Handmade pistols?

[RoyJ]

I have gotten it into my head that I would like to try to make a handgun all by myself. I was wondering if anyone out there has any blueprints of single shot handgus they would be willing to part with. I'm thinking along the lines of a very simple .22 single shot for a first attempt. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I can best be reached at my e-mail address which is royjinks@yahoo.com.

Thanks in advance!
RoyJ

[TexasGuy]

Unless you have access to a very high grade alloy, it all might just blow into your face one day. Would strongly NOT recommend it. You can make your own knives instead.

Seriously.

[RoyJ]

Got lotsa knives. Have been a machinist for 25 years. I got no one to blame but myself if I don't do it right. Thats why I asked for blueprints and specs. No rubberband zip guns for me!lol I do appreciate the concern though. I will be careful.

[Dandapani]

I hate to be a wet-blanket on this party, but is that even legal, to make your own firearm? Don't you need some kind of stamp or tax to pay or something?

[VN350X10]

You can legally make a personal firearm, as long as it's NOT a machime-gun or other class 3 item.
You CAN'T sell, give, trade or otherwise dispose of it, but you can use it . No serial # or registration is required at the FEDERAL level, some states might have different laws on this.

Now back to the first part....
Try & find a copy of the book by the late Frank de Haas on single shot actions. He had a set of plans for both a rifle action & a pistol action, & I think they were in later editions of his books.

The plans were/are easy enough for even a "hobby" machinest to follow, with specs, heat treat data & sources of supply for the materials needed.

have fun
shoot safe!

uncle albert

[Glock Yourself]

you can find books by de Haas at brownells.com

good luck!

[VN350X10]

Thanks G.Y. I knew the books existed, I just didn't know where to tell him to find them !!



uncle albert

[RoyJ]

Thanks guys. Although I hate looking at the Brownells catalog. I always find stuff I need!

[VN350X10]

The bad part of Brownell's is that even when I'm not really of need for an item, something seems to show up that I didn't know how bad I REALLY needed it until I saw it in the catalog.



uncle albert

[ceemack]

When I was a kid a met a guy who built TV & movie sets ("Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", for example), and was a skilled machinist.

He brought out a single-action .22 revolver and asked us to identify it. It was a nice-looking, blued revolver that looked a lot like a Ruger Bearcat but with a slightly larger grip frame. Everybody else made a guess, but my grandpa finally said "That's a home-made gun," and he was right.

The guy who built it said he'd known how to do everything except rifling the barrel. If I could go back in time, I'd tell him "buy a barrl blank!"

You couldn't have told it from a commercially-made gun. I don't recall getting a chance to fire it, so I don't know how well it shot, but it was an extremely impressive piece of work.

[TexasGuy]

http://www.terroristsupply.com/store/books/items/dept1/06.shtml

[juma]

I heard years ago that the phillipino gunsmiths make a lot of homemade handgun copies, the 1911 being the favorite. I also heard they did not have a high concern for metal and often used bolts for the barrel stock. I bet you could find some homemade all metal glocks over there. I wa told that was a risk buying a pistol on the open market over there was that it could be a copy and not the real thing.

juma

[VN350X10]

Some of the best ever copies of British SMLE's of different MKs have been produced in Afganistan. Some can't be told from originals, as even the proof & inspectors marks have been reproduced. The Chinese are the best at duplicating "Broomhandle" Mausers.



uncle albert

[RoyJ]

I'veread about the Afgahns and their ability to reproduce weapons of different periods and calibers. It is truly amazing what can be accomplished with only a file and a hacksaw. after a little reflection I think I'm going to make an upper for my AR that is in .22 and uses 12/22 magazines. I've already got a preliminary design on paper. I will let you know how it turns out. I think I will borrow from the British and make it a side feed like the Sten so the mechanism won't be located too far forward of the trigger group. The least I'll do is have fun cutting metal!

[Carlitos]

" but is that even legal, to make your own firearm?

Yes - it is legal, provided is it is otherwise legal to own and NOT made for transfer (i.e., you must keep it forever and NEVER transfer/lend it out to anyone).

