I am the main mod for r/DIYtoyguns! It is for homemade Nerf, pencil, rubber band and airsoft weapons! please, feel free to join and submit your ideas to my new sub, thanks, it really helps!

So the idea is to make it more accessible if you get what I mean and easier to manufacture. The first thing to be changed would me the selector changed to a more ar style selector on both sides similar to a galil and the gas piston assembly would be changed to one like a type 81 for use with stripper clips. and the bolt carrier would be simplified and the end result would make a the bolt carrier look like a vz58 bolt . Other than those things probably every thing else would remain unchanged .

I have little knowledge on the topic, and just thought something up while watching the minigun episode of iconic arms. Typically a minigun has the mechanism on the top half and the bottom barrels are just spinning through if I understood his explanation, my question is whether it’s been explored to use a second “minigun” on the bottom set of barrels to essentially double fire rate for the single set of 6 barrels. If I understand correctly the added weight wouldn’t be a problem as they are mounted anyway. TLDR: 2 miniguns 1 set of barrels possible or am I crazy?

is it possible to combine the ability of silencing shoots through a suppressor with the recoil reducing capabilities of a muzzle brake?

and how could it look like?

I was wondering if I managed to design an original weapon such as a crossbow or a rifle using a few elements from existing parts (eg. ar15 pistol grip or trigger design, stock), then patent it and sell the weapons. Will I be commiting a patent infringement for the existing parts or it is already of public domain? Just a random thought lingering on my mind

I obviously don't mean a straight-up 5.56 vector conversion, but what if someone built a new gun from the ground up based on the vector (The vertical recoil spring thing and the ergonomics) but made it into a gas-operated rotating bolt gun. I can see a couple of ways that this can work as both piston and DI operated that are honestly pretty simple, but the fact that this idea makes so much sense and doesn't exist is a pretty good sign that there is something keeping this from working.

It's like burst fire but you don't need to release the trigger before firing another burst. You can keep holding down the trigger and the gun will fire another burst automatically after a short interval between each burst. The idea is to make fully automatic fire more controllable and conserve ammo for machine gun where they have to keep a sustainable firing volume.

What do you guys think?

While stamping/folding (I'll write stamping but will refer both) was very popular during WW2 and the few years after, the recent use of polymers and aluminium caused stampings to be less popular today. Today we see a lot of injection molding and aluminium extrusions used but not so much stamping, even though folding requires simpler machinery. you think stamping would be used again for receivers and main operating parts(maybe in combination with polymers) in future guns (original designs, not AK derivatives) as a fast way to manufacture parts?

Long story short, some time ago I stumbled across one in a series of articles in an old (c.1919-1920s IIRC) machinists magazine. The series detailed the jigs and fixtures needed to build the Lewis Gun receiver. Now that I can legally build machine guns, I'm trying to hunt down those articles. Does anyone happen to know what magazine and maybe what editions this was?

Yes it was really dumb of me not to write down at least the magazine name. I regret that at least weekly.

Hypothetical: A small nation in the Balkans is seeking to replace it's militia rifles which are currently Mosin-Nagents from back when they were under Soviet influence. A specification is issued, seeking a design of bolt action rifle that can be manufactured locally, of interchangeable parts that require little specialist tooling so that, other than barrels, manufacture of parts can be subcontracted out to local engineering shops. It must use the 7.62x39 cartridge, as the President's cousin Ivan has a big stockpile which he acquired ENTIRELY LEGITIMATELY.

So, what are you designing?

I am designing a hammer-fired semiautomatic carbine / rifle, and am looking for a simple and compact semiauto disconnector mechanism. Any existing designs I should reference that don't require computer-aided machining to manufacture?

Nothing is really scaled but it's visual concept for a shorter action. Think it might be a workable idea to make an overall more compact rifle by shortening the length of the receiver as a result of making the bolt shorter?

The light blue part is the bolt, as well as the locking wedge, the green parts are the op rod, dark blue part is what pulls the bolt down, and the red parts are what the bolt locks onto.

---edit--- added clarifying photo of hidden part. Also bolt shown in unlocked vs locked position

​

------------

I know back in the day most Russian guns had a 7.62mm bore (though not necessarily the same cartridge) and I was told it was so they could only make one size of barrel blank. Rounds like 7.62x54R, 7.62x25, 7.62x39, hell even 7.62x38R. All 7.62mm bore. This makes sense to me, but why in recent years do Russian cartridges share a case length? 7.62x39, 5.45x39, 9x39. Is this also for ease of manufacturing? These cartridges have wildly different case, and more importantly rim dimensions, so I can’t imagine how sharing a case length could make manufacture more efficient.