[merlinfire]

So in the last year I'm been slowly becoming more and more interested in making my own firearms. I'm not talking about parts kits or restoration (though I am interested in that also), but full-on steel bar and rod meets lathe and milling attachment, with some drill press thrown in for good measure. The idea of making a working firearm to me is both fascinating as a matter of understanding intimately how they work, but also as a point of pride in ownership. I expect also to learn many things that will help me take better care of, as well as repair, my own arms in the future.

I've already started working out some simple designs "on paper", my first attempts will be single-shot pistols or rifles. At different times I've been fortunate to have worked at machine shops and factories with CNC equipment (though I can't afford anything that elaborate) so I have a little experience, though this undertaking will be well beyond most of my previous work.

I have a few questions for the grizzled veterans out there.

1. What legal considerations need to be met to produce them for personal use? I'm aware of laws about "firing from an open bolt" and zip guns, neither of which I intend to meddle with. If I wanted to, at some future time, sell a gun I have made, is this allowed?

2. Do you have any general advice, or have you done this before? If so can you offer any insight that might make this journey a bit better?

3. Am I crazy for wanting to do this?

[MattTheHat]

3. Am I crazy for wanting to do this?

Probably. But, why let that stop you? :)


-Matt

[Cosmoline]

I'd suggest starting with smoke pole parts first, as you will learn a great deal without any legal headaches or the added issues of a moving breach containing smokeless powder pressures. There's a fine art to getting everything to come together, and no real substitute for doing it except doing it.

After you've done a build or two from a parts kit (I don't mean a factory "kit" either), I'd suggest moving up to building a single shot from proper plans. Buffalo Arms sells these for a number of machinist drawings and diagrams. They also so Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans which you might want to take a look at. This isn't the sort of thing that can be done from a napkin sketch. Start with low pressure rounds, BP or rimfire. Only when you've done this would I suggest moving up to the big leagues of smokeless centerfire.

[Sam1911]

1. What legal considerations need to be met to produce them for personal use? I'm aware of laws about "firing from an open bolt" and zip guns, neither of which I intend to meddle with. If I wanted to, at some future time, sell a gun I have made, is this allowed?

As long as your state laws allow, you can make any "Title I" firearm (rifle, shotgun, or pistol) for your own uses. Do be careful that you know the details (like, but not limited to, firing from the open bolt) that would get you into "Title II" territory.

If at some point you decide to sell your home-built gun, that's fine, too. You'll need to engrave a serial number, your name, and your location on the gun to the ATF's specs, but that isn't hard.

[merlinfire]

tart with low pressure rounds, BP or rimfire. Only when you've done this would I suggest moving up to the big leagues of smokeless centerfire.

Yeah, I had thought I would start off with .22 rimfire rounds.

If at some point you decide to sell your home-built gun, that's fine, too. You'll need to engrave a serial number, your name, and your location on the gun to the ATF's specs, but that isn't hard.

That's good to know.

I hadn't thought about books of rifle designs because I didn't know if they existed.. I had thought a lot of the fun of working on them would be the designing, though I'll admit I have precisely 0 experience in doing so.

[gun nut]

There are several reasonable texts on building your own firearms. I have Walter Mueller's single shot plans, Mr. single shots plans and a few of Bill Holmes books. There are also plans you can download from the net that all have good info in them. The hardest part of making your own is that you have to have knowledge in a lot of areas e.g. lathe work, milling, shaping, heat treatment, headspacing etc. It may be worth sending out some parts to a third party if you are not confident with certain aspects of the build. It can also be quite an investment with all the tools and jigs needed which can be over the top if you are only making one or two guns.

[Oyeboten]

Learn to do basic Hot Forging...it'll save enormous time and trouble over trying to everything out of 'billet' ( as became popular with those who never had any fundimental knowledge and experience in Metal Working, but, who wish to pretend ignorance and inneffeciency and reliance on computer run machines, is a virtue.)


Plus...Forging is fun and interesting, and at one time, was how most components when of Iron or Steel, were made.

Forging and Casting...both...as appropriate to the function of the part.

Hammer Welding...too...


These as a basis...then you know how to think about everything else.

[RyanM]

I'd suggest starting with smoke pole parts first, as you will learn a great deal without any legal headaches or the added issues of a moving breach containing smokeless powder pressures.

Keep in mind that the definition of large-bore destructive devices is not limited by propellant or ignition type, meaning that even airguns can be destructive devices, if the bore is greater than .50 cal and if it's not ruled that the thing is "suitable for sporting purposes." The rulings on these kinds of things are really sticky and inconsistent, like a hair spray powered or pneumatic potato gun is "sporting" if you shoot potato chunks and golf balls, but it's a destructive device if you shoot metal balls out of it. Yet a black powder cannon is "sporting" to shoot metal balls from.

Straight from the ATF's handbook for their agents ("always think confiscation"):
It is important to note that the large caliber firearms covered by this section are defined as
weapons that expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant. This is the
only place in the GCA and NFA where a propellant other than an explosive must be considered
when classifying a weapon. Examples of weapons having a bore diameter of more than one-half
inch in diameter and that expel a projectile by means other than an explosive are mortars that
utilize compressed air as a propellant and some rocket launchers.

"Disguised firearm" AOWs are defined as using any "explosive" for a propellant, so a black powder cane gun or pen gun is illegal unless registered, but an air pen gun or air cane gun is okay. (but other classifications of AOW are fair game, like the Pedersoli Howdah Pistol is fine)

From the ATF handbook again:
Firearms meeting the definition of “any other weapon” are weapons or
devices capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the
energy of an explosive. Many “any other weapons” are disguised devices such as penguns, cigarette
lighter guns, knife guns, cane guns and umbrella guns.

And machine guns also include black powder guns (the "antique" exemption from the NFA and GCA does not apply for machine guns), so a BP Gatling gun that uses chargers cannot be hooked up to a steam engine.

Your main worry there is the "concealable weapon" AOW definition. Basically, any black powder guns you make must be easily recognizable as firearms.

[Clark]

In my home state of WA, I can build any gun I can buy with no paper work.
I would not sell it.
The BATF is fuzzy about the quantity sold to meet the threshold of needing a manufacturing license.
Do you want those guys inspecting your facility, paper work, and asking you to prove how many you made?
You can be innocent, and they can break you with legal costs.
I know someone that the jury was out 5 minutes and came back innocent, but the BATF almost got him bankrupt and divorced.
Just don't sell it.