This thread will contain info on building your own gun. Zip guns are legal in most states I know of and can be built without spending much money. They can differ in quality from being cheap death traps to a pretty good gun. If you make one always make sure to test fire it from a distance using a string around the trigger from a distance. This is for informational use only.
What youll need
(1) ball point pen - approximately 5.3 Inches long (metal).
(1) Strong spring - approximately 1.59 Inches long (able to fit inside
2nd half and a little bit of the first).
(1) Strong metal bar - approximately 2.5 Inches long (able to fit
inside pen).
(1) Strong small metal bar (a little bigger then the circumference of
the spring and able to slide easily thru the 2nd half of the pen).
A few .22 Caliber bullets.
(1) soldering iron. if you have it.
First untwist the ball point pen and take out all the insides (you may
break them to get them out because they are not needed and should be
discarded (see diag. A).
-The pen (diag. A)-
-< +
]
^ ^
1St half 2nd half
< denotes pen tip (where the ink comes out).
+ Denotes middle (separation point of pen).
*] denotes push button.
Now take the metal bar (larger one) and attach it to the push button (see
Diag.
.
-Firing pin (diag.B)-
*
^ ^
metal bar push button
you can attach it by either shoving the metal bar into the bottom
or by soldering it in place (please note: I recommend soldering the metal
bar in place). Important - the metal bar must be attached in the exact
middle of the push button (the metal bar will act as a striking pin and
must be in the exact center so it will strike the middle of the bullet
causing the bullet to go off).
With the metal bar now firmly attached to the push button, put the
push button inside the pen like it should be (see diag. C).
-Firing pin placement (diag. C)
-B-B-:-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-*]
^
2nd half
-B- denotes metal bar.
: Denotes middle (separation point of pen).
*] denotes push button.
Now take the spring and slide it over the metal bar (see diag.D).
-Placement of spring (diag. D)
-B-B-:BXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXB*]
^
2nd half
-B- denotes metal bar.
: Denotes middle (separation point of pen).
*] denotes push button.
X denotes spring around metal bar.
Now with the spring around the metal bar and the push button where it
Should be, attach (by soldering or twisting, soldering preferred) the
small metal bar to the metal bar (see diag.E).
-Attachment of small metal bar
(diag. E)
.
-B-B^B-:BXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXB*]
'
-B- denotes metal bar.
: Denotes middle (separation point of pen).
*] denotes push button.
X denotes spring around metal.
^ denotes small metal bar attached to metal bar.
Note: it might also be helpful to solder the small metal bar to the
Spring along with soldering it to the metal bar.
==========================
-Test of firing mechanism-
==========================
pull back push button as far as it will go while holding onto the second
half of the pen. Now let go and the metal bar (longer one) should snap
forward and then return to its approximate starting position.
==============
-Finishing up-
==============
placement of bullet:
a .22 Caliber bullet should now be placed in the 1st half of the "pen"
approximately 1 1/2 millimeters in front of where the metal bar would
be if the "pen" was put back together. Be sure to tape (or whatever you think
will work) the bullet inside the casing or else the bullet, if moved,
might go off accidentally (see diag.F).
-Bullet placement (diag. F)-
< <* -B^B:BXXXXXXXXXXXB*]
^ ^
1St half 2nd half
-B- denotes metal bar.
: Denotes middle (sepearation point of pen).
*] denotes push button.
X denotes spring around metal bar.
^ denotes small metal bar attached to metal bar.
How to operate:
Pull back on push button as far as it will go, then let go - the bullet
has just been fired (easy, right?).
If you wish to shoot another bullet, untwist the "pen", take out the
shell and reload (see placement of bullet).
Notes:
the bullet will tumble when shot instead of the spiraling because the
inside of the 1st half (the barrel) has no lands or grooves. Tumbling
is good because the bullet will rip thru a target, but it does cause the
bullet to be off target approximately 3-4 inches. Having no lands or grooves
makes the bullet hard to be traced back to its source (no striations).
If you wish to make lands and grooves, you can by taking a screw and
twisting it inside the 1st half of the "pen" (adds striations to bullet).
I would also advise you to cut off the tip of the "pen". If the tip is
left on, the bullet will still shoot, but it will blow thru the tip and send
pieces of the pen flying in different directions (also causing the bullet to
be off target.)
-Optional: diagram-removal of tip-
/
/
--/ :
< / :
--/ :
/
/
< denotes tip (where ink used to come out).
: Denotes middle (separation point of pen).
/ Denotes where tip should be removed (just enough to let the
bullet shoot out).
How it should look when it is complete
-complete diagaram (with tip removed)-
:
/
:
<*+= B-^-:BXXXXXXXXXXXB*]
/
:
:
/ Denotes where the pen "caves in" after tip is removed.
<*+= Denotes .22 Bullet taped to bottom.
-B- denotes metal bar.
^ denotes small metal bar.
: Denotes middle (the separating point of the pen).
X denotes spring around metal bar.
*] denotes push button.
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