Normally Strike Industries’ design with produces with CAD software and rapid prototypers (3D printers) but decided to take a different approach for an AK grip they wanted to produce. They handmade a number of grips and asked people to try them. They picked the most popular grip and then used free 3D scanning software and a digital camera to convert the grip to a 3D model.

They used Autodesk 123D Catch to create the model. 123D Catch takes a number of static photographs of an object or scene and uses them to create a 3D model. It is free and no special equipment, other than a standard digital camera, is needed to use it. If anyone tries modeling a gun with it, please let me know.