Zip gun
en.wikipedia.org
Zip gun
1–10 of 41 posts
Re: Zip gun
#2Some of these are really impressive, but a lot look like overly involved ways to lose a hand.
Re: Zip gun
#3Some of these are really impressive, but a lot look like overly involved ways to lose a hand.
The pressures produced by even a .22lr are a bit intense. I wouldn’t fire any of these
Re: Zip gun
#4Probably the most effective of these if you have 12ga ammo available is a “bang stick”. It’s basically a 12ga shell in a tube, with a spring that will force it into a firing pin when it’s pressed against something and trips a small lever holding back the spring. They’re used in shark hunting and for self-defense by divers against sharks.
Here’s a commercial one, which has a safety pin that must be removed before it will fire: http://www.billsbangsticks.com/12-Gauge-Powerhead_p_17.html
In an insurgency situation, devices like this are best used to obtain something better. Only being usable for a single shot isn’t necessarily a huge disadvantage, especially if there are multiple people using them at the same time. Pressed against heavy clothing, they also make surprising little noise. The “Liberator” .45 pistol was made by the US with the intention of airdropping the, to the French Resistance in WW2. In reality, almost all of them ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic. The Sten 9mm SMG didn’t cost much more to make and was much more effective.
Re: Zip gun
#5Some of these are really impressive, but a lot look like overly involved ways to lose a hand.
The pressures produced by even a .22lr are a bit intense. I wouldn’t fire any of these
There are ways to reinforce the chamber and barrel to make them much safer, and low powered .22 rounds that make testing a lot easier. I’ve built a few smoothbore .22 rifles for fun, and have had no issues with them. They’re accurate enough for small game out to 25 feet or so.
Re: Zip gun
#6The weapon of choice for the GLA
Re: Zip gun
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
The pressures produced by even a .22lr are a bit intense. I wouldn’t fire any of these
There are ways to reinforce the chamber and barrel to make them much safer, and low powered .22 rounds that make testing a lot easier. I’ve built a few smoothbore .22 rifles for fun, and have had no issues with them. They’re accurate enough for small game out to 25 feet or so.
Oh yeah, it's possible. At certain levels of skill you basically are just gunsmithing a new firearm.
That being said, I'd bet that most Zipguns are made by the desperate who lack proper materials and relevant experience.
Re: Zip gun
#8As a side note - it’s more difficult in the US to make a legal zip gun than an illegal one. Smoothbores must have a 16” barrel or longer (18” for shotguns), and an overall length of 26”.
If you’re making a semi-auto, it must be a closed bolt design, and the sear must be designed to not reset until the trigger travels forward. It’s much easier to make an open-bolt SMG than a semi-auto pistol.
Re: Zip gun
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are ways to reinforce the chamber and barrel to make them much safer, and low powered .22 rounds that make testing a lot easier. I’ve built a few smoothbore .22 rifles for fun, and have had no issues with them. They’re accurate enough for small game out to 25 feet or so.
Oh yeah, it's possible. At certain levels of skill you basically are just gunsmithing a new firearm. That being said, I'd bet that most Zipguns are made by the desperate who lack proper materials and relevant experience.
There are “traditional” designs that have been handed down through the generations in both poorer areas of the US and in cities like NYC where legal guns have been hard to obtain for a long time.
Someday I plan to collect some of them and publish a book :)
Re: Zip gun
#10Who would win - zip gun or zip bomb?