There are very few examples of ingenuity that both impress and terrify me at the same time. This DIY pistol that was featured on the Meskwaki Nation Police Department’s Facebook page is one such example of an item. Dubbed the “Smith and Meth-Son” by the department’s officers, this pistol was confiscated from a drug dealer who at the time of his arrest was in possession of meth, and had previously been convicted of distributing cocaine. Both of these incidents are felony offenses as far as I know and thus the perpetrator (a convicted felon) was already barred from possessing or purchasing firearms – so obviously he had to make his own.

More DIY Guns @ TFB:

• Underground Arms Watch – July 2021
• Underground Arms Watch – June 2021
• The Mega Pistol: DIY 3D-Printed 40-Round .22LR Semi-Auto Pistol

DIY Guns: The “Smith and Meth-Son” Home Made Laser Sighted Pistol

No finite details were offered by Iowa’s Meskwaki Nation PD but from what I can tell, this pistol uses .410 bore shotgun shells and features two barrels which are independently fired using a hardware store spring-loaded hammer that can articulate or cam over from side to side and then strike the primers with what looks like Torx screwdriver bit. The hammer’s weight is provided by a stack of quarters that have been soldered and JB Welded together. So in addition to being in possession of meth, and possessing a firearm when you’re not lawfully able to do so, this guy can add “Defacement of Currency” to his list of crimes.

Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

Resident Night Vision guru Nick C was actually impressed that the maker of this pistol had the foresight to strap on a laser/light combo for added accuracy with those .410 shells. Another neat little detail I noticed was that the maker decided to add in what looks like an inlaid coin to their custom-made pistol grip, it just really goes to show that no matter what level of gunsmithing you’re at, the little details do count and you can personalize your firearm with minimal effort. The rest of the gun appears to be cobbled together by a smattering of hardware store parts including Phillips head screws, pipe clamps, and door brackets among other things.

The weapon appeared to have two spent hulls stuck inside of it, one of which had the rear of its primer blown out. A video released by the Meskwaki Nation PD has an officer demonstrating how the pistol is cocked and fired.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2104573186390436

I’m going to assume that the person who was in possession of the Smith and Meth-Son has since been arrested and is probably in the process of being convicted of yet more felonies.

Dear Public and Fellow Law Enforcement Agencies,

We want to inform you of a public safety and law enforcement matter that came to our attention today. The possessor of this firearm was a felon prohibited from possessing firearms and was previously convicted for possessing firearms. He possessed meth and was previously convicted for distributing cocaine.

We will not be answering any questions about the circumstances of this firearms seizure or the suspect at this time.

Although our officers have dubbed this creation the “Smith and Meth-Son,” this is no laughing matter.

The Meskwaki Nation Police Department not only serves the proud Meskwaki Community, but also a casino and highway that brings visitors from all over and offers opportunities for very interesting encounters.

-Meskwaki Nation Police Department Facebook Post