Converting Air Pistols to fire live rounds

[Calibre44]

You may find the attached link interesting – click here.

It is a presentation from Greater Manchester Police here in the UK about how the conversion of blank firers, air pistols and toys to fire live ammunition has endangered the lives of ordinary people.

Another great example of how the people of Manchester can sleep safely in their beds secure in the knowledge that the handgun ban has made their lives safer.

In the presentation they show a ME 38. This is an Airpistol designed to fire .177 air pellets from a self-container air cylinder (approx the size of a .38 cartridge) – also the ‘ME09 – Glock Copy’ on page 15 is of course a copy of a PPK – but heay the Police are the experts.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

I don't understand this at all. One round of .22LR would demolish an airsoft gun.

 

[Gunnerpalace]

This has been discussed in the airsoft world, and the President of Tanaka Airsoft got arrested over it, apparently their S&W 500 copy (which for the most part is all metal) could shoot .22's fairly well.

 

[Shung]

well... with the machinery I see there, every professional could build a working firearm from scratch, and much better that what we see here.. no need to make kaboomer from airsofts or blanks..

maybe we should introduce the manchester police to the great pakistani gunsmith..

 

[scrat]

crazy i just dont see why someone would go through that much trouble. especially with the equipment they had. They could have made their own guns. Instead of using plastic ones.

 

[greenr18]

I saw a picture online of a gun someone had "made" or more or less customized, it was the action and barrel of some semi auto .22 that they had put into the body of a plastic airsoft gun to have a semi auto 22 steyr aug plinker. Neat idea but i dont know how safe / durable itd be, let alone take it apart to clean and everything. though its not really converting an airsoft gun to live fire itd just be using airsoft parts

 

[North of 49th]

I would be seriously afraid to shoot a modified air gun. Whether or not some are made from metal or not. Also an interesting point a person with the skill and the time to modify an airsoft gun to fire live ammo would probably have the skill to build a rudimentary gun up from scratch....

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Years ago, Japan exported some "non-guns" to our shores. You occasionally see them at gun shows for high prices. They looked, handled, weighed and sort of operated like real guns. A few even chambered large caliber rounds, with or without modification. They were good for precisely one shot. They aren't imported any more.

 

[Wheeler44]

Also an interesting point a person with the skill and the time to modify an airsoft gun to fire live ammo would definitely have the skill to build a full auto up from scratch....

There, I fixed it for you.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Doubled.

 

[CWL]

doubletap

 

[CWL]

This isn't a problem about hobbyists machining one gun.

The problem is with people in machine shops converting dozens of airguns at a time for profit. These guns get sold into the street to idiots, lowlives and wannabees for muggings and drunken brawls.

Organized crime types use real guns.

 

[Tirod]

A few of the skills needed: ability to use a tap and die - to thread the barrel and reciever: use of a reamer - to chamber the barrel; use of a lathe- for the bolt; use a drill press - to bore holes for a firing pin, or for screws to hold things together; use of files - to shape parts from plates or stock to match a pattern; use of a grinder - to shape parts; woodworking skills in general - to shape and make stocks; hammering, turning screws, and other shop practices like cutting materials.

The average motorcycle customizer, hot rod maker, machine shop operator, engine rebuilder, race car fabricator, blacksmith, or journeyman millwright can do much of that without thinking about it. Probably some dairy farmers, too, but even they would fire their creations from a remote distance.

What's really disturbing is that submachine guns are about the easiest - about all you really work on is the feed ramp angle and length of the firing pin protrusion to get the advanced primer ignition right. Most of that's available on the internet, and parts kits are all over the gun industry.

Buuttttt, we don't wanna talk about that stuff (buried under the floorboards in your closet.)

 

[CWL]

same

 

[CWL]

same...again

 

[Owen Sparks]

All the more reason that commoners should not have access to tools because they might make a weapon.

 

[Eightball]

Once again, this just proves that when firearms are outlawed, the desperate criminals will STILL find/create the means by which to arm themselves, while the law-abiding have no such recourse.

 

[ccsniper]

the "factory" looks like my garage.

 

[Pulse]

CWL is right.
those conversions are sold to people that want a 'real' gun or the looks of one to show off, yet dont want to buy the actual real thing.. the real thing can get you years in prison, such a conversion still gets you time in prison, but not as mutch as a actual built firearm.
the same machineshop probably did built Stens or crud AKs for the serious badguys.
Criminals that actualy want to own firearms have no problem geting Glocks, Sigs or H&K weapons.

 

[gvnwst]

NIce shop, i would love to have that stuff. As others have said, with that machinery, one could simply make the gun from the ground up!


BTW, high end airsoft guns are made from mostly metal, and the 6mm barrels fit a .22lr shell quite well, so with a barrel insert (they can't take the pressure) and some form of firing mechinisam, it would actually be quite simple to do this.

 

[MD_Willington]

Kind of the same reason the AK (Yunkers IIRC) pellet rifles and the Izhmash deacts are not imported into the US, they contain enough parts to make a working firearm...

 

[BenReal]

Well,you can take a steak knife and kill someone with it too but I don't see the police confiscating all the steak knifes.

And the plastic ones can be sharpened into killing knives as well.

So much for those McDonalds pancakes knives.

Heck,you can break a branch off a tree and sharpen that and kill someone,

Better outlaw all the trees.

But wait.

You can just pick up a rock and bash someone in the head with that.

Better outlaw all the rocks.

Heck,you can push someone down on the ground and stomp them in the head until they die,better outlaw feet.

Ahh,we feel safe yet?

 

[solareclipse]

Not air guns.. OP is rather confused really.

blank firing guns. made of zinc alloy. You need some serious drill press to drill through the BOLT WELDED in the barrel...

Funny thing is in many countries those do not even have the barrels plugged. There is no law that requires it and they are known as "gas guns"

The only actual airsoft gun that can be converted is an old marushin or tanaka all metal rifle from the 80s. Forgot the exact model... but not like you can ever find one, anywhere. Since that "blunder" was discovered they changed the laws on airsoft (in japan anyway) to make it impossible for them to sustain live round pressures no matter what modifications somebody makes

 

[deacon8]

How would you like the live in that place?? haha! I got a kick out of the "assassin's weapon." OOOO...soo deadly.

 

[MD_Willington]

BenReal, you ever been to the UK...