From Impro Guns: Building 1911 copies in Danao, Philippines
According to the gun makers it takes 4-5 days to build one .45 copy while working 10 hours a day which sell in-the-white for the equivalent of $80. When fully finished with engraving etc they apparently sell on for around $200.
Click thru for the photos and an 11 minute video. (The image above is of an unrelated, commercially produced, 1911, which I have included for the benefit of anyone who isn't into guns, so you know what we are talking about.)
The Rock Island 1911s, of which I have 3 and like them, were supposedly built by backyard pistol makers who were offered regular jobs in gun manufacturing.
ReplyDeletePeople have this idea that making firearms is rocket science. Most backyard mechanics have all the tools they need to produce something. This doesn't even count the 3D printed stuff that is out there. Some of which I wouldn't touch, but there is a 3D printed fire-control group that has Safe, Semi, and a 3-round burst. Though a lot of homemade guns are full auto, because it is actually easier to do that than build in an interrupter.
DeleteEven rifling a barrel is getting easier
DeleteYeah the technology is pretty simple. I mean Colt was making usable revolvers almost 200 years ago and they were good enough for the Texas Rangers to defeat the most war like and dangerous natives in the 1830s. Semi autos are even easier because you don't have to time them like a revolver.
ReplyDeleteActually most of the people building firearms today from scratch seem to be building full-auto versions because the fire-control groups are easier. Though I believe there is at least 1 3D printed version of a safe/semi/3-round-burst trigger group. I don't have a 3D printer, and haven't felt the need to do any of that stuff, so I've never seen one.
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