"Don't you need some kind of stamp or tax to pay or something?"

NO. Full details on building guns are on the BATFE website as well as explanations of the rules on these sights:

-www.roderuscustom.tzo.com

and on the "build it yourself" on www.ar15.com

If you want to build a .22, why not build an AR-15? There are materials & help out there (especially for the machinist) for semi auto AK-47s, FALs, Sig 228s, 1911s, 10-22s, etc. Full details on the Roderus forum above; we have all posted stories and pictures of our home builts on the public forums.

[mpol777]

"Building a Single-shot, Falling-block Rifle Action" by W.B. Mueller is a very good book if you ever want to move on to rifles.

[sx-al]

Originally posted by VN350X10
The Chinese are the best at duplicating...

Just about everything. ;b

[wonderwolf]

Whats the Specific page to the BATF on building you own firearms?

[VN350X10]

I can't remember the exact wording or section reference, but the various books that detail building a rifle or pistol action all have it listed. The DeHaas books are very specific about it. They give you the legal part of it before you get to the plan section of the book.


uncle albert

[kestrou]

Originally posted by wonderwolf
Whats the Specific page to the BATF on building you own firearms?

WW,

Here's some links for you:
http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#a7
http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b5

Yes, I'm a builder - ARs from 80% aluminum castings, 1911s from 80% frames. Can't say I've ever made a firearm from a raw block of metal, but I'm getting there! ;f

kestrou

[VN350X10]

kestrou,
I met the guy who did the prototype for the FN/FAL frame for DSA over in Barrington. He's a truck driver(!) by profession, & did ALL the work except the threading on a Bridgeport. He even designed & built his own tooling. It was from a solid block of 4130 Moly. I've had it in my hand. WOW ! So it can be done.

later,
Albert

[kestrou]

Thanks Al - I know it can be done too, I'm just not good enough to do it yet! ;f

But someday I'll retire and then I can spend all my time making metal shavings and shooting... can't wait! ^c

kestrou

[VN350X10]

I always knew it could be done.....but after holding it in my hands I'M JEALOUS.......

later,
albert

[kestrou]

Well, Al - if you're ever interested in building one from "near scratch", I'm just downstate from you in Danville. I've had friends come over before to make metal shavings, so you're invited! ^c

kestrou

[blkbd]

Building a 22 single shot is easy with some basic skills and if you see something to get a idea as to how you want to build it.The same with the AR 15 adapter which will be a little more intensive but doable, You don't want to bother with trying to rifle a 22 barrel into steel stock-All you need is to make a barrel liner from a old Ruger 10/22 barrel and there are a lot of old 10/22 barrels out there from people who replaced there stock barrel and these can be had for cheap. Here is a website that I like to visit to check up on his progress.

http://www.homebuiltfirearms.com/


Also here is something to think about and if you check the ATF site its all legal-Build you virgin receiver as a pistol and mark it as a pistol then you can build a conversion kit to turn it into a rifle at will. Now it's illegal to convert a rifle into a pistol but legal to covert a pistol to a rifle. Also it's illegal to make a SBR-short barreled rifle-and if you put the gunstock on the pistol before you replace the short pistol barrel then you have created a SBR and could be arrested by the ATF. This was a issue that Thompson Center Arms had with the Contender and the ATF tried to fine them but they won the battle in court.If you don't want the possiable hassle then devise away to attach the stock to the barrel this way the stock can never be placed on the weapon without the rifle barrel. Also remember to check you local laws and adhere to the min lengths 16 inch barrel and 27 inches AOL but I beleive MI. measures theirs at 30inches AOL.

[Bren]

When I was in armorer's school in the army, the teacher had what looked like a little model of a civil war cannon, with wheels and stuff. He built it out of various parts and an old barrel to be a single shot .38 special. He used it to demonstrate the basic principles of how firearms work.

[RoyJ]

Yeah Old Aberdeen was a fun place. I spent 3 months there in the machinists school. I spent a lot of time in the museum. learned a lot too.! I remember at night you could see and hear the Vulcans being test fired out over the bay. Quite a sight!