First gun build: 55" midhandle hybrid

[briandshelby]

I just put the finishing touches on my first gun build so I thought I'd post up a few pics. Thanks to the many who have posted about gun building - the advice and tutorials were very helpful.

The basic idea was to make a wong-style gun on a grad student budget. It ended up costing about $600, but that includes a few shafts and lots of tooling that I could use again. The overall length came to within 0.1" of my Solidworks computer model.

One note showing more time than money (again): I installed an enclosed track for a 9/32" shaft, then decided I wanted to use bigger shafts. Instead of buying a new track, I bought a ball bit and widened out the track for 5/16".

I think the part I'm most proud of was the tiny little torsion spring I put on the line release so that it snaps back by itself for reloading.

I also have a ton of construction pictures if anyone wants to see them.

I'm off to baja on Friday, so hopefully I'll have a few more good pics after using this gun!

Brian

[inshanity]

nice build!

[jareyberry]

That's insane that you built a hybrid for your first gun. Do you have any pics of the process you used to attach the cf tube to the wood stock? My next gun build will probably be a hybrid and that's the only part that I'm unsure about.

[maidendeth13]

AWESOME!!! Would be stoked to see more pictures of the construction process if you've got them

[stevemc1]

Very nice! And for a first gun too! It came out quite professional looking.

[zeN]

looks like a real workhorse of a gun

[thereefgeek]

Nothing beats killing fish with a gun you built yourself.

Nice work!!

[briandshelby]

I had one question about my nifty line release torsion spring. I got it from McMaster:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#9287k59/=94b227

Two of the really blurry pictures below try to show the spring. The computer model pic may make more sense, and the close up in my first post helps. Here's the basic function: The line release came with two holes in it. One of them I put the pin through to hold the release in, and I wrapped one end of the spring into the other. Then the other end of the spring goes into a tiny hole I drilled way down inside the release slot (see first post pic). The release pin goes through the center of the torsion spring so it can't float around anywhere. I haven't done any measurements on my friend's wongs, but if the release slot is tall enough, this could be a nice $6, 10 minute addition to any gun.

Jareyberry, to make the hole for the tube I tried a lot of things. That turned out to be the hardest part for me. I made two complete guns from cheap pine 2x2's to practice this. The only thing I could get to work was splitting the wood lengthwise then making the half circle groove with a box core bit and gluing back together. With lots of care sawing and cutting the groove, it turned out well. I tried using a ball-end cutter (started smoking and burning because the cutting teeth didn't go up high enough) and a drill (made a nasty rough hole because I couldn’t clamp it down very well). I made my hole 10” deep just to solidify the joint (I also pinned the tube in), but the drill might have worked if you weren’t going so deep and could hold it well.

I threw in some other construction pics too for fun. I did basically the whole thing on a milling machine. The other trick that I thought was fun was that I tapped holes into the ends of the pins holding in the trigger mech, then I made a camera mount that can screw onto the side of the gun in just a few seconds.

Brian

[blaiz]

Nice looking gun, I like the spring idea. Im sure it will perform well in Mex!

[blue-fin]

it is beautiful

[Tin Man]

Very nicely done! I wish I had your Solid Works skills.

If you ever do another, and since you already have access to a milling machine, a right angle attachment with a Forstner bit will drill very nice, clean, straight holes for your tube.