Making custom parts
 

I hope I'm posting this in the right section, since essentially it's about modding a gun for a project.

I haven't started the project yet, or figured out which gun to start with. But I before I got that far I wanted to ask you guys for your opinions.

How hard would it be to make a custom body for a gun? Specifically, metal, and most importantly the front end. I have a few ideas in my head for an assault rifle but I don't want to start getting into the plans if I find out it can't be done. I can have some sketches done tonight if it helps.

Without knowing what the design looks like, it's hard to comment. With today's metalworking technology, though, some very amazing things can be done. The question is whether you can afford it, and would you be able to find someone to do it (which in part concerns how close to an easily recognizable firearm your parts look).

Yeah, right off the bat you should be aware that there are some legalities involved in manufacturing anything that resembles a firearm. If you have all the required equipment and were to build it yourself, then you could probably get away with it, but if you have to get it made by someone else, you could have issues finding someone to make it.

Your best bet is to find an existing airsoft gun that most closely resembles what you're designing and modify it accordingly. One example of this would be how one can make an Aliens space marine pulse rifle out of a TM Thompson submachinegun.

I'm aiming for a concept rifle, and by that I mean that if it resembles a real one I'll consider it unfinished or a failure. I don't want it completely sci-fi alien busting hardware, but as it's not going to be based on a real gun I would still label it as fantasy.

I'll stop posting for a few minutes so I can draw something up.

Well, it doesn't have to look like the gun you'd use. The pulse rifle mod looks nothing like a Thompson, yet holds a Thompson as it's core. That was just an example. For example, you could have something like a P90 at the core and an outer body built over it to make it some wierd looking prototype sniper rifle, and you'd never know it was built from a P90.

But I understand what you're trying to get at. You want to create something totally differently and unique. Just suggesting that it may be easier to attain that goal by buiding onto something else rather than going from scratch considering the potential legalities of it.

it helps to have friends who have access to CNC mills. If you want to buy one yourself, go ahead, the only issues are 1. like theyre saying the legality of producing your own stuff and just how realistic it appears, and 2. CNC mills are ungodly expensive. < Why it helps to have friends with mills, get all the benefits without paying an arm and a leg.

The basic idea for my first design is an m4 with an underslung shotgun, with everything meshed together into one gun. It would require some modifying to the receiver and main body of the gun, and total redesign of the front end.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Prototype.jpg
As you can see in the picture, it almost looks like a SCAR. The split level top rail would be for making it easier to mount a scope or sight on the back without the attachments in front blocking it, such as a PEQ. The entire shotgun is to be part of the front end.

The dust cover on the side is part of the modded body section with the release for it being moved to the side instead of the back, although moving that might be more work than anything else.

Flaws:
-I know I drew a straight mag
-I didn't include any iron sights
-Not sure how the shotgun would be loaded until I had one to work with.

EDIT: That blank space above the mag would be for my own engraving, I left it blank cause I don't want to think of something at the moment.

Any thoughts or suggestions on this design? If not I'll let this thread die and carry on thinking about how I'll get money.

try unconventionalairsoft.com they always have ideas for crazy, concept guns
I learned how to make a drone gun from there!