Make Your Own Guns!

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Look for my later post way down for an improved shot of that tan rifle. Try this, show me what you got! Here's what you can make with simple materials in the space of an hour, give or take.

If there's enough interest in this, I'll experiment with handguns, machine guns, and revolvers, then report back to you guys in how to make em!

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Take some plastic, the thin sheets, like this.

Draw a gun on it, as good as you can. Cut out three rectangles of it, bigger than the size of the gun in question.

(That's the one I made from this method, used as a template. First, when I made it, I just drew the gun. Practice on paper first if you're unsure how it'll come out on styrene.)

Pencil won't smudge like pen, but I don't have a pencil on me right now.

Now put glue on the face of one, put another firmly on top, and clamp it.

I don't have clamps, but you can press it with a book onto another book really hard to ensure a good bond.

Repeat until you get to the one with the gun shape on top.

Now use a cutoff wheel in a Dremel/motor tool to cut away relatively close to the lines.

Finish cutting down to the lines with a sharp X-Acto knife, and then file smooth. Round the edges on the stock for a more realistic feel.

Now cut off where the barrel is, and find an appropriate piece of sprue to use for it. Draw outlines of any more details you're going to have. This is going to be a hunting rifle, Mosin-Nagant reminiscent.

Add your barrel. Drill out the end of it if you feel it is necessary.

Add scopes, flashlights, laser sights, muzzle brakes, clips, etc. now. I'm adding a clip to this.

Seems it evolved into an M1 Carbine...

Now add a trigger guard of thin, thin, thin plastic. I neglected to do this on the shotgun.

Now, sand it smooth with fine grit paper to make sure there are no glue spots, etc. that may impede paint.

Then, go at it!

This is the first coat.

Edited January 6, 2015 by chunkypeanutbutter

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Here it is, nearly done!

Both guns and ruler, for comparison.

These guns look at home in any military, police, hillbilly, etc. vehicle.

Here are the two you've seen with a double shorty in Jeepish.

Edited January 6, 2015 by chunkypeanutbutter

[Foxer]

They look pretty good. It would be interesting to see different variations.

They sure have small pieces .. as tough as making engine accessory pieces. I came up with the same layered method to make a Browning M1917 for my Mouse Rod. My finger were screaming at me while adding the tiny touches!

Edited December 28, 2014 by Foxer

[chunkypeanutbutter]

I think what's weird-looking about that carbine is that it's too tall.

Anyways, I'm probably going to try some pistols later.

[Snake45]

One suggestion I'd make is, instead of drawing the gun, find a picture of the gun you want on the internet (profile), download it, size it to 1/25, print it out, and rubber-cement it to the styrene. That will give you a much more accurate profile.

It might be easier to make trigger guards out of paper. Glue it on, paint it, no one will know the difference.

Hey, that styrene looks familiar!

ETA: Now you've got me thinking about making a Johnson rifle. (A friend's dad had one when I was a kid. You could get them then, but not Garands. Today Johnsons are worth THOUSANDS of dollars.)

Edited December 28, 2014 by Snake45

[chunkypeanutbutter]

This one didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it to... It was just a rush job to do the tutorial before I went downstairs.

I'll try something later... 8:00 am? Time to go to bed, almost...

[chunkypeanutbutter]

I improved the tan rifle.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Love it or leave it, the sawed-off shotgun is a staple weapon for many farmers, bikers, outlaws, bad guys, Cockney gangsters, or Mafioso.

Many are double-barrels.

I converted the single-barrel break-action into a shorty.

Needs more filing...

[Aaronw]

First of all, I think it is awesome to see somebody making something from scratch using sheet plastic and various other bits.

On the guns you are on the right track, but these are kind of blocky and two dimensional. They remind me of a toy gun a dad might cut out of plywood for his kid (well back in the days when kids were happy with wooden toy guns anyway).

If you round off the edges of the stock and forearm more I think they will look a lot more realistic. Mostly probably just a result of being excited and rushing. Take a little more time getting the shapes right and these should look great.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

That tan rifle is way more rounded than the pictures show. I've since painted it all black.

I also made a 1928 Thompson, an MP40, and a Mini-Uzi, but I have no idea where they went!