#DIY

With the ebb and flow (or back and forth) of ATF regulations come a lot of confusing and baffling opinions. With their recent push to go after “ghost guns” and unserialized weapons, some members of the 3D-printing community have expressed concern that every child with a Nerf gun could potentially become a criminal. Online crafter and 3D printer 00MEAT recently displayed his concern by easily converting a Nerf Strongarm foam dart pistol into a makeshift DIY 22LR pistol.

Night Vision devices have been all the rage over the last couple of years and I have yet to run into a single person who didn’t want night vision in their collection. That being said, most of those same people probably wouldn’t spend the money it costs to obtain such a device purely because of its limited use in a person’s everyday life. OpenScope has set out to help remove the high price sting of digital night vision devices by releasing some open-source materials that allow anyone with a 3D printer to assemble their own rig. TFB/TFBTV supporter Stubbs was kind enough to give us a brief look into one such device he built in the hopes it would inspire others to do the same. Stubbs is proud to present his Bootleg Panoramic Night Vision Goggles (BPNVG).

Have you ever ordered a gun-related tool or accessory on Amazon only to have some assembly or modification required?  Reading product reviews can be a good source of entertainment in some cases, and cringe-worthy in others, as people give products a bad review for not fitting the intended purpose of the buyer.  In numerous instances, only a slight modification was needed to hone it to their needs, but they just gave up instead.  If you’ve ever seen a “watch people die inside” video, such product reviews are like a text version of that, let’s explore.

Since late 2017 a group of secessionists in Cameroon’s former British mandate located in the southwest have been fighting under the banner of a self-declared state named the Federal Republic of Ambazonia or Amber Land. Bordering Nigeria to the northwest and the majority French-speaking Cameroon Republic to the east, Ambazonia takes its name from Ambas Bay, the local name for the mouth of the Wouri River where in 1858 English was established as a permanent language. A peaceful movement for independence had been growing for decades which after widespread several strikes and protests culminated in the declaration of an independent Republic and armed struggle in November 2017. Ambazonia even have their own cryptocurrency, the AmberCoin.

The niche market for legally registered disposable anti-tank weapons may soon experience a well overdue boom with the introduction of a historically accurate Panzerfaust 60 copy you can make at home. Jonathan Wild started the project last year which will eventually culminate in a book detailing how to build one yourself from scratch.

Minnesota-based Real Avid has been hailed in the past for offering useful products like cleaning tools and armorer’s kits. From wrenches and informational cleaning mats to magazine disassembly tools and punch sets, if you’re a firearms DIY-er chances are they make something you could use. One task for home gunsmiths about which much has been discussed is scope leveling. With the recent release of their Level-Right Pro, the folks at Real Avid aim to make this job easier to do properly.

The Ruger PC Carbine garnered plenty of aftermarket support, almost as soon as it was released, but tinkerers have been having their fun with it too.  Some of our TFB readers surely remember one such homemade Ruger PC Carbine project that involved using a surplus PPSh stock, but our friend Axel reached into more German and American roots when he began his homemade Ruger Carbine build.  We have featured another work of Axel’s doing, his sci-fi, double Marlin 60 rifle (make sure you check that out if you haven’t seen it yet).  Let’s see his take on the Ruger PC Carbine.

Continuing the Underground Arms Watch series, here are a number of black market made and modified firearms which have recently surfaced. First up, here are three corpses of what were once guns which were seized in Zimbabwe earlier in the month.

Welcome to another installment of Underground Arms Watch series where we take a look at criminally made and modified firearms seized throughout the world.

Most wheelgun enthusiasts typically settle on buying revolvers made by manufacturers that have been in the business for years, decades, or even from the last couple of centuries.  However, one Redditor named Josh decided to try making a revolver for himself for a change.  Homemade revolvers aren’t that common, but they are probably most observed by law enforcement, and here on TFB in the Improvised Guns posts.  As I’ve mentioned in other articles, I always find it refreshing to see people doing and making things for themselves, either due to necessity or just for the sheer love of working with their hands and solving problems with their minds.  Let’s take a look at the steps Josh went to when he set out to make his own revolver.

Have you ever tried to conceal a gun that was overbuilt or one that was just generally bigger than it needed to be for concealed carry? One man decided to take things into his own hands by modifying the removable grips on his CZ P-01 to the point they were flush with the frame, making them the thinnest grips on a CZ I’ve ever seen.

Welcome to another installment of Underground Arms Watch series where we take a look at criminally made and modified firearms seized throughout the world.

Welcome to another installment of Underground Arms Watch series where we take a look at criminally made and modified firearms seized throughout the world.

TFB reader, Steve, contacted me after seeing my recent review of the Smith & Wesson 625 JM .45 ACP revolver for the TFB Wheelgun Wednesday series.  He had purchased the same model for his wife, but ended up doing several modifications to customize it to their liking.  Steve gave permission for me to share his photos and process with you.

Occasionally police operations across the world churn up weapons produced solely for the criminal market. Some of these are improvised while others are semi-professionally produced in illicit workshops. Documented here are a handful of interesting examples uncovered in recent months.