can i build an aluminum gun?

[liberte]

i have been rambling around the internet and have seen a lot of sites who sell both trigger and handle mechanisms and also muzzles, but none i have found sell aluminum tubing. do people make their own aluminum guns?
i think it would be pretty cool and it seems like it wouldn't be that hard. where would you get the aluminum tubing if you wanted to do this?

 

[TrojanII]

Sure you can! I would recommend getting material from a local steel supplier. If one is not availible in your area try somewhere like Metals Depot® - Buy Small Quantity Metal Online! Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Brass= I have never ordered material online but looks good to me.

 

[Newbie_spearo]

You'd want to make sure the stuff is properly heat treated or hardened I'd think, otherwise you'll have all sorts of barrell flexing issues? I'm sure if you had the right implements you could heat treat it yourself.

 

[liberte]

so i went on the site posted above, they have aluminum tubing that is 1-1/4 outer diamter x 1.12 inner diameter and a .065 wall. so with that tube i should be able to make a gun with the hammerhead reef muzzle, which looks pretty awesome. how thick should the wall of the tube be?
i really like the demka handle, it sound very well built and that it can take tons of pressure.
what would be the best thing to do to the aluminum tubing? annodize, heat treat?
where can they do this?

 

[Newbie_spearo]

Before you put the muzzle and handle on make sure you plug both ends of the barrel behind the point where you will put the screws to secure the handle etc. Otherwise the barrel will flood and you will have a good looking gun that won't be much use.

As far as the heat treating goes I'm not exactly sure what they do with alloy, but I'd just paint the gun, dont worry about annodizing it. I know that you can heat treat steel yourself at home if you have a fire and some old engine oil, but I would think alloy is done differently.

 

[liberte]

i was looking at hammerhead's website, you can buy barrels, barrel plugs, pretty much everything you would need. a 120cm barrel was about $40, the bulk would have only cost about 20, but i think that the hammerhead barrel is reinforced and everything.

 

[Bill]

I've built a few al guns. Don't worry about finishing or reinforcing. 065 was enough for 120 cm. With a little care you can glue aluminum. Clean surface, sandpaper and epoxy. Vinegar etch is probably overkill. If you have trouble with seals, let me know. I was taught a few simple methods. With a 5/16 shaft and 1 1/4 tube you'll need a light muzzle for balance or some flotation forward. Use the first try as a learning experience, the second one will be a lot better.

 

[TrojanII]

You wouldn't have to worry about heat treating the aluminum at all. 1 1/4 tube at 0.065" wall has plenty of structural strength. I think anodizing would look cool though.

 

[foxfish]

As Bill said you can glue ally but it is tricky, the best results come when you actually abrade (sand) the ally with wet & dry paper but use epoxy instead of water to lube the paper.
This stops the ally oxidising because it has no contact with the air.
You might also consider buying a carbon barrel?

 

[liberte]

i think i am going to go with a hammerhead barrel, they come with a rail down the entire barrel and are reinforced structurally. they come with barrel plugs and i might use a resin or epoxy to seal the handle and muzzle completely.
should the handle and muzzle be glued in with epoxy or should they be able to be removed?

 

[kanakafari]

I suggest purchasing the ALI barrel from Hammerhead along with the muzzle and using Gorilla Gle (available at major hardware stores). Gorilla Glue is 100% waterproof and I personally use the same set up currently. Just read the directions on the package carefully and do not over apply because it will expand!!! If you are having issues with the ID and the muzzle, use a Dremel tool and do not rush the process for it is worth the time and care spent.