Making an air rifle

This is far from the truth. Spring-air weapons were the norm until a few years ago. Now the top end of the market at least is dominated by: (1) pre-charged pneumatics (with a cylinder of air at up to 200 bar), (2) Single-stroke pneumatics, (3) multi-stroke pneumatics, and (4) pre-charged CO2 guns. None of these use springs as the power source.

And, on the original "nit-picking" point, I suggest you read the Firearms Act before making your mind up on such things. A firearm is defined as any lethal barrelled weapon capable of firing projectiles*. Later amendments have added a few things, including weapons which are capable of firing noxious substances (which in theory could apply to water pistols). There is an exemption for air- or gas-powered weapons considered not especially dangerous, which is defined as rifles with a muzzle energy not exceeding 12 ft.lbs, and pistols with a muzzle energy not exceeding 6 ft.lbs. Self-contained air cartridge (SCAC) weapons (often referred to as "Brococks") are in a specially restricted category and cannot be bought, sold, given away or imported; existing owners need to have a firearms certificate to continue to hold them. This particularly stupid piece of legislation arose a couple of years ago because a few people had converted them to fire live cartridges - already highly illegal, and bloody dangerous. Estimates suggest that only about 10% of the SCAC weapons in the country were declared, and making it a requirement that they be designed to be impossible to convert (eg with weak plastic cylinders and chambers) would have made much more sense.

David

Self-contained air cartridge (SCAC) weapons

Brocock pistols cost a couple of hundred pounds each, took a couple of hours with a lathe to convert to fire live ammo and then were likely to blow your fingers off after a couple of rounds. Alternatively the price quoted by the press for an Uzi or Mac10 in South London was 75 quid. Still banning the Brocock good the government some publicity and only harmed those totally irresponsible people that wanted to own them for no good reason without having to upset the drug dealers who clearly have a genuine need for their tools of the trade.

I didn't realise they had banned Brococks - always wanted one as a kid and now I can afford one... not allowed!

The air rifle I was thinking of making when I started this thread was going to be spring powered, although a pre-charged rifle is lighter and quieter in some respects, just a bit more difficult to make...

Whatever type you make, you have to be *very* careful it cannot exceed

David

I dunno about a springer being easier to make in a home shop. Seen enough of the insides of a few of them to cure me of ever wanting to build one. On the other hand, I would very much like to tool up and make a short run of upgraded Crosman Model 150 CO2 pistols. Build them to a quality point I would like to have, rather than to the price point that was required in their original making. They are almost all lathe turned bits, with a die casting for the grip frame, and an injection molded grip.

The PCP rifles are only a small step up in the scheme of things, from the CO2 airguns.

Cheers Trevor Jones

I'll be investing in a chronograph to measure the pellet velocities...

A few things that may be of interest:

I am an American. I'm not an expert on the laws in other countries but I have a few friends in other countries who know what th restrictions are. So, from conversations with them, here's what I ca tell you.

In America, it's only a firearm if it uses a chemical explosive charge Airguns have separate legislation. In most states they ar unregulated. There are a couple of exceptions, New Jersey being th one that comes to mind.

In Canada, last time I checked, it's actually a velocity limit, not power limit. Which makes things interesting when there are "hig velocity" pellets available for the weapon...

The Netherlands, I believe they are classed as toys, and unregulated.

Taiwan, Japan, and I believe China it's illegal if it fires meta projectiles.

Different places care different amounts. Where I live I could probabl have anything I wanted and nobody would care as long as I wasn' threatening them. Where some of my friends live, the local police g out of their way to harass people who own weapons of any kind. Consider where you are on that scale as well as by what the law says.

Other stuff:

Lewis and Clark did have a Girandoni air gun. Appears to be one of th ones that Girandoni siphoned out of the military production and sold fo personal profit.

Incidentally, the Girandoni design is one of the simplest I have eve seen. If you want to build a multishot gun, you could scale it dow and reduce the pressure to keep it below the power limit.

.20 cal is actually quite common for high power airguns. Not sure ho easy it will be to find ammunition in the UK as most of the .20cal gun I've seen are definitely over 12ft/lbs. I've got a Sheridan that wil knock over a 20lb groundhog at 75 yards. But you might look a

In your case, and depending on what you want to do with it, I migh consider building a needle gun. The small cross-section on that kin of projectile makes it quite stable, even at low velocities, and i uses very little gas, so you can shoot a long time. Plus, the needle are often reusable. Would not reccommend shooting it at anythin larger than maybe a mouse though. Tends to just piss things off.

Cheers, LM

-- Perkin

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I expect even a small mouse might tire of being used as pin cushion

-- Myford Mat

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I know I'm a bit late to reply to this thread, but check out this homemade air gun: