Novelty Firearms Update (The Magnum Pistol)

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JamesW

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Hi everyone,
about a month ago I posted the following to gauge your interest in a new product.



Hi all,
I'm part of a group of entrepreneurs with the University of Alberta that are looking to make and sell firearms that are replicated from video games. We're looking to get an idea of what the market size is. If we build the handgun pictured below and were able to sell it for approximately $800.00 would anyone buy it?







Key points:
- It will be built well to feel solid, with an extremely large frame
- Very little plastic will be used, the gun is meant to feel heavy
- Size would be similar to a desert eagle
- Caliber will be 45ACP

P.S.
Anyone know the legal process around becoming a manufacturer of firearms in Alberta?




First off let me thank you for the feedback! Secondly let me answer a few questions you had and provide an update:

-This was not a troll thread we are serious!
-We are not looking for any investment
-We also considered making the gears of war lancer rifle. We are not going to do this
-We are going to design and intend to manufacture the Magnum!
-We will design between now and December
-We hope to have prototypes made by this time next year
-The above images are concept sketches. the actual product will look almost identical with a few functional additions (Ex: there will be iron sights!)

Updated product details:
-$1000-$1200 target price
-The size and feel are intended to be similar to the Desert Eagle with a less exotic finish
-45 ACP caliber
-Completely manufactured in Alberta!
 
It's from the Halo series. I reserve judgement until the prototype comes out, and the RCMP approves it as a Restricted firearm. Definitely a cool project, keep us updated!!
 
Folks buy "tactical shotties" and multi $K range toys, so there is a market if it works well and looks familiar to gamers. Any patent problems with copying a game gun? As long as you aren't actually trying to make money it might work.
 
I hope your plan includes 3 to 4 years before you get approval to build the second one.
Time to tool up for production.
Time till you brake even.

But the only real draw back is you live in a time run by Just-in Untrue doh
 
Calahan said:
It should really be made in .50AE, rather than 45ACP, if you want it to more truly reflect the game gun.
Click to expand...

There is some debate about that. Some sources say it should be 12.7x30, which is similar to the .50AE. Other show the round as being 12.7x40, which would be similar to the .500 S&W Magnum. Having said that, if one wanted to sell the gun, which these guys do, .45 ACP is the only logical choice, as other ammo is far to expensive and scarce to be of much use.
 
To get the development and production costs down to $800 or even $1200 you'll need to sell to the masses down in the US. Realistically you'd sell a couple of thousand in Canada and only to serious Halo fans that happen to also shoot handguns.

But if you're selling this thing in the US as well where they can shoot handguns in a lot more places then up here it won't take long until the lack of a proper trigger guard results in an ND and someone getting hurt. Then hard on the heels of that event will come a variety of legal suits. So the cost per gun for insurance is going to be a lot higher than you imagine.

Does this crew at Alberta U even have any proper handgun shooters in it? I ask because the issues of how to handle such a gun safely when there's no good way to ensure separation of the exposed trigger to the rest of the shooters fingers makes this a gun which is problematic in terms of safety.
 
I'd suspect that by the time you build something that actually works, it won't end up looking a ton like that particular gun. Do you guys have any practical firearms design experience? I'm not an expert, but it seems like making a gun the size and weight of a Deagle shoot .45 ACP seems like it would be tough given that .45 operating pressures are a somewhat fixed commodity.

To maybe clarify, I can tell you from experience .38 Spc +P at a SAMII spec of 20,000 psi won't cycle the massive deagle slide. I'm not sure how you'd get .45 ACP spec'd at 21,000 to do the same thing. The slide section on that thing looks heavy. Besides that, the top design looks like you'd have some fun getting the feed to work. Form follows function on most pistols for a reason.

Have you considered building 10/22 chassis kits or something similar? Saves all the design work of actually having to make a gun work, and alot of the REALLY cool stuff already out there for them is restricted by US DOD ITAR which makes it expensive and tougher to get up here.
 
ApatheticExcuse said:
I'd suspect that by the time you build something that actually works, it won't end up looking a ton like that particular gun. Do you guys have any practical firearms design experience? I'm not an expert, but it seems like making a gun the size and weight of a Deagle shoot .45 ACP seems like it would be tough given that .45 operating pressures are a somewhat fixed commodity.

To maybe clarify, I can tell you from experience .38 Spc +P at a SAMII spec of 20,000 psi won't cycle the massive deagle slide. I'm not sure how you'd get .45 ACP spec'd at 21,000 to do the same thing. The slide section on that thing looks heavy. Besides that, the top design looks like you'd have some fun getting the feed to work. Form follows function on most pistols for a reason.

Have you considered building 10/22 chassis kits or something similar? Saves all the design work of actually having to make a gun work, and alot of the REALLY cool stuff already out there for them is restricted by US DOD ITAR which makes it expensive and tougher to get up here.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Desert Eagle is a gas-operated rotating bolt design, whereas a recoil operated gun should be easier to make function by reducing the recoil spring strength. The slide does look rather heavy but it doesn't have to be solid metal, it could be mostly hollow.
 
ApatheticExcuse said:
Have you considered building 10/22 chassis kits or something similar? Saves all the design work of actually having to make a gun work, and alot of the REALLY cool stuff already out there for them is restricted by US DOD ITAR which makes it expensive and tougher to get up here.
Click to expand...
I agree. Also accessories are not firearms in the eyes of the law. Much simpler legally.
 
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