#DIY

Where I come from, people joke about watering flowerbeds with motor oil. Especially those parts where they’ve buried a machine gun. There are many semi rifles that people build from 80% kits and parts: AKs, CETMEs, Uzis and the “other one”. Not much selection of pistols. True pistols, not rifles bastardized down to be one.

The guys at Girls n’ Guns are testing different materials with the hopes of making DIY body armor. In the video below they test paper and ceramic tile combinations …

Filipino new show News5E reported on a raid on a crew of guns-for-hire by the National Bureau of Investigation. The cops found a nifty-looking suppressed .45 ACP submachine gun modeled after a M4 Carbine.

Guns n Girls has blogged a tutorial on Cerakoting an AR-15 …

We have been blogging a series on articles on building an AR-15 lower receiver from an 80% complete billet. If you don’t have the equipment to work with metal, EP Lowers sell a 80% complete fiber reinforced polymer lower that can be finished without a costly jig.

Disclaimer: This article will discuss the process of completing an AR-15 80% lower with common tools found in most hardware stores. A provision in the Gun Control Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C, Chapter 44 states that an unlicensed individual can make a firearm for personal use, but not for the intent of sale or distribution. Said firearm must conform to N.F.A standards and you must be legally able to be in possession of a firearm. Should you desire to create a Short Barreled Rifle or a Machine gun the BATFE is going to require additional paperwork. If down the road you desire to sell your rifle you will have to put a serial number on it and transfer it via a Federal Firearms License holder. If you never intend to transfer or sell the firearm it must be destroyed upon you giving up possession of the firearm. Granted this is the generally accepted translation of 18 U.S.C, Chapter 44 you should still check local and Federal laws before attempting to build your own personal firearm. Technically you can sell a rifle you have made but you cannot simply make a rifle then immediately decide to turn around and sell it.

DIY designer Jing Zheng has submitted a few videos to YouTube of his multi-caliber capable AR type magazine design. He first announced it to the public in December 2011, as the Longziz #2, it is capable with 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 5.45x39mm, 7.62x39mm, and the STANAG mag. staple .223/5.56mm. He is currently looking at testing with the .300 BLK.

The Atlantic has a photo essay showing the DIY weapons in used by Syrian rebels. The grenade launcher pictured above is a converted Baikal shotgun. The Baikal is a cheap, but well built, single shot. I own one and I can tell you they are very slow to reload and they have next to no military value. Turning them into grenade launchers is not a bad idea in a time of crisis. On the other hand shooting homemade grenades with an old fashioned lit fuse seems like it might to do more damage to the user than his enemies. I am not sure which is more dangerous, launching a grenade from a shotgun or a giant slingshot. Both concepts make me shudder!

This frankengun cost its builder just $100 in parts. The stock is part steel and part polymer from a H&K SL8 rifle, the recoil spring is from an FAL, the bolt and barrel are from a Sten submachine gun. Why are no major manufacturers making a badass gun like this?

The RedNeckEngineer has blogged about his modern RDP-like rifle build. He opted to make a hammer fired mechanism instead of the original striker mechanism. The striker mechanism works fine in the original fully automatic open bolt RDP, but is unreliable in semi-automatic builds that have to fire from a closed bolt (BATFE rules). RedNeckEngineer used a H&K G3 lower and fire control group to provide a hammer mechanism.

Worx nailed it with this new pistol-esque electric screw driver that features a rackable slide. I was sure it was a hoax when I read about it on Kit Up!, but it is real and will go on sale later this year.

In the video embedded below, a Syrian rebel explains how to operate two DIY weapons. The pistol looks like it may once have been a flare gun. The rifle looks to be one of the most complex single shot guns I have ever seen, I think the optics were taken from binoculars.

Y-Man, TFB’s favorite Nigerian shotgunner, needs some help with measurements for his new slug design. Read about Y-Man’s previous adventures here.

If you’re lucky the barrel will drop right in. Most will find that some fitting will be needed at the rear of the barrel hood. Ideally what you want is a barrel that locks up solidly with the barrel bushing, barrel lugs into the slide recesses and finally the barrel hood length just long enough to fit against the rear of the frame when the barrel locks up with the slide.

For those not familiar with the 38 Super it’s an older law enforcement round widely in use during the 1930’s since it would penetrate the crude body armor of the time. The 1911 in 45 acp was also widely used but took a backseat to the 38 Super once the gangsters started wearing body armor. Both the good guys and criminals used the “Super”. Standard ammunition used was 130 grain ball.