. Where would one procure a metal-working chisel?

Rat Man, you're right, gunsmithing is a fascinating subject.

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Mauro Fiorentini Forum Moderation Offline Forge your future with the hammer of your mind! Posts: 3442 Ancona, Italy. Gender:	Re: Gunsmithing? Reply #4 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 8:10am I once met a Medieval re-enactor who plays the role of the gunsmith; he teached me a lot of things and allowed me to see how he made an ancient rifle, but I've never tried because I don't like gunsmithing. I mean, I really admire the mechanical precision of a rifle, but would not know what to do with such a replica Mauro.
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HurlinThom Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Leverage artillerist Posts: 1458	Re: Gunsmithing? Reply #5 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 9:45am If you would be actually constructing guns from scratch there's the small matter of a Federal Firearms License to be considered, unless your activity is limited to replica muzzle-loaders. Those ATF guys are serious.
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Bikewer

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #6 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 11:10am

That you CAN make modern firearms and replicas of same with nothing more than hand tools is well known. In the backwaters of Pakistan and Afghanistan, craftsmen turn out replica AK-47s and other firearms with little more than files and drills. They also manufacture ammunition... I saw film of one fellow making jacketed bullets by placing a copper disc over a hole drilled in a piece of rock, and pounding it into the hole with a mandrel.
Then, the newly-formed jacket is filled with molten lead...
If there's a will, there's a way. However, this is a very long and tedious process and these folks have been doing this for hundreds of years... Duplicating copies of foreign muzzle-loaders brought in by traders and invaders.
Also, entire villages are involved in a sort of assembly-line process; one guy making this part, one that.

A good machinist with a lathe, a mill, and a couple of other tools could likely produce a working firearm without much trouble.... The British WWII-era "Sten" submachine gun was designed to be produced in such basement machine shops in the case of invasion.

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jlasud

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #7 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 1:14pm

Back in the days when I was into firearms,younger,risking much,I made a short two barell "pistol" from some scrap I had in an hour or so.It had two ~3" long barrels glued next to each other,and had two separate hammers made from those keychain,springy clampy things.It had no handle,and I shot it a few times and it even stayed intact.I remember I was thrilled by how loud it was.I shot small ball bearing and cast lead bullets with it.I even tested it against some thick book from point blank and it penetrated quite a lot like 200-250 pages.So even teen can make a deadly firearm in an hour...it's not that hard or glorious,nor wise.

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Thunder Chief

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #8 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 3:22pm

jlasud wrote on Jan 21^st, 2011 at 1:14pm:

Back in the days when I was into firearms,younger,risking much,I made a short two barell "pistol" from some scrap I had in an hour or so.It had two ~3" long barrels glued next to each other,and had two separate hammers made from those keychain,springy clampy things.It had no handle,and I shot it a few times and it even stayed intact.I remember I was thrilled by how loud it was.I shot small ball bearing and cast lead bullets with it.I even tested it against some thick book from point blank and it penetrated quite a lot like 200-250 pages.So even teen can make a deadly firearm in an hour...it's not that hard or glorious,nor wise.

That sounds terrifying! Shocked

It is, in fact, legal to build your own firearm (rifle), so long as it meets all the Federal and state requirements.

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Bill Skinner

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #9 - Jan 21^st, 2011 at 6:28pm

You need to look at Dixie Gunworks. They have kits that all you have to do is put it together and finish it, kits with minor or major inletting, and piles of parts with a barrel and a hardwood 2X6 for those who really know what they are doing and have a woodworking shop and a blacksmith shop. All of these are black powder and most are muzzle loading, if you are really adventurous, they sell cannon barrels and plans for the carriages. FWIW, the small mortar is the easiest to build. Bill

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NewSouth Novicius Offline Insanitarium Posts: 8	Re: Gunsmithing? Reply #10 - Jan 30^th, 2011 at 12:05am To be honest, the best I'd do is a Zip gun. I'm never going to build one but knowledge on these things is fascinating.
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Bikewer

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #11 - Jan 30^th, 2011 at 10:38am

I like making things... I have no machining skills or tools. However, I am tossing around the idea of making an air gun. There's quite a lot of information on YouTube for using various valving/trigger systems.
Tossing around the idea of using an older bicycle air pump I have. It's outlived it's usefulness as the rubber connectors in the "head" have gone South and the company no longer makes this model.
(Blackburn already sent me a nice new one!)
Anyway, the aluminum tube, piston, shaft, etc. might make the basis for an air chamber....

Still tossing around ideas.

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bigkahuna

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #12 - Jan 31^st, 2011 at 8:54pm

There was a book writen about a fellow who lived up in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains as a Mountain Man back during the 1950/60s. I think the name of the book was "Last of the Mountain Men". In any case this guy made EVERYTHING by hand out of scrap he found or just minimal supplies he bought or traded for. He made his own flintlock rifle from scratch, including rifleing the barrel by hand! He had his own forge set up and everything he needed.

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Thunder Chief

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #13 - Feb 11^th, 2011 at 12:15am

Bikewer wrote on Jan 30^th, 2011 at 10:38am:

However, I am tossing around the idea of making an air gun.

I started to build an airgun. I have all the plans and most of the materials. I stalled becasue I got nervous about having a homemade pressure tank that close to my head, and I lacked the funds to buy a real one. I also was not in the mood to build a high pressure air pump, though I do have plans for that, too. If you want them I can send you some of the drawings that I did. I've got the mechanism worked out, you'd just have to build the thing. What kind of tools do you have?

Bigkahuna, I'm definately going to have to look into that book.

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Bikewer

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Re: Gunsmithing?
Reply #14 - Feb 11^th, 2011 at 7:40pm

I'd be interested. There appear to be basically two sorts of successful valving systems, at least to judge from the stuff on the web. The simplest is the inline twist-valve that's very simple to work with. Unfortunately, it's very slow, and the motion is not conducive to "shooting". So, I've seen two variations of techniques to speed it up.
Both involve installing a large lever attached to a spring and held back with a "trigger". Trigger releases spring, and valve opens relatively fast.
Ugly but effective.
The second is the reciprocating valve, in which sudden pressure release behind a piston/seal causes it to fly open and release the main charge.

Most of my tools are woodworking, but I have a drill press, dremel, grinders, that sort of thing.

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