Anybody Built Their Own Design Gun?

mmattockx

mmattockx

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First off, a stupid question from the rookie...:eek: I am not sure if this is the place for this, if there is a better choice, please let me know.

All right, with the legal stuff out of the way I'll get to it. Has anybody here designed and built their own gun? Handgun, long gun, anything. Just looking for thoughts, experiences, inspiration, etc. in case I get up the ambition for my own work.

I am a mechanical engineer for my day job and most weapons aren't that complicated or fancy. They do need a fair amount of machining, but I have lots of contacts for that. The actual design work is harder than making the pieces and I am sure I can get around the design issues, too.

Thanks,
Mark
 
While Ardent's work is amazing, I was thinking more along the lines of a modern centerfire gun that was scratch designed and built. Maybe a configuration that is not available currenty, that sort of thing.

Mark
 
You would be dealing with extreme pressures, etc. which the average joe would not be advised to attempt without great knowledge of machining and mettalurgy(sp?), but many buy various components such as receivers, barrels, stocks, etc. and put together their own guns, some in standard calibers, others in wildcat configurations. Not saying it can't be done but a fair knowledge would be required before attempting.
 
Check out some machining forums. I know at least one or two talk about gun building.

There are also one or two books out there with plans for building single shot rifles. Not sure the names or authors but I think Frank de Haas did one. A bit of searching on the net should turn up quite a bit.
 
vagrantviking said:
There are also one or two books out there with plans for building single shot rifles. Not sure the names or authors but I think Frank de Haas did one. A bit of searching on the net should turn up quite a bit.
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Frank de Haas has a small book out with plans for two basic designs; one is called a vault lock for centerfire shells and has the advantage of using a round hole for the falling block. The other design is essentially a home shop method of making a Stevens Favourite

cheers mooncoon
 
Grtwhthntr said:
You would be dealing with extreme pressures, etc. which the average joe would not be advised to attempt without great knowledge of machining and mettalurgy(sp?), .
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Well, I am a mechanical engineer for my day job and do a lot of machine design and structural analysis. The structure is usually the easy part, it's packaging and detail work that takes all the time and brain cells. In the case of firearms, the mechanisms are often sensitive to fine details and balancing of forces (in the case of semi/full auto), so that takes care in the design.

I was thinking that using a commercial barrel, if it can be adapted, would simplify the whole process greatly. Especially considering rifling and chamber dimensional accuracy requirements. The rest of the gun is doable with normal machining practices and generally available materials.

Mark
 
Do a search for 50BMG actions. There are plans and instructions.

Maybe bigger then what you want but it is scaleable.

If you were thinking from a commercial standpoint, larger is the only missing area. A quality action that can house the 338LM, 408CT, 416Barrett and BMG.

An action that is relatively inexpensive would do very well.

To save time, cost and hassle, items like the Barrel and trigger group would be aftermarket. Can certainly help you there. Only the tube that holds the barrel and the guts that make it go bang need to be produced.

Of course, a semi auto would be fun too. Making a non restricted semi carbine would certainly get some notice.
Jerry
 
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mysticplayer said:
Of course, a semi auto would be fun too. Making a non restricted semi carbine would certainly get some notice.
Jerry
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I was thinking a bullpup mag fed 12ga pump shotgun.:D

Although, Canada Ammo are close with some of their shorty guns, I was thinking the bullpup because it would let me keep an 18"-20" barrel with a full stock and keep overall length to just over 26" for unrestricted status. It would be as short as the 12-14" pumps, but have better control and a lot less viscious recoil and report.

Canada Ammo are working on getting higher capacity mags for their mag fed Grizzly's and that is what I would go for. Either that, or copy the Grizzly mag and add length to get up to 10 round capacity. Since it would be a pump action, mag capacity can be anything.

Mark
 
Since we're talking about custom everything, I have a question on the bullpup stock prohibitions. If I take say a K98 action, re-barrel it, and then build up a custom bullpup stock for it, is that illegal?

Thanks,
Mark
 
The stock would be, if the Mauser barrelled action dropped into it.
Look at the Tavor, the T97, for the way a bullpup must be built to be acceptable. The ergonomic portions of the firearm must also be mechanical components, so that there is no separate "stock'.
 
There are probably a dozen, maybe more, "boutique" action makers in the US of A, all making actions for one specialty or another, from bench rest, to long range, and BPCR reproductions.

It's not brain surgery. There are a lot of choices available for materials, lots more for action styles. All you have to do is run a decent safe set of numbers on the stress calcs, and be sure to stay on top of your legal issues.

Beyond that, the sky's the limit, or the depth of the wallet is. If you have a pretty good idea what you want to build, look at similar actions and be shameless. It's traditional to copy all the good points of others designs. It has worked for all the major companies.

Making a bolt action is basic. The devil is in the details, if you want to have one that cycles smoothly, feeds and ejects flawlessly, etc.

Check out homegunsmith.com and register for the forum there. Some of the work there looks pretty hack, but it goes to show how low tech a safe firearm can be.

Cheers
Trev
 
tiriaq said:
The stock would be, if the Mauser barrelled action dropped into it.
Look at the Tavor, the T97, for the way a bullpup must be built to be acceptable. The ergonomic portions of the firearm must also be mechanical components, so that there is no separate "stock'.
Click to expand...

Yet another messed up rule courtesy of the CFC...:mad: We must have the most messed up firearms restrictions in the world.

So, I think I get it now. Hypothetically then, if I took the action, attached the buttplate to it, then had the pistol grip and trigger group attached off the bottom of the action, a cheek rest attached off the top and a forearm grip attached to the barrel itself that would be legal. The action and mechanical parts would be the frame and no separate stock would exist, simply components that bolt together to form a complete firearm in the end. Correct?

Thanks,
Mark
 
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