So I want to build a water cooled gun.....

[wacki]

Just for giggles anyway. Probably won't leave the white board anytime soon but if I were going to do it, what's the best route to take?

This guy did it with an AR47

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQz7tGMETDY


Are there better options? Is the AR47 bolt too weak for to handle that kind of abuse long term? Would the RPK be better? The AR47 gas system just seems a lot more air tight to me.

Ohio Ordinance makes a ridiculously expensive M240-SLR

http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/Firearms/OOWExclusiveFirearms/M240_SLR.rif

I would assume the M240-SLR customized hardware is much more robust than the AR47.

Or are there better options than re-inventing the Vickers gun?



Dreaming of a land where I have money to burn, lead is $30 a ton, NFA rules don't exist and I have unlimited vacation time.....




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[yzguy87]

I was going to suggest the m240 clone for the cool factor until I saw the price! For a whopping $13917.53 you could buy a registered machine gun. I say good luck and if you ever do build your project be sure to post info and pics and maybe a vid too!

 

[Ian]

A gas piston that isn't sealed up will be a problem - you can't have that inside the water jacket. A recoil-operated design like the Maxim/Vickers requires a sealing gasket so the barrel can still move. An AR would work, but I think my choice if I were going to do this would be a different gas impingement system - I'd use a MAS 49/56. They're cheap, mechanically suited for the conversion, and chambered for a large enough round to make water cooling at least a little bit useful. Adapt a few bigger mags for it (50-round drum that someone makes for the HK/FAL/M1A?) and go nuts.